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Fabulous Fiction Firsts #278

by muffy

Your read the New York Times review, now you cannot wait to read the book. Can't blame you.

I have to admit, this is my first Colin Cotterill, (and the first of a project new series) and it is sending me straight to his Dr. Siri Paiboun series, another unlikely and exotic sleuth (a septuagenarian Laotian coroner).

The intriguing title had me laughing out loud when I realized that it is derived from one of the many George W. Bush quotes, each heading a new chapter. “Free societies are hopeful societies. And free societies will be allies against these hateful few who have no conscience, who kill at the whim of a hat.” (September 17, 2004) Too far-fetched? It's for real, check it out!

Killed at the Whim of a Hat * * * features Jimm Juree, a thirtysomething "sardonic, self-important 'almost award-winning' " female crime reporter who has been exiled to Chumphon, (Southern Thailand) to run a seedy and decrepit beach resort with her eccentric and loony family.

The discovery of a buried Volkswagen van from the 1970s with two buried hippie passengers brings a flurry of excitement to this tiny village and hopes for a big journalistic break for Jimm Juree. Then there is a real murder and Jimm just cannot stay away, even if her life depends on it.

You will thank me later for not giving away the plot. "Cotterill combines plenty of humor with fascinating and unusual characters, a solid mystery, and the relatively unfamiliar setting of southern Thailand to launch what may be the best new international mystery series".

British expat. and CWA Dagger Awards winner Colin Cotterill taught in Israel, Australia, the U.S. and Japan before started training teachers in Thailand. He and his wife live in a small fishing village on the Gulf of Siam in Southern Thailand.

* * * = Starred reviews

Comments

Submitted by adimarzo on Sat, 07/23/2011 - 5:11pm

I love mysteries, especially those that take place in other countries with colorful sleuths. Thanks for the suggestion!

Submitted by readingking on Sat, 07/23/2011 - 10:04pm

cool

Submitted by camelsamba on Tue, 07/26/2011 - 4:32pm

I thought a "fabulous fiction first" meant the first book by a particular author, in which case it doesn't apply here, but perhaps I have misunderstood the phrase all along. Either way, this sounds intriguing. Apparently a couple dozen people agree with me, given the number of requests on the book at this point :^)

Dear camelsamba:
Thank you for your comment. In general, the FFF blogs do try to bring attention to an author's first fiction title. At times, I tried to showcase the first title in a new series by an established author, or the first full-length novel from an author who might have had a noteworthy short story collection published. Often, I will blog an international author whose work might not have been published (or available) in the United States before. Hope this helps.

Submitted by annlinlover on Mon, 08/01/2011 - 11:24pm

cool

Submitted by pressreleasenetwork on Fri, 08/05/2011 - 6:17am

For me its interesting to read. I am looking forward to reading more of your posts in the future.

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