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Dr. Siri Paiboun #11
I Shot the Buddha
A fiendishly clever mystery in which Dr. Siri and his friends investigate three interlocking murders—and the ungodly motives behind them
Laos, 1979: Retired coroner Siri Paiboun and his wife, Madame Daeng, have never been able to turn away a misfit. As a result, they share their small Vientiane house with an assortment of homeless people, mendicants, and oddballs. One of these oddballs is Noo, a Buddhist monk, who rides out on his bicycle one day and never comes back, leaving only a cryptic note in the a plea to help a fellow monk escape across the Mekhong River to Thailand.
Naturally, Siri can’t turn down the adventure, and soon he and his friends find themselves running afoul of Lao secret service officers and famous spiritualists. Buddhism is a powerful influence on both morals and politics in Southeast Asia. In order to exonerate an innocent man, they will have to figure out who is cloaking terrible misdeeds in religiosity.
Laos, 1979: Retired coroner Siri Paiboun and his wife, Madame Daeng, have never been able to turn away a misfit. As a result, they share their small Vientiane house with an assortment of homeless people, mendicants, and oddballs. One of these oddballs is Noo, a Buddhist monk, who rides out on his bicycle one day and never comes back, leaving only a cryptic note in the a plea to help a fellow monk escape across the Mekhong River to Thailand.
Naturally, Siri can’t turn down the adventure, and soon he and his friends find themselves running afoul of Lao secret service officers and famous spiritualists. Buddhism is a powerful influence on both morals and politics in Southeast Asia. In order to exonerate an innocent man, they will have to figure out who is cloaking terrible misdeeds in religiosity.
342 pages, Hardcover
First published August 2, 2016
180 people are currently reading
1091 people want to read
About the author
Colin Cotterill
73 books1,021 followersColin Cotterill was born in London and trained as a teacher and set off on a world tour that didn't ever come to an end. He worked as a Physical Education instructor in Israel, a primary school teacher in Australia, a counselor for educationally handicapped adults in the US, and a university lecturer in Japan. But the greater part of his latter years has been spent in Southeast Asia. Colin has taught and trained teachers in Thailand and on the Burmese border. He spent several years in Laos, initially with UNESCO and wrote and produced a forty-programme language teaching series; English By Accident, for Thai national television.
Ten years ago, Colin became involved in child protection in the region and set up an NGO in Phuket which he ran for the first two years. After two more years of study in child abuse issues, and one more stint in Phuket, he moved on to ECPAT, an international organization combating child prostitution and pornography. He established their training program for caregivers.
All the while, Colin continued with his two other passions; cartooning and writing. He contributed regular columns for the Bangkok Post but had little time to write. It wasn't until his work with trafficked children that he found himself sufficiently stimulated to put together his first novel, The Night Bastard (Suk's Editions. 2000).
The reaction to that first attempt was so positive that Colin decided to take time off and write full-time. Since October 2001 he has written nine more novels. Two of these are child-protection based: Evil in the Land Without (Asia Books December 03), and Pool and Its Role in Asian Communism (Asia Books, Dec 05). These were followed by The Coroner’s Lunch (Soho Press. Dec 04), Thirty Three Teeth (Aug 05), Disco for the Departed (Aug 06), Anarchy and Old Dogs (Aug 07), and Curse of the Pogo Stick (Aug 08), The Merry Misogynist (Aug 09), Love Songs from a Shallow Grave (Aug 10) these last seven are set in Laos in the 1970’s.
On June 15, 2009 Colin Cotterill received the Crime Writers' Association Dagger in the Library award for being "the author of crime fiction whose work is currently giving the greatest enjoyment to library users".
When the Lao books gained in popularity, Cotterill set up a project to send books to Lao children and sponsor trainee teachers. The Books for Laos programme elicits support from fans of the books and is administered purely on a voluntary basis.
Since 1990, Colin has been a regular cartoonist for national publications. A Thai language translation of his cartoon scrapbook, Ethel and Joan Go to Phuket (Matichon May 04) and weekly social cartoons in the Nation newspaper, set him back onto the cartoon trail in 2004. On 4 April 2004, an illustrated bilingual column ‘cycle logical’ was launched in Matichon’s popular weekly news magazine. These have been published in book form.
Colin is married and lives in a fishing community on the Gulf of Siam with his wife, Kyoko, and ever-expanding pack of very annoying dogs.
Ten years ago, Colin became involved in child protection in the region and set up an NGO in Phuket which he ran for the first two years. After two more years of study in child abuse issues, and one more stint in Phuket, he moved on to ECPAT, an international organization combating child prostitution and pornography. He established their training program for caregivers.
