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persistent_reader's review
4.0
A cozy murder mystery set in Singapore in the 1910s. The story pulled me in and kept me up last night to finish the book. I liked the heroine and will probably check out the rest of the series.
littletaiko's review against another edition
4.0
Historical mystery set in Singapore that features a strong female making her way the best that she can. She’s quite the feminist and disdains the weak woman expectations.
The mystery was solid. The relationship between the inspector and his local mistress made me a bit uncomfortable as it seems to me that he has all the power. While he may love her it’s in a way that made me a little squeamish. We’ll see how the next in the series plays out.
The mystery was solid. The relationship between the inspector and his local mistress made me a bit uncomfortable as it seems to me that he has all the power. While he may love her it’s in a way that made me a little squeamish. We’ll see how the next in the series plays out.
readingvoyage's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This historical mystery is set in Singapore in 1910. The author did a great job of immersing the reader into the colonial life of expats.
The main characters were interesting well developed. Harriet Gordon is a widow who had lived in India before joining her brother in Singapore. However, we learn more about her past as the story unfolds. Handsome Inspector Curran is the grandson of an earl, but is the black sheep of the family for reasons unknown. He lives with Li An, a “native” woman.
The mystery itself was interesting, using a huge cast of characters.
I started listening to the audiobook. The narrator did an excellent job, but found it difficult to follow because it was difficult to remember all the characters (perhaps this is because they are many with foreign names). I then borrowed the ebook from the library, and this helped me to enormously as there was a character list as the beginning. I then alternated between listening and reading, depending on my situation.
I will definitely read the next book in the series.
dreadlockdiva2's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 while I liked the book in general. Would have liked it even better if Harriet was more involved in the solving of the case and if there was less emphasis on inspector Curren. I found Harriet to be a great and interesting character, with a unique background. Curren on the other hand was a bit of a cliche.
The book dragged quite a bit in the middle and I found myself skipping several pages without missing much that was germane to the overall plot. Felt like an unnecessary amount of filler. However the mystery and conclusion were satisfying.
I also was unsympathetic to the travails of European people in the tropical climates they colonized. Too hot you are welcome to return to England but then you could not steal the riches of the region. I thought the author did an ok job talking about the quotidian practices and consequences of colonization. Would have been more interesting if indigenous cultures were more central to the plot and did not mainly exist to flush out an exoticized background. But here we are.
The book dragged quite a bit in the middle and I found myself skipping several pages without missing much that was germane to the overall plot. Felt like an unnecessary amount of filler. However the mystery and conclusion were satisfying.
I also was unsympathetic to the travails of European people in the tropical climates they colonized. Too hot you are welcome to return to England but then you could not steal the riches of the region. I thought the author did an ok job talking about the quotidian practices and consequences of colonization. Would have been more interesting if indigenous cultures were more central to the plot and did not mainly exist to flush out an exoticized background. But here we are.
marilynw's review against another edition
4.0
Singapore Sapphire (Harriet Gordon Mystery #1)
by A.M. Stuart (Author), Saskia Maarleveld (Narrator)
Harriet Gordon has lost so much, everything, in fact. Now she's living in Singapore with her older brother, Reverend Julian Edwards, headmaster at St. Thomas School for English Boys. While she works part time at the school, to earn her board, she is also offering her skills to those who are willing to pay for her secretarial skills. This leads to her first such job transcribing the memoirs of Sir Oswald Newbold. Sadly, the job is very short term because the day after she is hired, Harriet finds the man dead, his house ransacked.
Say hello to Inspector Robert Curran. Tall, dashing, a great cricket player, smart, and the star of a don't blink or you'll miss it swoon worthy scene ala Jane Austin's Mr. Darcy. Be still my heart! Curran and Harriet hit it off as Curran recognizes Harriet's brains and wit, meaning Harriet has no need to hide her talents under a basket, as is expected of women of this time period. There is even a hint of attraction between the pair but Curran's hearts lies elsewhere, with his mysterious, scarred lover and housemate. Curran is said to have "gone native" and other rumors circulate about his past. Curran doesn't care a bit what anyone thinks of him. Harriet has her own past that she feels she much hide because she fears it could be the end of her brother's job if it is found out.
The audiobook narration is excellent. Saskia does such a great job with the voices of both men and women, I can forget that a woman is voicing all the characters. I did have problems listening to the story because there were so many characters to keep track of that I think I would have had an easier time doing so if I had the book in front of me. I've already started reading book two and seeing the names of the characters is making it easier for me to keep them straight in my head.
