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Grandad, There's A Head On The Beach (Jimm Juree #2)
In rural Thailand, former crime reporter Jimm Juree must grapple with her quirky family, a mysterious mother and daughter on the lam and the small matter of a head on the beach
When Jimm Juree’s mother sold the family house and invested in a rundown 'holiday camp' at the southern end of Thailand on the Gulf of Siam, the family had little choice but to follow. Jimm Juree, wh...more
When Jimm Juree’s mother sold the family house and invested in a rundown 'holiday camp' at the southern end of Thailand on the Gulf of Siam, the family had little choice but to follow. Jimm Juree, wh...more
ebook, 384 pages
Published
June 19th 2012
by Minotaur Books
(first published January 1st 2012)
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More grand good fun starring Jimm Juree, her wacky family and small Thai town neighbors. Cotterill modus operandi here is sly, farcical, big hearted and entertaining. Can you resist any story that includes chapter titles with malapropisms derived from popular song, a reference to the Law & Order franchise as well as an ever expanding menagerie of dogs, and monkeys? I can't.
The whole mix can get a bit too frothy at times, but it is so, so satisfying, especially as I have a bad cold and am in...more
The whole mix can get a bit too frothy at times, but it is so, so satisfying, especially as I have a bad cold and am in...more
This sequel provides an entertaining continuation to the tale of Jimm Jurree, the Thai crime reporter who, in Killed at the Whim of a Hat, reluctantly followed her cognitively declining mother to the sleepy coastal region of South Thailand. Readers are likely to enjoy this seriocomic tale, and find Jimm’s nuclear family and neighbors fun to sojourn with, as I did. Yet I was disappointed with the book, which didn’t, in my view, present anything deepening or striking, in terms of character develop...more
Jimm Juree is a journalist or she was before her mother bought a beach hotel. Now, because of her family she is stuck in south Thailand. The hotel is the middle of nowhere and nothing interesting or exciting ever happens. She had to leave a promising career as a crime reporter because of her family and is none too happy about it.
She is somewhat disgusted and somewhat intrigued to find a head on the beach.
Her grandfather is a former cop and also interested. She is surrounded by her family, her o...more
She is somewhat disgusted and somewhat intrigued to find a head on the beach.
Her grandfather is a former cop and also interested. She is surrounded by her family, her o...more
Beim Gassi gehen schlagen Jimm Jurees Hunde Gogo und Sticky Rice Alarm. Irgendein Strandgut ist äußerst aufregend, aber leider zu groß zum Anbeißen: Jimm findet einen abgetrennten Kopf, den sie artig bei den örtlichen Behörden meldet. Doch die interessiert das wenig, obwohl Jimm schon ahnt, dass sie nicht gerade ein Unfallopfer gefunden hat. Das Dorfoberhaupt würde das Problem gerne von der nächsten Flut wegspülen lassen und das nur über einen Trick herbeigerufene Rettungsteam macht mit dem Kopf...more
I love Colin Cotterill's books. This is the second in his Jimm Juree series. Jimm is a tenacious crime reporter who, for family reasons is stuck in the south of Thailand where (one would think) nothing exciting ever happens. but of course - in crime fiction fashion she not only finds crimes to write about, she also solves them.
I've read both books in the Jimm Juree series and a number in his other series, which is about a reluctant coroner in communist Laos. All of Cotterill's characters are ju...more
I've read both books in the Jimm Juree series and a number in his other series, which is about a reluctant coroner in communist Laos. All of Cotterill's characters are ju...more
This is a very enjoyable read for anyone who likes reading well-written mysteries set in exotic locations. Colin Cotterill is a British author best known for his mystery series starring Dr. Siri, the aging national coroner for Laos in the 1970s. That's a brilliant series that is well worth reading - the first book is The Coroner's Lunch.
Cotterill launched a new series starring intrepid female crime report Jimm Juree, set in present-day Thailand. Start with the first novel featuring Jimm, Killed...more
Cotterill launched a new series starring intrepid female crime report Jimm Juree, set in present-day Thailand. Start with the first novel featuring Jimm, Killed...more
I missed reading the first book in this series so it took a little bit to catch up on this one. Jimmi Juree is a former crime reporter who has given up her career and moved to a small town on the gulf of Thailand to help out her mother and her family. Her family and friends are very, very eccentric to say the least.
Per the title, the book starts with Jimmi discovering a head on the beach. After this lunacy ensues as Jimmi tries to navigate her family, mysterious visitors and all kinds of shenani...more
Per the title, the book starts with Jimmi discovering a head on the beach. After this lunacy ensues as Jimmi tries to navigate her family, mysterious visitors and all kinds of shenani...more
I haven't laughed so hard at murder and mayhem in some time.
Jimm finds herself enbroiled in a mystery on the very first page. Cotterill's descriptions are hilarious and had me laughing out loud frequently.
Honestly, I don't know how Cotterill does it. He manages to take violent death and make it screamingly funny. Still, the mystery pulled me in and kept me turning pages until all was revealed.
I wait with bated breath for more from Jimm.
