Introduction

'Simply glorious. Every nook and cranny of 1930s Singapore is brought richly to life' CATRIONA MCPHERSON

'Charming' RHYS BOWEN

'One of the most likeable heroines in modern literature' SCOTSMAN
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Su Lin is doing her dream job: assistant at Singapore's brand new detective agency. Until Bald Bernie decides a 'local girl' can't be trusted with private investigations, and replaces her with a new secretary - pretty, privileged, and white. So Su Lin's not the only person finding it hard to mourn Bernie after he's found dead in the filing room. And when her best friend's dad is accused, she gets up to some sleuthing work of her own in a bid to clear his name.

Su Lin finds out that Bernie may have been working undercover, trading stolen diamonds for explosives from enemy troops. Was he really the upright English citizen he claimed to be?

Meanwhile, a famous assassin commits his worst crime yet, and disappears into thin air. Rumours spread that he may be dangerously close to home.

Beneath the stifling, cloudless Singaporean summer, earthquakes of chaos and political unrest are breaking out. When a tragic loss shakes Su Lin's personal world to its core, she becomes determined to find the truth. But in dark, hate-filled times, truth has a price - and Su Lin must decide how much she's willing to pay for it.
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Praise for Ovidia Yu:

'One of Singapore's finest living authors' South China Morning Post

'Chen Su Lin is a true gem. Her slyly witty voice and her admirable, sometimes heartbreaking, practicality make her the most beguiling narrator heroine I've met in a long while' Catriona McPherson

'Charming and fascinating with great authentic feel. Ovidia Yu's teenage Chinese sleuth gives us an insight into a very different culture and time. This book is exactly why I love historical novels' Rhys Bowen

'A wonderful detective novel . . . a book that introduces one of the most likeable heroines in modern literature and should be on everyone's Must Read list' Scotsman

'Unassuming, brilliantly observant' SCMP

Editorial Review

No editorial review at this time.

Excerpt

‘Oh, my God, there’s someone here! And I think he’s dead!’ Dolly flapped her hands, ‘Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Su Lin, what are you doing? Don’t touch him!’
Bernard Hemsworth was slumped on the narrow wooden table to the left of the door with something tied tightly around his neck. A small bloody patch on the back of his shirt suggested he had also been stabbed. There was not much blood. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. Did the 1930s Singapore setting enhance or detract from the story for you?
2. Can you imagine a similar crime today, or has society advanced beyond it?
3. Did you like anything about life in Colonial Singapore?
4. If you were a local in Colonial Singapore, would you allow your daughters to get an English education and a profession? Why or why not?
5. Of all the women in the book, whose position do you consider most fortunate? Would you do anything differently in her place?
6. Do you see anything similar to the class struggles in Colonial Singapore in society today?
7. Why do you think characters like Meganck, Bose and Mrs Shankar don’t fit their respective stereotypes? Does anyone truly embody a stereotype?
8. Su Lin only got an English education because she was an orphan crippled by polio and a ‘bad luck’ girl unlikely to marry. Would you swap a chance to marry into a rich family for the chance to go to school?

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