All the while, Colin continued with his two other passions; cartooning and writing. He contributed regular columns for the Bangkok Post but had little time to write. It wasn't until his work with trafficked children that he found himself sufficiently stimulated to put together his first novel, The Night Bastard (Suk's Editions. 2000).
The reaction to that first attempt was so positive that Colin decided to take time off and write full-time. Since October 2001 he has written nine more novels. Two of these are child-protection based: Evil in the Land Without (Asia Books December 03), and Pool and Its Role in Asian Communism (Asia Books, Dec 05). These were followed by The Coroner’s Lunch (Soho Press. Dec 04), Thirty Three Teeth (Aug 05), Disco for the Departed (Aug 06), Anarchy and Old Dogs (Aug 07), and Curse of the Pogo Stick (Aug 08), The Merry Misogynist (Aug 09), Love Songs from a Shallow Grave (Aug 10) these last seven are set in Laos in the 1970’s.
On June 15, 2009 Colin Cotterill received the Crime Writers' Association Dagger in the Library award for being "the author of crime fiction whose work is currently giving the greatest enjoyment to library users".
When the Lao books gained in popularity, Cotterill set up a project to send books to Lao children and sponsor trainee teachers. The Books for Laos programme elicits support from fans of the books and is administered purely on a voluntary basis.
Since 1990, Colin has been a regular cartoonist for national publications. A Thai language translation of his cartoon scrapbook, Ethel and Joan Go to Phuket (Matichon May 04) and weekly social cartoons in the Nation newspaper, set him back onto the cartoon trail in 2004. On 4 April 2004, an illustrated bilingual column ‘cycle logical’ was launched in Matichon’s popular weekly news magazine. These have been published in book form.
Colin is married and lives in a fishing community on the Gulf of Siam with his wife, Kyoko, and ever-expanding pack of very annoying dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
July 20, 2021
4 stars for an engaging book about Dr. Siri Paiboun, retired chief coroner for Laos. This series is probably best read in order, but my library only has some of this series. In this book, #11 in the series, Siri and his friends solve three separate murders that have connections. The author is a British man who lives in Thailand. This book, like the others, provides some insight into Laotian culture with a bit of humor.
Siri gets a plea from a Buddhist monk to help a fellow monk escape into Thailand. The monk was a guest in Siri's house, but has been mysteriously kidnapped. This quest sets off a chain of events, leading to a confrontation with the spirit world. If you don't like paranormal mysteries, you might not like this book.
Two quotes:
Author warning: "A mental health warning: Through necessity this edition is heavily spiced with supernatural elements. For those of you who prefer your mysteries dull and earthy, this is not the tome for you."
"Siri put his hand to his chest where the white amulet hung from his neck. it was nothing elaborate: a hunk of white stone. But there was no question that, without it, he would have been long dead."
This was a library book.
Siri gets a plea from a Buddhist monk to help a fellow monk escape into Thailand. The monk was a guest in Siri's house, but has been mysteriously kidnapped. This quest sets off a chain of events, leading to a confrontation with the spirit world. If you don't like paranormal mysteries, you might not like this book.
Two quotes:
Author warning: "A mental health warning: Through necessity this edition is heavily spiced with supernatural elements. For those of you who prefer your mysteries dull and earthy, this is not the tome for you."
"Siri put his hand to his chest where the white amulet hung from his neck. it was nothing elaborate: a hunk of white stone. But there was no question that, without it, he would have been long dead."
This was a library book.
October 21, 2020
This series is so refreshingly different from anything else I read and I look forward to being transported to Laos and beyond to 'the other side,' or the world of spirits. When I took a look back I realized I started reading this series in 2011, which means I am reading at a pace of one volume per year, which is influenced by my ability to obtain the audio book through my Library. I love Clive Chafer's narration, it's worth waiting for!
One passage that stood out to me was Siri's philosophy on love. "The ultimate compromise. It is so important to have a partner that we cut and shape our tastes and likes and dislikes and go to great lengths to tolerate differences. We do this so we have someone beside us. In this insane quest for institutional faith we need a sidekick: somebody to give us a daily burst of faith at the grassroots level. A little shot of home belief. In that way, when our religions and our politics and our doctrines disappoint us it isn't so important because we have love. My planet is parched and crumbling, but my bedroom is in full bloom."
Colin Cotterill writes with a true sense of enthusiasm and joy, which bubbles through in the quirkiness of the characters and the wry humor. He gives seemingly mundane events an interesting twist.
I was fascinated by the passage about the cultural differences between using refrigerators in shared households. In the West, we divide the inside of our fridges into territorial boundaries. Contents are labeled with the owner's name and often the addendum "hands off!" Whereas, in Laos, the contents are used at will and replaced the next time someone does some grocery shopping, or the entire household goes shopping for groceries together.
One passage that was fun to read was when Siri played with the two children under age five on their jungle gym in the garden and went ghost hunting in the family's linen closet. He talked with them as equals and had them giggling at his playful antics. Indeed, "within minutes the age gap had shrunk to a few months."
Finally, there are not just one but two epilogues. After all, "As Siri often said, 'A story without an ending is like a tin of corned beef without a can opener.'"
One passage that stood out to me was Siri's philosophy on love. "The ultimate compromise. It is so important to have a partner that we cut and shape our tastes and likes and dislikes and go to great lengths to tolerate differences. We do this so we have someone beside us. In this insane quest for institutional faith we need a sidekick: somebody to give us a daily burst of faith at the grassroots level. A little shot of home belief. In that way, when our religions and our politics and our doctrines disappoint us it isn't so important because we have love. My planet is parched and crumbling, but my bedroom is in full bloom."
Colin Cotterill writes with a true sense of enthusiasm and joy, which bubbles through in the quirkiness of the characters and the wry humor. He gives seemingly mundane events an interesting twist.
I was fascinated by the passage about the cultural differences between using refrigerators in shared households. In the West, we divide the inside of our fridges into territorial boundaries. Contents are labeled with the owner's name and often the addendum "hands off!" Whereas, in Laos, the contents are used at will and replaced the next time someone does some grocery shopping, or the entire household goes shopping for groceries together.
One passage that was fun to read was when Siri played with the two children under age five on their jungle gym in the garden and went ghost hunting in the family's linen closet. He talked with them as equals and had them giggling at his playful antics. Indeed, "within minutes the age gap had shrunk to a few months."
Finally, there are not just one but two epilogues. After all, "As Siri often said, 'A story without an ending is like a tin of corned beef without a can opener.'"
August 16, 2016
Book 11 of the Dr. Siri Paiboun series set in 1970's Laos. Dr. Siri is now retired from the coroner's office in Vientiane and his wife, Madame Daeng, contentedly runs her noodle shop where all their friends gather to solve some interesting mysteries. I love the cast of characters in this series.
This mystery is about the disappearance of one of Dr. Siri's lodgers at his house - Monk Noo. He suddenly left without saying anything but he did leave a note for Dr. Siri to follow.
Other members in the group volunteer to look into various aspects of the disappearance so the characters branch off into their own subplots but as usual, these subplots help to solve the case in the end and give the full picture.
I love this series but it is not meant for everyone. At the beginning of this novel author Colin Cotterill warns this book contains supernatural elements so it may not appeal to all. If, like me, you follow the series and don't mind an occasional spirit, then this is a must read.
This mystery is about the disappearance of one of Dr. Siri's lodgers at his house - Monk Noo. He suddenly left without saying anything but he did leave a note for Dr. Siri to follow.
Other members in the group volunteer to look into various aspects of the disappearance so the characters branch off into their own subplots but as usual, these subplots help to solve the case in the end and give the full picture.
I love this series but it is not meant for everyone. At the beginning of this novel author Colin Cotterill warns this book contains supernatural elements so it may not appeal to all. If, like me, you follow the series and don't mind an occasional spirit, then this is a must read.
May 1, 2024
I don’t write reviews.
I love a pleasant entertaining mystery chockfull of lovable characters getting into dangerous mischief, oddballs being their fabulous eccentric selves and villains always managing to bite off more than they can chew.
Again, this entry in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series gives us all of that, and more. We even get: a Buddhist version of a black mass, tips on how to avoid being murdered using orange juice, a gun and an disability aid, and more tips to save your ass (supernaturally), but in these cases you’ll need a little help from friends on the other side of the veil.
Such a satisfying story and everything tied up nicely at the end. Off I race to volume 12!
I love a pleasant entertaining mystery chockfull of lovable characters getting into dangerous mischief, oddballs being their fabulous eccentric selves and villains always managing to bite off more than they can chew.
Again, this entry in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series gives us all of that, and more. We even get: a Buddhist version of a black mass, tips on how to avoid being murdered using orange juice, a gun and an disability aid, and more tips to save your ass (supernaturally), but in these cases you’ll need a little help from friends on the other side of the veil.
Such a satisfying story and everything tied up nicely at the end. Off I race to volume 12!
July 4, 2018
I always have struggled with the ghosts and spirits that are in Dr Siri and as this book focus is on ghosts, spirits and shamans I really struggled. There are some good parts relating to the weird world of Laos in the 70s, the usual humour and the Siri gang outwitting the bad guys. But amongst the ghosts and spirits there was also a confusion of plots and characters which distracted from the soul of this series.
August 10, 2016
Back in May, 2015, I reviewed the previous Dr. Siri Paiboun novel, which was the tenth in the series. I loved every moment of it: the deft interweaving of humor and the history of modern Laos and the unusual range of characters peopling it. Well, good news! Dr. Siri is back in I Shot the Buddha. He’s retired from his position as coroner, but the mysteries keep coming.