Jimm finds herself enbroiled in a mystery on the very first page. Cotterill's descriptions are hilarious and had me laughing out loud frequently.
Honestly, I don't know how Cotterill does it. He manages to take violent death and make it screamingly funny. Still, the mystery pulled me in and kept me turning pages until all was revealed.
I wait with bated breath for more from Jimm.
This book is a lot funnier than I expexted, with delightfully quirky characters including the heroine and narrator, Jimm Juree. What was incredibly interesting to me is that author Colin Cotterill, somehow amidst the funniness, addresses the serious issue of prejudice against - and enslavement of/mistreatment of - Burmese in Thailand.
The basics are Jimm Juree finds a head on the beach. When the police "investigate" (and I use that term loosely) they determine the head is probably Burmese and it...more
The basics are Jimm Juree finds a head on the beach. When the police "investigate" (and I use that term loosely) they determine the head is probably Burmese and it...more
Jimm Juree, aspiring crime reporter, and her fascinating family - virginal body builder brother, tech wizard brother/sister, possibly demented mother and grumpy ex traffic cop grandpa are in the thick of things once again. The head on the beach turns out to be related to the kidnapping and enslavement of Burmese refugees, with the collusion of corrupt cops.
The only paying guests at the tumbledown family resort are a mother and daughter in hiding from men who want to kill them to keep the secret...more
The only paying guests at the tumbledown family resort are a mother and daughter in hiding from men who want to kill them to keep the secret...more
Although this is a mystery,it is quite different in setting, characters, and situation than any I've ever read before. Set in a small village on the Gulf of Siam, the customs and problems in that area of the world were completely unknown to me. Typical problems that occur in the book are trash that daily washes up on the beaches, periodic flooding by monsoon rains and high tides, and the flaunting of fishing laws. As expected from the title of the book, the plot revolves around the finding of a...more
Second in a promising series, grudgingly relocated to her mother's impulsively purchased run-down beach hotel, crime reporter Jimm is disgusted and kind of intrigued to find a severed head on the beach. Unable to stay out of it, and bringing along Grandpa the former Thai traffic cop, his retired cronies, weightlifting brother, two shady hotel guests, a pack of feral dogs, the weed whacking guy, the hacker sister and several stray monks, Jimm discovers an ugly conspiracy of slave labor, Burmese m...more
Wish I had read book #1 because I didn't feel I had a firm grasp of Jimm and her family from the beginning of this. Took a while to sort out who was who & what they were about. Really like Cotterill's easy style similar to McCall-Smith's Mma Ramotswe books in that characters, personal interactions & culture are really more important and interesting than any actual mystery. This one brought out some important social/ political issues. Reader, Kim Mai Guest, was excellent with just enough...more
Maprao seems like such a quiet backwater, but when aspiring journalist Jimm Juree finds a man's head on the beach, she's surprised that it doesn't cause more fuss. The police put it down to a quarrel among illegal immigrant Burmese, and nobody seems to care. But Jimm has more than a bodiless head to worry about. The two strange women staying at her mother's ramshackle resort clearly have problems, and Jimm is a problem solver at heart. Then there's the strange effect of the anti-depressants her...more
As a huge fan of Colin Cotterill's books I was shocked at how bad this one was. I don't know what went wrong, but it seems as though he just wasn't interested in the plot or the characters and just spent his time making silly jokes. I loved the first Jimm Juree book and I hope Colin returns to form in the next one. In my opinion, the Dr Siri series was absolutely superb, apart from "Love Songs from a Shallow Grave" which was to be the last of that series. He seemed to have lost interest with tha...more
Get ready to spit out your milk. Cotterill has done it again with a laugh-out loud mystery featuring former crime reporter, Jimm Juree. And her former traffic cop grandfather, her slightly crazy mother, her transsexual computer hacker sister/brother and a host of zany locals in southern Thailand.
Oh. And a head washed up on the beach by the last monsoon. Yes. A real head.
Juree and her posse take on slavery, kidnapping, corrupt charities and police as they hunt down the fiends and bring them to...more
Oh. And a head washed up on the beach by the last monsoon. Yes. A real head.
Juree and her posse take on slavery, kidnapping, corrupt charities and police as they hunt down the fiends and bring them to...more
Cotterill's Jimm Juree series is enjoyable, but not as entertaining as his Dr. Siri series. Juree comes across as somewhat one-dimensional and the other repeating characters are not as interesting and fully developed as those in the Siri books. At the same time, this second in the new series is an improvement over the first and the surprise ending, which comes in the last two lines of the book, may lead to more interesting dynamics in later installments. Overall, a nice read. However, I would en...more
If you read a plot summary of this book,you might think "Ah..cozy mystery. After all it's an amateur sleuth, small town, quirky charactors..But add in the enforced slavery and the plight of the Burmese people in Thailand..not so much.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely read more from this author. It does contain plot elements of a cozy read, funny and great charactors, but a little more "heft", I need to read the 1st in this series, (Jimm Juree) "Killed at the Whim of a Hat" and I...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely read more from this author. It does contain plot elements of a cozy read, funny and great charactors, but a little more "heft", I need to read the 1st in this series, (Jimm Juree) "Killed at the Whim of a Hat" and I...more
I really enjoy how the author uses analogies that don't quite fit, creates off-beat and sometimes bizarre characters, builds tension and mystery while maintaining a tongue in cheek sense of humor, and makes up ridiculous stories. This book had all of this as well as real life issues of how discrimination in Thailand of the Burmese immigrants includes slavery and murder.
