• Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness

  • Ethical Chiang Mai Detective, Book 1
  • By: David Casarett
  • Narrated by: Kristin Kalbli
  • Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (177 ratings)

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Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness  By  cover art

Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness

By: David Casarett
Narrated by: Kristin Kalbli
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Publisher's summary

Meet Ladarat Patalung - the first and only nurse detective in Thailand.

Two nights ago a young woman brought her husband into the emergency room of the Sriphat Hospital in Thailand, where he passed away. A guard thinks she remembers her coming in before but with a different husband - one who also died.

Ladarat Patalung, for one, would have been happier without a serial murderer - if there is one - loose in her hospital. Then again, she never expected to be a detective in the first place.

And now Ladarat has no choice but to investigate.

The first novel in a captivating new series by David Casarett, MD.

©2016 David Casarett (P)2016 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"I love this book. It's not only a killer mystery, but it also introduces a uniquely appealing central character and gives us a warm and accurate look into the Thai heart." (Timothy Hallinan, author of the Junior Bender mysteries and the Poke Rafferty Bangkok thrillers)
"A charming mystery...a delight." (Vaseem Khan, author of the Baby Ganesh Detective Agency series)
"Appealing." ( Kirkus)

What listeners say about Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Sweet Cozy, Exotic locale

I was charmed by this book. I enjoyed the main character, a nurse ethicist, and really liked learning about Thailand. I didn't realize there was a smile that meant "I know I owe you money, but I'm not going to pay you." I think fans of Colin Cotterill will enjoy The House of Rooster Happiness. I am and I did and I'll download the next in the series. Can't say fairer than that.

Light and fun, just slightly iterative in a few spots--Recommend.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Read for the Thai food and culture

If you like to hear about exotic places outside of the US, you will enjoy this book. If you care more about the mystery and exciting plot lines, you might want to explore other authors. There are many descriptions of Thai food dishes in this book. I found them both interesting and distracting. It felt almost as if the author wanted to throw in as much Thai language as possible. Kudos to the narrator for handling the language.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good first effort, will make a good series

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Although the heroine is a nurse ethicist, this inaugural book has a bit too much about a medical/cultural problem and less about the actual mystery. And, the mystery is really quite interesting!

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Using Chiang Mai as the locale was wonderful. Describing the food made me ravenous. The least interesting? I know the author is a doctor but please, less about the hospital and more about Ladarra.

Which character – as performed by Kristin Kalbli – was your favorite?

She did them all extremely well, I can't pick out just one. Outstanding!

Do you think Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, please. I think The Number One Ladies Detective Agency series has reached the end of the line. We need another series about a smart, kind hearted female detective.

Any additional comments?

When the narrator spoke Thai words, especially food names, it seemed as if there was a very small pause or break in the recording so the correct pronunciation could be inserted. May be my imagination, but it certainly didn't hurt the narrative, which was great.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Cute mystery in an exotic location

I am an American living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In this context, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a light mystery which kept my attention throughout and was an enjoyable listen with an engaging narrator, while explaining instances of the unique Thai culture in comparison with American, in a familiar environment. I liked the characters and look forward to reading the next book and observing their development. Highly recommended, especially for those with an interest in Thailand.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Captures mystery, grace, compassion and kindness of Thai culture

Having spent many happy weeks poking about in Chasing Mai, I found this to be a welcome return visit to one of my favorite cities. Characters were believable, entertaining and so true to my experiences in Chasing Mai. As a nurse, I loved the setting of hospital and medical backdrop. The inspection was so reminiscent of JCAHO in the USA, anyone ever experiencing one will relate. The story picqued my interest and kept drawing me into the tale of a would be detective/hospital nurse ethicist. I certainly hope that the series will continue! One woman, multiple dead husbands with the same name, leads to some great unraveling of a suspected murder. Sabai dee!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

great

I enjoyed this quite a bit and look forward to more in the series. The characters were interesting and likable and the various mysteries were engaging. The setting was a new one for me and I enjoyed reading the author's interpretation of Vietnam.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Simple but entertaining

A bit of a naive storyline and developments, but entertaining nevertheless.
Good performance, funny how it’s strange to keep track of character’s names in a language so different as Thai.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I really enjoy listening to this.

a multi faceted mystery plus alook into another culture. I truly enjoyed listening to the book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Delightful

I Loved the story, it was entertaining, and fun. I am guessing there is more or maybe a series. I would add them to my reading list.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Curious Thai Culture and a Nurse Turned PI

Bringing over-ripe bananas to the statue of a Buddah, legal prostitution, and talking every which way around the truth to avoid a confrontation, all the ways of the Thai people, had me shaking my head, as I listened, amazed as the story was told. The culture is so different . . . yet brash Americans could sometimes take a cue from the gentler Asians, instead of rushing headlong like a bull in a china shop. I like the main character, Ladarat Patalung, a nurse ethicist, who studied in the U.S. for a year, and has an insight into western ways. Good thing, too, as an American couple, injured badly in an elephant accident are in the hospital, and the Thai doctors and even the director are at a loss as to how to deal with the family. With several "irons in the fire", Ladarat Patalung takes a day at a time, in no hurry, driving her VW Beetle to and from work, and retreating each evening to her back yard garden with her cat for gentle reflection. These are the parts of the book that I like most. At times the writing feels fragmented. I also get frustrated with the men in the story, who seem to lean on the women to get the job done. All in all, the murders and other mysteries were wrapped up well.

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1 person found this helpful