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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Classism
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, War
Really enjoyed this book, and I was glad to discover it is the start of a series!
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
fine — cute, quaint, mystery set in singapore when it was a british crown colony, in which a white european detective takes on a chinese girl as his assistant. it's mostly follows su lin, our main character, and what she does and it's more slice of life than a whodunnit. charming, but will not continue the series
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thoroughly enjoyed this first novel in Ovidia Yu’s Crown Colony mystery series. The 1930s colonial setting is both intriguing and disturbing, Yu does an excellent job showing the brutality and exploitation of colonialism, while never falling into the trap of stereotype: Not all of the Europeans are comfortable with the colonial status quo. I also enjoyed this introduction to the complexities of Singaporean society, culture, and history. Chen Su Lin is an engaging protagonist: smart, practical-minded, and with a clear idea of what she wants in life, if not exactly how to get it. The supporting cast are not always what they seem, as is fitting for a mystery. I’m looking forward to he rest of the series.
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
This was a delightful palate refresher for me from my usual historical fantasy/Urban fantasy escapist reads, and a satisfying mystery.
Su Lin is the daughter of a rich Chinese family with slightly illegal dealings in colonial Singapore. She limps from childhood polio and so is considered bad luck by her family-- giving her a bit of freedom from the usual straight-to-marriage path to dream of a career as a secretary or journalist.
This desire for more launches her from the mission school to a temporary gig as the nanny of the developmentally delayed daughter of the island Governor whose official "white" nanny just fell to her death from a second floor verandah under suspicious circumstances. Add in an open-minded British Chief Inspector who sees the Malay, Indian, and Chinese Singaporeans as humans, and you've got an interesting little cozy mystery.
Honestly, the mystery wasn't as mesmerizing to me as the descriptions of foods, flauna, and customs of the period. There is a definite, strong and at times quite stereotypical theme of racism. For instance, the Governor is presented as sympathetic, but then is cast in a terrible light when a story about him shooting an Indian servant comes out, and he makes a stereotypical white-man boss move on Su Lin near the end of the story. Sigh.
There's also some repetitious stuff related to Su Lin's care for her charge that was a bit skim-worthy, but I'd definitely come back to the next book in this series the next time I need a cozy little read with cool historical Singapore flavor.
Su Lin is the daughter of a rich Chinese family with slightly illegal dealings in colonial Singapore. She limps from childhood polio and so is considered bad luck by her family-- giving her a bit of freedom from the usual straight-to-marriage path to dream of a career as a secretary or journalist.
This desire for more launches her from the mission school to a temporary gig as the nanny of the developmentally delayed daughter of the island Governor whose official "white" nanny just fell to her death from a second floor verandah under suspicious circumstances. Add in an open-minded British Chief Inspector who sees the Malay, Indian, and Chinese Singaporeans as humans, and you've got an interesting little cozy mystery.
Honestly, the mystery wasn't as mesmerizing to me as the descriptions of foods, flauna, and customs of the period. There is a definite, strong and at times quite stereotypical theme of racism. For instance, the Governor is presented as sympathetic, but then is cast in a terrible light when a story about him shooting an Indian servant comes out, and he makes a stereotypical white-man boss move on Su Lin near the end of the story. Sigh.
There's also some repetitious stuff related to Su Lin's care for her charge that was a bit skim-worthy, but I'd definitely come back to the next book in this series the next time I need a cozy little read with cool historical Singapore flavor.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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:
No
Loved the setting in 1930s Singapore, the details about the colonial rule there, and the spunky lead protagonist. The options available to a young girl who had suffered from polio in that era were limited, but she still was able to do some detective work on the sly. Su Lin's relationship with her charge was great. The mystery was pretty good, but the lady of the house was over the top.
Read this one as part of my attempt to read around the world: Singapore.
Read this one as part of my attempt to read around the world: Singapore.
Unfortunately this interesting idea in historical mystery writing was not given due attention by it's editor/s and publishers. It suffers greatly from inconsistencies, incongruities, and jumps in logic and conversation. Even more unfortunate is that it is first in a series and thus incredibly off-putting. I am a character driven mystery fan, and I can see the basis for an intriguing mystery solving duo, so as yet am undecided if I'll try the next in the series. Perhaps the editors actually did their job in the next?