Author: Shamini Flint
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
First Published: 2009
Inspector Singh is a Singaporean policeman who gets sent to Malaysia to investigate the murder of a Singaporean ex-model’s husband. Chelsea Liew was the “IT” girl of Singapore until she ended her career and married a high profile Malaysian businessman. After many years of a violent marriage, it finally ended when Chelsea’s husband was found murdered near their mansion. The Malaysian courts accuse Chelsea of murder and remand her in prison whilst Singh begins on a quest to find the truth and solve ‘whodunit’ once and for all.
I wasn’t expecting much when I first picked up this book. For one thing, I’ve had many lukewarm experiences when it comes to new authors and the summary on the cover of this book didn’t sound all too mysterious to begin with anyway. After reading a few chapters, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was fairly engaging and managed to hold my interest well beyond page 120. I think Flint did a great job in bringing the reader to the scene. The prose was interesting and she has the knack for expressing scenes and human emotions in a captivating manner. I also liked the links this story had to several social issues such as women’s rights (in a Muslim country) and environmental awareness.
The only thing lacking for me was the fact that the mystery wasn’t solved with genuine sleuthing capabilities. Rather, the whole mystery was unravelled by the fault of the killer himself. I adore genuine mysteries solved with an ingenious mind, so this bit was a little disappointing for me. I also didn’t like much of the conclusions drawn about Malaysia (by the author) via the character of Inspector Singh. Though some of it may ring a truth or two, not all of it was accurate to my mind. Nevertheless, there’s a high chance I might be picking up Inspector Singh’s next adventures: A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul and The Singapore School of Villainy.
A little bit about the Author (taken from the inside cover):
Shamini Flint lives in Singapore. She began her career in law in Malaysia and also worked at an international law firm in Singapore. She travelled extensively around Asia for work, before resigning to be a stay-at-home mum, writer, part-time lecturer and environmental activist.
3 comments:
i have this book but haven't read it yet. i absolutely love the rotund silhouette of mr singh on the cover.
Ahhh, he just wouldn't be Inspector Singh without it ;)
Inspector Singh, classic!
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