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yasdnilr's review against another edition
4.0
I love Aunty Lee and I want to go and eat laksa in her cafe.
kirkw1972's review against another edition
3.0
I do like a quirky murder mystery...where the sleuth is some sort of shop owner, meddling neighbour or whatnot. They make a nice change from the depressive, divorced cop trying to solve one last case. I like them even more when set somewhere that isn't UK or USA as it gives you the chance to see some of the customs, charms (and not so charming) elements of places you may never get to see.
Meddling...is set in Singapore somewhere I know absolutely nothing about so as well as a fun, quirky read I got to learn about tourist and work visas and the customs of who can marry who and the rights of migrant workers.
Aunty Lee runs a restaurant but loves to know the ins and outs of what is going on in her neighbourhood and the local police station. Her old school friend has died and the new, second husband has team up with his dead wife's sister to convert a house into a super school for small children. He's not a nice man, the sister is a stereotypical old maid jealous of everyone's succcess. When the body of their missing maid is discovered we've already been programmed to believe they're the bad guys. And this is where the book is let down slightly - it's so telegraphed as to who dunnit, there's no actual mystery. The enjoyment therefor has to be in the journey to discovery.
It's a fun book, it won't tax your brain, it's more lively than No1 Ladies Detective Agency that I've seen it compared to. The characters seem to be having more fun. I'd say take it to the beach and read it in a day while catching some sun. It's a decent enough book but you won't come away from it with any big revelations. Thumbs in the middle
Received free ARC through netgalley
Meddling...is set in Singapore somewhere I know absolutely nothing about so as well as a fun, quirky read I got to learn about tourist and work visas and the customs of who can marry who and the rights of migrant workers.
Aunty Lee runs a restaurant but loves to know the ins and outs of what is going on in her neighbourhood and the local police station. Her old school friend has died and the new, second husband has team up with his dead wife's sister to convert a house into a super school for small children. He's not a nice man, the sister is a stereotypical old maid jealous of everyone's succcess. When the body of their missing maid is discovered we've already been programmed to believe they're the bad guys. And this is where the book is let down slightly - it's so telegraphed as to who dunnit, there's no actual mystery. The enjoyment therefor has to be in the journey to discovery.
It's a fun book, it won't tax your brain, it's more lively than No1 Ladies Detective Agency that I've seen it compared to. The characters seem to be having more fun. I'd say take it to the beach and read it in a day while catching some sun. It's a decent enough book but you won't come away from it with any big revelations. Thumbs in the middle
Received free ARC through netgalley
mbondlamberty's review against another edition
4.0
Very much a fast moving page turner.
Likable characters and believable plot.
Would have appreciated a glossary of some sort but that is really the only reason for 4 stars.
Likable characters and believable plot.
Would have appreciated a glossary of some sort but that is really the only reason for 4 stars.
0ri's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
ruthhelizabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I really enjoyed this book, but it was definitely let down with the suggestion it may be cosy and warm. This was a smart, political and daring book, but it rarely let the reader have a moment to be anything other than unsettled. The murder in this book is possibly the least chilling type of crime which takes place. It kept me on my toes and on the edge of my seat but didn't quite feel like a warm hug.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Trafficking, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Violence, Murder, Gore, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood
brighthappyness's review against another edition
3.0
Kind of surprised by how ambivalent I felt about this book, but I suppose you can't win them all. I wouldn't say it was bad, but either I think I've read enough Aunty Lee books to see how Yu sets up a mystery or it was just obvious this time around because I did sort of guess who the killer was 75% of the way through. Even besides the mystery, I wasn't really feeling this book's cast of characters and while I won't say it was OOC for Aunty Lee and Nina to act the way they did, I guess I wasn't really convinced enough of the miscommunication that happened between them for so long. Still I did enjoy the book, but I definitely think it lacked the spark that prior books in the series had.
stephlovesreading's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This is a perfect warp up to the series!. I was able to correctly guess who the killer was again but I love how Ovidia always seems to tease her readers and toss different prime suspects in their faces. This series has really taken me to Singapore as I got to learn the names of some of their dishes and their way of life.
Aunty Lee is such a clever, interesting, witty, funny and chaotic character and I’m going to miss her so much 🥺.
Aunty Lee is such a clever, interesting, witty, funny and chaotic character and I’m going to miss her so much 🥺.
avsfan08's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2 stars. Still a lot of the things I love about the series, but a lot of frustration over character actions. There was just something a little off about the book for me to enjoy it as much as the others. Still looking forward to the next one.
lwh's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
relaxing
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
3.5
abcdestherh's review against another edition
4.0
read for BookRiot's Read Harder Challenge 2020 Task 9: Read the LAST book in a series
i haven't actually read the rest of the series, but i am tempted to now because this was a fun read! some real funny lines and i've never read a mystery where the body doesn't show up until the last half of the book either
note to self: if i can recognize "all these people are deciding what other people's motivations are and you can't know that" in this book, i should be able to put this thinking into action in real life too
i haven't actually read the rest of the series, but i am tempted to now because this was a fun read! some real funny lines and i've never read a mystery where the body doesn't show up until the last half of the book either
note to self: if i can recognize "all these people are deciding what other people's motivations are and you can't know that" in this book, i should be able to put this thinking into action in real life too