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Dr. Siri Paiboun #12
The Rat Catchers' Olympics
The 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow is already rife with controversy, but when a Lao athlete is accused of murder, it escalates into a full blown international incident. In the twelfth entry to the series, Dr. Siri Paiboun and his quirky team of misfits are on the case in a city and country foreign to them, yet familiar in its corruption of justice. 1980: The People’s Democratic Republic of Laos is proud to be competing in its first-ever Olympics. Of course, half the world is boycotting the Moscow Summer Olympic Games to protest the Soviet Union’s recent invasion of Afghanistan, but that has made room for athletes from countries that are usually too small or underfunded to be competitive—like Laos.Ex-national coroner of Laos Dr. Siri Paiboun may be retired, but he and his wife, Madame Daeng, would do just about anything to have a chance to visit Moscow, so Siri finagles them a trip by getting them hired as medical advisers to the Olympians. Most of the athletes are young and innocent village people who have never worn running shoes, much less imagined anything as marvelous as the Moscow Olympic Village. As the competition heats up, however, Siri begins to suspect that one of the athletes is not who he says he is. Fearing a conspiracy, Siri and his friends investigate, liaising in secret with Inspector Phosy back home in Laos to see if the man might be an assassin. Siri’s progress is derailed when a Lao Olympian is accused of murder. Now in the midst of a murky international incident, Dr. Siri must navigate not one but two paranoid government machines to make sure justice is done.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2017
124 people are currently reading
727 people want to read
About the author
Colin Cotterill
72 books1,022 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 233 reviews
January 9, 2017
The Dr. Siri series follows Laos's only coroner, a medical doctor and cynical party member of the socialist government. In the first book, The Coroner's Lunch, Dr. Siri begins to experience dreams in which the ghosts of some of his dead clients speak to him, and for a while, neither he nor the reader are entirely sure what is true. I enjoyed the characterization of the series a great deal, as well as insight into a different cultural and political system. I read through the series until two issues in the sixth book, The Merry Misogynist were so irritating that I couldn't force myself to the seventh. Reading Shamini Flint's Inspector Singh series, however, had me nostalgic for the elderly shenanigans of Dr. Siri and his cohorts, so when I saw this offered on Edelweiss, I decided to give it a try.
What a pleasant surprise! I felt like we had returned to the sassy confidence of Dr. Siri in the first few books, along with the expected impish insubordination from him and Comrade (Minister) Civilai, one of Siri's oldest friends, both literally and figuratively. In this book, the Olympics are being hosted by the Soviet Union, and they've invited all the socialist countries. Civilai is appointed the nominal leader of the delegation, but it appears Siri won't be invited:
"'They said they'd sooner bring in a monkey than have you represent Laos at an international event. They think you're a liability. That you'll embarrass the Party.'"
Without too much delay, Siri gets himself and his wife Madame Daeng invited by harassing the Vice Minister of Health:
"'Ah, the land of opportunity,' said Siri. 'Just think what you might become when you turn twenty-five.'
'I'm forty-seven,' said the Vice Minister, more eager to correct the math than to tackle the sarcasm."
They're headed to Russia with the Laotian team of shooters, boxers, runners and a race-walker. The Laotians are wide-eyed country rubes in the big city, but one of the charms of the story is their fascination with city luxuries and conveniences. Civilai is there to encourage them despite their inevitable defeat:
"'It's not whether you win or lose that's important, it's how you play the game.' He looked at the observers from the ministry. 'Marx said that.'"
When one of the boxers appears to have murdered a local woman, things turn serious. Siri and Civilai are convinced of the man's innocence and concerned about the inadequacy of the local investigation. Comrade Inspector Phosy is back at home in Laos and starts investigating from his end.
The humor ranges from broad to subtle, and the tongue-in-cheek tone is always one of the delights of the series. The murder mystery is decent, albeit convoluted, and made a sort of sense. At the same time, there's more serious undertones with the Laotian government and it's new era of reform. The characters are fun, but generally played more broadly than subtlely. Apparently Madame Daeng now has a tail from their recent adventures. There's a small plot involving Siri's largely absent spirit guide, but in this case it doesn't have much effect on the mystery, only an ill monk back in Laos. Overall, I enjoyed it quite a bit, rather like having a familiar noodle dish for dinner--nothing earth-shattering, but still tasty and warming.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Soho Crime for providing me a copy to read!
What a pleasant surprise! I felt like we had returned to the sassy confidence of Dr. Siri in the first few books, along with the expected impish insubordination from him and Comrade (Minister) Civilai, one of Siri's oldest friends, both literally and figuratively. In this book, the Olympics are being hosted by the Soviet Union, and they've invited all the socialist countries. Civilai is appointed the nominal leader of the delegation, but it appears Siri won't be invited:
"'They said they'd sooner bring in a monkey than have you represent Laos at an international event. They think you're a liability. That you'll embarrass the Party.'"
