Harriet Gordon and her brother, the Reverend Julian, are urgently summoned to the battalion commander’s house by his sister, Priscilla. They arrive to discover the unthinkable. The much younger wife of the commander has been brutally murdered.
Inspector Robert Curran of the Straits Settlements Police Force is called to investigate. He is also Harriet’s boss since she is a typist for the force. From the beginning it’s clear that the military want to close ranks and keep a civilian from investigating the murder. However, since his wife was a civilian, the commander has to allow Curran to continue the investigation.
The investigation brings up troubling incidents from the past for both Harriet and Curran. She is forced to face her unpleasant experiences as a suffragette in London. Curran, because of his conflict with one of the officers, finds his father’s past coming to haunt him.
This is a delightful historical mystery. Harriet is a strong woman. She doesn’t thrust herself into the case, but her quiet determination helps to bring on the resolution. Curran is equally determined. He doesn’t want to let the military close ranks fearing that the crime will not be vigorously pursued.
The setting is what drew me to this novel. Singapore is exotic and beautifully described from the heat to the colonial lifestyle. This is the second book in the series. It was easy to read as a standalone, but if you want more about the character’s backgrounds, I recommend reading the first book.
I received this book from Berkley Publishing Group for this review.
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