Disco for the Departed

In the vibrant yet politically charged 1970s Laos, Dr. Siri Paiboun, a septuagenarian coroner with the unique distinction of being a reluctant national forensic pathologist and an unwilling host to a 1,000-year-old Shaman, finds himself embroiled in another peculiar and dangerous case. As the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos prepares for a grand celebration of its new regime, a macabre discovery shatters the nascent peace: an arm protruding from freshly laid concrete. The grisly find is located on a pathway connecting the President’s former cave hideout to his new residence in the mountains of Huaphan Province. Dr. Siri is thrust into the unenviable task of supervising the exhumation, identifying the deceased, and uncovering the truth behind their demise. Navigating a landscape of political intrigue, ancient beliefs, and bureaucratic absurdity, Siri must employ his sharp wit, a touch of the supernatural, and a healthy dose of cynicism to solve a murder that threatens to destabilize the fragile new order.