The Second Biggest Nothing

Dr. Siri Paiboun #14

by Colin Cotterill

A death threat to Dr. Siri and all his friends sends the ex-coroner down memory lane in the 14th installment of Cotterill's quirky, critically acclaimed series set in 1970s Laos.

Vientiane, 1980: For a man of his age and in his corner of the world, Dr. Siri, the 76-year-old former national coroner of Laos, is doing remarkably well—especially for someone possessed by a thousand-year-old Hmong shaman. That is, until he finds a mysterious note tied to his dog, Ugly's, tail: a death threat not just to him, but to everyone he holds dear. And whoever wrote the note claims the job will be executed in two weeks.
 
Thus, at the urging of his wife and his motley crew of faithful friends, Dr. Siri contemplates who would hold such a strong grudge as to wish him dead, prompting him to recount three incidents over the years: an early meeting with his lifelong pal Civilai in Paris in the early '30s, a particularly disruptive visit to an art museum in Saigon in 1956, and a prisoner of war negotiation in Hanoi at the height of the Vietnam War in the '70s. There will be grave consequences in the present if Dr. Siri can't put together the clues in the past.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Asia, Crime, Historical Mystery

264 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2019

About the author

Colin 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.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's mistake in the details of this entry on Goodreads, the narrator is Clive Chafer and not Clive Cussler as listed! Clive Chafer has narrated all the entries in this series so far and does a wonderful job of performing all the characters with the nuances of their voices and dialects.

I love Colin Cotterill's descriptive writing. Here are two vivid examples:

"The other looked a lifetime older than Siri. The doctor pictured the old fellow lashed to the mast of a sailing ship for his entire life braving the storms and the baking sun."

"Siri shook the old man's hand. He had one hell of a grip. The experience was like putting your hand on a railway track and having a train run over it."

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're not familiar with the Dr. Siri mystery series, you need to be. If you are, then The Second Biggest Nothing is a cause to rejoice.

So, if you're in the second category, just stop reading now and go get this book—or skip down to the last paragraph of this review, then go buy this book.

If you're in the first category, let me give you a little background.

• Dr. Siri is the former medical examiner for Laos, educated in Paris.

• He fought for the communists in the civil war, originally because he fell in love with a woman who was committed to the revolution, but gradually he became committed to the cause himself.

• He's seen the shortcomings of post-revolutionary Laos, but remains committed, in his own jaded way, to the revolution's goals.

• His best friend is Civilai, a former member of the politbureau.

• His wife runs a popular local noodle shop.

• Dr. Siri is possessed by the spirit of a Hmong shaman who occasionally pulls Siri out of his own world into the spirit realm.

• When he's in the spirit realm, Dr. Siri's guide is Auntie Bpoo, the spirit of a dramatic, cryptic, bad-poetry-writing transvestite.

What Cotterill does with this mix is wonderful, simultaneously comic and respectful, with interesting insights into daily life in post-revolutionary Laos. If you're looking to begin your Dr. Siri experience, I'd suggest you start with the first one or two books in the series for context, before moving on to the newer titles.

In The Second Biggest Nothing, it's 1980 and Laos is celebrating the fifth anniversary of communist rule. Dr. Siri is receiving a series of threatening letters from an unnamed nemesis who intends to kill all those closest to Siri, before killing the man himself. This gives the opportunity for several flashbacks to key moments in Dr. Siri's life that further explain his character and the depth of his friendship with Civilai. Meanwhile, Dr. Siri and his friends hope to begin filming a loosely-based-in-reality version of the adventures he and Civilai shared during the revolution. Cotterill juggles these different story lines with ease and wit. This title won't disappoint.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe my favorite Dr Siri book so far. Someone's out to kill Siri and everyone he loves; unfortunately over his 72 years, three people have sworn to do just that. The flashbacks to his youth in Paris, his time in Vietnam as the French were leaving, and an incident in Hanoi with a returning US POW are wonderful snapshots in time. Still enjoying this series very much.

[Lizz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t write reviews

Oh dear, oh dear. What a turn this series has taken! We went from a pretty even mystery/supernatural story with great characters, to an empty story, devoid of mystery with a barely a sprinkling of supernatural, just to maintain its existence. The characters were sidelined in favour of long flashbacks and tedious info dumps.

