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More reviews by Robert H. Abel
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The Merry Mysogynist by Colin Cotterrill
I've come late to COLIN COTTERRILL's series of novels featuring the elderly Lao coroner and man-about-Vientiane, Siri Paiboun, but if THE MERRY MYSOGYNIST is anything like the previous five novels, they must be quite a party. In this novel, Cotterrill juggles four or five subplots while dishing up a main entree of a psychopathic seducer who preys on women of marriageable age and limited means.
In addition, Cotterill displays a lively fascination with, and understanding of Lao culture and its uneasy existence inside the Pathet Lao communist regime of the 1970s. Not to scare anyone off: the tone of the novel is pretty lighthearted and not at all ideological. This is thanks largely to the big-hearted and life-loving 73-year-old Siri himself, abetted by his young (64) wife, Daeng, who is as ready for adventure and fearless as he is -- and as quick-witted.
Siri is the Lao national coroner and a hero of past liberation struggles. Daeng runs a noodle shop and has a history of political involvement that at times overlapped Siri's. Both were formerly married before they met each other late in life. They are anything but your stereotypical rocking chair elderly. Siri is well-known for the way he rips about town on his rattletrap Triumph motorcycle. He also gets an occasional visit from someone from the spirit world to help him along in his crime fighting. These visitors include his ex-dog, Saloop. Daeng, meanwhile, single-handedly runs a noodle shop from dawn to dusk. What better place to be to get the town's scuttlebutt?
As the novel opens, Siri is being investigated by the Housing Ministry, accused of having two residences, in defiance of socialist policy. Thus begins one of the entertaining subplots. Siri has, in fact, turned his old home into a kind of shelter for Lao outcasts -- a pair of former prostitutes who are caring for a set of twins belonging to Laotian parents in exile in Thailand, a non-legal Buddhist monk, and other misfits. The situation will pit Siri against judge Haeng and give us a look inside the clash between bureaucratic imperatives and common sense -- not to mention petty corruption.
Another subplot involves "crazy Rajid", an Indian street person known to many in town, but who suddenly disappears after discovering what appear to be ancient Lao artifacts. Siri locates Rajid's formerly "untouchable" father and with the help of Daeng and the crew from his coroner's office, unravels a series of riddles to find Rajid at last. Although this aspect of the novel is perhaps a bit silly, it at least provides an opportunity to get a tour of underground Vientiane. Bo ben nyang, as Siri might say. Whatever. The crew from Siri's office is always entertaining company.
The heart of the novel, however, lies in the struggle to find the serial killer preying on beautiful countryside women, poor as they are, and susceptible to promises of a better life in the big city, or even abroad. As coroner, Siri gets involved when the corpse of a young woman is brought to him for examination. She is determined to have had an odd deficiency resulting from lack of exposure to sunshine. One of Siri's assistants, Dtui, is the daughter of Phosy, a detective and a friend of Siri's who, the novel suggests, Siri has worked with on cases previously, something readers of previous Cotterill novels will know more about than I do. Now Siri and Phosy get a chance to cooperate yet again -- with the help of Daeng and a clutch of other old friends who each pitch in a piece of the puzzle until the villain is unmasked and another potential victim is snatched from ritualistic torture and death.
THE MERRY MYSOGYNIST is a sure-handed mystery written with great intelligence about matters Lao and characters who, whatever madness they have seen in their lives, still maintain a vivid sense of justice and a hearty love of life. Oh, and yes, all the subplots are tied up neatly at the end as well. What fun!
Robert H. Abel
09/03/2010
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Robert H. Abel is a USA-based writer who writes frequently on subjects related to China. He has published three novels (including Riding a Tiger) and three collections of stories. |
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