This time, he’s taking on a mission for Noo, a homeless Buddhist monk who had been living with Dr. Siri and his wife, Madame Daeng and who has suddenly disappeared. Noo leaves behind a note asking Dr. Siri to help smuggle another monk across the Mekhong into Thailand. Dr. Siri finds himself in a hostile Thai village where he must solve a series of horrible crimes if he wants to have any hope of returning to Laos. At the center of the mystery is a mechanic who may or may not be the latest incarnation of the Buddha and the legacy of colonial occupation.
Read this book both for the fun it offers and for the basic education in Buddhism and Lao/Thai history that it offers as a side dish.
This time, he’s taking on a mission for Noo, a homeless Buddhist monk who had been living with Dr. Siri and his wife, Madame Daeng and who has suddenly disappeared. Noo leaves behind a note asking Dr. Siri to help smuggle another monk across the Mekhong into Thailand. Dr. Siri finds himself in a hostile Thai village where he must solve a series of horrible crimes if he wants to have any hope of returning to Laos. At the center of the mystery is a mechanic who may or may not be the latest incarnation of the Buddha and the legacy of colonial occupation.
Read this book both for the fun it offers and for the basic education in Buddhism and Lao/Thai history that it offers as a side dish.
March 1, 2017
This was certainly a change of pace for me - wacky stuff. "The footsteps creaked behind her, and she anticipated the feel of his hand on her suety breast. But she hadn't anticipated the knife." That was the first of three women killed that night by whom or what? "And then a shadow fell across it and for a second she saw the only love of her life, then a smile, then a sledgehammer." Then a third woman died. "This was obviously a bad night to be a woman." "These were odd times in the People's Democratic Republic of Laos..."
"Siri was used to visits from the other side. 'Step overs from limbo' he called them. He saw spirits everywhere he went....But he rarely discussed such matters, particularly not with Party members. One of the numerous things socialists did not understand was the interplay of dimensions."
I hope these clips provide a glimpse into what seems amusing at first, but for me it fizzled out.
For quite a few of the inanities expressed throughout this book, I was imagining a group of comedy writers gathered by David Letterman to produce a comic mystery series.
"Siri was used to visits from the other side. 'Step overs from limbo' he called them. He saw spirits everywhere he went....But he rarely discussed such matters, particularly not with Party members. One of the numerous things socialists did not understand was the interplay of dimensions."
I hope these clips provide a glimpse into what seems amusing at first, but for me it fizzled out.
For quite a few of the inanities expressed throughout this book, I was imagining a group of comedy writers gathered by David Letterman to produce a comic mystery series.
September 17, 2016
Surprisingly bad. Too many plots. Too much happening. A terrible mishmash.
I needed a change of pace or I would have dropped it. Usually I love these Dr. Siri mysteries.
I needed a change of pace or I would have dropped it. Usually I love these Dr. Siri mysteries.
August 1, 2016
It's always a pleasure to visit with Dr. Siri and his friends, and I Shot the Buddha is no exception (even though I still hear Eric Clapton singing "I Shot the Sheriff"). Colin Cotterill has taken a rather dire period of Laotian history and peopled it with a memorable cast. He has a rare talent for combining truth and humor-- showing how miserable life under Communism in Laos could be, having us feel it, and then making us laugh about it all. To some this may sound callous, but it's not. People living in want and drudgery will often find the humor in day-to-day living; it's human nature. And while readers may laugh, they will also remember.
Although Dr. Siri, his wife, and his group of friends are all marvelous characters, I think Mr. Geung is my favorite. Mr. Geung has Down syndrome. He earns a living. He's in a good relationship. He's hard-working, kind, loving, and funny. He can also make observations that help Siri solve his investigations. Not only that, but Mr. Geung is probably the happiest character of them all. He is a man to respect, and I do. I also have a great deal of affection for him. See? That's one of Cotterill's greatest strengths: creating characters that worm their way into our hearts.
I Shot the Buddha has one of Cotterill's trademark convoluted plots that's enjoyable to read all the way to its conclusion. I do worry though. Dr. Siri is almost eighty-- how many more investigations are in store for him? Slow Father Time down as much as possible, Mr. Cotterill. I want these wonderful characters to hang on for as long as possible!
Although Dr. Siri, his wife, and his group of friends are all marvelous characters, I think Mr. Geung is my favorite. Mr. Geung has Down syndrome. He earns a living. He's in a good relationship. He's hard-working, kind, loving, and funny. He can also make observations that help Siri solve his investigations. Not only that, but Mr. Geung is probably the happiest character of them all. He is a man to respect, and I do. I also have a great deal of affection for him. See? That's one of Cotterill's greatest strengths: creating characters that worm their way into our hearts.
