Slash and Burn
The Dr. Siri Investigations, Book 8
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Slash and Burn
Buy for $13.22
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Clive Chafer
-
By:
-
Colin Cotterill
About this listen
Dr. Siri might finally be allowed to retire (again). Although he loves his two morgue assistants, he’s tired of being Laos’ national coroner - a job he never wanted in the first place. Plus, he’s pushing 80 and wants to spend some time with his wife before his untimely death, which has been predicted by the local transvestite fortune teller.
But retirement is not in the cards for Dr. Siri after all. He’s dragged into one last job for the Lao government: supervising an excavation for the remains of a US fighter pilot who went down in the remote northern Lao jungle 10 years earlier. The presence of American soldiers in Laos is a hot-button issue for both the Americans and the Lao involved, and the search party includes high-level politicians and scientists.
When a member of the party is found dead, a chain of accidents that Dr. Siri suspects are not completely accidental is set off. Everyone is trapped in a cabin in the jungle, and the bodies are starting to pile up. Can Dr. Siri get to the bottom of the MIA pilot’s mysterious story before the fortune teller’s prediction comes true?
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.
©2011 Colin Cotterill (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Coroner’s Lunch
- The Dr. Siri Investigations, Book 1
- By: Colin Cotterill
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,731
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,514
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,510
Laos, 1975: The Communist Pathet Lao has taken over this former French colony. Dr. Siri Paiboun, a 72-year-old Paris-trained doctor, is appointed national coroner. Although he has no training for the job, there is no one else: the rest of the educated class have fled.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Something a little different
- By We4Williams on 11-22-11
By: Colin Cotterill
-
Killed at the Whim of a Hat
- By: Colin Cotterill
- Narrated by: Jeany Park
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 196
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 170
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 168
Jimm Juree was a crime reporter for the Chiang Mai Daily Mail with a somewhat eccentric family. When she is forced to follow her family to a rural village on the coast of Southern Thailand, she’s convinced her career—maybe her life—is over. So when a van containing the skeletal remains of two hippies is inexplicably unearthed in a local farmer’s field, Jimm is thrilled. Shortly thereafter an abbot at a local Buddhist temple is viciously murdered.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
delighted...
- By Bobbie on 08-23-11
By: Colin Cotterill
-
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Book 1
- By: J.K. Rowling
- Narrated by: Jim Dale
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 199,604
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 175,264
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 174,750
Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A great reading of the wrong book
- By P on 11-24-15
By: J.K. Rowling
-
The Crown Tower (Dramatized Adaptation)
- The Riyria Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Michael J. Sullivan
- Narrated by: Bradley Foster Smith, Chris Genebach, Danny Gavigan, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 187
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 159
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 159
A warrior with nothing to fight for is paired with a thieving assassin with nothing to lose. Together they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm’s most valuable possessions. But it isn’t gold or jewels the old wizard is after, and this prize can only be obtained by the combined talents of two remarkable men. Now if Arcadius can just keep Hadrian and Royce from killing each other, they just might succeed.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Nope
- By Anonymous User on 10-01-22
-
The Cold Dish
- A Walt Longmire Mystery
- By: Craig Johnson
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 17,450
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15,294
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15,252
Introducing Wyoming's Sheriff Walt Longmire in this riveting novel from the New York Times best-selling author of Dry Bones, the first in the Longmire series, the basis for the hit Netflix original series Longmire. Johnson draws on his deep attachment to the American West to produce a literary mystery of stunning authenticity, full of memorable characters.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Not Your Ordinary Western Novel (Series)
- By Dataman on 09-12-12
By: Craig Johnson
-
Crocodile on the Sandbank
- The Amelia Peabody Series, Book 1
- By: Elizabeth Peters
- Narrated by: Susan O'Malley
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,971
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,481
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,484
Amelia Peabody embarks on her first Egyptian adventure armed with unshakable self-confidence, a journal for her thoughts, and, of course, a sturdy umbrella. On her way, she rescues Evelyn Barton-Forbes, who has been "ruined" and abandoned on the streets of Rome by her lover. With a typical disregard for convention, Amelia promptly hires her fellow countrywoman as a companion and takes her to Cairo, where strange visitations and a botched kidnapping convince Amelia that there is a plot afoot to harm Evelyn.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Crocodile on the Sandbank
- By Morgan on 01-09-04
By: Elizabeth Peters
-
The Coroner’s Lunch
- The Dr. Siri Investigations, Book 1
- By: Colin Cotterill
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,731
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,514
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,510
Laos, 1975: The Communist Pathet Lao has taken over this former French colony. Dr. Siri Paiboun, a 72-year-old Paris-trained doctor, is appointed national coroner. Although he has no training for the job, there is no one else: the rest of the educated class have fled.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Something a little different
- By We4Williams on 11-22-11
By: Colin Cotterill
-
Killed at the Whim of a Hat
- By: Colin Cotterill
- Narrated by: Jeany Park
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 196
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 170
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 168
Jimm Juree was a crime reporter for the Chiang Mai Daily Mail with a somewhat eccentric family. When she is forced to follow her family to a rural village on the coast of Southern Thailand, she’s convinced her career—maybe her life—is over. So when a van containing the skeletal remains of two hippies is inexplicably unearthed in a local farmer’s field, Jimm is thrilled. Shortly thereafter an abbot at a local Buddhist temple is viciously murdered.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
delighted...