Without too much delay, Siri gets himself and his wife Madame Daeng invited by harassing the Vice Minister of Health:
"'Ah, the land of opportunity,' said Siri. 'Just think what you might become when you turn twenty-five.'
'I'm forty-seven,' said the Vice Minister, more eager to correct the math than to tackle the sarcasm."
They're headed to Russia with the Laotian team of shooters, boxers, runners and a race-walker. The Laotians are wide-eyed country rubes in the big city, but one of the charms of the story is their fascination with city luxuries and conveniences. Civilai is there to encourage them despite their inevitable defeat:
"'It's not whether you win or lose that's important, it's how you play the game.' He looked at the observers from the ministry. 'Marx said that.'"
When one of the boxers appears to have murdered a local woman, things turn serious. Siri and Civilai are convinced of the man's innocence and concerned about the inadequacy of the local investigation. Comrade Inspector Phosy is back at home in Laos and starts investigating from his end.
The humor ranges from broad to subtle, and the tongue-in-cheek tone is always one of the delights of the series. The murder mystery is decent, albeit convoluted, and made a sort of sense. At the same time, there's more serious undertones with the Laotian government and it's new era of reform. The characters are fun, but generally played more broadly than subtlely. Apparently Madame Daeng now has a tail from their recent adventures. There's a small plot involving Siri's largely absent spirit guide, but in this case it doesn't have much effect on the mystery, only an ill monk back in Laos. Overall, I enjoyed it quite a bit, rather like having a familiar noodle dish for dinner--nothing earth-shattering, but still tasty and warming.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Soho Crime for providing me a copy to read!
October 18, 2021
I wasn't aware that this was the 12th book in a series and I'm glad O didn't know as I wouldn't have picked it up. Unfortunately my book app doesn't have the whole series on hand just a few here and there. Even though its so far in the series I still very much enjoyed it. A different kind of mystery but very compelling g and with some very fun characters to listen about
May 3, 2024
I don’t write reviews.
This volume suffers from the same problem as some of the earlier in the series: forgetting the supernatural element and broadening the focus. The charm of these stories is them being in small villages and commie bureaucratic nightmare cities in Laos. Yet this tale takes place in Soviet Union Moscow, during the Olympics, so we don’t even get the Soviet feeling. Siri Paiboun is host to a centuries-old shaman and is learning how to communicate with “the other side.” Here Dr. Siri has a few visions, but they’re haphazardly tossed in almost as afterthoughts.
It’s still a decently fun story with great characters. I enjoyed the subplot of Madam Daeng trying to beautify herself with makeup and fake eyelashes, which ends up spooking Dr. Siri. He really loves her and finds her beautiful without any accoutrements. Heartwarming.
This volume suffers from the same problem as some of the earlier in the series: forgetting the supernatural element and broadening the focus. The charm of these stories is them being in small villages and commie bureaucratic nightmare cities in Laos. Yet this tale takes place in Soviet Union Moscow, during the Olympics, so we don’t even get the Soviet feeling. Siri Paiboun is host to a centuries-old shaman and is learning how to communicate with “the other side.” Here Dr. Siri has a few visions, but they’re haphazardly tossed in almost as afterthoughts.
It’s still a decently fun story with great characters. I enjoyed the subplot of Madam Daeng trying to beautify herself with makeup and fake eyelashes, which ends up spooking Dr. Siri. He really loves her and finds her beautiful without any accoutrements. Heartwarming.
January 18, 2018
This may be the best book in the series to date. The humor and quick wit of Dr. Siri is first rate. Working the Olympics into the story brought the plot and characters to a new level. Often after 12 books a series becomes weary this one is still sharp and interesting.
May 22, 2021
I love this series for the quirky characters, unusual settings and the sense that you never quite know what is going to happen next, not to mention the humor and the wonderful descriptive language.
Here are some of the phrases that caught my ear:
"a tear broke free of its waxy mascara blockade and rolled down her cheek"
"She had an ants hope in a buffalo stampede of qualifying for the next round."
"They were at the Kabal Noodle Bazaar on Arbut. It sounded and looked a lot worse than it was. It was decorated in a style Civilai liked to call, "fill up all the walls with bad posters and hang unrecognizable stuff everywhere."
"they were everybody's grandparents, fluffy and white and chubby."
Here are some of the phrases that caught my ear:
"a tear broke free of its waxy mascara blockade and rolled down her cheek"
"She had an ants hope in a buffalo stampede of qualifying for the next round."