Plus, Cotterill kills off a main character, who has survived jungle warfare and all sort of craziness, in a really pathetic and unbelievable way. (Long-term cirrhosis, that no one knew he had, exacerbated by ibuprofen??!!) And he was killed by an idiot trying to get revenge on Dr. Siri for something that never even happened. What a waste! I am trying to finish the series for the sake of completion, but why should I bother?

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the earlier books in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series, but I can say, "The Second Biggest Nothing" really just didn't do it for me. This one felt sort of like it was forced and like there could have been a lot more done with the plot. Overall, probably not the best one in the series.

I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

#14 in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series by Colin Cotterill. Dr. Siri is one of my all time favorite characters, as are most of the delightful people, both human and spirit, who inhabit his universe. This book will be published by Soho Crime, August 20, 2019. This one is set in 1980 in Vientiane, when Dr. Siri, the retired coroner for Laos, finds a threatening note tied to Ugly's tail (Ugly is his dog). Dr. Siri must think back to encounters in his past, in Paris, in Saigon, and in Hanoi during the Vietnam War in order to figure out why he and all his family and friends are being told they will die in two weeks. The Mystery Book Group read the first of this series, The Coroner's Lunch, in February 2006.

Had to read it! The book begins with a reference back to the grand Lao War a1nd Peace film project. I was immediately transported to a happy place! I found this story to have a slight somber tone, moreso than I recall from other books in the series. I know I was reading an uncopyedited version of the book and that elements may change in that process, but I think it may well have been more that I was so aware of the Vietnam War era activities at so many levels that this story affected me in ways not previously experienced. There was a great deal of the humor that is always in these stories, but it was some of the behaviors and ramifications of American activity in Southeast Asia that pulled me back in time. Can't say more without spoiling the plot. Suffice to say it was a terrific read and I give Oscars to Ugly and to Rajhid for best acting in a lead role, especially in an action sequence! Have to confess that I'm particularly glad when Rajhid or Auntie Bpoo turn up! (and both do) And Geung always had a star turn one way or another. In a very important way he saved the day once again. Thank you to Soho Press/Soho Crime for the advance readers copy. If I hadn't been traveling much of the past week, I probably would have finished it within 24 hours.

[Ronald Keeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Second Biggest Nothing by Colin Cotterill is identified by the author as A Dr. Siri Paiboun Mystery. The book is one-part mystery, one-part journey into the supernatural world, and one-part reflective philosophy into racism and nature of war. Dr. Siri’s perspective drives all parts as he directs and guides other characters, a group that has become family, whether related by bloodline or not. There are fourteen novels in the Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery series, I have read or listened to ten of them, and I have felt like a silent witness at the family table. I was saddened by the death of a family member in this fourteenth installment.

Colin Cotterill is a masterful storyteller in part proven by the number of his published works. The Second Biggest Nothing has several twists, a great central plot revolving around the question of who is trying to kill Dr. Siri, and a presentation woven through with humor on several levels. I listened to the audiobook, which I believe heightened the sense of humor. A reader of the novel may not see the mood expressed in the same situations. Colin Cotterill wrote a great story but the presentation, especially the humorous asides, are thanks to the superb narration by Clive Chafer. After listening to the first audiobook in the series, I repeatedly came back for further selections because of Chafer’s excellent narration. I can’t imagine any other voice could deliver the humor I heard. Chafer is the single narrator, but through subtleties of intonation, I had no problem identifying which character was acting in different chapters.

Dr. Siri is not your typical protagonist or hero. At 76 years old, he is active physically and mentally. Siri has the aches, pains, creaks, and groans of old age, but still manages some remarkable adventures, most of which are believable. The unbelievable part is when he occasionally disappears while he is coordinating with his shaman, the transvestite Aunty Puu. The reason Aunty Puu dresses as a woman goes beyond choice and I won’t spoil the interesting presentation about the supernatural world by revealing the reason. Aunty Puu can provide valuable information to Siri about how to solve his mystery, but Aunty likes to provide information indirectly in a way that requires Siri’s interpretation, giving readers/listeners further mini-mysteries.

The novel spans a time from 1932 to 1980, giving Cotterill a chance to show us history. The author doesn’t lecture or recite history in a dull manner. Instead, there are glimpses which will please an audience with knowledge of the conflicts which are almost synonymous with the identities of the countries of Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. At a coffee shop in Paris in the 30s, Dr. Siri and Comrade Sivillai are having coffee when the name of a Sivillai comrade comes up. Identified with the single name Quoc, an audience familiar with regional history will realize this to be a person with many names, one of which is Nguyen Ai Quoc (one who loves his country). Years and a few names later, the man will emerge as Ho Chi Minh.