- By Bobbie on 08-23-11
By: Colin Cotterill
-
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Book 1
- By: J.K. Rowling
- Narrated by: Jim Dale
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 199,604
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 175,264
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 174,750
Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A great reading of the wrong book
- By P on 11-24-15
By: J.K. Rowling
-
The Crown Tower (Dramatized Adaptation)
- The Riyria Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Michael J. Sullivan
- Narrated by: Bradley Foster Smith, Chris Genebach, Danny Gavigan, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 187
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 159
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 159
A warrior with nothing to fight for is paired with a thieving assassin with nothing to lose. Together they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm’s most valuable possessions. But it isn’t gold or jewels the old wizard is after, and this prize can only be obtained by the combined talents of two remarkable men. Now if Arcadius can just keep Hadrian and Royce from killing each other, they just might succeed.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Nope
- By Anonymous User on 10-01-22
-
The Cold Dish
- A Walt Longmire Mystery
- By: Craig Johnson
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 17,450
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15,294
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15,252
Introducing Wyoming's Sheriff Walt Longmire in this riveting novel from the New York Times best-selling author of Dry Bones, the first in the Longmire series, the basis for the hit Netflix original series Longmire. Johnson draws on his deep attachment to the American West to produce a literary mystery of stunning authenticity, full of memorable characters.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Not Your Ordinary Western Novel (Series)
- By Dataman on 09-12-12
By: Craig Johnson
-
Crocodile on the Sandbank
- The Amelia Peabody Series, Book 1
- By: Elizabeth Peters
- Narrated by: Susan O'Malley
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,971
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,481
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,484
Amelia Peabody embarks on her first Egyptian adventure armed with unshakable self-confidence, a journal for her thoughts, and, of course, a sturdy umbrella. On her way, she rescues Evelyn Barton-Forbes, who has been "ruined" and abandoned on the streets of Rome by her lover. With a typical disregard for convention, Amelia promptly hires her fellow countrywoman as a companion and takes her to Cairo, where strange visitations and a botched kidnapping convince Amelia that there is a plot afoot to harm Evelyn.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Crocodile on the Sandbank
- By Morgan on 01-09-04
By: Elizabeth Peters
-
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax
- By: Dorothy Gilman
- Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,013
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,261
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,258
Mrs. Virgil (Emily) Pollifax of New Brunswick, New Jersey, was a widow with grown children. She was tired of attending her Garden Club meetings. She wanted to do something good for her country. This first in the series sends Emily on her first case after she successfully persuades a skeptical CIA recruitment officer that she is the best person for the job.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Masterful writing and incredible narration
- By Barbara on 01-14-12
By: Dorothy Gilman
-
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Lisette Lecat
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 5,797
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,949
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,951
Mma "Precious" Ramotswe sets up a detective agency in Botswana on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, making her the only female detective in the country. At first, cases are hard to come by. But eventually, troubled people come to Precious with a variety of concerns. Potentially philandering husbands, seemingly schizophrenic doctors, and a missing boy who may have been killed by witch doctors all compel Precious to roam about in her tiny van, searching for clues.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Transcends its Genre
- By Gene on 12-07-03
-
An Irish Country Doctor
- A Novel
- By: Patrick Taylor
- Narrated by: John Keating
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,378
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,894
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,897
Barry Laverty, M.B., can barely find the village of Ballybucklebo on a map when he first sets out to seek gainful employment there, but already he knows that there is nowhere he would rather live than in the emerald hills and dales of Northern Ireland. The proud owner of a spanking-new medical degree and little else in the way of worldly possessions, Barry jumps at the chance to secure a position as an assistant in a small rural practice. At least until he meets Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Something's Missing ... But It's Not the "F Bomb"!