I Shot the Buddha has one of Cotterill's trademark convoluted plots that's enjoyable to read all the way to its conclusion. I do worry though. Dr. Siri is almost eighty-- how many more investigations are in store for him? Slow Father Time down as much as possible, Mr. Cotterill. I want these wonderful characters to hang on for as long as possible!
March 12, 2022
4.5
Siri, Madame Daeng, and their dog Ugly head into Thailand, Civilai heads to a remote village in Laos, and Phosy, Dtui and the gang hold down the fort in Vientiane. Things go very badly wrong for everybody. Another highly enjoyable book in the Dr Siri series. I do miss him being the coroner though.
Siri, Madame Daeng, and their dog Ugly head into Thailand, Civilai heads to a remote village in Laos, and Phosy, Dtui and the gang hold down the fort in Vientiane. Things go very badly wrong for everybody. Another highly enjoyable book in the Dr Siri series. I do miss him being the coroner though.
April 1, 2020
I think it was mostly me, I’m sick this week and am having trouble concentrating, but I was pretty confused by the plot of this one. There are three different mysteries: Siri and Daeng are investigating murders in a remote Thai village that’s a sort of paranormal Disneyland (in a minuscule scale, of course); Civilai is also in Thailand to look into a possible incarnation of the Buddha; and Noo, the Thai forest monk living at Siri’s officially-assigned residence, has been kidnapped.
Not my favorite, but I’ll admit the villain that Siri uncovers was a surprise and really well done.
Not my favorite, but I’ll admit the villain that Siri uncovers was a surprise and really well done.
April 28, 2017
Dr. Siri and his adventurous wife are off on another escapade involving a search for the new Buddha. Their journey from Laos into Thailand is an educational though bumpy trip. The hoops author Cotterill has them jump through kept me intrigued.
They were, however, often preempted by other characters carrying much of the plot. I find the narration and action of these mysteries most entertaining when the good doctor and Madame Daeng are "on stage" pulling their outrageous antics.
They were, however, often preempted by other characters carrying much of the plot. I find the narration and action of these mysteries most entertaining when the good doctor and Madame Daeng are "on stage" pulling their outrageous antics.
July 6, 2018
This is the first book I've read in a strange, compelling mystery series set in Laos. The location (not to mention the title) was what drew me to the book. I was slightly apprehensive because the author is an Anglo who lives in Thailand, but he has worked magic with this book.
The detectives are all high-ranking or formerly high-ranking Communist Party members: a former coroner, a former Politburo member, and a police officer, all with intelligent wives they love. They are cynical yet humane. They try to find a Buddhist monk who has gone missing and to help another who is trying to defect to Thailand.
The magic is literal. Apparently, many people in Laos still believe in the spirits of the forest, who are often malign, and the former coroner can connect with them. That works well in the plot.
The detectives are humane people trying to cope with a dangerous bureaucratic system as well as uncovering crimes. The story works. It offered me a believable glimpse into seldom-visited territory.
The detectives are all high-ranking or formerly high-ranking Communist Party members: a former coroner, a former Politburo member, and a police officer, all with intelligent wives they love. They are cynical yet humane. They try to find a Buddhist monk who has gone missing and to help another who is trying to defect to Thailand.
The magic is literal. Apparently, many people in Laos still believe in the spirits of the forest, who are often malign, and the former coroner can connect with them. That works well in the plot.
The detectives are humane people trying to cope with a dangerous bureaucratic system as well as uncovering crimes. The story works. It offered me a believable glimpse into seldom-visited territory.
February 15, 2017
I love Dr. Siri Paiboun and his crew, I love the gentle humor and matter-of-fact depiction of life in Laos in the 70's and 80's...but this book went around a corner somewhere and didn't quite find the road again. The fact that Siri, the now-retired national coroner of Laos, is inhabited by a thousand-year-old Hmong shaman named Yeh Ming comes up, but isn't the focus of the story in the previous books. This time it was, and shit got really weird. LOL It was sort of hard to keep track of what the heck was going on at times and I found myself needing to go back and re-read pages and parts of chapters to keep things straight.
I love that all the favorite characters were in the book, although they did not accompany Siri and Daeng illegally into Thailand searching for a stolen Buddhist monk, but the threads did tie all together.
I love that all the favorite characters were in the book, although they did not accompany Siri and Daeng illegally into Thailand searching for a stolen Buddhist monk, but the threads did tie all together.
March 2, 2019
I was happy to catch up with this series again, but not so happy with the plot of this one.
January 8, 2024
This series is refreshingly different from anything else that I read. When reading, I am transported to Laos and beyond - to the 'other side', or, the
spirit world.