Dr. Siri, Political Cadre Sivillai, Chief of Police Posey, Second Wife (to Siri) Deng are all communists. They are loyal to ideal communism, not the one that rules present-day Laos. None of our central characters want something called Democracy; they have a shared view that it is messy. All central characters are old, having struggled all their lives to achieve a victory that once completed, has delivered almost nothing in the way of what was promised. Among themselves, they criticize the powers in charge in low tones; one never knows who is listening. They have spent their lives in the struggle and admit that at their advanced age, they can no longer contribute to changing what exists. Their criticisms are frequently sarcastic or tongue-in-cheek, but they do not advocate a system superior to communism; they only wish it would run more efficiently. In one case, the group needs something from the government, but a request will take weeks spent in filling out forms. Sivillai describes a new system by which the requester approaches the supplier directly with no forms other than an envelope of cash. All sigh with comfort that corruption has finally returned to further efficiency.

A supposedly US military deserter plays an integral part in this story. Stories about this group of people are rare. They are not a monolithic group, but there were many deserters during the US adventure in Vietnam. Many of those enjoyed several months or a few years of relative freedom and comfort in Southeast Asia and were able to feed off the presence of an economy energized by the US military. The novelty wore off, and many tried different means to return to the US while at the same time covering up their desertion and avoiding punishment. Here, again, is a part of history Cotterill mentions that will be familiar to those of us who were present during The First Biggest Nothing. Note, this is not the title of Cotterill’s novel. The explanation is, however, given in the story.
As a language student, I was fascinated by the discussions of Lao, Thai, and Vietnamese. I lived in northeast Thailand (described in this novel as Issan) and met many foreigners who learned Lao, Thai, and Vietnamese informally, not through schools. Translated, that means in bars and with the ladies (and men) who worked there. As Dr. Siri points out, each of the languages has vocabulary and intonations unique to men and women. Foreign soldiers fond of the bar scene, some of whom were Special Forces fighters with lots of combat experience, ended up speaking Southeast Asian languages “like a girl,” and amused residents enormously.

The Second Biggest Nothing is a five-star listen or read, one that I highly recommend. Thanks to Colin Cotterill for a great story. I reserve most of my praise for the presentation by Clive Chafer, a performance that has made me come back for ten of the fourteen novels. I will listen to parts I have missed despite my unfortunate discovery of the death of one of my heroes. That should teach me to read or listen to books in a series in order of publication.

Administrative Note and Apology to Colin Cotterill: I listened to the audiobook; my spelling of names is an approximation of what I heard.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Second Biggest Nothing is another strong entry in a series that satisfies on so many levels. First and foremost, Cotterill has created one of the best casts of characters in crime fiction. He also gives readers a true sense of what life was like in Communist Laos in the 1970s and 80s-- including just a touch of the mysticism that is a part of the culture. He's also a dab hand at creating intriguing mysteries, and he certainly knows how to make us think, make us empathize, and make us laugh.

There are some very nice twists and turns in the plot of The Second Biggest Nothing. I'd narrowed down the incident at the heart of the death threat against Siri and his loved ones, but my deductive powers failed me at the very end. That's always fun for someone who reads as many mysteries as I do.

But no matter how good the mysteries and the evocation of a time and place are in this series--and this book-- the beating heart of it all is found in that marvelous cast of characters. Cotterill shows us that Communists are pretty much just like us, which is probably something not everyone wants to read (but should). This latest book in the series gives longtime fans a special treat by letting us visit with Siri and Civilai when they are young men in Paris. It's always good to be able to learn some of the backstories in an older character's life.

However-- no matter how good the stories are (and they are)-- it's what Cotterill has to say through his characters that means the most to me. Through the years, Siri and his wife Daeng have created their own tribe, their own family. This family contains doctors, police officers, nurses, politicians, and restauranteurs, but it also has members with psychiatric problems, others with Down syndrome, etc. The philosophy of Siri and Daeng's tribe is that everyone has value and should be treated accordingly. Seeing all these characters live, work, investigate, and laugh together is wonderful.

By all means, read this series. Read it for the mysteries. Read it for the characters. But read it to absorb what it has to say about the human race.

See what I mean about Cotterill's books satisfying on so many levels?

