This is the tenth book in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series. As always, Dr. Siri goes off on an unofficial investigation (he is now the Retired National Coroner of Laos) this time into the mysterious package he receives containing a hand woven pha sin, a traditional Laos skirt (the "sin" in the title). Sewn in the hem of the sin is a human finger. Since Siri and his wife have been forced to live in Siri's old house with the collection of crazies that inhabit it, they are glad for a reason to go on the road and solve a mystery which takes them north to the Laos-China border in a kind of scavenger hunt for other sin. Siri's old friend Civilai appears, having been sent on a diplomatic mission to negotiate with the Chinese. When they end up with a stash of heroin instead of another skirt, things get dangerous. Inspector Phosy has also been sent to the same area to investigate some killings and is captured and presumably killed. Then the Chinese invade Vietnam and chaos reigns. While the others are "enjoying" their trip to the north, Nurse Dtui discovers that an old nemesis of Siri's was not actually executed as they thought and is once again out to kill him. All the chaos comes to a conclusion at a funeral for a main character, but I'm not giving away who the funeral is for.
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