Books like Disco for the departed by Colin Cotterill

A murdered woman returns to her Lao village with clairvoyant gifts; a ghost hires her to locate his body, and the national coroner Siri Paiboun leads the excavation.

Thirteen late‑life doctors, a hard‑boiled mystery, and a rugged Laos – a 72‑year‑old coroner uncovers political intrigue and supernatural secrets in a quiet, Communist paradise.

In post‑Communist Laos, 72‑year‑old Dr. Siri Paiboun, newly appointed national coroner, uses his curiosity to investigate baffling murders while navigating a tense political landscape.

"Rosie "Aunty" Lee, the feisty widow, amateur sleuth, and proprietor of Singapore's best-loved home cooking restaurant, is back in another delectable, witty mystery involving scandal and murder among the city's elite. Few know more about what goes on in Singapore than Aunty Lee. When a scandal over illegal organ donation involving prominent citizens makes news, she already has a list of suspects. There's no time to snoop, though--Aunty Lee's Delights is catering a brunch for local socialites Henry and Mabel Sung at their opulent house. Rumor has it that the Sung's fortune is in trouble, and Aunty Lee wonders if the gossip is true. But soon after arriving at the Sung's house, her curiosity turns to suspicion. Why is a storage house she discovers locked? What is the couple arguing about behind closed doors? Where is the guest of honor who never showed up? Then, Mabel Sung and her son Leonard are found dead. The authorities blame it on Aunty Lee's special stewed chicken with buah keluak, a local black nut that can be poisonous if cooked improperly. Aunty Lee has never carelessly prepared a dish. She's certain the deaths are murder--and that they're somehow linked to the organ donor scandal. To save her business and her reputation, she's got to prove it--and unmask a dangerous killer whose next victim may just be Aunty Lee."-- From back cover.

In 1979 Laos, former National Coroner Sir Siri Paiboun receives a mysterious package containing a traditional pha sin with a severed finger sewn into its lining, igniting a chilling investigation fraught with betrayal and secrets.