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Love Songs from a Shallow Grave

A Dr Siri Murder Mystery
By Colin Cotterill
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Love Songs from a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill follows the journey of Dr Siri Paiboun, Laos's reluctant national coroner, as he navigates a complex world of murder, intrigue, and political tension in the late 1970s. The story unfolds with a puzzling string of deaths and draws Dr Siri into a dark and dangerous investigation, interweaving elements of humour, culture, and spiritual belief. It's a gripping mix of mystery and insight into a country's turbulent history.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate a blend of mystery and cultural exploration set against the backdrop of 1970s Laos. This crime thriller, featuring a quirky detective, combines dry humour with a captivating murder investigation, offering an engaging read for fans of atmospheric and character-driven storytelling.

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As usual, all is abnormal in Dr Siri Paiboun's morgue in downtown Vientiane. Siri and his team are investigating the case three women skewered by a sword through their hearts. A culprit has been apprehended, tried and sentenced to death in a week's time. But Siri isn't sure they have the right man.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

As usual, all is abnormal in Dr Siri Paiboun's morgue in downtown Vientiane. Siri and his team are investigating the case of the Three Epées: three women skewered by a sword through their hearts. A culprit has been apprehended, tried, and sentenced to death in a week's time. But Siri isn't sure they have the right man.

Unfortunately, the number one, and only, coroner of Laos isn't in a position to help anyone — not even himself. As his 74th birthday dawns, Siri finds himself incarcerated in prison by the Khmer Rouge, facing torture and starvation. As usual, his curiosity is to blame for his predicament, but this time it looks as though his inquisitiveness could be the end of him. Could Dr Siri's next outing be from beyond the grave?

Love Songs from a Shallow Grave takes readers on a suspenseful journey, blending mystery and intrigue with the perilous realities of life under a repressive regime.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781849160476

Publisher: Quercus Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 September 2010

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Quercus Publishing

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 14.0mm

Width: 132.0mm

Height: 200.0mm

Weight: 261g

Pages: 296

Collections

Colin Cotterill Crime & Thriller Fiction General Fiction Gifts for adults

About the Author

Colin Cotterill was born in London. He has taught in Australia, the USA 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 Chiang Mai, Thailand. Colin won the 2009 CWA Dagger in the Library for the Dr Siri series of novels.

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  • Slash and Burn
    Dr Siri has bagged himself a holiday: an all-expenses-paid trip to the northern mountains of Laos. What's more, through a bit of skilful bartering (well, blackmail), he has wangled it so that his nearest and dearest may accompany him. They are to assist a US-funded search for a lost CIA pilot, Boyd Bowry, missing since his aircraft was downed in...
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  • The Woman Who Wouldn't Die
    Intrepid coroner Dr Siri is used to playing the lead in the dramas of his life. But this time his wife is centre stage. Madame Daeng is privy to a secret, and it puts her in grave danger. And that's not all. When Siri whisks his wife away for a romantic weekend, they walk straight into another mystery, meeting a...
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  • Curse of the Pogo Stick
    Following a rash moment of insolence, Dr Siri Paiboun, Laos' reluctant national coroner, confused shaman and disheartened communist, is forced to go on a road trip with Judge Haeng and the Justice Department. While newly pregnant Nurse Dtui and Dr Siri's fiancée, Madame Daeng, are left at the morgue to defend the staff against exploding corpses and geriatric gunslingers, Siri...
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    Somebody in Laos is wooing and wedding country girls – and then killing them on honeymoon and binding their bodies to trees. The horror of what this monster does to his victims appals Dr Siri and his morgue team, and they vow revenge. But they're distracted by the disappearance of itinerant Crazy Rajid. Siri has been getting premonitions that he's...
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