The Frangipani Tree Mystery

Ovidia Yu, author of the Aunty Lee mystery series, has created a new and charming heroine in The Frangipani Tree Mystery. It's 1936 in Singapore, and 16-year-old Su Lin is determined to escape an arranged marriage by getting a job. She hopes someday to become a journalist, but in the meantime, she's interviewing for a housekeeping position with Inspector Le Froy when there is an incoming call about a death at the governor's mansion. Charity, the nanny for Acting Governor Palin's mentally handicapped daughter, has fallen to her death. Le Froy heads off to investigate, taking Su Lin along.
 
The governor's mansion is in an uproar, and the Palin family is frantic: Deborah, Charity's charge, has gone missing. Su Lin finds the girl, and strikes a bond with her, so Inspector Le Froy encourages Su Lin to stay with the family for a few days, until they can find someone to replace Charity. Seeing this as excellent practice for her future career, she queries the assorted family members and servants in the governor's mansion about the nanny's death. Much to Inspector Le Froy's surprise, Su Lin soon comes near the secret of why Charity died--endangering herself in the process.
 
Gently paced, and full of fascinating details about life in colonial Singapore, The Frangipani Tree Mystery is completely charming. Reminiscent of books by Susan Elia MacNeal and Jacqueline Winspear while showcasing events on the other side of the globe, it's a welcome addition to the historical mystery genre. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Tucson, Ariz.
Powered by: Xtenit