The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill

One of the two things that can make for a captivating mystery novel is an interesting setting. Think Martin Walker's Bruno novels set in Provence or Anne Perry's numerous novels set in Victorian London. Colin Cotterill's Dr Siri novels start out in 1970s Laos, a country which was once part of French Indochina, recently made independent by a Communist insurrection. Things aren't so very different under the Pathet Lao Party, just a new set of picky rules and a lack of good restaurants. 

Dr Siri Paiboun, now in his seventies, thinks after a lifetime of commitment to the communist party, it might be nice to retire, but with many of the educated classes having abandoned Laos for Thailand, doctors are in short supply. When he is appointed as chief coroner, he has no experience, no choice and a very basic morgue with no air conditioning. Just as well he has help from Geung, a Downs Syndrome morgue attendant with a brilliant memory and Dtui, a smart young nurse with a yen for glamour she can never aspire to.

This brings me to the other key ingredient in a winning mystery series - the characters. Siri is a dry, philosophising sleuth whose love of Maigret novels as a student in Paris comes in handy in recognising something fishy. The subordinate characters, Dtui and Geung, Siri's friends and neighbours, the police detective who rides in on a smoking motorcycle are all entertaining and add to the rich vein of dialogue that pervades the novel.

Of course the story has to be interesting too. Siri hits the ground running with several perplexing cases. First off, a senior official's wife who dies at a banquet but with no lab, (and very soon no body either) how is Siri to determine cause of death? Then there's one of three bodies found in a reservoir showing  marks of torture. And what is the story of the fisherman who lost his legs in an accident at the wharf?

The cases pile up and Siri has to use his ingenuity to avoid treading on Party toes and yet see justice prevail - one way or another. And then there are Siri's ghostly dreams where the recently dead appear and give helpful clues. There's a reason for this, which like the neigbourhood dog that growls as Siri passes, will be explained later on.

I really enjoyed the audiobook edition of this introduction to the series. The reader, Gareth Armstrong, has the tone just right for the numerous characters that people the book, particularly Dr Siri and his dry humour. I wish the library had the whole series on audio, but fortunately we have plenty of other readable options to discover. 

Posted by JAM

Catalogue links: 

The Coroner's Lunch (audiobook)

The Coroner's Lunch (ebook)

The Coroner's Lunch (print copy)

The Coroner's Lunch (large print)