"They were at the Kabal Noodle Bazaar on Arbut. It sounded and looked a lot worse than it was. It was decorated in a style Civilai liked to call, "fill up all the walls with bad posters and hang unrecognizable stuff everywhere."
"they were everybody's grandparents, fluffy and white and chubby."
April 2, 2020
Now that’s more like it! I really enjoyed this adventure with Dr. Siri and friends. Most of the story takes place outside of Laos at the 1980 Olympics held in Moscow. Cotterill wove factual details into the story and as always, I was prompted to learn more about the setting. I was 14 years old during the 1980 Summer games and apparently it was not on my radar at all, because I wasn’t aware the US had boycotted the Games because of the USSR’s invasion of Afghanistan.
The mystery involves the assassination of a Lao national in Moscow. Civilai is the Lao Olympic team manager; Siri is team doctor; Dtui is team nurse; and Madame Daeng is the house mother. They suspect something funny is going on quite early when Civilai recognizes an athlete named Lien at the Lao airfield during the team photo, yet Lien is not on the flight nor with the team after they arrive in Moscow.
They communicate with Phosy back in Vientiane and there he has a murder to solve which of course is related to the suspicious happenings in Moscow.
A really great character is introduced, a young Russian named Vladimir Svyatoslav Baranov who is assigned as translator to the Lao team. Most of the Lao team members find his Russian name unpronounceable, so Baranov gives them permission to call him by his “foreign name:” Roger. Roger is endlessly enthusiastic, joins in with the team celebrations and drinking and investigations and I really wish he might show up in future books as he is just too good a character to be a one-off.
Oh! and the title comes from a terrific kind of epilogue to the Games. One of the Lao team, Chom, is a professional rat catcher back home. He strikes up friendships with a Botswana athlete and a Russian one who are also rat catchers. A local newspaper hears about this and proposes a “Rat Catchers’ Olympics:” the three men will compete to see who can catch and kill the most rats in some derelict houses during a single night. It’s hilarious.
The mystery involves the assassination of a Lao national in Moscow. Civilai is the Lao Olympic team manager; Siri is team doctor; Dtui is team nurse; and Madame Daeng is the house mother. They suspect something funny is going on quite early when Civilai recognizes an athlete named Lien at the Lao airfield during the team photo, yet Lien is not on the flight nor with the team after they arrive in Moscow.
They communicate with Phosy back in Vientiane and there he has a murder to solve which of course is related to the suspicious happenings in Moscow.
A really great character is introduced, a young Russian named Vladimir Svyatoslav Baranov who is assigned as translator to the Lao team. Most of the Lao team members find his Russian name unpronounceable, so Baranov gives them permission to call him by his “foreign name:” Roger. Roger is endlessly enthusiastic, joins in with the team celebrations and drinking and investigations and I really wish he might show up in future books as he is just too good a character to be a one-off.
Oh! and the title comes from a terrific kind of epilogue to the Games. One of the Lao team, Chom, is a professional rat catcher back home. He strikes up friendships with a Botswana athlete and a Russian one who are also rat catchers. A local newspaper hears about this and proposes a “Rat Catchers’ Olympics:” the three men will compete to see who can catch and kill the most rats in some derelict houses during a single night. It’s hilarious.
October 1, 2017
Oh dear. Definitely not one of his best dr Siri books. I got thru it but it was an effort. Perhaps the author is tired of this series. A bit formulaic, a bit boring actually. Read his earlier ones if you fancy a fun ride.
September 14, 2017
A book's title serves three functions: first, to catch a reader's attention; second, to signal something about the book's contents; and, third, at least in some cases, to convey a sense of the style or approach the author will take. Colin Cotterill's The Rat Catchers' Olympics admirably accomplishes all three objectives. Thus, as you might guess, this is a comic novel, even though it's the twelfth in a series of what are marketed as mystery novels. The book is actually, at least in part, about a fictional event at the 1980 Olympics in which rat catchers competed with one another—to catch rats. And, clearly, none of this is to be taken seriously.
Dr. Siri Paiboun, formerly the national coroner of Laos, is now in his seventies and retired. (Apparently, he was the country's only coroner.) It's 1980, and Jimmy Carter has just canceled US participation in the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics and persuaded sixty other countries to join the boycott. To help fill the holes in the Olympics roster, the Brezhnev regime has invited small countries that could never compete at the Olympic level to come to Moscow. Laos—formally the Laos Democratic People's Republic—is among those countries. Laos has no hope of winning any medals. The members of the country's small team will be happy if they can simply finish their events.
Dr. Paiboun's best friend, former Politburo member Civilai, has been named the head of the Olympic delegation. Dr. Paiboun joins as the team physician, traveling with his formidable wife, a tough former intelligence officer. These three, together with a police officer back in Vientiane, collaborate on an investigation into a murder, a planned assassination, and other assorted misdeeds. It's a lot of fun, and funny almost all the way. But the author has saved the most fun until close to the end, when three Olympians, all professional rat catchers in their countries, compete to catch the most rats.
