I really enjoyed the earlier books in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series, but I can say, "The Second Biggest Nothing" really just didn't do it for me. This one felt sort of like it was forced and like there could have been a lot more done with the plot. Overall, probably not the best one in the series.

When Dr. Siri becomes the target of a probable assassin, it's the perfect opportunity for readers to catch glimpses from his past, as Siri tries to figure out who hates him enough to want to kill not only him, but those he loves. Only 4 stars because I found the mystery didn't stick with me after I finished the book (although I enjoyed it while I was reading). But this is a must for series fans as we learn more about Siri and Civilai and their early lives.

The Second Biggest Nothing is another strong entry in a series that satisfies on so many levels. First and foremost, Cotterill has created one of the best casts of characters in crime fiction. He also gives readers a true sense of what life was like in Communist Laos in the 1970s and 80s-- including just a touch of the mysticism that is a part of the culture. He's also a dab hand at creating intriguing mysteries, and he certainly knows how to make us think, make us empathize, and make us laugh.

There are some very nice twists and turns in the plot of The Second Biggest Nothing. I'd narrowed down the incident at the heart of the death threat against Siri and his loved ones, but my deductive powers failed me at the very end. That's always fun for someone who reads as many mysteries as I do.

But no matter how good the mysteries and the evocation of a time and place are in this series--and this book-- the beating heart of it all is found in that marvelous cast of characters. Cotterill shows us that Communists are pretty much just like us, which is probably something not everyone wants to read (but should). This latest book in the series gives longtime fans a special treat by letting us visit with Siri and Civilai when they are young men in Paris. It's always good to be able to learn some of the backstories in an older character's life.

However-- no matter how good the stories are (and they are)-- it's what Cotterill has to say through his characters that means the most to me. Through the years, Siri and his wife Daeng have created their own tribe, their own family. This family contains doctors, police officers, nurses, politicians, and restauranteurs, but it also has members with psychiatric problems, others with Down syndrome, etc. The philosophy of Siri and Daeng's tribe is that everyone has value and should be treated accordingly. Seeing all these characters live, work, investigate, and laugh together is wonderful.

By all means, read this series. Read it for the mysteries. Read it for the characters. But read it to absorb what it has to say about the human race.

See what I mean about Cotterill's books satisfying on so many levels?

In one of the best adventures yet, Dr. Siri Paiboun is confronted with a mystery than unless solved, will threaten those around him and himself. Dr. Siri receives cryptic clues that his friends believe are somehow connected to one of Siri’s past adventures. Could it be the assassination he witnessed in Paris where he was a student? Or perhaps it was a political act that he participated in when he was in Saigon? Or maybe it was when he was asked to become involved in the repatriation of American soldiers towards to end of the Vietnam War. Cotterill takes the reader back to these times so that Siri becomes even more of an enchanting, elusive and erudite detective of what may be amiss. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Edelweiss and Netgalley for providing the opportunity to read this title.

Colin Cotterill is in top form with his fourteenth Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery: The Second Biggest Nothing. This series continues to display no intention of running out of steam.

In this latest adventure featuring the aged Dr. Siri Paiboun and his ragtag group of friends and fellow sleuths, the stakes couldn't be higher. It seems someone from Siri's past has come seeking vengeance. It could be one of three people, by his reckoning... Funny and historically intriguing.