• Thirty-Three Teeth

  • The Dr. Siri Investigations, Book 2
  • By: Colin Cotterill
  • Narrated by: Clive Chafer
  • Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (719 ratings)

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Thirty-Three Teeth  By  cover art

Thirty-Three Teeth

By: Colin Cotterill
Narrated by: Clive Chafer
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Publisher's summary

Feisty Dr. Siri Paiboun is no respecter of persons or party; at his age he feels he can afford to be independent. In this, the second novel in the series, he travels to Luang Prabang, where he communes with the deposed king who is resigned to his fate: it was predicted long ago. And he attends a conference of shamans called by the Communist Party to deliver an ultimatum to the spirits: obey party orders or get out. But as a series of mutilated corpses arrives in Dr. Siri’s morgue, and Nurse Dtui is menaced, he must use all his powers—forensic and shamanic—to discover the creature—animal or spirit—that has been slaying the innocent.

Crack another case with Dr. Siri.
©2005 Colin Cotterill (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“The quasi-mystical story keeps a perfect balance between the modern mysteries of forensic science and the ancient secrets of the spirit world as the cranky coroner tries to resolve a politically sensitive case involving the deposed king without riling the authorities.” ( New York Times Book Review)

What listeners say about Thirty-Three Teeth

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Quincy, ME in Laos

From 1976 to 1983, Jack Klugman ruled a fictional Los Angeles County Coroner's Office as Chief Medical Examiner Quincy in the series "Quincy M. E." The daring forensic scientist was brilliant, quirky and had an abiding social conscience that made him the target of unethical businessmen and corrupt politicians.

Imagine the fictional Quincy in Southeast Asia - Laos to be specific - in the late 1970's after the Americans (who were never officially there) are gone and the communists have taken over, and you've got French-trained Siri Paiboun, MD. Siri served as a physician with the Lao Communist Army for decades. At 72, when the monarchy that ruled the Kingdom of Laos finally fell, Siri hoped to retire. Instead, his comrades insisted it was his duty to continue to serve the people as National Coroner.

Siri serves with the same unerring moral compass if Klugman's Quincy, salted and cured with a liberal dose of cynicism. Siri doesn't have basic resources to do his job, but with the assistance if Nurse Dtui (pronounced "two ee") and laboratory assistant Mr. Geung, the job gets done anyway. Colin Cotterill's "Thirty-three Teeth" introduces Dtui in greater detail than in Book One, and her fragile but fierce mother might represent all Laotian mothers.

Siri's got an advantage most coroners lack: he's haunted, literally, by a spirit named Ya Ming. Other spiritualists recognize Ya Ming by his brilliant green eyes, which Siri shares. Ya Ming also has 33 teeth - a clue to this exotic mystery.

I would never have gotten the Lao pronunciations right if I'd read the book instead of listening to it. It would have been like being poked on the ribs during a movie - distracting and annoying. I'm glad I went for the Audible.

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18 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Spirited fun

This is a fun series, enjoyable more for the characters than the mysteries they solve, much as fans of Ms. Christie enjoy Miss Marple and Monsieur Poirrot for their distinctive personalities. True to form, the crimes being investigated in this installment won’t have you biting your nails, but the process of getting to the answers is entertaining and full of humor. In particular, a scene involving a mass séance with multiple shamans calling on the spirits to toe the Communist Party line is hilarious. I love Dr. Siri and will revisit him and his delightful entourage again.

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Healthy Addictive Pleasure

What did you love best about Thirty-Three Teeth?

Thoroughly likable main characters develop individually and interpersonally from one book to the next.

What other book might you compare Thirty-Three Teeth to and why?

It brings to mind the Ladies #1 Detective Agency series in that it provides a warm and vivid introduction to another culture. Both series possess a dry British wit. As the Dr. Siri Investigations explore the spirit world as well, they provide a fascinating intersection of the traditional beliefs with the political realities of the mid-70's.

Which character – as performed by Clive Chafer – was your favorite?

Initially, I thought Clive Chafer's reading style monotonous. But the more I listen to these, the more I hear the humor and depth in this understated delivery. I find myself listening to each book twice, starting again as soon as I complete one to savor it more fully. And then I immediately download the next!