Still, I was drenched in the atmosphere of the time, place, and class distinctions. I felt like I could hear the mosquitos, feel the heavy damp air, and smell the smells, good and bad, of the area. The story meanders a bit as Curran and Harriet struggle to make sense of the first crime and then another crime that has to be connected to the first one. People are being cagey and lying and they are being led down false trails. I enjoyed watching these two smart people as they head towards a dangerous conclusion.
Pub August 6th 2019 by Penguin Audio
by A.M. Stuart (Author), Saskia Maarleveld (Narrator)
Harriet Gordon has lost so much, everything, in fact. Now she's living in Singapore with her older brother, Reverend Julian Edwards, headmaster at St. Thomas School for English Boys. While she works part time at the school, to earn her board, she is also offering her skills to those who are willing to pay for her secretarial skills. This leads to her first such job transcribing the memoirs of Sir Oswald Newbold. Sadly, the job is very short term because the day after she is hired, Harriet finds the man dead, his house ransacked.
Say hello to Inspector Robert Curran. Tall, dashing, a great cricket player, smart, and the star of a don't blink or you'll miss it swoon worthy scene ala Jane Austin's Mr. Darcy. Be still my heart! Curran and Harriet hit it off as Curran recognizes Harriet's brains and wit, meaning Harriet has no need to hide her talents under a basket, as is expected of women of this time period. There is even a hint of attraction between the pair but Curran's hearts lies elsewhere, with his mysterious, scarred lover and housemate. Curran is said to have "gone native" and other rumors circulate about his past. Curran doesn't care a bit what anyone thinks of him. Harriet has her own past that she feels she much hide because she fears it could be the end of her brother's job if it is found out.
The audiobook narration is excellent. Saskia does such a great job with the voices of both men and women, I can forget that a woman is voicing all the characters. I did have problems listening to the story because there were so many characters to keep track of that I think I would have had an easier time doing so if I had the book in front of me. I've already started reading book two and seeing the names of the characters is making it easier for me to keep them straight in my head.
Still, I was drenched in the atmosphere of the time, place, and class distinctions. I felt like I could hear the mosquitos, feel the heavy damp air, and smell the smells, good and bad, of the area. The story meanders a bit as Curran and Harriet struggle to make sense of the first crime and then another crime that has to be connected to the first one. People are being cagey and lying and they are being led down false trails. I enjoyed watching these two smart people as they head towards a dangerous conclusion.
Pub August 6th 2019 by Penguin Audio
kerensa2108's review against another edition
4.0
A great story, well-written with likeable characters and a good twist
I really enjoyed this well-written, fast-moving detective story set in Singapore. Great descriptions of Singapore as it was 100 years ago, believable and likeable characters, and enough of a twist to keep the reader engaged but still be credible. The author has clearly done her research and not written it in a hurry, and clearly also cares about her use of language (unlike so many others these days!) I’m looking forward to reading more Harriet Gordon mysteries.
I really enjoyed this well-written, fast-moving detective story set in Singapore. Great descriptions of Singapore as it was 100 years ago, believable and likeable characters, and enough of a twist to keep the reader engaged but still be credible. The author has clearly done her research and not written it in a hurry, and clearly also cares about her use of language (unlike so many others these days!) I’m looking forward to reading more Harriet Gordon mysteries.
guylou's review against another edition
3.0
My daughter recently moved to Singapore and I thought it would be fun to read a book related to the history of this small country. Singapore Sapphire is the first book in a new series called Harriet Gordon Mystery. The story takes place in the early 1900’s. The book stars Harriet Gordon who just moved to Singapore to help her brother to run a school for boy. The school is unable to pay her so she advertises her services as a personal secretary. Her first client is an explorer who wants to publish his memoirs. On her second day working, she discovers Sir Oswald Newbold murdered. Inspector Robert Curran handles the case and soon finds out that Ms. Gordon is a knack for detective work. Together they will discover who and why Sir Newbold was murdered.
This is a well-written book. The story and characters are strong and interesting. The plot has all the right elements for a wonderful mystery. Great start for this new series.
reneesmith's review against another edition
4.0
An enjoyable listen as I drove back & forth to school!
aubreyrae_m's review
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed the intersection between historical fiction and mystery in this book! I loved Harriet's character, and how integral she was in the plot as a whole. While the patriarchal roles in the book are frustrating when viewing the book from a modern context, I think this shows how well the author portrayed the social environment in the book! I learned so much about Singaporean history and Asian history as a whole, which shows the author researched well! I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a mystery/historical fiction series that will keep them engaged until the end!