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mg_in_md_'s review
4.0
Inspector Singh is back on the job…and is promptly sent to China by his supervisor. The son of a Singaporean diplomat has been killed. Although the Chinese police investigation has been wrapped up, the diplomat is not convinced that her son's death was the result of a robbery gone wrong. Singh is called in to reinvestigate, unofficially. He is paired up with a former police officer, Li Jun, to help him navigate Chinese society and keep him out of the crosshairs of Chinese authorities. Various issues, such as land deals, corruption, and falun gong, are highlighted in this tale. And for the first time, a case is making the normally fearless police officer nervous because of the high stakes. Another enjoyable installment in this series -- I can't wait to find out where Inspector Singh travels next!
veereadstoomuch's review
4.0
This time Singh is sent to China because a Singaporean national (the child of a diplomat) was killed in China. The diplomate believes there's more to the story of just a mugging. There's a few mysteries in this one, there's also commentary about China and what they have been doing to their citizens if the citizen isn't exactly what the country likes.
I like the supporting characters that Singh is surrounded by, the Chinese investigator who is working with him (and interpreting).
I didn't like it as much, maybe because of the political nature of the book. Although, I do agree that publicizing human right violations are very important!
I think I just really like the previous book in the series that it dimmed my view of this one.
I like the supporting characters that Singh is surrounded by, the Chinese investigator who is working with him (and interpreting).
I didn't like it as much, maybe because of the political nature of the book. Although, I do agree that publicizing human right violations are very important!
I think I just really like the previous book in the series that it dimmed my view of this one.
b00kr3vi3ws's review
3.0
Though this is the sixth book in the series, this is my first time reading a Shamini Flint book. The books in the Inspector Singh Series are standalones and can be read as such, but I wish I had started with book one. It would have been an enjoyable experience to see Inspector Singh’s character develop right from the beginning.
Inspector Singh is the best of Singapore Law Enforcement – well at least according to him. So when a bloody death rocks the Singapore Embassy in China, Inspector Singh is the one handling this case. As he travels to China to investigate, he discovers that the son of an Embassy Official has been murdered and the bludgeoned body was found in a back alley in Beijing. While the Chinese official’s claim that it is a robbery gone bad, the victim’s mother is convinced otherwise. What is supposed to be a simple murder case, soon turns into something much more sinister including organ harvesting, environmental issues and gang wars. To make things even more difficult, the local politics is a force to contend with.
Like I said at the very beginning, it would have been fun to have read the books in order so as to see the character of Inspector Singh develop from early on. He is not what one expects from a lead detective in a mystery novel. He is short, fat man who enjoys his food and drinks equally. He is also very unorthodox in his approach and course of action. I was taken aback at first, but then the character grew on me pretty quickly. The cast of this story has a minimum number of characters and to keep all the surprise elements of the story intact, I will only say that while the group is small, it still offers a variety in flavor. The plot is also simple and thus for a hardcore mystery fanatic like me, it was pretty obvious after a while, especially since there weren’t many twists in the story. The author rounds up her work with simple language and narrative style that balances the story well.
It was fun to stumble across China with Inspector Singh and watch his unorthodox methods bring justice.
Inspector Singh is the best of Singapore Law Enforcement – well at least according to him. So when a bloody death rocks the Singapore Embassy in China, Inspector Singh is the one handling this case. As he travels to China to investigate, he discovers that the son of an Embassy Official has been murdered and the bludgeoned body was found in a back alley in Beijing. While the Chinese official’s claim that it is a robbery gone bad, the victim’s mother is convinced otherwise. What is supposed to be a simple murder case, soon turns into something much more sinister including organ harvesting, environmental issues and gang wars. To make things even more difficult, the local politics is a force to contend with.
Like I said at the very beginning, it would have been fun to have read the books in order so as to see the character of Inspector Singh develop from early on. He is not what one expects from a lead detective in a mystery novel. He is short, fat man who enjoys his food and drinks equally. He is also very unorthodox in his approach and course of action. I was taken aback at first, but then the character grew on me pretty quickly. The cast of this story has a minimum number of characters and to keep all the surprise elements of the story intact, I will only say that while the group is small, it still offers a variety in flavor. The plot is also simple and thus for a hardcore mystery fanatic like me, it was pretty obvious after a while, especially since there weren’t many twists in the story. The author rounds up her work with simple language and narrative style that balances the story well.
It was fun to stumble across China with Inspector Singh and watch his unorthodox methods bring justice.
izzatiidrus's review
4.0
I enjoyed this more than the first book in the series (I've only read these two). This one did not have unnecessary legal-sounding words like in the first book. And Inspector Singh appeared slightly more central in this story than the other - I could see him acting ala Poirot/Sherlock/Roulatabille.
There were a lot more deaths in this book than I expected. I can't comment on whether or not the depiction of China, the mainland Chinese and its culture was accurate because I am not exposed to that, but they seem plausible.
I like how Shamini Flint brings Inspector Singh around Asia (and I believe there's one in Britain) because we get to somewhat experience different cultures for different cases. The series is definitely better than Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders... I'm interested to read more from the series, if I could get my hands on the rest of the series without spending too much.
That being said, I do still have some issues with the biases shown here that were also present in the first book - the fat-shaming and the jabs on Muslim cultures. I truly hope I don't have to bear those in her other books.
There were a lot more deaths in this book than I expected. I can't comment on whether or not the depiction of China, the mainland Chinese and its culture was accurate because I am not exposed to that, but they seem plausible.
I like how Shamini Flint brings Inspector Singh around Asia (and I believe there's one in Britain) because we get to somewhat experience different cultures for different cases. The series is definitely better than Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders... I'm interested to read more from the series, if I could get my hands on the rest of the series without spending too much.
That being said, I do still have some issues with the biases shown here that were also present in the first book - the fat-shaming and the jabs on Muslim cultures. I truly hope I don't have to bear those in her other books.
lindsayb's review
4.0
I always loved the covers on these books but not being a mystery fan, I figured I'd never get around to reading them...until this past week when I got myself into a situation for class and ended picking this one up at the last minute. Could Shamini Flint turn me into a mystery reader? The jury's still out on that, but I will definitely be sure to read the other books in this series. I loved Inspector Singh's role as "the corpulent copper," who loves his curries, cold beer, and cigarettes (clearly more culturally a Sikh than religiously) nearly as much as he loves solving a tricky murder. I loved the sense of place Flint created here--the setting was so well-constructed, I was totally immersed, wandering through the streets, markets, and restaurants of Beijing as well. I loved the peculiarities of all the characters, with even the bad guys being so bad they were delightful. And even though grisly murders pepper the novel, it sustains a quaint level of humor throughout that it's just totally charming. My only regret is that, per the parameters of my RA class, I started with the latest installment in the series, not that it really seems to matter necessarily the order they're read, but it does bristle my OCD tendencies to read an author/series chronologically. Ah well, I'll be happily starting at square one with Singh and enjoy the ride.
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Serendipitously counting for my "takes place in Asia" criteria for the Read Harder challenge.
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Serendipitously counting for my "takes place in Asia" criteria for the Read Harder challenge.
encgolsen's review
3.0
Entertaining mystery featuring a Singaporean detective investigating the murder of a diplomat's son in Beijing. One of my bookish souvenirs from our Singapore trip.
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