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A review by marilynw
Singapore Sapphire by A.M. Stuart
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