Customer Reviews

Slash and Burn: A Dr. Siri Mystery Set in Laos

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Colin Cotterill is an expert at blowing smoke in the eyes of the reader. Smoke pervades almost every page of this book.

The time is 1978. The place: deep in the wilds of northern Laos. Dr. Siri has been chosen to join a Lao-American delegation in search of a pilot downed ten years previously. Soon after the delegation arrives at a primitive jungle hotel, the air fills with smoke, purportedly from slash and burn farming. But it's the wrong time of year. What exactly is going on?

More than you could possibly imagine. The reader is in for multiple, overlapping, interlocking surprises as the complex plot unfolds.

The zero-star hotel hosting the delegates is surrounded by a war-tortured landscape full of unexploded ordnance. Definitely a no-walk zone. Add to that the ever-thickening smoke, and you have a terrific locale for a mystery liberally spiced with political tension, spying, profiteering, CIA shenanigans, and spiritual interventions.

You'll encounter a number of quirky characters from previous books, as well as additional eccentrics. I particularly liked the drunken American major who can't stop hugging, the cross-dressing soothsayer, and Siri's lab assistant with Down's syndrome who cannot tell a lie.

I loved the early Dr. Siri mysteries, but stopped reading them after his possession by a thousand-year-old shaman spirit. Things got too crazy for me. But Siri's spirits are fairly well behaved in this this book. The cross-dressing fortuneteller is the main one in touch with the spirit world, and she's quite pragmatic about it.

I admired this book for its devious plot, its unusual setting and its large cast of strange characters.

I recently read my first Dr. Siri mystery, "The Coroner's Lunch", which is also the first in the series. I enjoyed it so much, that I was excited to start on "Slash and Burn", the seventh in the series. This series is inhabited by a rollicking good fun cast of characters. The writing is intelligent and the glimpse into another culture and time is well presented, though quirky.

For "Slash and Burn", it is July, 1978, in Vientiane, Laos. Our protagonist has been the National Coroner (the only coroner in the country) for three busy years, and he really wants to retire in a couple months. Dr. Siri Paiboun describes himself at 74 years of age: "... forty-eight years an unconvincing member of the Communist party, host to a thousand-year-old Hmong shaman spirit, culturally tainted beyond redemption by ten years in Paris. ... Dr. Siri felt he had earned himself the right to be an ornery old geezer. And, no. Staying out of trouble for two months was no easy task for such a complicated man."

Siri is selected to go on one last junket, courtesy of a U.S. delegation trying to find an American pilot downed 10 years ago in Southern Laos. That is, the pilot is the public reason given for the co-operative venture. Events are shown from the point of view of the Lao, and they can be funny. For example, the Americans are led by a U.S. Senator (comfortably, from behind) who is eager for a photo-op with the locals. What he doesn't know, and it's an inside joke for the Lao, is that all the photos show the Lao sitting with both of their feet pointed at the pushy Senator, which is very disrespectful in their eyes.

There is a lot of humor in this series. Humor from the types of characters, themselves, humor from the situations, humor from seeing history from another's point of view, and humor straight out of the mouths of the irrespressible Dr. Siri and his cohorts. And the writing is good: "Time appeared to be changing pace, a gallop here, a legless drag there."

I now have to purchase the six mysteries in between "The Coroner's Lunch" and "Slash and Burn". I'm dismayed to read, on my book jacket, that "Slash and Burn" is the last Dr. Siri mystery. Fortunately for me, Cotterill has started a new series, set in Thailand (his home for many years). I read the first in that series, "Killed at the Whim of a Hat" and really liked it. It is a little crazier than the Dr. Siri books, but still intelligently written. I did miss the historical mileau of the Dr. Siri books, though.

Killed at the Whim of a Hat

I'll also add that I am puzzled by the title and book cover for "Slash and Burn". I understand where slash-and-burn came from, it is part of the story. But the title and the green slashy cover is more appropriate for a thriller. This book, on the other hand, is an intelligent mystery. Though I didn't consider it a slow-paced novel, I don't think it has the pacing or plot structure of a standard thriller.

I am reviewing from the Advance Uncopyedited Edition.

//////////////////////////

I'm adding to my review. I read a lot of mysteries, but my husband almost never does. However, he read the first in the Dr. Siri series, "Coroner's Lunch" and was fascinated. Now he's starting on "Slash and Burn", and he doesn't even mind that I'm buying the Dr. Siri books published in between the two. This is intelligent writing with a historical context that is fascinating.

It's 1978 and Dr Siri Paiboun, the national coroner of Laos, is now 74 years old, and his retirement is less than two months away. But then a note from his boss, Judge Haeng summons him to the Ministry of Justice, and one last job.

`Trust me - nothing can go wrong this time.'

Dr Siri is to accompany a joint Lao- American team into a remote area of Laos to examine what might the remains of a downed US airman and his helicopter missing since August 1968. It's a five day mission and Dr Siri's presence has been requested by the Americans. Dr Siri negotiates, and agrees to accompany the mission provided that he is accompanied by his wife Madame Daeng, his mortuary staff Nurse Dtui and Mr Gueng, and his friends Phosy and Civilai. Readers familiar with the series (this is the eighth book) will recognise each of these characters.

`But the nice thing about facts is that you can toss them in here and there merely to win arguments. It doesn't matter if they're accurate.'

Dr Siri quickly realises that nothing is really as it seems. The reader has some clues about the possible complexity of the mission based on the prologue (from the point of view of Boyd Bowry, the missing pilot) and some mysterious events in the Philippines. American politicians have their own reasons for searching, and while the Lao politicians are cooperating for political reasons, they are most definitely not speaking the same language. And when a member of the expedition is found dead at the Friendship Hotel, Dr Siri is determined to uncover the truth. Auntie Bpoo, the clairvoyant transvestite, is also part of the expedition and has foretold Dr Siri's death. Will it be on this expedition? Will it be before Dr Siri finishes this case?

`This is another fine mess you've gotten us into, Dr Siri.'

Madame Haeng's cooking skills come in very handy, and Mr Gueng becomes a bona fide hero. And throughout the story Judge Haeng reminds us of the multiple attributes of a good communist:

`A good communist does not shake his comrade by the hand and stab him in the back at the same time.'

`A good communist is like a tree. He stands firm but knows how to bend in a strong wind. He is fertile but gladly gives up his nuts to less fortunate creatures.'

I enjoyed this novel: will be the last in this series? I'm looking forward to the second book in Mr Cotterill's new series (featuring Jimm Juree) (`Grandad, There's a Head on the Beach') is due to be published shortly.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I had never read any of Colin Cotterill's books, and ironically began with the last book in his "Dr. Siri" series. Dr. Siri is a coroner in Laos in the years just after formal US military involvement in VietNam ended. Dr. Siri became the coroner not so much by choice or by training, but out of necessity -- there was no one else to do it. He is in his 70s and is looking forward to his retirement in a few months; he has an uneasy relationship with the Communist party that runs his country and is considered "suspect" because he spent time studying in Paris. When some Americans arrive in Laos to search for a MIA American pilot, Dr. Siri and his wife end up as part of the Laotian delegation. It's an odd bunch of people, from a very young American woman selected as translator, to a cross-dressing fortune teller to a cantakerous US Senator to Communist party officials and a stray dog. When a member of the delegation is murdered, things start to get dicey. The delegation continues to search for the missing pilot and the wreckage of his helicopter, while trying to figure out who the murderer is, and what secrets various delegation members are hiding.

I enjoyed this book, which I would describe as a light-hearted, quirky mystery, not a thriller with plot twists on every page and not a graphic police procedural. Although the pace is moderate, it really works in the context of the characters and the setting. If you are looking for a break from American, British and (dare I say it) Scandinavian mysteries, you might give this series a try. The setting is fascinating, the characters are delightful and the premise is original. I will definitely seek out some of the earlier books in this series.

Colin Cotterill has written a tight little mystery story in the final installment of his Dr. Siri, Lao National Coroner, series. This is a fun read with just the right amount of twists and turns. Whenever I read a mystery story, I keep moving several steps ahead trying to determine who the killer and the mystery is. This story had enought turns that it kept me guessing all the way to the end. That's what make a good mystery story and this is a good one. Set in 1978 Laos, Dr Siri and a team of investigators set off to find the remains of an American MIA helicopter pilot. Bodies, politics and mystery start building until the book reaches its' dramatic conclusion. Now I'm interested in reading the other books in the series. Well worth reading and adding to the mystery shelf

Like the Laotian septuagenarian protagonist Dr. Siri Paiboun, this is a series that isn't getting older, just better. And, in "Slash and Burn," Colin Cotterill continues to increase the edginess, suspense, and darkness that started a couple of years ago with the "The Merry Misogynist."[ASIN:B0055X52DW]. Any way you slice it, this is one of contemporary crime fiction's most unique and interesting series.

"Slash and Burn" starts in 1968 with a helicopter crash in the remote Laotian jungle piloted by pilot Boyd Bowry of the controversial CIA-sponsored "Air America." In this sparse but gripping prologue, Cotterill buries some neat groundwork setting up an ambitious tale of international intrigue, subterfuge, and treachery. Fast forward a decade, where an American delegation, including a US Senator, is charged with tracking down Viet Nam War POWs and MIAs visits Laos to investigate reported sightings of a US airman believed to be Bowry. Because of the sensitivity of Americans in Laos with the wounds of war still raw, the US delegation is accompanied by an equal number of Laotian officials, including national coroner Siri. When an American member of the team is found dead under sordid circumstances, the tension and the action ramp up, building the intensity in a puzzling mystery steeped in historical context. Fans expect the supernatural to play a key role in Siri's adventures, and the subtle but important injection of far east mysticism plays large here.

Despite the somber, "Apocalypse Now-like" tone of this installment, Colin Cotterill's dialog, always snappy and cynically humorous, reaches new levels with Siri and his elderly but equally spry and spunky wife Madam Daeng and the rest of the familiar cast of eccentrics that comprise Cotterill's cast; from the Downs Syndrome morgue assistant Mr. Gueng to transvestite fortune teller Bpoo. Cotterill will never disappoint in atmosphere and culture, and again brings a vibrant but forgotten Laos to life, the setting playing as important a role as the finely drawn characters and twisting plot of this little gem. His wry observations of life in a soulless Communist state, sucked colorless by socialism's silly tyrannies, takes on a different dimension in probing the tenuous and shadowy relationships between the US, Laos, and Thailand in the post-Viet Nam War politics of the time.

Colin Cotterill is a talented author, and his "Dr. Siri" series is arguably the freshest, most interesting new fiction to hit the shelves this century. It's encouraging that Cotterill's extraordinary storytelling is finally starting to get the recognition it deserves.

I have read and enjoyed every book in this series and sadly pose the question about this series having run its course. Perhaps I am way off base but I get the feeling that this much beloved series is getting stale. Previously I would automatically grab anything involved in this series but will now consider before buying in the future.

I chose this book because I loved the author's book, Killed At The Whim Of A Hat. Alas, the style of this book seems quite different. The characters weren't as strong and I had trouble paying attention.

The book opens well. A helicopter pilot has what seems to be a fatal crash. We first see the scene through the pilot's eyes, and then later we understand what really happened. This part is very well-done.

About 10 years later, Dr. Siri gets asked to form a search party to look for the missing pilot. He chooses a crew that includes his wife and assistants. The interpreter is an improbable, spritely missionary's daughter named Peach.

After the scene was set, I just couldn't get interested in the trek. The pace seemed slow, with lots of pauses for eating and drinking. Perhaps the author wants to convey the pace of life in Laos, which makes sense. This is the type of book I read for escape and pure fun and it didn't work.

However, I suspect it's a matter of taste. I hadn't read other books in the series; this one might not be typical. I would try another book with this author, because I liked the "Whim of a Hat" so much, and because parts of this book are quite strong.

This was my first book in the Dr. Siri series. After reading this book, I felt like I would have enjoyed it more had I read other books in this series prior to this book.

Once I started getting into the book, I found it difficult to keep the characters straight. There seemed to be too many and with names that were confusing to me. I plowed through the book determined to figure it out but I never really got traction and didn't really enjoy it. The plot was interesting as well as some of the characters but I just didn't love it. I might try reading another Dr. Siri book and see if I like it better.

This is the first of the Dr. Siri mysteries that I have encountered, and having noted how well this series has been received, I expected to be greatly entertained. While I found it, at times, a pleasant read, mildly humorous, and with an off beat take on Laos, I was never fully engaged. First it never seemed much of a mystery with clues leading to a solution. The plot just evolved. Secondly it was never break out laughing kind of funny, just mildly amusing. I expect that those who are already hooked on the Dr. Siri's books will eagerly buy this one. If, like me, this is your first, I'd suggest you start elsewhere.