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fell pretty flat for me. I have read numbers 1 and 9 (?, I think) of this Dr. Siri series, and especially loved the first one. I think the basic merry pranksters aspect of the regular characters has been played out beyond where they should have been.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a fan of this series, but this book didn't seem to come together until about halfway through it. For the first 100 pages I found myself thinking "What am I missing? Where is this going?" Then it all started to tie together, and it was quite enjoyable.

[Gary Van Cott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I did not care for this book as much as many of the previous ones.

[Nina Cast · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would say that something is lost in translation, except the author is a native English speaker.

[Sandra The Old Woman in a Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Cotterill’s 14th volume of Dr. Siri’s adventures in communist Laos. It is now 1980 in his series and the cast of characters just as entertaining as always. I am very attached to all of them now. The mystery was interesting and allowed for the weaving in of more of Siri’s back story which I enjoyed. I was surprised by some plot developments as well, always nice IMO. Start with The Coroner's Lunch and you will have a set of mysteries to enjoy for a while.

[Shomeret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edelweiss is enabling my Dr. Siri addiction by once again providing me with a copy of the most recent book, The Second Biggest Nothing, which I am happy to review.

The primary setting of the Dr. Siri mysteries is 20th century Laos, but there are occasional wanderings elsewhere. The Second Biggest Nothing contains flashbacks to past events in Siri's life in France and Vietnam. Just as Mme. Daeng's diary about her history in The Woman Who Wouldn't Die increased my appreciation of Siri's wife, the flashbacks in this book increased my already great appreciation for Siri.

The murderer of the main plotline did turn out to be connected to one of the flashbacks, but his identity was completely unexpected. There were also characters who played a surprising role in the resolution. I thought this was one of the better Dr. Siri novels.

For my complete review see https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...

[Glen U · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, Colin Cotterill has written an outstanding mystery featuring our favorite national coroner, Dr. Siri Paiboun. What makes this one special, in my eyes, is the degree of history and politics that Cotterill includes in the story. Not only do we get his cross dressing death channeller, Bpoo, but we get an insight into the struggles of Laos through its history, especially in regards to the latter half of the twentieth century. I really enjoy the interplay of the reality of the past mixed with the supernatural folklore of the Laotian culture. Very entertaining. The conclusion is a bit contrived but the tale that gets us there is great. An excellent read.

[Ana Menendez-tuckman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delightful romp through 1970’s Laos complete with the usual wacky characters

[Carolyn Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the weaving of past and present in this complex tale of misguided vengeance.

[Kathy K · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Really enjoy this Audio series!

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The retired coroner of Laos, Dr. Siri Paiboun, gets a letter threatening him and all his loved ones. Of course, since it was written in English, the full import did not reach him until he had it translated. At the urging of his wife and his best friend, he thought of the times in his adventurous life that he'd crossed someone who would seek revenge many years later, and comes up with three possibilities. Unfortunately, there are a lot of foreign journalists in Laos for the 5th anniversary of independence, and one of them might be his enemy. As the attacks continue, the bodies pile up, but Siri has more problems than this one, including his habit of disappearing to meet with his crochety spirit guide.

[Bob Morehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atmospheric, funny, clever, quirky: the Dr Siri Paiboun mysteries are good fun.

[Tonstant Weader · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Second Biggest Nothing is the fourteenth book in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series featuring a Laotian coroner. In this outing, Siri is the target of a revenge plot. He receives a threat, tied to his dog’s tail, in English, which he can’t read, so there is a delay before he reads it. The writer threatens to kill those Siri holds dear before killing Siri.

There is a gathering of journalists to honor the five years of the Laotian government’s existence which Siri calls the second biggest nothing and Siri assumes that the killer might be among them. It becomes even more likely when two journalists are killed in an accident Siri is certain is murder.

Further investigation leads to more than one natural death is actually a murder cleverly managed by this unknown revenge-seeker and Siri and his wife seem rather recklessly insouciant.

I will always remember the thrill of reading “The Coroner’s Lunch.” I had never read anything like it. As the series progresses, the role of magic and spirits became more and more important. The stories became increasingly madcap and comic. Still, the deep moral force that Dr. Siri embodies has always been a strong component. This time, we see that in his stories of the past. Now, though I think he seems, if not tired of life, fully ready for death. I know I would feel much more alarm at the threats than he did.

Sometimes series get tired and become more and more reworking the character’s quirks than presenting a mystery. This release treads on that line. I am not giving up on Dr. Siri, not yet, but I can see the wear and tear starting to show.