The Rat Catchers' Olympics is the most enjoyable by far of the novels in the series. I found some of the earlier entries to be tedious. They were heavily dominated by references to the supernatural, which I found annoying. Mystical and mysterious things happen in this book, too. But it's easy enough to shrug them off as just more examples of the book's humor.
Dr. Siri Paiboun, formerly the national coroner of Laos, is now in his seventies and retired. (Apparently, he was the country's only coroner.) It's 1980, and Jimmy Carter has just canceled US participation in the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics and persuaded sixty other countries to join the boycott. To help fill the holes in the Olympics roster, the Brezhnev regime has invited small countries that could never compete at the Olympic level to come to Moscow. Laos—formally the Laos Democratic People's Republic—is among those countries. Laos has no hope of winning any medals. The members of the country's small team will be happy if they can simply finish their events.
Dr. Paiboun's best friend, former Politburo member Civilai, has been named the head of the Olympic delegation. Dr. Paiboun joins as the team physician, traveling with his formidable wife, a tough former intelligence officer. These three, together with a police officer back in Vientiane, collaborate on an investigation into a murder, a planned assassination, and other assorted misdeeds. It's a lot of fun, and funny almost all the way. But the author has saved the most fun until close to the end, when three Olympians, all professional rat catchers in their countries, compete to catch the most rats.
The Rat Catchers' Olympics is the most enjoyable by far of the novels in the series. I found some of the earlier entries to be tedious. They were heavily dominated by references to the supernatural, which I found annoying. Mystical and mysterious things happen in this book, too. But it's easy enough to shrug them off as just more examples of the book's humor.
November 28, 2017
4 stars
A return of Dr. Siri and the gang. In this installment, the main characters go to Russia to be coaches and medical team to the Laos Olympic boxing team. The Laos Olympic boxing team makes the cut to be in the Olympics only because other countries have boycotted the Moscow Olympics. All of them would agree that the boxing team is not capable of winning anything but a free trip to Russia is a luxury vacation for all. However, a murder upsets plans to enjoy the splendid accommodations provided by the Russian government. A high profile Lao citizen being groomed to be the possible next President of Laos is murdered and Dr. Siri and his comrades are tasked with trying to solve the murder. Another delightful addition to this quirky series.
A return of Dr. Siri and the gang. In this installment, the main characters go to Russia to be coaches and medical team to the Laos Olympic boxing team. The Laos Olympic boxing team makes the cut to be in the Olympics only because other countries have boycotted the Moscow Olympics. All of them would agree that the boxing team is not capable of winning anything but a free trip to Russia is a luxury vacation for all. However, a murder upsets plans to enjoy the splendid accommodations provided by the Russian government. A high profile Lao citizen being groomed to be the possible next President of Laos is murdered and Dr. Siri and his comrades are tasked with trying to solve the murder. Another delightful addition to this quirky series.
April 13, 2019
Probably one of the better books in this series, probably made interesting by having Dr Siri and co. attend the Moscow Olympics of 1980 allowing the author to add a few more storylines relative to that period. The humour also seemed less forced and the flicking between the investigations in Russia and back in Laos worked well. The silliness still works well especially when the rat catchers of three countries decided to see who is the best at their job.
October 9, 2017
I looked forward to the release of this book for ages. It was well worth the wait. I couldn't wait to sit down and read this book every day! I hope there is a Dr, Siri Paiboun #13!
January 6, 2020
This read ticks all the boxes for 2020. It is part of a series (Dr. Siri Paiboun Mystery) that I have enjoyed reading. The theme is Olympics (2020 will see Tokyo host the XXXII Sumer Olympics) and the title has the word Rat in it (2020 is the Year of the Rat).
August 8, 2020
Endlich mal wieder ein guter Teil von Dr. Siri. Einer der Spaß macht zu lesen. Gute Story zu den Olympischen Spielen, die die Laotischen Teilnehmer in ein sehr liebenswürdiges Licht rücken.
January 16, 2018
Dr. Siri Paiboun and his posse are on the loose again, headed for another adventure. This time in Moscow at the 1980 Olympics.
Dr. Siri and his wife Madame Daeng, nurse Dtui, and Siri's best friend Civilai are all drafted to accompany Laos' Olympic athletes as managers, medical personnel, or chaperones and to travel with them to the great event. Laos had never competed in the Olympics before, but, in 1980 when the games were held in Moscow, many countries, including the United States, boycotted them because of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan; consequently, the Soviet Union had invited many smaller countries to participate and fill out the bill. Laos enthusiastically agreed.
