Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder - Book Review

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It was a classic rags to riches story. The beautiful Singaporean model, Chelsea Liew, was married to the handsome and rich Alan Lee. The couple was blissfully happy, and their marriage was blessed with three young sons. Unfortunately, behind the scenes, Chelsea and Alan's marriage was not all that it seemed. Twenty years after their wedding day, Chelsea is on death row for the coldblooded murder of her ex-husband…

In the first of Sharmini Flint's Inspector Singh series, we are quickly introduced to the titular character, who is in a very bad mood. Singh isn't your average policeman. He is fat, a little greasy, and refuses to close a case until he is sure justice has been served. Because of this, his superiors in Singapore are trying to get him to retire, and by sending him to Kuala Lumpur to defend the obviously guilty Chelsea Liew, they hope he'll quit the force forever.

However, it's not quite so easy to get rid of Inspector Singh! He quickly deduces that the beautiful Chelsea is innocent of the crime – but if she didn't do it, who did? Could it be one of Alan's brothers, desperate to take Alan's place in the family business? Or is it Alan's seventeen-year-old son, Marcus, tired of seeing his mother being beaten? Or could one of Alan's adulterous affairs have finally turned deadly?

The first book in the Inspector Singh series is an absolute delight. Usually I can figure out who the real murderer is within the first fifty pages, but Sharmini Flint's murder mystery had me guessing till the very end! Because of Flint's humorous writing style, and the likeability of many of the characters, I believe it could also be reread a few times; it's not about who killed Alan Lee, but what will happen to the characters that propels the story along.

I would definitely recommend it to fans of a good mystery, or to anyone wanting to learn a little bit more about the Malaysian justice system. I am looking forward to getting my hands on the next book and seeing where Inspector Singh ends up next!

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