As much as I have enjoyed the first two books in the Jimm Juree series, I really miss the stories from the Dr. Siri books--I wis...more
As much as I have enjoyed the first two books in the Jimm Juree series, I really miss the stories from the Dr. Siri books--I wis...more
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I laughed more reading this than I did at Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, which I returned after two chapters. I'd received a glowing recommendation of it, too. I remained optimistic that Bossypants would restore my faith in books written by comedians. The writing, though better, wasn't great. I chuckled a few times, but was disappointed at Fey's admission that she could care less about animals. Pardon the pun, but it's a pet peeve of mine. David Cross's book was bad, David Sedaris is dow...more
Cotterill, author of the Dr. Siri mysteries, here presents his second Jimm Juree novel. Jimm is a young woman journalist who has ended up moving with her family to a small village on the Gulf of Siam. She finds adventures there that defy the remotemess of her new life. Like the Dr. Siri series, these books are both great mystery/adventure stories while being very informative of the culture and history of the region -- and damned funny to boot.
Apr 28, 2013
Den
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
around-the-world-challenge,
2013
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I received this book from Library Thing Early Reviewers in exchange for a review.
Not sure about this one. The second in a series set in modern rural Thailand featuring former crime reporter Jimm Juree. There were a lot of funny parts in here, but it was pretty over the top as well. The quirky parts didn't really mix well with the serious theme of the problem of Burmese immigrants. I did enjoy the reader for this one. I think she did a great job. But overall, I guess this one just wasn't for me.
Not sure about this one. The second in a series set in modern rural Thailand featuring former crime reporter Jimm Juree. There were a lot of funny parts in here, but it was pretty over the top as well. The quirky parts didn't really mix well with the serious theme of the problem of Burmese immigrants. I did enjoy the reader for this one. I think she did a great job. But overall, I guess this one just wasn't for me.
Cotterill has me with this new set of characters . . . I really like them all despite their quirks and such. Chompu makes me laugh out loud and Mair and Grandad are great older role models. Glad that Sissi got into the act here and, while the 'crime' fighting was interesting, it wasn't to intense - I love the use of Sissi's talents on the internet. While both of the concurrent mysteries / crimes were interesting and the Burmese slave angle is nothing to laugh at, Cotterill does make it fun inste...more
How great is this, an author I didn't previously know has delivered a real fun read. Jimm, the narrator, is a wannabe crime reporter whose family are in exile in rural Thailand running a dilapidated beach resort. She is a great character, self-deprecating and fearless, her eccentric family including a ladyboy sister are grand support, and the mystery/adventure comes to a satisfactorily exciting conclusion. More please!
I think this book is much better than the first in the series. The breezy banter, light humor and quirky characters are still there but they all have developed more substance and are well on their way to becoming real. This chapter in the saga centers around on a real social condition and while it is all played out in a humorous style, the reality and the futility of total resolution are realistically defined. Extra marks for evolving into more than just a "tea-cozy" mystery and moving out in th...more
This is an entertaining book, the first I have read by Colin Cotterill and the second in the Jimm Juree mystery series (I now have the first on order from the library). The short review that drew me to this one compared the style to Alexander McCall Smith's Botswana series, but better, and I would agree. The author's note at the end (which I always read) had a link to this site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-... . His story is relevant.
>WPL
>WPL
When you read a book by Colin Cotterill, you know you're not in for a cookie cutter mystery. This story takes place in Thailand during the monsoon. Jimm learns to work the system to try to solve the mystery of a head washed up on the beach. The local police would rather let it wash away on the next tide. This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, as the investigation into the head leads to the discovery of sinister goings on.
I have now read all the books written to date by Colin Cotterill and this one, the second in the Jimm Juree series, is definitely one of my favourites. A blend of mystery, humour, a peek at how the locals in Thailand live, and some outright Keystone Cops comedy. I'm expecting there will be more in the Jimm series, and begging the author to write more about Dr. Siri soon.
Delightful second in series featuring Jimm Juree, ex-crime reporter from Bangkok now assisting her family in running a dilapidated resort in a small fishing village. As always, plenty of wacky humor and interesting characters, but drawing attention to a serious social concern, in this case the slavery and mistreatment of Burmese immigrants in Thailand. Highly recommended!
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Colin Cotterill was born in London and trained as a teacher and set off on a world tour that didn't ever come to an end. He worked as a Physical Education instructor in Israel, a primary school teacher in Australia, a counselor for educationally handicapped adults in the US, and a university lecturer in Japan. But the greater part of his latter years has been spent in Southeast Asia. Colin has tau...more
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