Not that the little nation had many Olympic-caliber athletes or even the smallest hope of taking home a medal. They were just delighted to be asked.
In the end, they were able to put together a rifle team from their military, boxers, and a track and field - well, mostly track - team. Their enthusiastic supporters loudly cheered their every move and became something of a phenomenon among the Olympic audience.
It's all great fun until Siri begins to sniff a distinct odor of rat. He suspects that one of the Olympians is not who he says he is and he fears a conspiracy and a potential assassination. Liasing with his policeman friend, Phosy, back in Vientiane, he tries to get to the bottom of things, but the picture gets murkier and murkier.
Then, one of Laos' boxers is arrested for murder. A woman in whose company he had been seen is found brutally killed and an "Asian" was seen leaving her apartment, and as Madame Daeng says, "Asians is Asians," meaning that to Russians they all look alike.
Siri and his gang are sure that the boxer is innocent, but how to prove it to the Soviets?
Through all of this, the games continue and the Laotian contingent continues to compete and their cheering section continues to whoop it up on their behalf.
Meantime, the news from Vientiane is not good and Siri is more sure than ever that something big is being planned and not a good thing.
It is always a pleasure to be in the company of Siri and his friends. They are a quirky bunch of cynical misfits but they are true to their culture and, in their own way, faithful to the ideals of the revolution that they fought for.
Dr. Siri is in his 80s now but doesn't seem to be slowing down at all. Let's hope there are many more adventures to come and I hope to be there to read them all!
Dr. Siri and his wife Madame Daeng, nurse Dtui, and Siri's best friend Civilai are all drafted to accompany Laos' Olympic athletes as managers, medical personnel, or chaperones and to travel with them to the great event. Laos had never competed in the Olympics before, but, in 1980 when the games were held in Moscow, many countries, including the United States, boycotted them because of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan; consequently, the Soviet Union had invited many smaller countries to participate and fill out the bill. Laos enthusiastically agreed.
Not that the little nation had many Olympic-caliber athletes or even the smallest hope of taking home a medal. They were just delighted to be asked.
In the end, they were able to put together a rifle team from their military, boxers, and a track and field - well, mostly track - team. Their enthusiastic supporters loudly cheered their every move and became something of a phenomenon among the Olympic audience.
It's all great fun until Siri begins to sniff a distinct odor of rat. He suspects that one of the Olympians is not who he says he is and he fears a conspiracy and a potential assassination. Liasing with his policeman friend, Phosy, back in Vientiane, he tries to get to the bottom of things, but the picture gets murkier and murkier.
Then, one of Laos' boxers is arrested for murder. A woman in whose company he had been seen is found brutally killed and an "Asian" was seen leaving her apartment, and as Madame Daeng says, "Asians is Asians," meaning that to Russians they all look alike.
Siri and his gang are sure that the boxer is innocent, but how to prove it to the Soviets?
Through all of this, the games continue and the Laotian contingent continues to compete and their cheering section continues to whoop it up on their behalf.
Meantime, the news from Vientiane is not good and Siri is more sure than ever that something big is being planned and not a good thing.
It is always a pleasure to be in the company of Siri and his friends. They are a quirky bunch of cynical misfits but they are true to their culture and, in their own way, faithful to the ideals of the revolution that they fought for.
Dr. Siri is in his 80s now but doesn't seem to be slowing down at all. Let's hope there are many more adventures to come and I hope to be there to read them all!
September 13, 2019
Not Colin Cotterill's best in this Laotian mystery series, but fun anyway.
Former revolutionary and Pathet Lao coroner Dr. Siri Paiboun and his offbeat investigative pals wrangle an official visit to the 1980 Moscow Olympics -- the one that the US and other Western countries boycotted because Russia had just invaded Afghanistan. If this part of the story is accurate, Laos and other small Communist countries got invited to the Games for the first time that year because bodies were needed to replace the boycotting teams. Although the Laotian "athletes" in the book don't have a prayer of winning anything, they are keen to give it their best shot.
The elderly ex-coroner, his wife, and his equally elderly politburo buddy Civilai soon figure out that one athlete among the shooters was a last-minute replacement and that coincidentally someone in Moscow has been targeted for assassination. In a typically convoluted series of events -- including Dr. Siri's psychic absences to learn how to handle the deceased shaman who apparently resides in his body -- we not only find out who the assassin is and who ordered the killing and why, but how rat catchers is Russia, Botswana, and Laos ply their trade. (Don't ask.)
The descriptions of the 1980 Olympics and the concomitant sprucing up of Moscow make the Games that year sound like a lot of fun. I was actually inspired to search online to see if the Laotian Cheer was a real thing that emerged but couldn't find any reference, so probably some of the Olympics details were invented.
