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Anarchy & Old Dogs Export Edition

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"Anarchy and Old Dogs" is Colin Cotterill's fourth investigation of Dr. Siri Paiboun, the national coroner of Laos. As with the previous three, it is set in 1977, about two years after the revolution delivered Laos into Communist hands. The wily and wiry Dr. Siri was in his youth a revolutionary firebrand, a fierce supporter of the People's government and advocate for the disposal of an abusive royal regime. But now 73 years old, Paiboun would prefer retirement to sparing with government bureaucrats in his understaffed and under-budget forensic operation. Seems in actual practice, communism is not quite the utopia promised in the musings of Marx or Lenin, painfully evident in chronic shortages of even the most fundamental necessities at the fumblings of officials in a government where political connections trump competence.

This is a refreshing and unusual crime fiction series, and as "Anarchy" proves, the talented Cotterill gets better with every new installment. This time around, a blind dentist is run down on the streets of the Laotian capital city of Vientiane. What seems to be an unfortunate accident takes on much deeper and sinister undercurrents, leading Siri and long time friend and fellow revolutionary Civilai Songsawat into a complicated and dangerous trail of intrigue and counterrevolution. Filling in some of the history missing in his prior works, Cotterill spins a thoughtful and insightful portrait of the struggles and failures of the young socialist government, showing deep respect and empathy for the Laotian people without glorifying the communist government that turns out about as oppressive as their predecessors. Those familiar with the series will find Nurse Dtui back with a few surprises, and Siri less dependent on his unwelcome and unwanted supernatural abilities, relying instead on the corporeal to crack the case. Genuinely suspenseful and holding more than a few twists up his sleeve, both the author and his cagey coroner uncork an intelligent page-turner that will keep you thinking and waiting for Paiboun's next adventure.

From the start, Cotterill's magic lies in a unique main character set in an unfamiliar land in an interesting period of contemporary history. But as the series progresses, it is increasingly clear that there is more to Cotterill than gimmick, as the characters and the subject matter move into deeper, more poignant and serious waters, while maintaining the dry and cynical humor and refreshing story lines that have set this author well above the gun slinging, wise-cracking PI pack. If you haven't discovered Colin Cotterill and Dr. Siri Paiboun yet, you're missing a rare literary treat.

In 1977 Vientiane a truck ran over blind dentist Dr. Buagaew, killing him instantly. Everyone who witnessed the tragedy assumes the late pedestrian obviously owed karmic debt so no tears were shed. As is the case in these types of vehicular deaths, the Laotian National Coroner septuagenarian Dr. Siri Paiboun is directed to perform a cursory review. He and his capable assistant Nurse Dtui assume nothing of their inquiry even when they find an odd anomaly of blank papers on the victim.

Paiboun soon realizes the papers actually contain encoded notes written in invisible ink. He and Dtui with the assistance of his closest comrades Police Officer Phosy and Politburo member Civilai begin to find clues related to the secret writings that to their shock is simply moves in a game of chess that sends the coroner to the city of Pakse where he begins to piece the puzzle together of a plot to overthrow the Communist regime.

Combining humorous eccentric characters like a fortune telling transvestite Auntie Bpoo and the corpse as a practicing blind dentist inside a strong serious investigation, Colin Cotterill continues his great late 1970s Laos mystery series with another excellent entry. The story line is fast-paced from the moment the truck hits the dentist and never slows down until the final confrontation between anarchists and the old dogs like the coroner. Readers will appreciate Colin Cotterill's fine tale with newcomers seeking the backlist (see DISCO FOR THE DEPARTED, THE CORONER'S LUNCH and THIRTY-THREE TEETH).

Harriet Klausner

In the fourth installment of this wonderful series, our intrepid, ghost seeing, haunted doctor has to deal with some real life political problems and has to make some difficult choices. It has all the humour we've come to expect and some delicious Lao food. If you're new to this series then please start with the first one, since there is some chronology. If you like mysteries set in languid exotic locales, at a time which is now gone, this is the book for you.

