2nd in the Dr. Siri Paibon, national coroner of Laos series.

It isn’t a Dr. Siri book if there weren’t weird deaths in the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos of 1977. Two men have been mysteriously killed on the same bicycle and it’s hard to figure out how exactly that could have happened. Then other mysterious deaths occur, and fear is about that a large, vicious animal--or worse--is preying on the countryside. Of equal significance, Dr. Siri discovers that he has 33 teeth (instead of the usual 32), definitely marking him as a shaman (which he already knew).

There is a light-heartedness to the series that makes it fun to read. The cast of characters is unusual and interesting: Dr. Siri himself, Nurse Dtui (one of his assistants), Mr. Geung (his other assistant who has Down’s Syndrome), Civilai (his best friend), Phosy (a nosy police investigator). And more.

What elevates this from fluff to medium-weight is the amount of information about Laos--both its culture and the operation of the country under the Communist Pathet Lao regime. this alone would make the books worth reading.

The mysteries are enjoyable, and there’s no problem about tying up loose ends when you can call on the spirit world to help you.

Good fun; highly recommended.