Killed at the Whim of a Hat
Cotterill, ColinIntroducing Jimm Juree, crime reporter formerly of Chiang Mai, now a reluctant chief cook and bottle washer at her family's Gulf Bay Lovely Resort and Restaurant in the south of Thailand. But there's no resting on her laurels; when the bodies start piling up, Jimm sees a chance to keep her career on track and moves into crime solving mode, teaming up with local policeman Sergeant Phoon.
Highly entertaining and surprisingly thought-provoking, its light hearted approach is well balanced by an intricate plot and delightfully eccentric characters. The title and chapter headings, courtesy of George Bush, add to the quirky and original style of this exotic whodunnit. [Larger font]
Comments from Groups
Such a diversity of opinion on this book, from not being able to engage at all, to absolutely loving the humour, the characters, the honesty and the depiction of modern Thai society. What an agreeable style of writing Colin Cotterill has. Beautifully constructed humour, and metaphorically adept. Otaki 001 We generally enjoyed this, but perhaps not as much as 'The Coroner's Lunch', which is why we chose his next book. We enjoyed the insight into aspects of Thai life, especially as most of us only know Thailand from brief stopovers in Bangkok. Leith 001 The quotes by George Bush at the beginning of each chapter were a delight! Those of us who had read 'The Coroner's Lunch' were disappointed with this book; finding it too long, with too many characters and too much dialogue.... There are wonderful descriptive passages and some crazy characters. It is light, bright and quirky, however not our favourite book this year. Diamond Harbour 001 Easy reading that was humorous and entertaining. A story of relationships, with the murder secondary to these. Strong family values shown, and insights into Thailand that we didn't know. Te Awa 003 We enjoyed parts of this book, but the overall comment was that there were just too many characters and storylines that were quite bizarre. Tauranga 034 Fantastic. Original all the way through. We all loved it.... Paihia 001
Pages
370
370
Year
2011
2011
Reviews
29-03-2019
A light novel with interesting twists and turns to the plot, lots of humour, with an interesting insight into aspects of southern Thai culture, politics (especially the 'take' on corruption) and religion. Not to the taste of some in our group but most really enjoyed it. Excellent book notes.
01-03-2019
This book involved much concentration while being read as there were many characters and two main themes. Those that read it for an hour or so at a time found it a rewarding read. About half the group didn't enjoy it but during the discussion, aspects of the book became clearer, in particular the relationship between the George Bush quotes and the chapter contents. The questions didn't have much depth and we all agreed it wasn't as enjoyable as The Coroner's Lunch.
01-03-2019
This is a typical Colin Cotterill book - very funny, especially in his descriptions and dialogue, set in an Asian country with a rather loosely plotted story. Some of us loved it for its quirkiness, and the rest were puzzled and wondered why the serious elements in the depiction of Thailand weren't in a more serious book. Me, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
01-03-2019
Lively discussion about this book with half the group enjoying the read, the other half not finding it to their taste. But all agreed that the author displayed a light, humorous touch with his characters while subtly commenting on politics and bureaucracy in modern Thailand.
01-03-2019
80% of our group found it rather bizarre - not the usual murder mystery, but a rather farfetched tale of a reporter trying hard for a scoop. The characters were unusual but the plot lacked direction.
01-03-2019
Different but delightful! A wonderful collection of characters blended with humour, and peppered with unforgettable quotes from George W.Bush. Discussion was lively and we all enjoyed memories of other similar (or slightly similar) TV programmes/books with quirky, loveable characters.
01-03-2019
We all enjoyed this book. Characters like Sissi and the gay policemen were especially fun. It was a good choice for the end of the year, thank you.
01-03-2019
Opinion on this book was mixed. Some enjoyed it but others did not.
20-12-2017
Light reading enjoyed by all members. Recommended.