All the usual Cotterill characters played a role in the story, whether back home in Laos or at the Games, and they are a delightful crew. If you can tolerate humor in a mystery series, you may like may like one in which tragic aspects of Laotian history are interspersed with belly laughs.
Former revolutionary and Pathet Lao coroner Dr. Siri Paiboun and his offbeat investigative pals wrangle an official visit to the 1980 Moscow Olympics -- the one that the US and other Western countries boycotted because Russia had just invaded Afghanistan. If this part of the story is accurate, Laos and other small Communist countries got invited to the Games for the first time that year because bodies were needed to replace the boycotting teams. Although the Laotian "athletes" in the book don't have a prayer of winning anything, they are keen to give it their best shot.
The elderly ex-coroner, his wife, and his equally elderly politburo buddy Civilai soon figure out that one athlete among the shooters was a last-minute replacement and that coincidentally someone in Moscow has been targeted for assassination. In a typically convoluted series of events -- including Dr. Siri's psychic absences to learn how to handle the deceased shaman who apparently resides in his body -- we not only find out who the assassin is and who ordered the killing and why, but how rat catchers is Russia, Botswana, and Laos ply their trade. (Don't ask.)
The descriptions of the 1980 Olympics and the concomitant sprucing up of Moscow make the Games that year sound like a lot of fun. I was actually inspired to search online to see if the Laotian Cheer was a real thing that emerged but couldn't find any reference, so probably some of the Olympics details were invented.
All the usual Cotterill characters played a role in the story, whether back home in Laos or at the Games, and they are a delightful crew. If you can tolerate humor in a mystery series, you may like may like one in which tragic aspects of Laotian history are interspersed with belly laughs.
July 12, 2017
Given the fact most of the free world is boycotting the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, the Democratic People's Republic of Laos has its first chance in history to compete in the games.
With his pal Comrade Civilai heading up the delegation, it isn't difficult for former National Coroner Dr. Siri Paiboun to get himself appointed to the medical staff. Siri and his wife Madame Daeng are just back from a clandestine visit to Thailand and he quickly "arranges" for his spouse and Nurse Dtui to accompany them.
While this quartet is busy shepherding their naive flock of athletes around the wonders of the Soviet capitol they discover they're also hosting an assassin, though his target isn't easy to determine. As they investigate, with the assistance of Comrade Inspector Phosy back home in Laos, things get increasingly complicated.
Between poking fun at communism, rounds of drinking and gorging on free cinema, Siri and Civilai unravel the tangled web and solve several murders and other skulduggery.
Personally, I could do without the paranormal elements. But, if you like a series with eccentric characters, glimpses into other cultures and whimsical humor, this is one not to be missed.
With his pal Comrade Civilai heading up the delegation, it isn't difficult for former National Coroner Dr. Siri Paiboun to get himself appointed to the medical staff. Siri and his wife Madame Daeng are just back from a clandestine visit to Thailand and he quickly "arranges" for his spouse and Nurse Dtui to accompany them.
While this quartet is busy shepherding their naive flock of athletes around the wonders of the Soviet capitol they discover they're also hosting an assassin, though his target isn't easy to determine. As they investigate, with the assistance of Comrade Inspector Phosy back home in Laos, things get increasingly complicated.
Between poking fun at communism, rounds of drinking and gorging on free cinema, Siri and Civilai unravel the tangled web and solve several murders and other skulduggery.
Personally, I could do without the paranormal elements. But, if you like a series with eccentric characters, glimpses into other cultures and whimsical humor, this is one not to be missed.
September 12, 2017
This work features a Laotian physician/detective, the latest of a series of 12. The setting ranges from Laos to the 1980 Olympics held in Russia, boycotted by the US and a number of other countries, leaving the events open to groups that had never before entered teams. In particular, the team from Laos, sprinters, shooters, boxers and a lone race walker, were invited with little hope of winning. The title, Rat Catcher's Olympics, describes a competition among three entrants, one Lao, one from Russia and one from Botswana, each with his own particular method for killing rodents. Needless to say, this is an amusing and highly entertaining book.
The fun and games are set off by a conspiracy to assassinate a corrupt political figure who has his sights on the presidency of Laos. The team (Dr. Siri, Daeng, Civilai, Dtui and Inspector Phosy) manage to investigate while partaking liberally of the lavish set up provided by the Russians.
The author lives in Thailand, making an otherwise unfamiliar locale quite realistic. In particular, the characters' names would seem impossible to keep up with...I had enough trouble, as it was.
All in all, highly recommended. I haven't read the preceding works, but Siri and his group kept me happily reading away from beginning to end.
