THE MERRY MISOGYNIST - Colin Cotterill

If the idea of a serial killer novel titled THE MERRY MISOGYNIST has you slightly confused, then I can only guess that perhaps you've never read a Dr Siri book before.  If you're a fan of quirky, without cute or cosy, humour without slapstick and the most marvellous sense of place that you're likely to encounter, then I can only suggest that you rectify that as soon as possible.

THE MERRY MISOGYNIST is the sixth Dr Siri mystery, all set in Communist Laos.  Dr Siri is a most reluctant national Coroner, although he is supported by a most willing morgue team of colleagues and friends.  The Dr Siri books do contain a certain level of the supernatural (woo woo as we tend to call it), but it's set within a cultural context that will make it quite believable and somehow almost apt for any readers who normally break out in a bit of a rash when confronted by this.  The dry humour is fantastic, the interactions between all of the characters frequently moving and always encouraging.  It's a lovely touch to think that no matter how unexpected, bureacratic and controlled a society can become, there's levels of quiet rebellion all over the place - and Dr Siri does a particularly elegant line in quiet rebellion.