Singapore Sapphire

By: A. M. Stuart

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's Summary

Early 20th-century Singapore is a place where a person can disappear, and Harriet Gordon hopes to make a new life for herself there, leaving her tragic memories behind her - but murder gets in the way.

Singapore, 1910 - Desperate for a fresh start, Harriet Gordon finds herself living with her brother, a reverend and headmaster of a school for boys, in Singapore at the height of colonial rule. Hoping to gain some financial independence, she advertises her services as a personal secretary. It is unfortunate that she should discover her first client, Sir Oswald Newbold - explorer, mine magnate, and president of the exclusive Explorers and Geographers Club - dead with a knife in his throat.

When Inspector Robert Curran is put on the case, he realizes that he has an unusual witness in Harriet. Harriet's keen eye for detail and strong sense of duty interests him, as does her distrust of the police and her traumatic past, which she is at pains to keep secret from the gossips of Singapore society.

When another body is dragged from the canal, Harriet feels compelled to help with the case. She and Curran are soon drawn into a murderous web of treachery and deceit and find themselves face-to-face with a ruthless cabal that has no qualms about killing again to protect its secrets.

©2019 A. M. Stuart (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

“Skillfully and seamlessly weaves actual people and events of the time with rich, multidimensional fictional characters.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

“My favorite new mystery series! Set in a unique and compelling setting, and filled with fascinating historical research, deft characterization, and thrilling suspense, readers will devour Singapore Sapphire. One of the best books I’ve read this year. I can’t wait to read Harriet’s next adventure.” (Anna Lee Huber, best-selling author of the Lady Darby Mysteries)

“Singapore Sapphire is a gem of a story! You will love the intrepid heroine and the exotic locale that bring this twisty tale to life. I loved every minute of this steamy adventure.” (Victoria Thompson, best-selling author of Murder in Trinity Place)

Excellent!!

I originally purchased this book because the setting intrigued me and because my absolute favorite narrator Saskia Maarleveld was narrating it. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the characters and the plot of the story. The characters were interesting, the ending was unexpected, and of course the narration was superb. I am sure hoping there will be many more Harriet Gordon adventures!!

Great Read

Have been listening to a spate of hum-hum, poorly narrated, or just plain bad mysteries. This one is not any of these things. It is well written with solid characters and character development, and an interesting story arc situated in a fascinating locale. Great detail and historical context enhances both the story and its interest. Highly recommend.

Loved This Book! Please Let it be in a Series!

I so enjoyed this book. The storyline was intriguing and so well done I felt like I was in Singapore and the characters were interesting with dimension. But the real kicker was the reader who absolutely blew me away with her astonishing range of accents and dialects and her ability to portray a man's voice without resorting to simply speaking in a lower tone. She is absolutely brilliant, so brilliant that I would buy a book, just because she is the reader.

A Promising Beginning

An interesting setting, likable characters, and a plot involving greed and murder all combined to make a strong start to a new historical mystery series. It was superbly topped off by a stellar performance by the narrator.