Fotografía de autor

A. M. Stuart

Autor de Singapore Sapphire

19 Obras 430 Miembros 50 Reseñas

Sobre El Autor

También incluye: Alison Stuart (1)

Series

Obras de A. M. Stuart

Etiquetado

Conocimiento común

Género
female
Lugar de nacimiento
Kenya
Lugares de residencia
Singapore
Australia

Miembros

Reseñas

When Harriet Gordon's brother Julian is invited to Kuala Lumpur to visit a respected boys school, she decides to go along as it may be a good fit for their young charge, Will, is Julian accepts a post there. Separately, Inspector Robert Curran has headed to the same area looking for his half-sister, who was forcibly taken from India to a 'gentleman's club' in the area. The colonials at this out post are a small group, and it doesn't take much to be on the ins or outs. The wife of the headmaster of the school shots a man she says was trying to attack her. While that investigation and trial begin, Curran remains undercover looking for the secret Topaz Club. It was good mystery and the attention to historical detail was very well done as usual.… (más)
 
Denunciada
ethel55 | otra reseña | Mar 3, 2024 |
Terror in Topaz is the 4th and final installment of Alison Stuart's Harriet Gordon Mystery Series. It is set in 1920s Singapore and features amateur sleuth Harriet Gordon. Harriet volunteers her time at brother Julian's school for boys but after her suffragette past became known, she was fired.

The publisher's summary: Singapore 1910: Harriet Gordon has been dismissed from the job she loved and finds herself cast adrift. When her brother receives an invitation to visit a prestigious school in Kuala Lumpur, she and Julian decide to leave Singapore behind for a few days, but their pleasant visit takes a dark turn when a visitor to the school is shot dead on the front steps of the headmaster’s bungalow. After being suspended from the Straits Settlements Police, Inspector Robert Curran has disappeared on a personal quest to find a missing girl, but his suspension is not all it appears and he receives secretive orders to investigate the mysterious Topaz Club, which seems to be at the center of high-level corruption within the colonial government of Malaya.The uninvestigated death of a woman with links to the Topaz Club brings Harriet and Curran together in a determination to shut down the notorious establishment for good. MBut a devious criminal stands in the way and it is going to take Harriet and Curran all their resources to bring justice for the victims of the Topaz Club and in doing so, find what it is they have been looking for in each other.

I loved this series and am sad it has ended. A prequel to Singapore Sapphire was published in August 2023. Umbrella tells the story of Harriet's earlier life. It is just over 50 pages in length.

The setting for Terror in Topaz moves from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. Many times when a series author changes the setting, the story suffers. This did not happen here. The plot and writing are superb. It was everything I expected and more. The relationship between Harriet and Inspector Curran grew to be a romantic one. Brother Julian's felt his career was in flux and we see him pondering his options. His usual straightlaced demeanor changes to a softer one. With all of this character growth it is difficult to accept that there is nowhere for the series to continue.

The Kuala Lumpur setting did not seem much different than Singapore. It had the usual clubs and mansions where the British sat for tea on their verandas. Both places share a climate with oppressive heat and the author has shared photographs of both of them on her Pinterest page. If you want to learn more about these novels I recommend checking out the Pinterest page.
… (más)
 
Denunciada
Violette62 | otra reseña | Nov 1, 2023 |
Gather the Bones
3 Stars

After losing her husband in the Great War, Helen Morrow visits his family estate in the UK and becomes embroiled in a centuries-old mystery. Haunted by the ghosts of the past, Helen and her late husband's cousin, Paul, must work together to uncover the clues or they will find neither peace nor happiness.

Unfortunately, the slow pacing and poor execution undermine an otherwise excellent premise.

The dual mysteries with their shared wartime theme, the Napoleanic Wars and the Great War, are compelling. However, the inclusion of paranormal elements is unnecessary and actually detracts from the storyline as the characters are preoccupied with the ghosts rather than the investigation. Moreover, the ultimate explanations for both mysteries are rather lackluster. The culprit in the 19th-century case is obvious from the start and the revelations concerning Charlie's death are not nearly as dramatic as expected.

The romance between Helen and Paul also has potential; however, Paul's vacillations and Helen's willingness to marry another man put a damper on their relationship.

All in all, an OK read but not one of the best in the genre.
… (más)
 
Denunciada
Lauren2013 | 2 reseñas más. | May 5, 2023 |
Having now read three novels in the Harriet Gordon Mystery series, I must say "Evil in Emerald" was the best so far. I do enjoy visiting Singapore in the early 1900s and catching up with Harriet and Robert Curran. They make a great duo and their connection is growing stronger.

As usual, the mystery was good with lots of twists and red herrings, and the characters were well-written making them very easy to like/. There is obviously another novel in the making; I just hope Ms Stuart doesn't protract the series as so many other authors do until their novels become predictable, prosaic and repetitive. Thankfully, this hasn't happened yet with this series.… (más)
 
Denunciada
HeatherLINC | 6 reseñas más. | Oct 15, 2022 |

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Estadísticas

Obras
19
Miembros
430
Popularidad
#56,815
Valoración
3.8
Reseñas
50
ISBNs
62

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