Fri 6 Jan 2012
Reviewed by LJ Roberts: COLIN COTTERILL – Disco for the Departed.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[2] Comments
Reviews by L. J. Roberts
COLIN COTTERILL – Disco for the Departed. Quercus, UK, hardcover, 2006. Soho Crime, US, softcover, August 2007.
Genre: Licensed Investigator/Paranormal. Leading character: Dr. Siri Paiboun; 3rd in series. Setting: Laos, 1977.
First Sentence: Dr. Siri lay beneath the grimy mesh of the mosquito net watching the lizard’s third attempt.
Dr. Siri and his associate, Nurse Dturi, have been sent to a “guest house†at revolutionary headquarters in the mountains of Huaphan province to attend a seminar intended to provide them with an “enlightened†understanding of the Marxist-Leninist system.
What they did not expect was for an arm to be discovered rising out of a concrete path. The arm was attached to the body of a man who’d been encased in the concrete while still alive.
Siri also did not expect, at 73, to find himself dancing to disco music only he could hear, nor for the Russian to whom Siri and Dturi reported back in Vientiane to ship their mortuary assistant, Geung off to Xieng Ngeim without their knowing.
It is always a pleasure to be back with Dr. Siri and friends. They truly are some of my favorite characters and it was particularly nice to learn more of mortuary assistant Geung’s background.
Cotterill works in an interesting point through Siri’s friend, Dr. Santiago who believes in shamans and the spirit world, that some form of shamanism is common to most cultures of the world outside those of European origin. Points such as that remind us the world is one filled with diverse philosophies and beliefs beyond our own; one of the gifts of reading.
Cotterill’s writing is filled with wonderful dialogue and humor, yet he also makes me think. The supernatural element [Siri’s gift for conversing with the dead] is not present only for the sake of fantasy; Coterill uses it to serious purpose — to make a point such as the impact of war on its innocent victims; those who just happen to live in the wrong place. He also makes us aware that bigotry exists in every country.
The story is one of relationships and loyalty. The mystery is an intriguing blend of the mystical and the plain, old ferreting-out of information. The book is an absolutely wonderful read.
January 7th, 2012 at 11:30 am
This series, recommended to me by Jeff Meyerson, is one of my favorites. I certainly second your positive review.
January 7th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Hello LJ,
Great review, as I love his Dr Siri stories. Can have you laughing out loud one minute and the next seriously considering some point of view. His characters always have depth, and I can’t think of many handicapped characters (like Geung) in crime fiction that are treated realistically. I don’t usually like the mystical element, but it works for me in his books.
Cotterill has just started a new series, which I am looking forward to reading.
David