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anjana's review against another edition
4.0
I know next to nothing about the history of Singapore, having visited it only fleetingly for one week years ago. This book has made me very interested in the foundations of it all. This is a third book in the series and although I think I would have been at an advantage if I had knowledge of the previous two, I was amply supplied with all the previous situations. I now live in Hong Kong and am studying Cantonese (or trying to, at this stage it is only the spoken part), and seeing a familiar word here and there as well as the heavy Indian quotient in the book felt rewarding. I think this will evoke similar responses even if people have a passing curiosity about the Asian regions during the war times. This story is based in India's Pre Independence era. There is a lot of influence that the actions of the people fighting for freedom in India seem to have on this island nation.
Su Lin(our leading lady) is a highly connected woman but tries to maintain a low profile while actively engaging her intelligence. At the start of this tale, she has been replaced at her own job but is back on location to help. She is an efficient cog in the detective machine investigating the sudden death of one of their own officials. One thing leads to another and a few dead bodies, a lot of theories and fear of 'Indians' starts up in the local British higher-ups. It is a very immersive experience and considering that this is the history of the author's own country, there is bound to be a lot of facts accurately represented. I liked it more for the socio-political commentary than the mystery which was not bad either. It was tied up in the above-mentioned commentary as well. I highly recommend this to all those people who like their mysteries/historical fiction to hold a lot of information about little known times and places.
P.S The Paperbark tree (mentioned in the title) is in abundance around the city where I live and I have a strange fondness for them, now having read (however indirectly) about all their plus points, I feel more in awe of them even if I saw them as mere spectators in this tale.
I received this as an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is completely based on my reading experience.
Su Lin(our leading lady) is a highly connected woman but tries to maintain a low profile while actively engaging her intelligence. At the start of this tale, she has been replaced at her own job but is back on location to help. She is an efficient cog in the detective machine investigating the sudden death of one of their own officials. One thing leads to another and a few dead bodies, a lot of theories and fear of 'Indians' starts up in the local British higher-ups. It is a very immersive experience and considering that this is the history of the author's own country, there is bound to be a lot of facts accurately represented. I liked it more for the socio-political commentary than the mystery which was not bad either. It was tied up in the above-mentioned commentary as well. I highly recommend this to all those people who like their mysteries/historical fiction to hold a lot of information about little known times and places.
P.S The Paperbark tree (mentioned in the title) is in abundance around the city where I live and I have a strange fondness for them, now having read (however indirectly) about all their plus points, I feel more in awe of them even if I saw them as mere spectators in this tale.
I received this as an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is completely based on my reading experience.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
It's the first book I read in this series and it was amazing.
It was liked travelling in space and time to a past Singapore, learning about a piece of the city story and the way of living.
The book is entertaining and engrossing. I liked the characters, the well researched setting and the plot.
It was a good mystery and it kept me guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It was liked travelling in space and time to a past Singapore, learning about a piece of the city story and the way of living.
The book is entertaining and engrossing. I liked the characters, the well researched setting and the plot.
It was a good mystery and it kept me guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
reader_'s review against another edition
5.0
This is the third book in the Tree series by Yu and i enjoyed this one as much as i had enjoyed reading the previous books. Here, we move further in time during the colonial period where the second world war is looming large on the horizon even as Singapore is not free from its dangers.
Su Lin is no longer working at the detective shavk because Bald Bernie wanted a suitable person (read a white person) at such a position of responsibility. But when Su Lin finds Bernie dead, she is determined to find who killed him. Add to the plot Chirag Bose, a young Indian revolutionary who has escaped to Singapore and who is believed to have killed Bernie. But Lin is sure there is something more about.
The book is full of political upheavels on Singapore as well as the fight for independence going on in India. Lots of tension happens because of the unfair treatment of Prakesh Pillai and Dr Shankar, who are both of Indian origin. I just wish there was more of inspector Le Froy in the book! Onwards to the next (and the latest) one now!
Su Lin is no longer working at the detective shavk because Bald Bernie wanted a suitable person (read a white person) at such a position of responsibility. But when Su Lin finds Bernie dead, she is determined to find who killed him. Add to the plot Chirag Bose, a young Indian revolutionary who has escaped to Singapore and who is believed to have killed Bernie. But Lin is sure there is something more about.
The book is full of political upheavels on Singapore as well as the fight for independence going on in India. Lots of tension happens because of the unfair treatment of Prakesh Pillai and Dr Shankar, who are both of Indian origin. I just wish there was more of inspector Le Froy in the book! Onwards to the next (and the latest) one now!
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