Anarchy and Old Dogs

Review ''A series of terrifically beguiling detective novels . . . Whimsical, more personal stories that feature Siri and an equally memorable set of supporting characters. . . A wry, seasoned, offhand style that has been the secret weapon of this unexpectedly blithe and charming series.'' --New York Times Book Review''Siri's lingering idealism, hidden beneath his cynical--and often hilarious--digs at the government, provide unexpected emotional depth.'' --Entertainment Weekly ''Delightful . . . This sometimes slapstick, sometimes serious, but always lively mystery is sure to bring the author many new readers.'' --Publishers Weekly''The most thoughtful entry in a fine series.'' --Booklist ''Think What's Up, Tiger Lily with Mao taking over for Woody Allen.'' --Bloomberg.com Product Description In this fourth Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery, the reluctant coroner of Laos must foil a plot to overthrow the government. An elderly man has been run down by a logging truck on the street in Vientiane just opposite the post office. His body is delivered to the morgue of Dr. Siri Paiboun, the official and only coroner of Laos. At the age of seventy-three, Siri is too old to be in awe of the new communist bureaucrats for whom he now works. Before he can identify the corpse, he must decipher a letter in the man's pocket--it is written in invisible ink and in code. He was a blind retired dentist, his widow explains, and the enigmatic letters and numbers describe chess moves, but they are unlike any chess symbols Siri has previously encountered. With the help of his old friend, Civilai, now a senior member of the Laos politburo; Nurse Dtui; Phosy, a police officer; and Auntie Bpoo, a transvestite fortune-teller, Siri must solve the mystery of the note to the blind dentist and foil a plot to overthrow the government of Laos. About the Author COLIN COTTERILL was born in London. He has taught in Australia, the United States, and Japan and lived for many years in Laos where he worked for nongovernmental social-service organizations. He now writes full time and lives in Thailand. His books have been Book Sense Picks, and he won the Dilys Award and a Crime Writers' Association Library Dagger for Thirty-Three Teeth.