Looking back, I realise that I read about a novel (of this series) per year ... this appears to be mainly influenced by my ability to obtain an audio book from the library; previously, CDs and currently e-audio
books ! I love Clive Chafer's narration !
Retired coroner Siri Paiboun and his wife, Madame Daeng, can't turn down an adventure to assist an oddball Noo, a Buddhist monk, who they have been
sharing their house with. The monk, who rides out on his bicycle one day and never comes back, leaves a cryptic note in the refrigerator: a plea to help a fellow monk escape across the Mekong River to Thailand.
Siri and his friends find themselves running foul of Lao secret service officers and famous spiritualists. Buddhism is a powerful influence on both morals and politics in Laos. In order to exonerate an innocent man, they have to figure out who is hiding terrible misdeeds behind a religious facade.
The Laos characters of, Siri, and his friends are quirky and have wry humour. Colin Cotteril gives seemingly mundane events an interesting twist.
He understands the Laos culture - the culture appears to be easy going, socially closely connected - Siri and his wife, share their small Vientiane house with an assortment of homeless people, beggars, and oddballs. Colin points out the cultural differences between using refrigerators in shared households. In
the West, the contents of fridges are divided into territorial boundaries. Contents are labelled with the owner's name and often with the addendum of
"hands off !" Whereas, in Laos, the contents are used at will and replaced the next time someone does some grocery shopping, or the entire household
goes shopping for groceries together.
Siri's philosophy on love. "The ultimate compromise. It is so important to have a partner that we cut and shape our tastes and likes and dislikes and go to great lengths to tolerate differences. We do this so we have someone beside us. In this insane quest for institutional faith we need a sidekick: somebody to give us a daily burst of faith at the grassroots level. A little shot of home belief. In that way, when our religions and our politics and our doctrines disappoint us it isn't so important because we have love. My planet is parched and crumbling, but my bedroom is in full bloom."
spirit world.
Looking back, I realise that I read about a novel (of this series) per year ... this appears to be mainly influenced by my ability to obtain an audio book from the library; previously, CDs and currently e-audio
books ! I love Clive Chafer's narration !
Retired coroner Siri Paiboun and his wife, Madame Daeng, can't turn down an adventure to assist an oddball Noo, a Buddhist monk, who they have been
sharing their house with. The monk, who rides out on his bicycle one day and never comes back, leaves a cryptic note in the refrigerator: a plea to help a fellow monk escape across the Mekong River to Thailand.
Siri and his friends find themselves running foul of Lao secret service officers and famous spiritualists. Buddhism is a powerful influence on both morals and politics in Laos. In order to exonerate an innocent man, they have to figure out who is hiding terrible misdeeds behind a religious facade.
The Laos characters of, Siri, and his friends are quirky and have wry humour. Colin Cotteril gives seemingly mundane events an interesting twist.
He understands the Laos culture - the culture appears to be easy going, socially closely connected - Siri and his wife, share their small Vientiane house with an assortment of homeless people, beggars, and oddballs. Colin points out the cultural differences between using refrigerators in shared households. In
the West, the contents of fridges are divided into territorial boundaries. Contents are labelled with the owner's name and often with the addendum of
"hands off !" Whereas, in Laos, the contents are used at will and replaced the next time someone does some grocery shopping, or the entire household
goes shopping for groceries together.
Siri's philosophy on love. "The ultimate compromise. It is so important to have a partner that we cut and shape our tastes and likes and dislikes and go to great lengths to tolerate differences. We do this so we have someone beside us. In this insane quest for institutional faith we need a sidekick: somebody to give us a daily burst of faith at the grassroots level. A little shot of home belief. In that way, when our religions and our politics and our doctrines disappoint us it isn't so important because we have love. My planet is parched and crumbling, but my bedroom is in full bloom."
February 24, 2017
Dr. Siri Paiboun is one of my favorite characters from an ongoing series. The series is set in Laos in the 1970s. Dr. Siri and his wife Madame Daeng fought for many years to free their country from foreign domination and to establish a communist government that would provide justice and equality for all citizens. The Pathet Lao were ultimately successful in their struggle and the communist government was established, but it hasn't quite worked out as Dr. Siri and the others who fought for it had hoped.
Dr. Siri is now nearing eighty. After the revolution, he served for a few years as the country's coroner, but finally he was allowed to retire. However, he hasn't retired from solving mysteries and from pursuing adventure.
Siri is surrounded by a coterie, one might call it an entourage, of quirky characters, starting with his wife, the noodle shop proprietor, who assist him in his adventures. They include his former co-workers at the morgue, a Vientiane policeman, and a former member of the politburo who maintains his connections in the government. In this particular adventure, they are all involved. They all take part in different aspects of the investigation.
