This is the second in the series by Colin Cotterill with the delightful older hero Siri Paiboun. I really liked the first in the series (The Coroner's Lunch) and so am ready to read the next! Comments later!

This was a satisfying story if you have already read The Coroner's lunch and so have immersed yourself in the unique atmosphere of Cotterill's hero. A wily and humorous man, Siri also discovers in this episode how it is that suddenly at the age of 72 he has become able to understand spirits in his Laotian world. I wasn't sure halfway through the book that I was going to like it so much; I was worried it would become some totally supernatural tale, but as in the first book, the spirits are real but the mysteries quite human in the end. It is good to see another couple of characters take front stage: the amazing Dtui, nurse in training and would-be coroner herself, and Inthanet, another old but very gifted man.... the story achieves a balance that I enjoyed.

Sending off to Bookcrossing friend Jo in Washington! Bon Voyage, petit livre!

Received a totally unexpected and delightful message from Mme Clinton offering me this book as a RABCK which I gratefully accepted. Two days later, it arrived in the mail. I'm looking forward to sinking my (27) teeth into the next adventure of Dr. Paiboun.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. I have no way of knowing whether this book accurately describes Laotian culture, but I do know that I became fully immersed to the point where I felt I understood and believed it all made perfect sense. I have passed the book on to my grand-daughter.