The fun and games are set off by a conspiracy to assassinate a corrupt political figure who has his sights on the presidency of Laos. The team (Dr. Siri, Daeng, Civilai, Dtui and Inspector Phosy) manage to investigate while partaking liberally of the lavish set up provided by the Russians.
The author lives in Thailand, making an otherwise unfamiliar locale quite realistic. In particular, the characters' names would seem impossible to keep up with...I had enough trouble, as it was.
All in all, highly recommended. I haven't read the preceding works, but Siri and his group kept me happily reading away from beginning to end.
June 18, 2017
When big contenders such as the United States boycott the 1980 Olympic games in Moscow, the door is opened for Laos to send a team of athletes including boxers, sprinters, a race walker, and a team of seven marksmen. They don't expect to get much further than the opening ceremonies, but they've got heart. They've also got a would-be assassin amongst them. Dr. Siri Paiboun and his ragtag team of compatriots must unmask a potential killer, preserve the life of the likely future president of Laos, and keep themselves out of trouble, all while cheering their athletes on at the games. Quirky characters, a great plot, and historical detail make for another gold-medal winner in this lovable series.
June 1, 2019
Reading this is a bitter sweet experience for me. I have been trying not to read it for a while but it has been drawing me in.
Dont get me wrong. I have loved the series, the characters, the unlikely situations, the outlandish ( but always relevant) titles and above all the humour in adversity. But, I am coming to the end. I believe that I have only one book left.
This one is well up to the high standard set in the previous books. This time Dr Siri and his team get a reward and wangle their way onto the Laos Official Party for the 1980 Olympics and enjoy three weeks all expenses paid luxury break.
Read the series from the beginning- you wont regret it.......( until you get near the end, that is.)
Dont get me wrong. I have loved the series, the characters, the unlikely situations, the outlandish ( but always relevant) titles and above all the humour in adversity. But, I am coming to the end. I believe that I have only one book left.
This one is well up to the high standard set in the previous books. This time Dr Siri and his team get a reward and wangle their way onto the Laos Official Party for the 1980 Olympics and enjoy three weeks all expenses paid luxury break.
Read the series from the beginning- you wont regret it.......( until you get near the end, that is.)
February 23, 2018
This book is so witty. I loved it. Apparently, there is a series following Dr Siri. This is number 11. However, this is the first one I have read and I didn't feel left out. There is mystery, murder, political issues, espionage. The setting is the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. We follow the Laos team to their first ever Olympics. I plan to read the other books in this series.
February 13, 2019
I just love all the characters in these books. They are like old friends. Their wit and banter combined with dark humor of Laos in the 1970's has me hooked.
June 16, 2019
Always a romp. Love the characters and their humor.
September 12, 2019
A little disappointing, the story wasn't up to the standard of the preceding novels. It all seemed a bit tired, as if the author was going through the motions. I have thoroughly enjoyed the previous books, it disappointed me.
June 8, 2021
Funny, exciting, interesting.
October 30, 2018
I was introduced to Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri Paiboun series by the F2F mystery group that I attend a number of years ago. I said then that the first Dr. Siri novel, The Coroner's Lunch,was delicious. I have loved this 20th century Lao doctor and his circle of friends. That's why I save Dr. Siri books to read on my birthday which is when I started this one. I received a free copy of The Rat Catchers' Olympics from Edelweiss and this is my review.
This series has dawdled in the 1970's for more years than that decade had. With The Rat Catchers' Olympics Cotterill finally turns to 1980. He also leaves Southeast Asia for the circus like atmosphere of an Olympics in the Soviet Union.
Don't get me wrong. I love the Olympics. I watch my favorite events with rapt attention. I also adore the human feats of skill and daring at circuses. So calling the Olympics a circus wasn't intended to be a disparaging comment. Yet it is a very different background for a Dr. Siri novel.
Oh yes, there are also murders in Moscow that need to be solved. The resolution certainly wasn't what I expected, but it was in keeping with our current atmosphere of political cynicism.
The only thing I missed was the shamanic aspect which wasn't at all prominent in this particular Dr. Siri book. As a fan of the paranormal, I consider this the best part of the series. I hope that the most recent Dr. Siri novel, Don't Eat Me, includes lots of communications from spirits.
For the blog version of my review see https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...
This series has dawdled in the 1970's for more years than that decade had. With The Rat Catchers' Olympics Cotterill finally turns to 1980. He also leaves Southeast Asia for the circus like atmosphere of an Olympics in the Soviet Union.
Don't get me wrong. I love the Olympics. I watch my favorite events with rapt attention. I also adore the human feats of skill and daring at circuses. So calling the Olympics a circus wasn't intended to be a disparaging comment. Yet it is a very different background for a Dr. Siri novel.
Oh yes, there are also murders in Moscow that need to be solved. The resolution certainly wasn't what I expected, but it was in keeping with our current atmosphere of political cynicism.