The Second Biggest Nothing will be released August 20th. I received an e-galley from the publisher through Edelweiss.

The Second Biggest Nothing
Colin Cotterill author site
“Don’t Eat Me” by Colin Cotterill review

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...

[Gareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't read one of the Siri Paiboun series for several years, but this was like slipping on a comfortable pair of gloves. As ever, Cotterill writes wonderfully, with some great metaphors (he describes one character as weighing no more than a Wednesday), and his usual wonderful cast of characters. There's an incredible warmth in the descriptions of his motley band, and a respect for their different stations in life, as they try to make sense of life in 1980s Laos, and Cotterill has a gift for ensuring that the socio-political background is both solid and unobtrusive. On this occasion, Siri Paiboun gets to narrate several chunks of the novel, as he casts his mind back to incidents from years past, and he's as enjoyable to read as he is to read about. Highly recommended, and I'll have to fill in the gaps I've left in the series.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series has always been a delight, so when I got this from the library, I put everything else aside so I could read it first. But this one had a subplot that felt sexist and weird (involving death by fear of a female succubus and male cross-dressing; there's more to it, but I try to avoid too many spoilers in my reviews). The rest of the book was great, as usual, but this side story put me off. Given how really out-there the premise of the series is (powerful ancient shaman engaged in ongoing battle with evil spirits is reincarnated in body of 20th-century communist physician; he sees the spirits of the dead, who compel him to solve murder mysteries in postwar Laos), you would think that anything goes. And it usually does, but somehow this felt really off.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s 1980 and our favorite Communist and those closest to him have been threatened with harm. Always entertaining Siri weaves his way through the present while resorting to three flashbacks to analyze who has a grudge against him. I for one learned of the assassination of the French President in 1932 in Paris as Siri was an eyewitness. The body count escalates with deaths that seem normal or accidental. It’s the fifth anniversary of the Lao Communist government so the foreign media is in town and are the principal suspect pool. The title takes its name from Dr. Siri’s moniker for the anniversary. One wonders how many episodes are left for Siri as he is getting on but somehow I know the author will find a way for Siri to have adventures for us from the great beyond.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook. Seriously, one of, if not the best in the series. Can NOT start with this one or have only read one or two though. Need to have read 5+ of the Dr. Siri novels before getting to this one.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the 1980s and Laos is celebrating its 5th year of independence, but Siri, the former coroner of Laos, is forced to review his past. He gets a death threat via a note tied to his dog Ugly's tail. Someone is going to kill his friends and family. To find out who might be behind the threat, he recounts three incidents in his life: in Paris in the 1930s he witnessed an assassination and agreed to testify against a suspect; in Saigon in 1956 he and his friend Civilai "outed" a fraudulent museum director for selling priceless antiques on the black market; and in Saigon during the Vietnam War in the 70's Siri foiled the plans of a US pilot named Henry to bargain his way home by way of a prisoner of war exchange. So, three people with a grudge; but which one is targeting him?

As usual, this history is redeemed by a heavy dose of off-hand humor that is pure Cotterill. Such is the case with an ambitious Lao movie spectacular Siri and his friends are making with the help of a photographer with a liberated camera. The photographer is a Laotian, "a lost son who came home to the motherland" with the unlikely name of Bruce. Siri explains that he lived in Sidney, Australia, and his father renamed him when they got there "perhaps to hide him amidst all the other Bruces." Progress on the film is slow because everyone has his own ideas for the plot. Civilai, for example, wants a good looking blonde woman to be in the movie. When Siri questions what role she could have in a film about two revolutionaries and the birth of their country, Civilai says she could be the CIA.

Such is the talent of Cotterill that at first I was bothered by the longer than usual historical back tracking of this book, but then realized I had gained a painless historical perspective on the Indochina wars. Of a people who "With trumpets blowing and new flags waving, declared our independence. There was dancing in the streets, but they were slow dances to short tunes." People, who in the end, "didn't want victory as much as they wanted peace." What a skilled writer is he who can compare a divided Vietnam where "victors had been ordered to keep behind the line that divided a country we'd won" to "the winner of the Tour de France being allowed to keep only the handles of the trophy."

I loved the defiant picture of a quiet time at night when "their drunken voices carried across the river to Thailand to show the enemy that socialist Laos could still have a good time once in a while." Before a curfew took effect was "as good a time as any to stand on the riverbank and yell abuse. It was nothing personal, just a friendly diatribe against a national with an ongonig animosity toward their inferior northern neighbors. It was therapy."

The story of the Jane Fonda autograph is worth the price of admission.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘At the end of 1980, Vientiane was a city still waiting for something to happen.’

Dr Siri Paiboun, the former national coroner of Laos, is getting ready to negotiate the bureaucracy to make a film. Once he and his good friend Civilai can establish agreement over the script and work out how to operate the camera. But their plans go seriously awry when Dr Siri receives a death threat.

There is a note, in English, tied to his dog Ugly’s tail. Dr Siri is not concerned immediately: after all, he cannot read English. But once he knows what the note says, he mobilises his forces. The death threat is not only against him, and he has two weeks before it is carried out.

Who would hold such a strong grudge against him? So, together with Dr Siri, we take a trip into the past. There are three noteworthy incidents: Paris in 1932, Saigon in 1956 and Hanoi in 1972. In each of those incidents, Dr Siri was threatened. He has two weeks to try to work out who is threatening him, his wife, and friends.

‘It’s called brainstorming,’ said Siri. ‘You just say things for no apparent reason until you accidentally stumble upon a truth. It’s like politics.’

This is one of the best of the recent Dr Siri novels and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The flashbacks to the past include an attempted assassination in Paris, a visit to an art museum in Saigon and a prisoner of war negotiation in Hanoi. And in the present, Dr Siri must wrestle with his spirits as well as look out for his friends.

Will they work it out in time? The answer may surprise you. Yes, you could read this novel as a standalone, but I strongly recommend reading the novels in order. There is a lot of character development and a world of quirky investigation to explore.

‘People are basically stupid,’ said Siri. ‘We’re easy to dupe. Nobody asks for proof anymore. A lie told with confidence is indistinguishable from the truth.’

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Michelle Adamo #EmptyNestReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you familiar with the Dr Siri Paiboun mystery series? If not, I highly recommend it. It is a a fun, quirky, crime series set in 1970s communist Laos. Dr Siri Paiboun (76) is the former coroner of Laos. He, his wife and his friends make up a wonderful cast of characters. I have just finished book 14 in the series, The Second Biggest Nothing.

When Dr Siri discovers a mysterious note, tied to the tail of his dog “Ugly", his friends urge him to take it seriously. Not only is the note a death threat aimed at Dr Siri, it is also a death threat for his wife and most of his friends. While his friend Senior Police Inspector Phosey Vongvichai begins his investigation, Dr Siri takes a walk down memory lane trying to determine who, from his past, would hold such animosity against him that he would kill Dr Siri and everyone he holds dear. He ultimately settles on 3 potential persons: one from the 1930s Paris, one from Saigon 1956, and one from Hanoi in the era of the Vietnam War. Siri and his friends must examine the facts as he remembers them and determine who is still around and determined to fulfill a decades old threat.

I have read the entire series on audiobooks, and have enjoyed every one. The narrator, Clive Chafer, does an excellent job. This is a series that is best read in order. The Second Biggest Nothing was especially enjoyable as it included some memories from past books. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 14th book in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series. With each of his recent books in the series, I was afraid to read them, thinking that each one would be the very last one. But I am so happy that the series hasn’t ended. I love these books!! And believe it or not, I think Colin Cotterill’s writing and stories have only gotten better and better, which I didn’t even think was possible.
Right now, I think this is my very favorite!

This book, as usual, takes place in Vientiane, Laos, where Dr. Siri was the national coroner but is now retired. It is 1980 and the Vietnam War is over. Siri lives with his wife Daeng, who runs a noodle shop in the village, amongst his many friends who are the wonderful characters I’ve grown to love throughout the series.

In this story, the plot surrounds death threats that Siri receives. Consequently, Siri goes back in time, thinking of 3 different occasions in which he was involved with someone who might wish him and his loved ones to come to an untimely death.

As always, I go thru a range of emotions reading these books....from laughing at the sarcasm or absurdity, to being overwhelmed with the death of someone I feel I know personally thru all my adventures with them. I don’t know how Colin Cotterill does it, but there is humor, history, mystery, culture, mysticism, and very real people in his books. I’ve learned so much, met so many wonderful characters and had more fun reading this series than any other book I’ve ever read. Thank you Colin Cotterill...I hope you have many more plots and surprises in store for us.

For all who have never read this series, do yourself a favor and start, with #1 The Coroner’s Lunch.