The Second Biggest Nothing

Praise for The Second Biggest Nothing

“Another rollicking chronicle from Colin Cotterill, source of fun and games and mayhem in the otherwise tightly controlled Communist community of the Laos capital Vientiane . . . A delight.”
—The Washington Times
 
“Delightful . . . Siri’s an intriguing character: funny, profound and mildly supernatural.”
—The Seattle Times

“[Dr. Siri] has rarely been funnier or more astute. Cotterill is writing at the top of his game.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Cotterill packs a lot into this mystery—history, mordant wit, clock-ticking suspense, resilient characters, and odd, entrancing details, like Siri’s very crabby spirit guide. A weird and wonderful series.”
—Booklist, Starred Review

Praise for the Dr. Siri Paiboun mysteries

[Siri] is the most wonderfully human of heroes.”
—The Christian Science Monitor
 
“You get a real feeling for what Laos was like in the ’70s. The humor is wonderful, too.”
—New York Post

“Unpredictable . . . Tragically funny and magically sublime.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“This wonderful series has consistently managed to convey the beauty and sadness of this damaged country through the wisdom and humor of its protagonist.”
—The Boston Globe

“Cotterill has a gift for tempering bad stuff—specifically, the baffling and chaotic political climate of communism circa 1980—with gently ironic humor and frequent doses of slightly kooky occultism. His books are thus a welcome balm for our own current baffling and chaotic political climate.”

—The Seattle Times


“Filled with magic and quirkiness.”
—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine