Will I love The Frangipani Tree Mystery?

A place and time new to me with an appealing and original heroine. I not only learned a lot but wanted to know more. After reading the first book, I immediately got and read the whole series. Each one took me deeper into Singapore under the British, then the Japanese, then after the War as Su Lin's story unfolded as well as providing a fresh mystery and an expanded cast of characters. What I learned about the Japanese and the Chinese in Singapore and the Philippines led me to some fascinating mysteries in my own extended family.

This book transported me to 1930s Singapore, a setting so vivid and immersive that I could almost feel the humidity and smell the frangipani trees. I was completely captivated by Su Lin, a young woman who is determined to carve her own path despite the barriers in her way.

The mystery was gripping, but what really made me love this book was Su Lin’s intelligence, resilience, and charm. Her story stayed with me long after I turned the last page.

Set in 1930s Singapore, written by one of the island country’s finest writers, this book features a most unlikely protagonist, SuLin, a young local girl hired as a nanny in the British Governor’s household.

Dealing with childhood polio, labeled a ‘bad-luck’ child, SuLin yearns for a life where she can become a journalist of her own standing, not just someone’s wife or mistress. Just like the other feisty women in these other series, she’s beset by challenges, including those of her own making, but she never gives up!

I’ve been a huge fan of Yu’s contemporary Aunty Lee series, set… show more.