The coroner's lunch

About “The coroner's lunch”

The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill is a mystery set in Laos after the Communist takeover. Dr. Siri Paiboun, an untrained but curious 72-year-old doctor, becomes the national coroner. He works with his secretary, Dtui, and Mr. Geung, a morgue assistant with Down Syndrome, to solve cases involving the death of a government official’s wife and an unidentified body found in a river. The story reveals political tensions beneath the surface of the new regime. Critics praise the novel for its vivid portrayal of Laos and its blend of humor and political intrigue.