Killed at the Whim of a Hat

By: Colin Cotterill

Narrated by: Jeany Park

Jimm Juree was a crime reporter for the Chiang Mai Daily Mail with a somewhat eccentric family. When she is forced to follow her family to a rural village on the coast of Southern Thailand, she’s convinced her career—maybe her life—is over. So when a van containing the skeletal remains of two hippies is inexplicably unearthed in a local farmer’s field, Jimm is thrilled. Shortly thereafter an abbot at a local Buddhist temple is viciously murdered.

Suddenly Jimm’s new life becomes somewhat more promising—and a lot more deadly. And if Jimm is to unravel the inexplicable events, it will take luck, perseverance, and the help of her entire family.

©2011 Original material © 2011 Colin Cotterill. Recorded by arrangement with St. Martin's Press, LLC. (P)2011 (p) 2011 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

“Cotterill understands people and writes subtle humor like a master.” ( Library Journal)

“May be the best new international mystery series since the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.” ( Booklist)

“Cotterill’s excellent first in a new series . . . combines a wry narrative voice with an appealing picture of a world unfamiliar to most Americans.” ( Publishers Weekly)

Great listen, lovable characters!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I already have recommended this to my mother in law who loves books with great characters.

What other book might you compare Killed at the Whim of a Hat to and why?

The book reminded me of the The #1 Ladies Detective Agency. Even though a completely different part of the world, both books take you to a place that is foreign and make you want to know the people.

Have you listened to any of Jeany Park’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not yet!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed out loud!

Any additional comments?

Can't wait to listen to the next in this series.

Loved the narration

Great mystery. Wish I knew more about Thailand. Education and with murder. How appropriate a story

delighted...

Because I had read all Cotterill's "Dr. Siri" series and loved every one for its humor and wonderful characters, I hesitated to listen to the first of this new series believing I would be disappointed. The opposite happened and I was delighted with his fresh characters and relieved that he continues to construct a good mystery laced with lots of humor. It's a four star mystery with an extra star for all the other goodies.

Good book, bad narrator

I like the author (Dr. Siri Paiboun series) and the book very much, but the narrator is very boring.

This is no Dr. Siri!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Probably not -- it was only ok.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

No, it was mostly slow-moving, there was no threat, and the writing was a bit trite.

What three words best describe Jeany Park’s voice?

Good voices, but poor narration skills. I think she made a weak piece of writing seem even worse by missing a lot of the intent of the text, both serious and humorous.

Did Killed at the Whim of a Hat inspire you to do anything?

Wish there were more Dr. Siri books!

Any additional comments?

This honestly feels like it must have been a manuscript predating The Coroner's Lunch that was pulled out of a drawer after the success of that other series. The writing in the first half feels adolescent, like somebody who constantly feels the need to point out their own witticisms. We get a side character's entire complex life boiled down to a page or so, after which it never matters again (but, I guess, will in some future book) -- a teen-aged hacker could have done what it took a trangender, former-star, current-smuggler sibling (!) to contribute to the plot. Maybe Cotteril wanted to leaven the elderly cast of the Dr. Siri books (set in 1970s Lao) with some hip youngsters (in modern-day Thailand), but the result just rings hollow and 2-dimensional. It picks up a bit in the second half, which is more about the procedural, but only somewhat. Perhaps subsequent books will find their rhythm, but I will be in no rush to find out.

Culturally Savy Mystery Story- Fun Thai Character

Where does Killed at the Whim of a Hat rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is my favorite Cotterill novel so far. I enjoyed his two first mysteries involving the Laoation Coroner, the lead in this mystery set in Thailand is a 30-something, crime reporter Jim Jurree, who is forced by circumstance to relocate to a small southern village in Thailand.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Every character is surprising and delightfully original. Quite an accomplishment. The reporter's older brother, turned sister, Sissy, a Transgender beauty queen, might just be my favorite for her inventive schemes.

Have you listened to any of Jeany Park’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

It took a bit to get used to Park's accent - story told in first person - used for the Thai reporter. However, her ability to depict a wide range of unbelievably diverse characters won me over. I have not listened to other Jeany Park's performances.

Dull, couldn't make it past 3rd chapter

What would have made Killed at the Whim of a Hat better?

1) A more interesting story - i love this author, but, after 3 chapters, nothing happened except a continuous repetition of the main characters whining.

2) The narrator not good - if this was a good book, she made it into a bad one.
I had to quit after 3rd chapter.

Has Killed at the Whim of a Hat turned you off from other books in this genre?

no

How did the narrator detract from the book?

She made it duller than it seemed to be. Her accent was very artificial, she kept giggling - it was really sad, how the narrator became the problem.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Killed at the Whim of a Hat?

2 of the first 3 chapters, they seemed very repetitious.

Dr. NO

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I know that Cotterill is capable of 5 star listening experiences - I fell in love with Dr. Siri and his Laos of the 1970's.

Killed at the Whim of a Hat doesn't just fall flat, it falls off a cliff... or maybe a skyscraper... or maybe both. Jimm Juree and contemporary Thailand are both huge bores. Overall the book comes across as a failed attempt at chick-lit, self-indulgent and precious; every character is a caricature or stereotype except perhaps for the dogs and some clever villagers.

Has Killed at the Whim of a Hat turned you off from other books in this genre?

Too-cute, chick-detective mysteries? Yeah I'm turned off from this genre.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Jeany Park?

I'd give Jeany another chance.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Dog justice.