Any additional comments?

I remember the pleasure with which I discovered Michael Connelly's detective series, but over time the darkness of Bosch's world view and the alienation of the major characters induced me to back off. This series, in contrast, has some evil and genuinely negative characters, but the overall impression is one of great warmth, respect and even joy. In places it's laugh out loud funny. I'm grateful that one reviewer's related that his Laotian wife found the series presented an accurate physical and cultural portrait of her homeland. I was apprehensive that Thirty-Three Teeth might not live up to the freshness and originality of The Coroner's Lunch. Happily, this second book in the series deepened my appreciation of the culture, the characters and the nature of their growing intimacy.

If you go onto the author's web site, you'll see he's quite an accomplished cartoonist, too.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Good Series

My husband and I both enjoy this series and listen to it when we are in the car together. It is set in Laos, with a slightly disillusioned Communist as the protagonist. Throw in a bit of magic and spirits and there you have it, a very different type of cozy.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Parts of this book were very interesting--not all

What disappointed you about Thirty-Three Teeth?

Hard to mix a detective story with the fantastical. Loved the local lore, spiritual side, but not when it went so far as to be totally unbelievable. Yes, I think one was meant to find a way to tolerate that discomfort (of resolving the believable with the unbelievable--even the premise of the book, perhaps). But I'd rather have one thing or the other. That's just my taste--and probably no commentary on the skill of the author/narrator.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I very much liked the passages into the spiritual history of the people of Laos. I liked it all till it got to a point where it just pushed it too far for my taste. (Might greatly appeal to others). I appreciate history and spirituality--just somehow did not come together for me here.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Thirty-Three Teeth?

One at the end--do not want to be a spoiler--but a scene where a critical incident throughout the book came to a climax was too much of a step beyond my personal comfort zone.

Any additional comments?

I don't think that my discomfort with this book should keep other people from reading it. I am speaking more about my own tastes in reading. The idea of the book is actually pretty neat--bringing old world and new together--and a world that most westerners don't really know much about in any fashion. That part was actually fascinating. But there is a point beyond which I'm not very interested in suspending belief--if it is meant to be a mystery. That's not my cup of tea--but could very well be someone else's. I would recommend people try this book--and decide for themselves. It is different--I certainly will say that.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Mixed feelings

My feelings about this book run from wonderful to boring. When Dr. Siri is home, the story is really wonderful and the mystery was exciting. However, when on his trip it was awful! I am glad that I listened to it and will listen to the book number 3. I really like the narrator, his monotone voice adds to the humor.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent for any age!

supernatural, superstitions, support-system, friendship, murder-investigation, laos

Lots of people prefer visible books, but with this series, I feel that readers who are unfamiliar with the sounds of words in the Southeast Asian languages would enjoy the audio as much as those of us who choose audiobooks for other reasons. That being said, I really love the writing and the characters and the stories themselves. This one has a lot more of the ethnic supernatural stuff in it. I always find that kind of thing fascinating to compare with others. There is also an abundance of suspense and deductive reasoning going on. No spoilers here, just go ahead and enjoy!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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I love these characters and the unique setting

I really like the characters in this series - not just Dr. Siri, but his nurse Tui and his friends and co workers too. Their subtle humour, their common sense, and their stoicism in the face of the changing political and economic climate of their homeland (Laos in the late 70s) -- they all combine to make quiet but interesting characters. The actual investigations surrounding the bodies in the morgue - in this case there's a missing bear, a series of savage deaths, and a Russian circus school - aren't nearly as interesting as the characters themselves and how they deal with the political changes and deprivations of 1979 Laos.

I'm still not sold on the mysticism of Dr. Siri seeing dead people and being protected by spirits, but it's not bothersome enough to keep me from enjoying the rest the book has to offer --- it's what changes it from a 5-star to a 4-star listen. That, and the British accent of the narrator.

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just remarkable

dr siri is one of the best characters in a long time. these books are downright funny, and often make me laugh out loud.

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Dr. Siri continues to delight

If you read my review of "The Coroner's Lunch," you will know that I love with Dr. Siri and his delightful companions. This second book in the series does not disappoint. I enjoyed this every bit as much as the first book.

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