Killed at the Whim of a Hat

Killed at the Whim of a Hat

By Colin Cotterill

Jimm is a crime reporter for a newspaper in Chiang Mai, Thailand, when her mother suddenly sells the store she owns and buys a failing resort in southern Thailand. Jimm and her brother Arny give up their work and move with their mother, Mair, to southern Thailand. Because she had to give up her promising career, Jimm is elated when a two skeletons sitting in a van are found buried in a palm tree field. Southern Thailand gets even more exciting when a Buddhist abbot is murdered brutally at the nearby Feuang Fa Temple. Not only is this the first hint of excitement she’s seen in southern Thailand, but this is a chance for Jimm to reestablish her journalist career. With the help of her grouchy grandfather and a police named Chompu, Jimm tries to uncover the mysteries.

A few things made this book a unique and interesting read. I appreciated being able to read about Thailand; I enjoy reading non-fiction books, but I much prefer to learn facts in a story setting. This book gave me a great taste of Thai society, especially the unique dynamic that is created when pop culture from across the globe intersects with traditional Thai culture. The author has an entertaining sense of humor, and that comes out often in his writing.

Overall, I was not terribly impressed with Killed at the Whim of a Hat, however. Jimm’s sarcasm and cynicism became wearisome to me by the end of the book. Maybe that’s just personal preference. Jimm also uses a variety of illegal means by which to solve her mysteries. I wasn’t terribly impressed. The author also chose to include a number of characters who were either gay or had had a sex-change operation done. What made this particularly uncomfortable for me was that the characters offered a lot of off-hand (and off-color, in my opinion) comments about sex-related topics which were not necessary to the story.

In addition, I felt that only one of the murder cases was handled well by the author, the murder of the abbot. The case of the two skeletons found buried in a van seemed to be slapped together quickly and not very convincingly at the end.

I think that as literature goes, this is a very well-done book. If that is all a reader is looking for, then I would highly recommend this book. I would also recommend this book for its unique perspective and for the chance to learn a little about Thailand. However, for someone who is going to be bothered by loose morals and crude jokes, I would not recommend this book quickly.

Find it at Macmillan | Visit Colin Cotterill