Six and a Half Deadly Sins

Written by Colin Cotterill

Narrated by Clive Chafer

Colin Cotterill, one of Soho's bestselling authors, returns with a signature dark, witty mystery set in 1970s Communist Laos As an escalating war edges into Communist Laos, feisty septugenarian ex-national coroner Dr. Siri Paiboun is preoccupied with another matter: tracing a mysterious message he's received in the form of a severed finger. One of Soho Crime's all-time bestselling series, always widely and well-reviewed (Love Songs from a Shallow Grave was NYTCrime Novel of the Year). Full of dark comedy, offbeat characters, and poignant depiction of Laos at a moment of political upheaval--very different from anything else out there. Follows a paperback repackage of the entire series with a fresh new look, including a $9.99 Passport to Crime edition of The Coroner's Lunch. Colin has a huge fan base--a legitimate cult favorite series. Praise for The Woman Who Wouldn't Die "Laughter is a subversive weapon when you live under a repressive regime. That's the take-away lesson from Colin Cotterill's gravely funny novels set in Indochina in the 1970s."--The New York Times Book Review "The latest Dr. Paiboun novel by Colin Cotterill, showcases both author and detective at the top of their games. It's an entertaining and captivating mystery underpinned by a fascinating exploration of the tangled history of Laos."--Christian Science Monitor Series Overview: 72-year-old Dr. Siri Paiboun is less than enthusiastic in 1974 when the new Communist government of Laos pulls him out of retirement to become the National Coroner. Siri, who has no forensic background, about this honor. But soon he realizes his new position puts him in the unique position of identifying murder victims. Author Bio:Colin Cotterill is the Dilys Award-winning author of nine other books in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series: The Coroner's Lunch, Thirty-Three Teeth, Disco for the Departed, Anarchy and Old Dogs, Curse of the Pogo Stick, The Merry Misogynist, Love Songs from a Shallow Grave, Slash and Burn, and The Woman Who Wouldn't Die. He lives in Chumphon, Thailand, with his wife and six deranged dogs. Residence: Chumphon, Thailand Hometown: London, England

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781501974649

Colin Cotterill

Colin Cotterill (born 2 October 1952) is a London-born teacher, crime writer and cartoonist. Cotterill has dual English and Australian citizenship; however, he currently lives in Southeast Asia, where he writes the award-winning Dr. Siri mystery series set in the People's Democratic Republic of Laos.

Reviews for Six and a Half Deadly Sins

[ma_washigeri · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Probably my least favourite of the series but still a good read. Towards the end I thought I was missing the point of quite a lot of what was said, almost as if I had not paid attention earlier on - but I did pay attention all the way through - perhaps I was just missing the point.

[dmturner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well written, unusual. set in Laos in the 1970s. Part of a series.

[ffortsa · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A strangely confusing entry into the Dr. Siri mysteries. Siri, having retired yet again from the position of coroner, and Daeng, whose noodle house had burned down in the last episode, are tempted upcountry by a strange delivery in the mail. The Chinese invade Vietnam while they are there, and Chinese have also been building roads in the northern province of Laos. Phosey is also in the area, investigating two deaths near the Chinese road crew encampment. Confusion abounds, and Yao Ming is not in evidence. The ending is rather strange. I actually checked to make sure there were more books in the series - maybe I'll figure out what's going on in the next book.

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Laos, historical-research, history-and-culture, mystery, crime, suspense, verbal-humor, series Warning! This series is addictive! Dr Siri is still retired from being coroner, but not from being an obsessed detective. The first clue is a beautiful garment known as a sin which arrived in the mail, and had a preserved finger sewn into the hem. So, of course, he needed to make some interesting arrangements in order for he and Mme Daeng to follow the clues. The initial clue and half the sin were left with nurse Dtui for further study, and off they went, and were surprised along the way to encounter Mr Civilie. The major parallel plot is of Inspector Phosy who had been sent to the North to investigate a problem, and all aspects were decidedly impacted by the withdrawal of the Chinese from Laos as the Chinese invaded Vietnam. No spoilers here, just go ahead and get drawn into the book! Clive Chafer continues to be excellent as narrator!

[rbeffa_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've been anticipating having another visit with Dr. Siri Paiboun. This is the tenth book in the series and there hasn't been a dud yet, although this felt a bit like a tired horse here and I think the series has run it's course for me. The novel starts with events from December 25, 1978. As noted in the first sentence of the story several events happened that day which will have significance to the story at hand. To the world at large the most significant event was that Vietnam invaded Cambodia. One of the most enjoyable things about these books is that the reader gets a small history lesson interwoven with a mystery.Cotterill "reminds" the reader about several familiar characters, so that if a person picked this up as their first Dr. Siri mystery they wouldn't be lost. Cotterill tries to keep things fresh. There are some deaths near the northern border of Laos that might be from chinese road workers. The police have been sent to investigate, but the objective is to avoid an international incident. Dr. Siri has retired and has no official or semi-official capacity, but he is bored and the story starts off with him trying to wrangle a way to get north. He has received a very strange parcel in the mail that he begins to think might be related. Phosy the local police detective is already up there and things do not look good.The author keeps us guessing. We get a wrap up, and the book ends rather mysteriously. I liked it, but I think this was my least favorite Siri novel.

[cathyskye · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

From its punny title to its very last sentence, I loved immersing myself in the world of septuagenarian Dr. Siri Paiboun once again. There's no other character quite like him in all of crime fiction, and the rest of the characters Colin Cotterill has created are every bit as wonderful. Time has passed since the last book (The Woman Who Wouldn't Die), and the Communist government hasn't been kind to Dr. Siri's friends and former co-workers, but they're all managing to work with what they've been given. Moreover, it would seem that what they've been given is pretty dull because they're more than happy to help Siri in his latest investigation.One of the things I love about this series is its glimpse into the culture of Laos and of life in a Communist regime. In Six and a Half Deadly Sins I learned what a precarious position Laos was in at that time due mainly to its location-- surrounded by Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and China. Three of those countries would have been more than happy to gobble this poor country up, and all any of them would need was the smallest excuse.The mystery in this book completely engaged my interest because it kept changing as more information was learned. No one is whom they appear to be-- even the good guys-- and this isn't always a bad thing. Cotterill kept me guessing, and he certainly had me worried for Siri's safety.If you're new to this series, you should be able to read this book as a standalone and still enjoy it, but I would recommend beginning with the very first book, The Coroner's Lunch. What you'll learn about the culture and the time period is invaluable, but it's the humor and the characters who will take hold of your heart. Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri Paiboun series is essential reading for me, and I sincerely hope that it becomes that for you, too.