Inspector Singh Investigates #1
Shamini Flint
St. Martin's Press
7/6/2010 / 9780312596972
Police Procedural / Contemporary
Amazon
Reviewed
by L J Roberts
First Sentence: The accused, Chelsea Liew, was in court.
Inspector Singh has been sent from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to
investigate the case of a former model, Chelsea Liew, accused of
murdering her ex-husband. Involved in a bitter dispute over the
custody of their children, Chelsea, in court, threatened to kill
her ex, and was the obvious suspect after his being shot. In spite
of the evidence, Singh is less certain of her guilt and, working
with Inspector Mohammad, dedicates himself to finding the truth.
In many ways, this book is similar to The Guilty Plea
by Robert Rotenberg, also reviewed this month, but this is such
a better book, mainly due to the author s voice and construct of
characters.
One really can’t help but like Insp. Singh. From the very
beginning, one is taken in by his delightfully pragmatic approach
and view. He not only wins over those around him, but the reader
as well. By his side, we are provided with Inspector Mohammad, who
quotes Shakespeare when he s angry. It is a winning combination,
indeed.
Flint s writing and observations are wonderful. The story deals
with the conflicts between Malaysia and Singapore with the author
citing a broader view that there was absolutely no possibility of
a successful resolution to the case he had just been handed. There
never was when religion trumped rational behavior and politics influenced
police work. Programmed randomness struck him as an oxymoron. She
also makes some solid observations about greed and humanity being
out of sync with nature.
The story provides an interesting look at Sikh life and customs.
Flint masterfully conveys the impact and emotions of the case through
the true victims the children. You also sense the frustration of
the police in a case with several suspects for no definitive evidence
toward any of them.
A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder is extremely well plotted
with a very good ending and wonderful characters; particularly Singh
who impacts the lives of those around him. I, for one, cannot wait
to read more of this series.
Reviews of other titles in this series
A
Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder #1
A
Bali Conspiracy Most Foul #2 |