- By Bookworm on 09-06-13
By: Patrick Taylor
-
Vacation
- By: JC Miller
- Narrated by: Curt Simmons
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 28
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 28
Dr. William Koval, a pragmatist with little faith in humanity, prefers to dwell in the eerily comforting microscopic realm, where he is master of his domain. But his worldview is upended when he decides to go on the English walking tour his wife had been planning before her murder three years earlier. Only when William confronts his past, including his troubled marriage, will he find a way to rejoin the living, to move forward, and perhaps love again. The real journey, he discovers, lies within.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Started off great, then a little predictable
- By DabOfDarkness on 08-31-17
By: JC Miller
-
Renaissance
- Assassin's Creed, Book 1
- By: Oliver Bowden
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,182
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,063
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,065
Betrayed by the ruling families of Italy, Ezio Auditore embarks upon an epic quest for vengeance. To eradicate corruption and restore his family's honor, he will learn the art of the Assassins. Along the way, Ezio will call upon the wisdom of such great minds as Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli, knowing that survival is bound to the skills by which he must live.To his allies, he will become a force for change in his fight for freedom and justice.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great story, Great Narration.
- By Jason on 05-22-12
By: Oliver Bowden
-
The Beekeeper's Apprentice, or On the Segregation of the Queen
- Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, Book 1
- By: Laurie R. King
- Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,907
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,371
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,345
In 1915, Sherlock Holmes is retired and quietly engaged in the study of honeybees in Sussex when a young woman literally stumbles onto him on the Sussex Downs. Fifteen years old, gawky, egotistical, and recently orphaned, the young Mary Russell displays an intellect to impress even Sherlock Holmes. Under his reluctant tutelage, this very modern, twentieth-century woman proves a deft protégée and a fitting partner for the Victorian detective.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A fabulous new take on Sherlock Holmes
- By Steph on 04-14-14
By: Laurie R. King
-
The Miernik Dossier
- By: Charles McCarry
- Narrated by: Christopher Cazenove, Stephen Hoye, Moira Quirk, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 515
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 407
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 405
The Miernik Dossier is the dazzling first novel, newly reissued, by master spy novelist Charles McCarry. In this riveting, imaginative tale, five international agents embark on a car trip in a Cadillac, traveling from Switzerland to the Sudan.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
McCarry arrives at Audible
- By Richard on 05-15-06
By: Charles McCarry
-
A Case of Exploding Mangoes
- By: Mohammed Hanif
- Narrated by: Paul Bhattacharjee
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 68
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 55
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 55
There is a saying that when lovers fall out, a plane goes down. A Case of Exploding Mangoes is the story of one such plane. Why did a Hercules C130, the world's sturdiest aircraft, carrying Pakistan's military dictator General Zia ul Haq, go down on 17 August, 1988?
Was it because of: mechanical failure; human error; the CIA's impatience; a blind woman's curse; generals not happy with their pension plans; the mango season? Or could it be your narrator, Ali Shigri?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Time Capsule
- By Rishi C on 11-13-17
By: Mohammed Hanif
-
The Scribe of Siena
- A Novel
- By: Melodie Winawer
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 848
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 777
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 772
Accomplished neurosurgeon Beatrice Trovato knows that her deep empathy for her patients is starting to impede her work. So when her beloved brother passes away, she welcomes the unexpected trip to the Tuscan city of Siena to resolve his estate, even as she wrestles with grief. But as she delves deeper into her brother's affairs, she discovers intrigue she never imagined - a 700-year-old conspiracy to decimate the city.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I hope this is the first in a series!
