Laos, 1970s.

Despite being seventy-three years old, Dr. Siri Paiboun has lost none of his vigor or cunning.

This time, the reluctant forensic doctor of the Lao People's Democratic Republic will be sent to the mountainous north of the country, where the scars of the recent revolution are still fresh and visible on the innocent victims who carry on with their daily lives.

The sudden appearance of a mummified arm in the worst possible place—next to the president's new mansion and a Cuban hospital—and at the worst possible time—days before an important bilateral celebration with the Vietnamese—has caused an understandable uproar.

Meanwhile, Mr. Geung, our adorable assistant with Down syndrome, has been taken to a re-education camp three hundred kilometers from the morgue; escape was easy, but how will he get home?

As the investigation progresses, Dr. Siri and Nurse Dtui will have to deal with a marriage proposal, come into (close) contact with Cuban Santería, and witness a horrifying sacrificial ritual. It's no wonder Dr. Siri feels like shaking his bones.