Grandad, There's a Head on the Beach

A Jimm Juree Mystery, Book 2

By: Colin Cotterill

Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest

How do you respond when you wake up to find a severed head on your resort-front beach in the morning? If you're frustrated ex-crime reporter Jimm Juree, you take action. With her former cop grandfather as back up, she sets out to discover how the poor fellow ended up where he did - and why. On their journey, with the rest of their disjointed family in tow, they uncover gruesome tales of piracy and slavery, violence and murder in the Gulf of Thailand.

Are the authorities uninterested because they're involved, or because the victims aren't Thai? Whatever the reason, Jimm and her team are going it alone and their lives are under threat. And who exactly are those two elegant women in cabin three and why has the engine number of their car been filed away?

Airport hostages and hand grenades, monkeys and naked policemen - once more the sublime and the ridiculous clash at the Gulf Bay Lovely Resort and Restaurant.

©2012 Colin Cotterill (P)2012 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Cotterill masterfully blends real-world issues... with appealing cozy elements and his trademark humor. Series readers will be thrilled with this installment and anxious for the next one." ( Booklist)

Jimm Juree beats James Bond and Erin Brochovich

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I usually listen on the drive to work, but I had to listen every free moment.

Any additional comments?

I like Colin Cotterill alot, but this was really the best yet. Real world problems, refreshing and love able characters, greedy evil villains, witty dialogue. This makes me step back and take a fresh perspective on the story and on life. Treat yourself and listen to this great story.

Lively, charming and unexpected

For some reason, Colin Coterill's series reminds me a bit of Alexander McCall Smith's, No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, books. It's something about the way both authors invite us to have a charming and intimate look at life in very particular, very foreign worlds. In Colin Coterill's case,Thailand rather than Smith's Botswana.
Guided by remarkable Jimm Juree, a young, out of work crime reporter, we are invited on her unofficial investigations while she navigates, assisted by her Grandfather, both bizarre and disturbing crimes with the background of becoming increasingly intimate with every member of her hilarious family.
The author's wry humor saturates the book, gently introducing us to a world that is exotic and destitute, and richly delightful.

Suspense and humor, in a very particular time and place.

Colin Cotteril has become a favorite author; like Kurt Vonnegut, Brandon Sanderson, Neil Gaiman and Louise Penny, just to name a handful that came immediately to mind; I immediately set out to read everything they had ever written.

This second book in the series is a hoot, with a highly amusing and suspenseful crescendo. I love the cast of characters. I’m already listening to the sequel.

Fun Characters

I liked the colorful cast of characters and humorous subplots. The narrator's voice seemed more like a teenage Jimm than a woman in her 30s. Overall I enjoyed the book, and easy summer mystery.

Cotterill entertains and educates simultaneously

Would you consider the audio edition of Grandad, There's a Head on the Beach to be better than the print version?

Didn't read the print version. However, it is possible to do other tasks while listening which is always a plus.

Who was your favorite character and why?

That's a tough one. Each character is essential to the plot. Jimm Juree and Grandad are the ones that carry much of the story, but Mai is the one that holds the secrets and the warmth.

Have you listened to any of Kim Mai Guest’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

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

Laugh and think -- definitely. Excellent tale but also gives insight into the political, social and cultural aspects of modern day Thailand.

Any additional comments?

Every book I've read or listened to of Cotterill's is totally absorbing, heartwarming, yet realistically thought provoking. He's one of my favorite authors. He can discuss desperate situation and social issues with warmth, humanity, and humor.