Now You See Us

A Novel

By: Balli Kaur Jaswal

Narrated by: Angela Lin

Crazy Rich Asians meets The Help! From Reese’s Book Club veteran Balli Kaur Jaswal comes a wildly entertaining and sharply observed story of three women who work in the homes of Singapore’s elite, and band together to solve a murder mystery involving one of their own.

“Tender and heartfelt, Now You See us also manages to be laugh-out-loud funny. An uplifting story of courage and hope that will keep you enthralled until the very last page.”—Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee

""A truly irresistible read. Intricately plotted, propulsive, and provocative, NOW YOU SEE US showcases an author at the peak of her talents.""--Kirstin Chen, New York Times bestselling author of Counterfeit

Corazon, Donita, and Angel are Filipina domestic workers—part of the wave of women sent to Singapore to be cleaners, maids, and caregivers.

Corazon: A veteran domestic worker, Cora had retired back to the Philippines for good, but she has returned to Singapore under mysterious circumstances. Now she’s keeping a secret from her wealthy employer, who is planning an extravagant wedding for her socialite daughter.

Donita: Barely out of her teens, this is Donita’s first time in Singapore, and she’s had the bad luck to be hired by the notoriously fussy Mrs. Fann. Brazen and exuberant, Donita’s thrown herself into a love affair with an Indian migrant worker.

Angel: Working as an in-home caregiver for an elderly employer, Angel is feeling blue after a recent breakup with the woman she loves. She’s alarmed when her employer’s son suddenly brings in a new nurse who may be a valuable ally...or meant to replace her.

Then an explosive news story shatters Singapore’s famous tranquility—and sends a chill down the spine of every domestic worker. Flordeliza Martinez, a Filipina maid, has been arrested for murdering her female employer. The three women don’t know the accused well, but she could be any of them; every worker knows stories of women who were scapegoated or even executed for crimes they didn’t commit.

Shocked into action, Donita, Corazon, and Angel will use their considerable moxie and insight to piece together the mystery of what really happened on the day Flordeliza’s employer was murdered. After all, no one knows the secrets of Singapore’s families like the women who work in their homes…

Compelling story-important subject!

I thought the narrator did an excellent job and the story was compelling. I was often horrified by the unfairness and cruelty that the workers had to suffer. Loved the LGBTQ elements, too.
This raised my consciousness about some of the things migrant workers must navigate (or withstand) and to be able to do that within a mystery story is quite a feat. I’ll be recommending this to everyone, including my book clubs.

Not author’s best

I choose this book because I read two other books by this author; Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows and The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters. Unfortunately this story is not fun or funny, it’s just okay. I expected a fun read like her other books. Would definitely recommend her other novels and suggest skipping this one.

So good!

Balli Kaur Jaswal does it again! A timely exploration of migrant workers’ experiences and rights, gender equity, and racism wrapped up in a beautiful story, complex characters, and an intriguing whodunit.

Just ok

Interesting cultural and social realities I was not aware of but the story wasn’t particularly gripping.

Not What I Expected

Agree with other reviews. The story is somewhat interesting and based on the author’s note at the end, appreciate what she was trying to achieve but this story fell flat for me. Perhaps my expectations were for something different given the marketing - was expecting more crime solving.