The Coroner’s Lunch

When I told my friend I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Coroner's Lunch,a story about a Laotian coroner he thought I had totally lost my mind. I know it sounds obscure but Colin Cotterill is a masterful author who brings this strange hero to life. Siri Paiboun is a great zen character, a wise soul who has found much frustration in life, but continues to see the humor in everything. I enjoyed his relationship with his staff, especially how he builds up Mr. Geung when most Laotians would consider him a lost cause.

The different mysteries were a little confusing to keep track of, I hoped they might all be linked and I found the most interesting one to have the least interesting conclusion. But all in all the stories were well thought out and loose ends tied up nicely. I was a bit skeptical of the exorcism scenes, I thought, uh oh here it goes from mystery to fantasy, but in the end they were a great addition to the story, really bringing to life the complexities of the various cultures living in Laos.

I must say, though, that this book has by far the best cliffhanger ending I probably have ever read, just when you think the story is all smiles and congratulations to Siri a wrench is thrown directly at him, but you don’t know it until the last sentence of the book! Fantastic! It made me immediately want to run to the library to find Thirty-Three Teeth, can’t wait!

Jar City

In the spirit of reading crime novels set in global locations I picked up Jar City: A Thriller (Reykjavik Thriller)by Arnaldur Indridason set in sunny Iceland… Erlendur, the protagonist, makes a fascinating character, older, flawed, with a past that is only partially revealed to us, a fact that makes the reader want to pick up the next novel in the series. I found the relationship he has with his now adult dope addict daughter a great side story, the scene in his apartment where she makes him meat stew and they talk over dinner while the cold night whiles away outside was hopeful and sweet, showing that despite everything family is family and love can be found.

The primary murder that begins the story plays out simply enough until Erlender and the reader realizes just how deep the decades old saga of the victim goes. It was well conceived and not predictable, however, I found the idea (this is a spoiler so if you haven’t read the book stop here) that TWO rape victims were impregnated by their perpetrator a bit far fetched; it’s not that easy to get pregnant. Is it possible, yes, is it likely, no? Still at least Erlender’s cohorts bring this up, too, so we know the author has considered this very important piece of the puzzle to be a tricky sell. A great moment in the book is the discovery of all the bugs living underneath Holberg’s flat, yuck! I don’t know why I thought this was so interesting but I suppose it gave a sense of just how foul this guy really was.

I will definitely be ready for the follow up novel, hoping to get a better glimpse into the sordid details of Erlender's failed marriage and why he avoided his fatherly responsibilities, and to see if he can make up for lost time by being a good grandfather.

The Song is You

I just finished The Song Is Youby Megan Abbot. Very fun! It was like watching an old noir flick with pounding rain pouring down outside on a cold night. In fact I specifically recalled Lady in the Lake with Robert Montgomery as I read the book.

At first I was slightly worried when all the initial characters were either gorgeous "dolls" with never ending legs or the swinging guys who take them home for one-night stands. But quickly the story gives way to a likable but very flawed protagonist, Gil "Hop" Hopkins, on a search for a starlet gone missing. The fact that he is not your typical investigator but is instead a publicity man, the type that usually cover things up, made for some interesting moments as he put it all together.

The dialogue alone was worth reading the book for, especially the inner dialogue Hop has with himself; it reminds you of the funny things we say to people while at the same time thinking "what am I saying", very true to life, I loved it!