subplotkudzu | 2011 Books 21

21) The Merry Mysogynist by Colin Cotterill: another of the Dr. Siri mysteries set in recently Communist Laos, our protagonists continue to solve murders and live their own lives with small joys and disappointments as the country's descent continues. The background of political absurdity of a revolutionary cadre discovering that they have no idea how to run a country is a fascinating ongoing subplot in the series. This volume provides the usual mix of humor and mystery, though Cotterill breaks with tradition by giving us a killers eye view sometimes. It's not the strongest book in the series, but it's still well worth reading.