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bassbotics's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Colonisation, Murder, and Racism
Minor: War
lucy_shanners's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
abookandaspotoftea's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
indivicivet's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
michelleful's review
4.0
After being somewhat annoyed by the second book, I was in two minds about whether to read this. In the first third, I found the constant rhetorical questions Su Lin asks of herself rather grating - this is no different from the situation in the first two books, but it got more annoying here. You can see why Sherlock Holmes needed his Watson, in order to not have to be constantly asking himself questions to alert the reader to possible clues, suspects, and reasoning. However, Su Lin is rather isolated in her detecting, all the more so because she is no longer employed by the Detective Branch because a colonial administrator objects to a local having access to secret files.
As a result, I got a bit bogged down in the first third and missed some of the complications, however as the book continued I finally got more into it. I didn't guess who the culprit(s) was/were until approximately the 80% mark. I still think the plot was more complicated than complex, but I'm glad I finished it.
Last comment - not sure what to think of the jibe at the colonial administrator's demand for "crispy" beef rendang. On the one hand, I was like, ha! spotted the link to the recent brouhaha on some cookery show; on the other hand it was a bit too clever and threw me out of the story.
As a result, I got a bit bogged down in the first third and missed some of the complications, however as the book continued I finally got more into it. I didn't guess who the culprit(s) was/were until approximately the 80% mark. I still think the plot was more complicated than complex, but I'm glad I finished it.
Last comment - not sure what to think of the jibe at the colonial administrator's demand for "crispy" beef rendang. On the one hand, I was like, ha! spotted the link to the recent brouhaha on some cookery show; on the other hand it was a bit too clever and threw me out of the story.
dan78's review
4.0
A really interesting take on the classic crime story. Period drama at its best in the written form.
This book had me gripped from the start with its believable characters and its wonderful tense setting.
I will definitely seek out more by this author.
This book had me gripped from the start with its believable characters and its wonderful tense setting.
I will definitely seek out more by this author.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
It's the first book I read in this series and it was amazing.
It was liked travelling in space and time to a past Singapore, learning about a piece of the city story and the way of living.
The book is entertaining and engrossing. I liked the characters, the well researched setting and the plot.
It was a good mystery and it kept me guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It was liked travelling in space and time to a past Singapore, learning about a piece of the city story and the way of living.
The book is entertaining and engrossing. I liked the characters, the well researched setting and the plot.
It was a good mystery and it kept me guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
knitr's review
3.0
Hmm, lots of thoughts on this one.
The discourse in this book is quite revealing of the slight(?) difference in views on the British Empire in Singapore and India.
The mysteries is this series are not the most engaging to me. What has been of interest is the period, characters and community the author has tried to reproduce, with liberal interpretations.
I cannot make head or tail of Su Lin here, she often comes across more as a plot device for historical commentary than a full fledged character.
People are constantly talking at her, her thoughts seem disjointed and her emotions glitch.
The discourse in this book is quite revealing of the slight(?) difference in views on the British Empire in Singapore and India.
The mysteries is this series are not the most engaging to me. What has been of interest is the period, characters and community the author has tried to reproduce, with liberal interpretations.
I cannot make head or tail of Su Lin here, she often comes across more as a plot device for historical commentary than a full fledged character.
People are constantly talking at her, her thoughts seem disjointed and her emotions glitch.
tiltedwhirled's review
4.0
This is Book 3 of the Crown Colony series by Ovidia Yu. As the book opens World War II looms on the horizon. The Japanese have been making incursions into China. There is the possibility of an uprising against British rule in India. And Su Lin has lost her job at the detective shack. She was sacked in favor of white girl who arrived recently from India. Britain has sent over yet another incompetent bureaucrat who doesn’t believe that a “local girl” should have access to the sensitive information that goes through Inspector Le Froy’s office.
Su Lin has taken refuge in her uncle’s shop and is working as a typist for a British woman and as an English tutor for the wife of a Japanese diplomat. Nothing can keep her from investigating when she finds that same incompetent bureaucrat murdered in the file storage room though. Soon enough Su Lin is investigating on her own and eventually with Le Froy as people continue to be murdered.
This is currently my favorite cozy mystery novel series. The sociopolitical environment in Singapore in the late 1930’s is fraught with tension on all sides as the world readies for war and the British colonials are both more uptight but also distracted by the very real threat from Germany, Japan, and also the political uprising that threatens in India. Su Lin and the other Singaporeans are both affected by and removed from all of the tensions going on around the world. This whole novel feels like the world is bracing for a blow that has yet to come.
Su Lin has taken refuge in her uncle’s shop and is working as a typist for a British woman and as an English tutor for the wife of a Japanese diplomat. Nothing can keep her from investigating when she finds that same incompetent bureaucrat murdered in the file storage room though. Soon enough Su Lin is investigating on her own and eventually with Le Froy as people continue to be murdered.
This is currently my favorite cozy mystery novel series. The sociopolitical environment in Singapore in the late 1930’s is fraught with tension on all sides as the world readies for war and the British colonials are both more uptight but also distracted by the very real threat from Germany, Japan, and also the political uprising that threatens in India. Su Lin and the other Singaporeans are both affected by and removed from all of the tensions going on around the world. This whole novel feels like the world is bracing for a blow that has yet to come.
anjana's review against another edition
4.0
I know next to nothing about the history of Singapore, having visited it only fleetingly for one week years ago. This book has made me very interested in the foundations of it all. This is a third book in the series and although I think I would have been at an advantage if I had knowledge of the previous two, I was amply supplied with all the previous situations. I now live in Hong Kong and am studying Cantonese (or trying to, at this stage it is only the spoken part), and seeing a familiar word here and there as well as the heavy Indian quotient in the book felt rewarding. I think this will evoke similar responses even if people have a passing curiosity about the Asian regions during the war times. This story is based in India's Pre Independence era. There is a lot of influence that the actions of the people fighting for freedom in India seem to have on this island nation.
Su Lin(our leading lady) is a highly connected woman but tries to maintain a low profile while actively engaging her intelligence. At the start of this tale, she has been replaced at her own job but is back on location to help. She is an efficient cog in the detective machine investigating the sudden death of one of their own officials. One thing leads to another and a few dead bodies, a lot of theories and fear of 'Indians' starts up in the local British higher-ups. It is a very immersive experience and considering that this is the history of the author's own country, there is bound to be a lot of facts accurately represented. I liked it more for the socio-political commentary than the mystery which was not bad either. It was tied up in the above-mentioned commentary as well. I highly recommend this to all those people who like their mysteries/historical fiction to hold a lot of information about little known times and places.
P.S The Paperbark tree (mentioned in the title) is in abundance around the city where I live and I have a strange fondness for them, now having read (however indirectly) about all their plus points, I feel more in awe of them even if I saw them as mere spectators in this tale.
I received this as an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is completely based on my reading experience.
Su Lin(our leading lady) is a highly connected woman but tries to maintain a low profile while actively engaging her intelligence. At the start of this tale, she has been replaced at her own job but is back on location to help. She is an efficient cog in the detective machine investigating the sudden death of one of their own officials. One thing leads to another and a few dead bodies, a lot of theories and fear of 'Indians' starts up in the local British higher-ups. It is a very immersive experience and considering that this is the history of the author's own country, there is bound to be a lot of facts accurately represented. I liked it more for the socio-political commentary than the mystery which was not bad either. It was tied up in the above-mentioned commentary as well. I highly recommend this to all those people who like their mysteries/historical fiction to hold a lot of information about little known times and places.
P.S The Paperbark tree (mentioned in the title) is in abundance around the city where I live and I have a strange fondness for them, now having read (however indirectly) about all their plus points, I feel more in awe of them even if I saw them as mere spectators in this tale.
I received this as an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is completely based on my reading experience.