''The Frangipani Tree Mystery'' is a 2017 novel by

Ovidia Yu Ovidia Yu (born 1961) is a writer from Singapore who has published award-winning plays and short stories. She has won several awards, including the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Singapore Foundation Culture Award (1996), the Nationa ...

, published by

Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an officer within a police service. Other peo ...

. The novel is a

murder mystery Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, crime novel, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives or fiction that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a profession ...

set in Singapore in 1936. The main character, an alumna of

Mission School A mission school or missionary school is a religious school originally developed and run by Christian missionaries. The mission school was commonly used in the colonial era for the purposes of Westernization of local people. These may be day s ...

, Chen Su Lin, a

Peranakan The Peranakan Chinese () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (region), Nanyang (), namely the British Empire, British, Portugu ...

, is 16 years of age and had been afflicted by

polio Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...

. Su Lin no longer has any parents. She becomes the nanny of a disabled girl, Dee-Dee Palin, the daughter of the Governor of Singapore, after dodging attempts to have her married off. - Print title: "Charming murder mystery set in pre-WWII Singapore'". The governor, Henry Palin, is the brother of Nessa. Dee-Dee had caught a fever at age seven and intellectually remained in that state. Su Lin's teacher, Vanessa "Nessa" Palin, who helped her escape the forced marriage, first arranges for her to work as a housekeeper for the chief inspector of the Singapore Police, - Print date: July 1, 2018 Thomas Le Froy, who knows

Singlish Singlish (a portmanteau of ''Singapore'' and '' English''), formally known as Colloquial Singaporean English, is an English-based creole language originating in Singapore. Singlish arose out of a situation of prolonged language contact betwe ...

and has views on race ahead of most Britons in Singapore, who view other races as below them. The previous nanny, an Irishwoman, with the name Charity Byrne, died from a neck injury sustained from falling off of a balcony a possible act of foul play. Therefore, Su Lin takes over Charity's job. Dee-Dee tells Su Lin that her stepmother Mary killed Charity and expressed a fear that Mary could kill them too. Dee-Dee therefore begs Su-Lin to kill Mary instead. While the governor contacts authorities to look into the matter, Su Lin decides to investigate Charity's death herself, working with Le Froy. Olivia Ho of the ''

Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' (also known informally by its abbreviation ''ST'') is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and ...

'' described Su Lin as a "efficient, resourceful heroine" while Le Froy "is a little bit too perfect".

Reception

Olivia Ho rated the book 3.5 of 5 stars. James Kidd of the ''

South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remaine ...

'' rated the book four of five stars, citing the "arresting plot" and the dynamism of the main characters. ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' stated that it was part of an "exceptional series" and gave the book a positive review. ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' stated that it is "a delightful vintage whodunit bubbling with charm and an infectious curiosity about human nature."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frangipani Tree Mystery, The Singaporean novels 2017 novels Novels set in Singapore Fiction set in 1936 Novels set in the 1930s