Colin Cotterill Books in Order

Recommended Reading Paths for Colin Cotterill

Colin Cotterill has carved out a unique niche in crime fiction, combining quirky humor, political intrigue, and deep cultural immersion in Southeast Asia. Whether you are exploring the spirit-filled, post-revolutionary streets of 1970s Laos or the sunny, eccentric beaches of southern Thailand, his series offer a delightful escape. Here are the recommended ways to navigate his books:

The Core Path: The Dr. Siri Paiboun Series (Laos)

If you only read one series by Cotterill, make it the Dr. Siri Paiboun mysteries. Set in Laos starting in 1975, the series features a 72-year-old coroner who communicates with spirits and solves crimes under the nose of a paranoid communist regime. Recommendation: Read this series in strict publication order. The political situation, character dynamics, and Siri's personal relationships evolve continuously from book to book.

The Contemporary Path: Jimm Juree (Thailand)

For a shift in tone to rural southern Thailand, follow Jimm Juree, a cynical former crime reporter who relocates to a coastal resort in Chumphon with her eccentric family. Recommendation: While you can read these in publication order, purists may prefer reading the prequels first to understand Jimm's background in Chiang Mai before she is dragged down south.

The Standalone Path

For readers looking for a one-off adventure, Cotterill's standalone novels offer excellent entry points. His most highly recommended standalone is The Motion Picture Teller (2023), a cinephile's dream mystery set in 1990s Bangkok.

The Dr. Siri Paiboun Series in Publication Order

The Dr. Siri series is best experienced in the order the books were written. This ensures you follow the chronological progression of Laos's post-revolutionary history and Dr. Siri's personal life.

1. The Coroner's Lunch (2004): Introduces Dr. Siri Paiboun, a French-trained physician appointed as the sole national coroner of Laos after the 1975 communist revolution. He must solve a series of mysterious deaths involving the wife of a prominent politician and several dead Vietnamese soldiers.
2. Thirty-Three Teeth (2005): Dr. Siri investigates bizarre deaths that appear to be caused by a wild beast. Along the way, he begins to confront the mystical and supernatural forces that govern his own destiny.
3. Disco for the Departed (2006): Siri is summoned to the royal capital of Luang Prabang to examine a body found encased in concrete under the home of a high-ranking official.
4. Anarchy and Old Dogs (2007): A blind dentist is run over by a truck, leading Siri to uncover a conspiracy that threatens to overthrow the Lao government.
5. Curse of the Pogo Stick (2008): Dr. Siri is abducted by Hmong tribespeople who believe he is possessed by a powerful shamanic spirit capable of lifting a deadly curse from their village.
6. The Merry Misogynist (2009): A serial killer is targeting young women in Vientiane, and Siri must use both forensic science and spiritual intuition to catch the culprit.
7. Love Songs from a Shallow Grave (2010): While attending a conference in Cambodia, Siri is captured and imprisoned in a Khmer Rouge detention camp, leaving his friends to mount a desperate rescue mission.
8. Slash and Burn (2011): Siri is officially assigned to assist a search team looking for the remains of a missing American pilot, but he suspects a hidden agenda.
9. The Woman Who Wouldn't Die (2013): When Siri's wife, Daeng, is targeted by a malevolent spirit, Siri must investigate a mysterious clairvoyant woman to save her.
10. Six and a Half Deadly Sins (2015): A package containing a traditional Lao skirt (sinh) arrives at the morgue, containing a series of hidden, coded messages that lead Siri to the northern border.
11. I Shot the Buddha (2016): Siri investigates the disappearance of a prominent Buddhist monk who may have fled the country, or worse, been murdered.
12. The Rat Catchers' Olympics (2017): Set during the 1980 Moscow Olympics, Siri accompanies the tiny Laotian athletic delegation, only to get caught up in an international conspiracy.
13. Don't Eat Me (2018): Dr. Siri and Daeng look into an illegal wildlife trafficking ring that is operating out of Vientiane.
14. The Second Biggest Nothing (2019): A death threat tied to his dog's tail forces Dr. Siri to look back at three key incidents from his past in 1930s Paris, 1958 Saigon, and 1970s Hanoi.
15. The Delightful Life of a Suicide Pilot (2020): A box containing a diary of a Japanese kamikaze pilot from World War II lands on Siri's desk, setting off a final, deeply personal investigation.

The Jimm Juree Series Reading Order

The Jimm Juree books can be read in two ways: publication order or chronological order. Chronological order is recommended if you want to follow Jimm's life sequentially from Chiang Mai to southern Thailand.

Chronological Reading Order

1. Hidden Genders (2012): A prequel short story set in Chiang Mai that introduces Jimm, her family, and a near-murder at a swimming pool.
2. The Amok Runners (2016): A prequel novel set in Chiang Mai. Jimm works as a movie extra on a Hollywood set and gets caught up in a historical mystery.
3. Killed at the Whim of a Hat (2011): The first published novel. Jimm and her family move south to Chumphon, where they discover a body buried in a vintage car.
4. Grandad, There's a Head on the Beach (2012): Jimm investigates a human head found on the beach near her family's resort.
5. The Axe Factor (2013): Jimm suspects an English horror author staying at the resort is actually a serial killer.

Jimm Juree Case Files (Short Stories)

Between 2017 and 2019, Colin Cotterill published 12 short story case files featuring Jimm Juree. These quick, humorous mysteries are best read after completing the main novels to spend more time with the characters. The stories are:

• 1. The Funeral Photographer (2017)
• 2. When You Wish Upon a Star (2017)
• 3. Highway Robbery (2017)
• 4. The Zero Finger Option (2018)
• 5. Trash (2018)
• 6. Spay With Me (2018)
• 7. Sex on the Beach (2018)
• 8. Smelly Man (2018)
• 9. Maprao Syndrome (2019)
• 10. Tom Tom (2019)
• 11. Whale Vomit (2019)
• 12. Lost Property (2019)

Standalone Novels

Cotterill has written several standalone novels that cover different themes and time periods in Southeast Asia. While his earlier works are harder to find, his recent standalones have received widespread acclaim.

• The Night Bastard (2000): An early, dark novel focusing on child trafficking and social issues in Southeast Asia.
• Evil In The Land Without (2003): An early thriller set in the region.
• Pool and its Role in Asian Communism (2005): Set in 1970, this follows a pool-ball factory worker in Indiana who trains a Lao-American woman seeking to return to Laos.
• Average Alan (2013): A humorous standalone story about a very average teenager whose life is turned upside down.
• Bleeding in Black and White (2015): A thriller set in Southeast Asia.
• The Motion Picture Teller (2023): Set in 1996 Bangkok, a postman and a video store owner try to track down the origin of a mysterious, unreleased movie, drawing them into a dangerous conspiracy.

What to Know Before You Start

The hallmark of Colin Cotterill's writing is his ability to balance dark, realistic themes with lighthearted, eccentric humor. Dr. Siri's books take place during a grim historical period in Laos—shortly after the communist takeover, when the country was isolated, impoverished, and politically repressed. Yet, Siri's interactions with his colleagues, his stubbornness, and his dialogues with the spirit world bring a unique warmth to the stories. When reading, keep in mind that the supernatural elements are treated as a matter-of-fact part of the culture rather than a fantasy gimmick, which reflects traditional Southeast Asian beliefs in animism and spirits.