- By Taryn on 05-30-17
By: Melodie Winawer
-
Billy Boyle
- A World War II Mystery
- By: James R. Benn
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 313
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 246
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 245
What's a 22-year-old Irish American cop who's never been out of Massachusetts before doing at Beardsley Hall, an English country house, having lunch with King Haakon of Norway? Billy Boyle himself wonders. Back home in Southie, hed barely made detective when war was declared. Unwilling to fight and perhaps die for England, he was relieved when his mother wangled a job for him on the staff of a general married to her distant cousin.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
"boys own " adventure with wider appeal
- By connie on 02-19-12
By: James R. Benn
-
Tomy and the Planet of Lies
- By: Erich von Däniken
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 56
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 55
Erich von Däniken claims to have never seen a UFO. But in the fall of 1987, on a desert ride, he experienced a close encounter of a very different kind. A being materialized before his eyes, and since the "thing" had no name, von Däniken called it "Tomy". This book is the story of Tomy. Some say that Tomy is a scientific impossibility. Yet Tomy was there, science or not. After all, Tomy had for a few weeks lived among us, and that was enough for plenty of interpersonal relationships.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
captivating
- By Amazon Customer on 12-28-13
-
The Constant Gardener
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 17 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 924
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 814
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 810
Frightening, heartbreaking, and exquisitely calibrated, John le Carré's new novel opens with the gruesome murder of the young and beautiful Tessa Quayle near northern Kenya's Lake Turkana, the birthplace of mankind. Her putative African lover and traveling companion, a doctor with one of the aid agencies, has vanished from the scene of the crime. Tessa's much older husband, Justin, a career diplomat at the British High Commission in Nairobi, sets out on a personal odyssey in pursuit of the killers and their motive.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Greatest love story of the last fifty years
- By Darwin8u on 06-30-13
By: John le Carré
Critic reviews
What listeners say about Slash and Burn
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- gladys warr
- 07-23-18
Always a thriller!
Enjoyed the convolutions of the plot. Enough twists and turns to keep you interested. Love the narrator. His voices really enhance the characters.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- LTubbe
- 02-24-18
Definitely recommend!
Great twisting storey lines. Excellent plot. Interesting intrigue with laugh out loud moments. Definitely one of Cotterill's best.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Smart, AZ
- 10-17-21
Pathos. Historical truth. Vividly real characters
These books are unique. This series is a gift. The author's ability to describe a time in a country where war and suffering were lengthy (decades!) and constant with such poignancy and humor astonishes me. The characters of Dr. Siri, et al, are so well written and narrated they hardly seem fictional. The mysteries are interesting and "fun", but for me the historical facts, increasing my understanding of Laotian and Hmong beliefs and culture has been far more important. When this series ends, I will *miss* these characters... a remarkable achievement! I deeply appreciate Audible including the first 9 books of Dr. Siri's mysteries. Highest recommendation that everyone listen to this series of books!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- MolllyT
- 07-17-17
This is one in an addictive series!
historical-places-events, history-and-culture, historical-novel, Laos, verbal-humor, spooks
Dr Siri gets railroaded into a fools errand along with his nemesis and a collection of Laotians and Americans, but he tosses in a monkey wrench by insisting upon bringing his own team of professionals. There are more red herrings and misdirection than usual, along with a non American perspective on the real reasons for interference in the wars in Indochina. The fortune teller manages to appear and proves to be more useful than expected. Be ready for more twists than a bag full of pretzels and some really snarky humor.
Thanks again to Clive Chafer for his excellent narrative ability.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 03-27-18
Enjoyable series of stories.
What made the experience of listening to Slash and Burn the most enjoyable?
After reading all 7 prior books in the series, I really enjoy the development of the individual characters.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Slash and Burn?
Finding out that the pre-story of the missing pilot was all about.
What about Clive Chafer’s performance did you like?
He is very consistent.
Any additional comments?
I am not very knowledgeable about the time period in which the series is set, but find it fascinating to learn something about the history of the Laos people thru the story telling of the author. His characters and their back stories bring the books to life for me and I have yet to be disappointed. The mysteries are convoluted, foreign, with a touch of the mystical, that keeps me coming back for more. I will probably try some of the authors' other series when I finish this group also. The narrator does a fine job but his voice is too soothing. Once I have listened to the story I can use the same book to drop off to sleep with...This is probably "my" problem because I can do this with other stories and narrators that I am familiar with!