Siri and his wife live above her noodle shop, but Siri has a house in Vientiane that was provided for him by the government when he served as coroner. Now, he provides shelter in that house for an odd assortment of characters who live communally. This latest adventure begins when one of those characters, a Buddhist monk named Noo, rides out one day on his bicycle and doesn't return.
Noo left a note asking for help for a fellow monk in Thailand who had run afoul of the law there. It seems that there have been three murders and the monk is accused of involvement in them. Of course, Siri and his entourage jump into action to find Noo and to solve the mystery of the murders. Along the way, they must deal with the three isms that hold sway in Southeast Asia - animism, communism, and Buddhism - and Siri will wrestle with supernatural spirits as he struggles to understand what is happening.
These books give what feels like an accurate picture of conditions in Laos in the 1970s. It is a small country poor in material goods but rich in spirit and in history, one that is struggling to establish itself on the world stage. Cotterill's cast of eccentric characters are Laotian through and through, proud of their country, although not blind to its shortcomings, and wanting it to succeed.
Spending time with these characters is always fun. Humor is very much a part of their story and one often finds oneself smiling or chuckling over their outrageous antics. This book, though, was just a little too outrageous for my taste. The plot was even more convoluted than usual and it kept heading off in strange directions that seemed completely unrelated to the main thrust of the story. I thought that the writer lost his way and couldn't quite get back on track. True, he wrapped it all up in the end, but the denouement felt strained and the story didn't "flow."
Even so, time spent with Siri is never completely wasted. He is such a charming, lovable old codger. One hopes that he has many more adventures yet to come.
Dr. Siri is now nearing eighty. After the revolution, he served for a few years as the country's coroner, but finally he was allowed to retire. However, he hasn't retired from solving mysteries and from pursuing adventure.
Siri is surrounded by a coterie, one might call it an entourage, of quirky characters, starting with his wife, the noodle shop proprietor, who assist him in his adventures. They include his former co-workers at the morgue, a Vientiane policeman, and a former member of the politburo who maintains his connections in the government. In this particular adventure, they are all involved. They all take part in different aspects of the investigation.
Siri and his wife live above her noodle shop, but Siri has a house in Vientiane that was provided for him by the government when he served as coroner. Now, he provides shelter in that house for an odd assortment of characters who live communally. This latest adventure begins when one of those characters, a Buddhist monk named Noo, rides out one day on his bicycle and doesn't return.
Noo left a note asking for help for a fellow monk in Thailand who had run afoul of the law there. It seems that there have been three murders and the monk is accused of involvement in them. Of course, Siri and his entourage jump into action to find Noo and to solve the mystery of the murders. Along the way, they must deal with the three isms that hold sway in Southeast Asia - animism, communism, and Buddhism - and Siri will wrestle with supernatural spirits as he struggles to understand what is happening.
These books give what feels like an accurate picture of conditions in Laos in the 1970s. It is a small country poor in material goods but rich in spirit and in history, one that is struggling to establish itself on the world stage. Cotterill's cast of eccentric characters are Laotian through and through, proud of their country, although not blind to its shortcomings, and wanting it to succeed.
Spending time with these characters is always fun. Humor is very much a part of their story and one often finds oneself smiling or chuckling over their outrageous antics. This book, though, was just a little too outrageous for my taste. The plot was even more convoluted than usual and it kept heading off in strange directions that seemed completely unrelated to the main thrust of the story. I thought that the writer lost his way and couldn't quite get back on track. True, he wrapped it all up in the end, but the denouement felt strained and the story didn't "flow."
Even so, time spent with Siri is never completely wasted. He is such a charming, lovable old codger. One hopes that he has many more adventures yet to come.
April 20, 2023
I missed this narrator.
December 29, 2018
Three mysteries, three near death encounters, faith and atheism, animism and Buddhism.
July 25, 2023
The language, humor, mysticism...everything is wonderfully brilliant. It just seemed to go on a bit too long.
February 11, 2020
Endlich wieder eine gute Geschichte nach den doch etwas schwachen letzten beiden Teilen. Spannende Geschichte die im letzten Fünftel erst zur eigentlichen Auflösung kommt, die mir dann doch teilweise zu wenige ausführlich ist und bei mir mal wieder Fragen aufgeworfen hat. Ein bisschen frage ich mich ob der Autor zum Ende hin keine Lust mehr hatte. Trotzdem bin ich froh das Dr. Siri wieder in alter Firm zurück ist!
August 22, 2016
Fun welcome back to Siri and his wife
All the usual suspects help solve murders with lots of plot twists "across the river." Siri is in top form of humor and psychic action.
All the usual suspects help solve murders with lots of plot twists "across the river." Siri is in top form of humor and psychic action.
October 11, 2018
I am just crazy about the Siri Paiboun books. I can't wait until it is my turn to read the next in the series.
