http://bactra.org/weblog/algae-2022-05.html#stuart ( )

"Singapore Sapphire" was a great mystery thriller. Set in colonial Singapore, the reader is introduced to Harriet Gordon, a no-nonsense, smart and observant widow who finds herself helping Inspector Robert Curran solve a brutal murder. She is convincing and interesting, and I liked her immediately. Robert was a conscientious detective and a lovely man, and I liked the friendship that formed between the two as they came to know and respect each other. There is obviously a connection between them but their lives are complicated.

There are also some interesting secondary characters including Julian, Harriet's brother Li An, Curran's mistress; and young Will, the boy who is kidnapped along with Harriet.

The author did a wonderful job of bringing the climate, smells, colour and prejudices of colonial Singapore alive. Having visited Singapore before I could feel the heat, the torrential storms and the oppressive humidity of this exotic island. Well-written and well researched, I found "Singapore Sapphire" an entertaining read and I am eager to read about Harriet's next adventure. ( )

It’s a compelling start to a series, but this first book leaves the characters’ dynamic with each other unsettled at the end, so I didn’t like it as much I would have otherwise. Still the plotting was strong and well thought out, though some aspects of the puzzle were obvious to the reader, either because they were telegraphed early on, or because the reader has read too many mysteries not to see what was coming. The characters not having the benefit of 100+ years of mysteries to tap into, their slowness to pick up on what was going on was understandable, if sometimes tedious.

I have the second book in hand on my TBR, and I’m looking forward to seeing the character development in that one. That will decide me as to whether to go on with the series or not. (Assuming it continues past book 2, of course.) ( )

This book has everything a great historical fiction mystery needs, great location, great writing, fabulous character development and the ability to keep you reading and reading and unable to put it down. Loved it. ( )

Alison Stuart created a believable heroine set in a backdrop of early 20th century Singapore. The adventures of Harriet Gordon were captivating and well-written. The reader meets a strong-willed woman who survived a dreadful typhus epidemic in India and a terribly abusive incarceration in Holloway prison as a suffragette in Britain (a backstory which emerges only as brief, scant details). The shocking discovery of a murdered British expat immerses Harriet into a series of complex situations with hidden intrigues and deception until the final developments.

The East Asian story reflects commendable research Stuart, herself, pursued in Singapore to build her atmospheric setting for a mysterious murder. Her main characters captured the colonial society of Singapore with her acute detail. She has expertly interwoven some actual events and characters into the tale.

This author’s story-writing talents are reminiscent of the expertise one encounters in CS Harris’ Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries set in Regency England. If you enjoy skilfully created historical settings for mysteries and societal mayhem, the Harriet Gordon series is sure to be worth reading. ( )