The only thing I missed was the shamanic aspect which wasn't at all prominent in this particular Dr. Siri book. As a fan of the paranormal, I consider this the best part of the series. I hope that the most recent Dr. Siri novel, Don't Eat Me, includes lots of communications from spirits.
For the blog version of my review see https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...
May 5, 2019
A cut above the usual murder mystery. The plot, or rather plots, make sense and the author doesn't rely entirely on the charming oddities of his core characters to keep the reader entertained. It was a great idea to use as a setting the Moscow Olympics where Lao athletes competed for the very first time in Olympic history. Although the series is famous for its supernatural elements, in fact what Siri trusts is his brain's ability to put two and two together before he has consciously identified the connection, as when he has a "vision" of Manoi blown to pieces before Manoi's death has been announced: a loud noise coming from the general direction of Manoi's apartment, initially attributed to Olympic festivities, has in reality alerted him to the fact that the death threats against the corrupt politician's son have been carried out.
April 28, 2025
Cotterill set an Olympic record for plausible Red Herrings in this one. It's possible he even fools Dr Siri for a minute!
October 6, 2017
One of the best Dr. Siri books and they're all good. After reading other "best selling" mysteries, this book is a refreshing reminder that a mystery novel can be well written, cleverly humorous, slyly political, have wonderfully developed characters and... a really good mystery story.
February 21, 2018
I am still laughing. The idea of the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos, in 1980, sending a team to the Olympic games in Moscow, which were boycotted by most of the Western world, is hilarious. They didn't have athletes. In fact the Russians come to train them. The trainer's advice to the boxers, 'Take the hit, then lie on the mat until the counting is finished' gives you some idea of the standards.
If you have not met Colin Cotterill's Dr Siri Paiboun, his wife, and misfit/crazy companions you are missing a chance to poke fun at politicians, politics, bureaucracy, and the human race. And laugh out loud as you read.
Siri is an elderly retired coroner, his companions are all a little odd, his wife is delightful. When news breaks that a Laotian team is heading to Moscow there is no way Siri is going to miss out. Forbidden by the government as not a good representative for their country he manages, by devious means, to be the only doctor available.
Of course when they get to Moscow for the 1980 Olympic Games they soon find themselves involved in a murder mystery. One of their team is accused of murder, and it soon becomes a race between Siri and the Moscow authorities to clear up the muddle and clear the Laotian team.
And the rats? Well that is one competition they don't lose.
One of the better Siri novels and well worth a read.
If you have not met Colin Cotterill's Dr Siri Paiboun, his wife, and misfit/crazy companions you are missing a chance to poke fun at politicians, politics, bureaucracy, and the human race. And laugh out loud as you read.
Siri is an elderly retired coroner, his companions are all a little odd, his wife is delightful. When news breaks that a Laotian team is heading to Moscow there is no way Siri is going to miss out. Forbidden by the government as not a good representative for their country he manages, by devious means, to be the only doctor available.
Of course when they get to Moscow for the 1980 Olympic Games they soon find themselves involved in a murder mystery. One of their team is accused of murder, and it soon becomes a race between Siri and the Moscow authorities to clear up the muddle and clear the Laotian team.
And the rats? Well that is one competition they don't lose.
One of the better Siri novels and well worth a read.
June 28, 2017
The author has written 11 other Dr. Siri Paiboun books so it's possible I'm one of the rare readers who don't like this book..
The opening pages of this book was very hard to read and the writing was awkward and hard to follow. Right away, I noticed that this was a "humorous" work but humor is very hard to pull off and I thought some of the humor was cringeworthy. The characters were flat and there was little to distinguish them from one another. After struggling to the middle of the book I found the writing to be without focus. Worse, I found the characters to speak and act like Americans/Westerners except for their setting and names. I found nothing redeeming about this book and would not recommend it.
I got this book as a free ARC.
Edit: After looking at all the other reviews I find I'm the only reviewer who panned this book. I re-read parts of the book again and I have to stand by my review. It just didn't do it for me. The writing is just awkward.
The opening pages of this book was very hard to read and the writing was awkward and hard to follow. Right away, I noticed that this was a "humorous" work but humor is very hard to pull off and I thought some of the humor was cringeworthy. The characters were flat and there was little to distinguish them from one another. After struggling to the middle of the book I found the writing to be without focus. Worse, I found the characters to speak and act like Americans/Westerners except for their setting and names. I found nothing redeeming about this book and would not recommend it.
I got this book as a free ARC.
Edit: After looking at all the other reviews I find I'm the only reviewer who panned this book. I re-read parts of the book again and I have to stand by my review. It just didn't do it for me. The writing is just awkward.
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