This series is a good "read" and I have really enjoyed all 8 of his books so far.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Cynthia
- 01-10-15
Hopelessly Smitten
It's completely possible to fall in love with fictional characters. I've done it before. J. K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' (1997-2007) is an easy one. Some of the best times of my life were reading all seven books aloud to my (now adult) son. Stephen Colbert? I know he'll do well as the host of "Late Show" but I'll always miss "The Colbert Report" (2005-2014). Add the incomparable Dr. Siri Paiboun, the National Medical Examiner of mid- to late-1970's Laos and his wife, the talented noodle chef Madame Tseng to my beloved imaginary friends.
Dr. Siri is asked to investigate the 1969 disappearance? death? of a US senator's pilot son in Laos. Not that the Air America was a CIA front; not that Air America was running drugs and arms in Southeast Asia; and not that the United Stares was ever in Laos. The reluctant coroner but happy adventurer is allowed to select a pathologist's dream team to make the trip to the mountains of Laos. He chooses Madame Tseng: Nurse Dtui and her husband, Inspector Posey; Comrade Civilai; and Mr. Tsung, the morgue assistant with Down syndrome. Auntie Puu, a transvestite fortune teller, unexpectedly hitches a helicopter ride and joins the party at the Friendship Hotel. Add an American team, including the tragically alcoholic Major Harold Potter, and an unexpectedly claustrophobic setting, and more than one mystery, and it's an unexpectedly complex plot.
Dr. Siri's also the host of a 1,000 year old Hmong spirit, Ya Ming. Ya Ming's got lots of friends and lots of business he sometimes accomplishes without his host's knowledge. Cotterill did something in this book that he didn't do in the previous 7 in the series: there was a Ya Ming ex Machina. I guess it's acceptable as a literary device, but it's a bit of a disappointment.
Cotterill's books are full of witty dialogue and funny, frank characters. Be prepared to laugh out loud, often. Clive Chafer is a droll, memorable narrator and moves between English, Lao, Thai and Hmong pronunciations fluidly.
[Sorry for any misspellings - I did my best based on what I heard. If this review helped, please press YES. Thanks!]
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
20 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sandra S. Mafnas
- 10-24-15
Fantastic doctor Siri
I absolutely love this series of books. Having lived in the South Pacific and traveling to Indonesia it's hard to find books that describe with a sense of humor Asian life. I love the little additive quirks that living in Asia he would only now such as foremost milk and the red stains from the beetle nut! My only recommendation is that since the rest of the world may not have that insight to explain those unique items that are only found in that part of the world. I just wish the books were longer because I enjoy them so much! This book really gives a person the understanding of what was going on in that area during the 70s. So many young adults have no idea that the Vietnam war bled into other countries. Now our youth I would say do not know anything about the Khmer Rouge. This just gives a introduction to it just the right amount for this type of book. I love Dr. S and his wife and their relationship
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- David O
- 10-03-20
Another great Dr Siri book
Yet another wonder full Dr Siri story, fabulously read by Clive Chafer, and filled with delightful characters.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Suzanne
- 02-12-12
This Series Hasn't Become Repetitive or Tired
Cotterill has created intriguing and original characters, set them in 1970s Laos, and given them fresh and fascinating stories. Slash and Burn is the eighth in the series and it doesn't disappoint.
Dr Siri is still recovering from his harrowing experiences in Love Songs from a Shallow Grave when he finds himself sent out of Vientiane on a joint Lao-American mission to find either a missing American airman or his remains. Dr. Siri manages to involve his entire entourage in this case and, as usual, the book offers humor, history, adventure, mystery and character development in nearly equal measures -- as well as some irreverent social observations.
If you haven't read a Dr. Siri book yet start with The Coroners Lunch now. There are eight books in the series and you won't stop until you've read all eight. Lucky you! There's a great adventure ahead of you.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- FB
- 10-01-12
I just plain love this series good 4 a laugh
I was very excite to see this addition to this Colin Cotterill collection. It was not a disappointment. Subtle and not so subtle humour as usual.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful