The Frangipani Tree Mystery (Crown Colony Mystery, #1)

by Ovidia Yu

First in a delightfully charming crime series set in 1930s Singapore, introducing amateur sleuth Su Lin, a local girl stepping in as governess for the Acting Governor of Singapore.

1936 in the Crown Colony of Singapore, and the British abdication crisis and rising Japanese threat seem very far away. When the Irish nanny looking after Acting Governor Palin's daughter dies suddenly - and in mysterious circumstances - mission school-educated local girl Su Lin - an aspiring journalist trying to escape an arranged marriage - is invited to take her place.

But then another murder at the residence occurs and it seems very likely that a killer is stalking the corridors of Government House. It now takes all Su Lin's traditional skills and intelligence to help British-born Chief Inspector Thomas LeFroy solve the murders - and escape with her own life.

'Simply glorious. Every nook and cranny of 1930s Singapore is brought richly to life, without ever getting in the way of a classic puzzle plot. But what's a setting without a jewel? Chen Su Lin is a true gem. Her slyly witty voice and her admirable, sometimes heartbreaking, practicality make her the most beguiling narrator heroine I've met in a long while.' Catriona McPherson

'Charming and fascinating with great authentic feel. Ovidia Yu's teenage Chinese sleuth gives us an insight into a very different culture and time. This book is exactly why I love historical novels.' Rhys Bowen

• ISBN10: 1472125207
• ISBN13: 9781472125200
• Publish Date: 1 June 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Constable
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Aidan Brack (Mysteries Ahoy)]

[A] very strong start to what seems to be a promising series of mysteries.

Read my full review at Mysteries Ahoy!

[MurderByDeath]

The first in a series set in Singapore in 1936, featuring SuLin, an English educated amateur sleuth, who becomes a governess to the family of Singapore's acting governor, in an effort to discover who killed the first one.   Definitely a series that's striving to keep off the beaten path of mainstream mysteries, and I think it not only succeeds at that, but also as a solid, well-written first book.  It's not perfect; it drags a bit in the first half, and the culprit was obvious in that it's-always-the-one-you-least-expect kind of way.  But the characters are engaging, and once the story got going, I found I looked forward to picking the book back up again after a break.  There's a hint of maybe a romantic entanglement between SuLin and the Inspector, but she's only 16 in this book, so it's only the vaguest of allusions.   I'll definitely be looking for the other books in the series.  I'm looking forward to immersing myself again in 1930's Singapore.