A reread this time!
A reread this time!
December 18, 2019
Still fun, but I didn't enjoy it quite as much as some of the previous ones.
October 26, 2017
I have enjoyed this author's frequently hilarious Laotian series (not his lazy Thai series, though), and this is a good episode. In it, the retired, psychic Laotian coroner, Dr. Siri Paiboun, makes a midnight trip across the Mekong to Thailand to deliver the top Laotian monk to a troubled monastery. The mystery features the doctor's usual endearing, wiseacre crew and more-than-usual travel to the "other side." Siri's spiritual journeys will not appeal to every reader, but I thought they were fun and added to the complexity of the story in an agreeable way. It was impossible to figure out all that was going on, but I continually felt I was on the cusp of understanding.
Several plot threads are woven together: Siri and his wife in Thailand trying to solve a series of Buddhism-themed murders and lift the curse on a village; retired politburo pal Civilai investigating claims of the reincarnated Buddha in a spooky Northern Laos town; the lifesaving exploits of the intuitive mutt Ugly; police pal Posey, his brilliant nurse wife, and a young Down Syndrome couple trying to track down the thugs who kidnapped a Thai monk living in Siri's offbeat household of homeless wanderers.
In addition to a lot of blood, there's serious discussion of colonialism, communism under the Pathet Lao in the 1970s, political corruption, and faith -- all administered with a high dose of humor. The author, a resident of Thailand, gives me the sense that he knows a lot about Southeast Asia. I hope he is not leading me astray, because I believe it all.
Several plot threads are woven together: Siri and his wife in Thailand trying to solve a series of Buddhism-themed murders and lift the curse on a village; retired politburo pal Civilai investigating claims of the reincarnated Buddha in a spooky Northern Laos town; the lifesaving exploits of the intuitive mutt Ugly; police pal Posey, his brilliant nurse wife, and a young Down Syndrome couple trying to track down the thugs who kidnapped a Thai monk living in Siri's offbeat household of homeless wanderers.
In addition to a lot of blood, there's serious discussion of colonialism, communism under the Pathet Lao in the 1970s, political corruption, and faith -- all administered with a high dose of humor. The author, a resident of Thailand, gives me the sense that he knows a lot about Southeast Asia. I hope he is not leading me astray, because I believe it all.
May 25, 2019
After reading a long and complicated novel, it didnt take me long to realise that I needed a return trip to Laos and its, now retired, National Coroner, Dr Siri Paiboun.
As I have said before, I usually find myself reading these books with a smile on my face , not in the least this time because of the mental health warning to its reader as the Prologue.
Although you could read this book as a stand alone novel, I think that you would miss some of the in-jokes and nuances surrounding the resident characters and you would not feel the full force of the narrative. Who would want to watch the latest episode of a TV soap without knowing the characters and the story so far. ( Who would want to watch a TV soap at all for that matter!)
It is perhaps more difficult to explain this story than usual, to anyone who doesnt know the cast and background in which it is set. Suffice it to say that there are a few murders - and a who-done-it element, as well as maybe a bit more excitement than usual.
" I shot the Buddha " continues the series in a way that I know that I can rely on. Such a shame that I only have a couple left.
As I have said before, I usually find myself reading these books with a smile on my face , not in the least this time because of the mental health warning to its reader as the Prologue.
Although you could read this book as a stand alone novel, I think that you would miss some of the in-jokes and nuances surrounding the resident characters and you would not feel the full force of the narrative. Who would want to watch the latest episode of a TV soap without knowing the characters and the story so far. ( Who would want to watch a TV soap at all for that matter!)
It is perhaps more difficult to explain this story than usual, to anyone who doesnt know the cast and background in which it is set. Suffice it to say that there are a few murders - and a who-done-it element, as well as maybe a bit more excitement than usual.
" I shot the Buddha " continues the series in a way that I know that I can rely on. Such a shame that I only have a couple left.
September 30, 2019
I Shot the Buddha, Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery #11, is set in Laos. 1979. Siri and his wife , Madame Daeng, investigate the disappearance Noo, a Buddhist monk who lived with them and an assortment of misfits. Siri investigates and finds himself, his wife, and his friends,running afoul of the Lao secret service. To solve this mystery Siri and his wife must confront opponents of Buddhism.
October 13, 2019
What great fun Dr Siri has in his exploits. Another wonderful story. When Colin Cotterill first delved into the whole phibob spirits thing, I wasn't sure I'd be reading any future Dr Siri adventures. But I'm glad I never gave it up.
Read
September 27, 2021Too confusing. And the paranormal focus was a stretch. Have enjoyed previous books in series.
November 30, 2022
Because the story was over three locations for me it was a bit hard to follow. However I always enjoy Dr Siri stories and this was no exception.
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