Slash and Burn Audiobook By Colin Cotterill cover art

Slash and Burn

The Dr. Siri Investigations, Book 8

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Slash and Burn

By: Colin Cotterill
Narrated by: Clive Chafer
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Dr. Siri might finally be allowed to retire (again). Although he loves his two morgue assistants, he’s tired of being Laos’ national coroner - a job he never wanted in the first place. Plus, he’s pushing 80 and wants to spend some time with his wife before his untimely death, which has been predicted by the local transvestite fortune teller.

But retirement is not in the cards for Dr. Siri after all. He’s dragged into one last job for the Lao government: supervising an excavation for the remains of a US fighter pilot who went down in the remote northern Lao jungle 10 years earlier. The presence of American soldiers in Laos is a hot-button issue for both the Americans and the Lao involved, and the search party includes high-level politicians and scientists.

When a member of the party is found dead, a chain of accidents that Dr. Siri suspects are not completely accidental is set off. Everyone is trapped in a cabin in the jungle, and the bodies are starting to pile up. Can Dr. Siri get to the bottom of the MIA pilot’s mysterious story before the fortune teller’s prediction comes true?

Colin Cotterill was born in London. He has taught in Australia, the United States, and Japan and lived for many years in Laos, where he worked for nongovernmental social-service organizations. He now writes full time and lives in Thailand. His books have been Book Sense Picks, and he won the Dilys Award and a Crime Writers’ Association Library Dagger for Thirty-Three Teeth.

©2011 Colin Cotterill (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Mystery Historical Fiction Witty Thriller & Suspense Amateur Sleuths Detective Suspense Genre Fiction Political Literature & Fiction Imperial Japan Medical Fiction

Critic reviews

Praise for the Dr. Siri Paiboun series: “A series of terrifically beguiling detective novels steeped in local color and history.” ( New York Times Book Review)

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Enjoyed the convolutions of the plot. Enough twists and turns to keep you interested. Love the narrator. His voices really enhance the characters.

Always a thriller!

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Great twisting storey lines. Excellent plot. Interesting intrigue with laugh out loud moments. Definitely one of Cotterill's best.

Definitely recommend!

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These books are unique. This series is a gift. The author's ability to describe a time in a country where war and suffering were lengthy (decades!) and constant with such poignancy and humor astonishes me. The characters of Dr. Siri, et al, are so well written and narrated they hardly seem fictional. The mysteries are interesting and "fun", but for me the historical facts, increasing my understanding of Laotian and Hmong beliefs and culture has been far more important. When this series ends, I will *miss* these characters... a remarkable achievement! I deeply appreciate Audible including the first 9 books of Dr. Siri's mysteries. Highest recommendation that everyone listen to this series of books!

Pathos. Historical truth. Vividly real characters

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historical-places-events, history-and-culture, historical-novel, Laos, verbal-humor, spooks

Dr Siri gets railroaded into a fools errand along with his nemesis and a collection of Laotians and Americans, but he tosses in a monkey wrench by insisting upon bringing his own team of professionals. There are more red herrings and misdirection than usual, along with a non American perspective on the real reasons for interference in the wars in Indochina. The fortune teller manages to appear and proves to be more useful than expected. Be ready for more twists than a bag full of pretzels and some really snarky humor.
Thanks again to Clive Chafer for his excellent narrative ability.

This is one in an addictive series!

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What made the experience of listening to Slash and Burn the most enjoyable?

After reading all 7 prior books in the series, I really enjoy the development of the individual characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Slash and Burn?

Finding out that the pre-story of the missing pilot was all about.

What about Clive Chafer’s performance did you like?

He is very consistent.

Any additional comments?

I am not very knowledgeable about the time period in which the series is set, but find it fascinating to learn something about the history of the Laos people thru the story telling of the author. His characters and their back stories bring the books to life for me and I have yet to be disappointed. The mysteries are convoluted, foreign, with a touch of the mystical, that keeps me coming back for more. I will probably try some of the authors' other series when I finish this group also. The narrator does a fine job but his voice is too soothing. Once I have listened to the story I can use the same book to drop off to sleep with...This is probably "my" problem because I can do this with other stories and narrators that I am familiar with!
This series is a good "read" and I have really enjoyed all 8 of his books so far.

Enjoyable series of stories.

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