The Merry Misogynist: 6 (Dr. Siri Paiboun Mystery) - Softcover

Many a crime fiction reader sighs with resignation when they encounter something over-familiar in the genre they love 'Oh, no!' is the lament, 'Not that plot again!' Or not that kind of character or even locale. Those individuals suffering from such crime fiction fatigue can happily turn to the eccentric and unusual novels of Colin Cotterill, confident in the knowledge that they won’t encounter anything that is clichéd or shop-worn. As his latest book, The Merry Misogynist, reminds us, one can confidently expect that he is quite unlike any other author in the field, delivering quirky, brilliantly plotted (and often hilarious) filigrees of invention that rejuvenate the tired police investigation novel.

As admirers will know, his investigator, the elderly Dr Siri Paiboun, is a truly memorable creation, a dogged, honest official in the often lunatic world of 1970s Laos who (along with his trusty morgue team) painstakingly uncovers the truths behind some elaborately concealed killings. In the new book, girls from the country are being married and then savagely murdered, their bodies tied to trees. In previous cases, Siri has often taken on his assignments reluctantly, but the thought of this ruthless monster cutting a swathe through his victims inspires him to bring all his unorthodox methods to bear in tracking down the killer. But the investigation is almost derailed by a figure called Crazy Rajid. Rajid, a fey figure on the fringes of society, has been experiencing flashes that warn him he is in considerable danger. A dual investigation -- and a sorting out of some baffling and highly misleading clues -- leads Siri and his team into an encounter with dark secrets of the past and a centuries-old temple in Vientiane.

Readers who have enjoyed such delightful earlier entries from Colin Cotterill as Anarchy and Old Dogs and Curse of the Pogo Stick (Cotterill's titles echoes the surrealistic humour of his books) will know what to expect from this latest entry; it’s quite as bizarrely diverting as its predecessors. --Barry Forshaw

Praise for The Merry Misogynist

"This wonderful series has consistently managed to convey the beauty and sadness of this damaged country through the wisdom and humor of its protagonist."
--The Boston Globe

"With the help of a macabre sense of humor, and a jolly coroner, Colin Cotterill has concocted a wryly entertaining mystery that makes tracking a psychopathic killer more enjoyable than you would expect . . . [The Merry Misogynist] reads like series of sardonic vignettes, stylishly written in a way that indicates that the author has a merry take on the vicissitudes of life, and wants the reader to enjoy it with him. Long live Dr. Siri."
--The Washington Times

"Delectable."
--The Huffington Post

"It is part of Colin Cotterill's skill that he grips the reader by intercutting between the cerebral deductions of Siri and the determined planning of the killer. Clever plotting spins out tension alongside the Mekhong . . . Tight plotting and a background full of the sounds and colour of the Orient make this a fascinating read."
--The Independent, UK

"The consistently fine characterizations of the entire cast are matched by a tightly constructed plot in which the tension is heightened with excerpts from the killer's point of view."
--Booklist

"Siri's morgue is as entertaining as a comedy club."
--Kirkus Reviews

"[Dr. Siri] is as delightfully eccentric and unpredictably clever as ever . . . Cotterill provides a detailed look at the life, customs, and political realities of a place and time unfamiliar to most Americans: Laos in the 1970s. And again he does this with his trademark combination of crisp plotting, witty dialogue, political satire, and otherworldly phenomena."
--School Library Journal

"The glimpses of everyday life in Laos will appeal to those readers curious about a culture unfamiliar to most Americans."
--Publishers Weekly

"[Dr. Siri is] a wonderful character, and a rather unique one in detective fiction . . . Highly and most enthusiastically recommended."
--Mysterious Reviews

"A very enjoyable read . . . Siri is a character worth pursuing."
--Reviewing the Evidence

"A funny, sweet and devilishly complex mystery . . . Colin Cotterill is a master of sleight of hand."
--Curled Up with a Good Book

"The Merry Misogynist (and all the other Dr Siri books) are carefully crafted police procedurals and each book has a decided twist in the tail--none of which I've yet managed to anticipate . . . Dr Siri can be decidedly unsettling."
--The Bookbag, UK

Praise for the Dr. Siri Paiboun Investigations

"Terrifically beguiling detective novels steeped in local color and history."
--The New York Times Book Review

"Like Dr. Siri, Colin Cotterill has a touch of magic about him."
--The Boston Globe

"A delightfully fresh and eccentric hero."
--John Burdett

"Unpredictable . . . Tragically funny and magically sublime."
--Entertainment Weekly

"A crack storyteller and an impressive guide to a little-known culture."
--The Washington Post Book World