All of Cotterhill's adventures featuring Laos' national (and only) coroner, Dr. Siri Paiboun, are extremely enjoyable, but this fourth one might be the best so far. It's 1977, and the Pathet Lao are still struggling mightily to make the transition from jungle insurgents to ruling government. The previous three books all worked a bit of Laos' history into the stories, but here politics and history really propel the plot, and it works wonderfully.

The seemingly everyday death of a blind man who steps in the path of a truck with failed brakes leads Dr. Siri and his redoubtable assistants into the heart of a royalist plot to overthrow the wobbly new communist government. Throughout the series we've see Dr. Siri lamenting the haplessness of the regime he fought to bring to power. However, he did spend thirty years in the jungle with the Pathet Lao, losing his wife, and forsaking hope for a family -- so he'll be damned if he's going to let his former comrades become usurped so quickly. But proof of the plot is elusive, and as in his other adventures, Dr. Siri is forced to travel to unravel matters. This time he heads to the crumbling city of Pakse with his old politburo pal and lunch companion Civilai. Meanwhile, the delightful Nurse Dtui and the honorable cop Phosy head to a very different place to poke around on their own.

Slowly but surely, Dr. Siri & Co. find their way to the heart of the conspiracy, with some rather unexpected results. Despite the appearance of a transvestite fortune-teller, the story is a little more sedate than others in the series -- the supernatural elements that play a large role in previous books are much more subdued here. Instead, the sad realities of realpolitik drive the plot. Events end on a note of great hope and happiness, whetting the appetite for the next entry in a great series.

With his accustomed wry humor and quircky Zen wisdom, Laos' national (and only) coroner, 73-year-old Dr. Siri Paibon, takes on what looks like a simple accident - blind dentist (retired) versus truck - and uncovers a plot which threatens to topple the government.

Not that even Siri thinks a change at the top would necessarily be a bad thing. It's 1977and the two-year-old communist Pathet Lao government has "adopted a policy of disguising its lack of ability by baffling the populace with red tape."

Nevertheless, it's the principle involved. He can't just let somebody steal the country after the Pathet Lao spent 30 years fighting for its independence. And he can't turn the whole mess over to the incompetent security forces. Luckily a deputy governor in Pakse - where the dentist's coded correspondence originated - electrocutes himself in the bath with a politically sensitive appliance and Siri is on his way.

As usual the independent-minded coroner gets plenty of help. This time his old friend and politburo member Civilai is at his side while Nurse Dtui (whose story takes an unexpected turn) and police officer Phosy team up to follow a tangential lead.

This character-driven series is not for action-suspense fans but for those who like their mysteries steeped in atmosphere, culture and history, for those who appreciate top-notch writing and clever humor, and for those who like their protagonists wise, witty and haunted by ancient spirits.

In this fourth outing, the spirits are fairly quiet, although, disturbingly for fans who would like to see the good doctor go on into his 80s at least, Siri has begun to find more savor in the spirit realm of his dreams than in daily life. But Siri still has fun ever tweaking the self-important and deflating the puffed-up. An outstanding entry in an outstanding series.

This is the fourth book in the Doctor Siri series. I have still to read the second and third in the series and I know that the fifth has just been finished. Ideally, of course, one should read these books in order. But linear patience is not amongst my virtues and having so recently discovered these wonderful novels, I find I must read them as quickly as I can obtain them.

In this novel, Dr Siri Paiboun, the reluctant national coroner of Laos, is initially asked to discover the identity of a corpse delivered to the morgue in Vientiane. This is simply the beginning of a series of events involving the problem solving skills of our hero Dr Siri, his friend Civilai (currently a senior member of the Laos politburo), Nurse Dtui, Phosy (the police officer), and Auntie Bpoo, a transvestite fortune teller. Set in the Laos of the 1970s, filled with action, unpredictable events, fascinating characters with wry observations on life, death and politics - this is truly a delightful series.

The writing is superb, and frequently had me laughing out loud. Who can resist:`It is hard to hold a serious debriefing with a man who's ripping off his pants in the middle of a town's main street.' Naturally, by this stage there were other crimes to be solved. After all: `A good socialist is not a dustbin, with a closed lid. He is a letter box, always open to receive news.' Fortunately for Dr Siri, in relation to one of the crimes: `.. the god of unnecessary paperwork intervened. Even before they had the powder, the crime solved itself.'

I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of books two and three, and keenly anticipating the publication of the fifth book. After all, Dr Siri isn't getting any younger.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I love this series. After completing Eliot Pattison's Tibetan mysteries, I looked for something similar. This series is not similar. Pattison's stories are wonderful, but dark. Cotterill's books are full of humor and quirky characters and based in 1970s Laos. Read them all in sequence. "Anarchy and Old Dogs" develops the characters and furthers the reader's understanding of politics and life in a time and place off most of the American public's radar.
[...] Clever guy and website.

First Line: The post office box was eighteen across, twelve down, and it had a loop of wool wound around the door so Dr. Buagaew wouldn't miss it.

By this fourth book in the series, I feel as though I'm visiting old friends who are glad to see me on their doorstep. Dr. Siri, the septuagenarian national coroner of Laos, has to identify the victim of a traffic accident who is carrying a message written in invisible ink and in code. Deciphering the note reveals that the corpse was a blind dentist who was involved in a plot to overthrow the government. Dr. Siri isn't the only one wondering why on earth someone would send coded messages written in invisible ink to a blind man.

This series is such a winner because there are so many layers to the books. Yes, there are interesting mysteries, but there's so much more! Cotterill's characters are marvelous. Dr. Siri is a former soldier who spent many years of his life fighting for the Communist overthrow of Laos. The Communists have now been in control for two years, and he's monumentally underwhelmed by the government's results. Instead of becoming a sour old man, he's learned to focus on the people around him and to enjoy one of the prerogatives of old age: being a bit eccentric. Siri's morgue assistant, Mr. Geung, has Down's Syndrome, yet he is a valuable member of the team. Siri's nurse, Dtui, may look like a very happy "standing refrigerator", but she's extremely intelligent and observant. Although Siri would miss her sorely, he knows that she deserves better and he's been helping her try to get on the fast track. These are just three of the characters that make this series so special.

Along the path to finding out who's trying to overthrow the government, there are many scenes that made me laugh and warmed my heart. Siri, Dtui and a police officer friend named Phosy attend a funeral and want to give the departed a good send-off. As a result, they imbibe a bit too much rice wine....

"I feel like bathroom mold," Phosy said, his voice like a plow dragged over rocks....

Dtui was squeezing her own wrist. "I'm afraid there may be some blood left in my alcohol stream. We're medical personnel; we should know better. Stimulate my brain, someone, before it pickles. Give me a job."

And when Siri and his friend, Civilai, leave Vientiane to investigate the planned rebellion, the only transportation they can find is an old Jeep that has no brake fluid. It has a top speed "somewhere between walking and running with a stone in your shoe," and the only way you can stop it is by finding something soft to crash into. A vehicle like that can lend zest to any investigation.

By far the most heartwarming scene in Anarchy and Old Dogs is when Madame Daeng tells Siri of the young girl she taught to read. Anyone who loves to read is guaranteed to get a lump in the throat when reading that.

Although I do enjoy the mysteries in this series, that is not why I love reading them so much. Once I've closed the book on the last page of a Colin Cotterill mystery, I feel as though I've traveled back in time to visit a culture almost completely alien to my own. I come away from my visit knowing that I'm connected to that other culture by the common bonds of humanity... and by one of the best cast of characters to be found anywhere in fiction.

If you aren't acquainted with Dr. Siri, what's stopping you? As with all character-rich books, I would advise anyone who wants to try this series to start at the beginning with The Coroner's Lunch.

Everyone else has said it nicely. The setting adds a great flavor to a good story. His writing is great and very descriptive and the characters are fresh. Unfortunately, I read this first without knowing there is a sequenced order and 3-4 books before this one. Do your self a favor and start at the beginning.

Amazon's algorithms somehow decided for me that I would enjoy this genre, and I have. This author and series are interesting in the insights they lend to post-revolution Laos as well as giving us story lines and characters that we cannot easily intuit, always a plus in detective novels. More character focus than the detective Chen series, even less western in feel. Give the series a shot.