Mystery

Singapore Sapphire

Singapore Sapphire

  • Downloads：7694
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-09-07 06:57:44
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：A.M. Stuart
  • ISBN：198480264X
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

Harriet Gordon stumbles into a murderous web of stolen gems and cutthroat thieves as she runs from her tragic past in an enthralling new historical mystery series set in early twentieth century Singapore。

Singapore 1910--Desperate for a fresh start and to distance herself from her tragic past， Harriet Gordon finds herself 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 a second body is dragged from the canal， Harriet feels compelled to help with the case。 She and Curran are soon drawn into a complex web of stolen gemstones and a mysterious gang of thieves who have no qualms about killing again to protect their secrets。

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Reviews

Lindsey ，

Set in 1910 colonial Singapore， this was an intriguing murder mystery involving a gemstone smuggling ring。 I am looking forward to reading more in this series because I enjoyed Harriet and Curran's relationship-one of mutual respect that is not romantically inclined。 A refreshing change for a male/female detecting duo。 Set in 1910 colonial Singapore， this was an intriguing murder mystery involving a gemstone smuggling ring。 I am looking forward to reading more in this series because I enjoyed Harriet and Curran's relationship-one of mutual respect that is not romantically inclined。 A refreshing change for a male/female detecting duo。 。。。more

Kai Raine ，

Good solid mystery， though it dragged a little at the end。。。 But I did love a lot of elements， including the relationships between the characters and the way the mystery unfolded。I admit that I found myself very disappointed that at the end of the day this story taking place in historical Singapore revolved around white characters。 :（ But， I did not let my rating reflect that because I firmly believe that my rating should not incorporate my unsubstantiated， selfish hopes for a book that it did n Good solid mystery， though it dragged a little at the end。。。 But I did love a lot of elements， including the relationships between the characters and the way the mystery unfolded。I admit that I found myself very disappointed that at the end of the day this story taking place in historical Singapore revolved around white characters。 :（ But， I did not let my rating reflect that because I firmly believe that my rating should not incorporate my unsubstantiated， selfish hopes for a book that it did not live up to。 But， personally I was very disappointed in the representation， in this day and age。 。。。more

Lori Laubach ，

The story held me the whole time and I found that the author kept me wondering who did it the whole time

meheadhurts ，

August Readathon 2022 TBR Knockdown #5 Sounds like - Alliterative TitleRating = 3。5

Merry Jewelhound ，

I am going to be a bit of a downer here as I thought this book was only OK。 The first half of the book laying out the characters and the mystery seemed to drag for me。 I had looked forward to a book not in an area that I normally would read。 Singapore did not end up sounding romantic and faraway。。。。just hot and muggy。 At about the 50% mark of the audiobook （which the reader did a good job on） something finally started to happen。 The perpetrators were starting to slip up and the mystery was being I am going to be a bit of a downer here as I thought this book was only OK。 The first half of the book laying out the characters and the mystery seemed to drag for me。 I had looked forward to a book not in an area that I normally would read。 Singapore did not end up sounding romantic and faraway。。。。just hot and muggy。 At about the 50% mark of the audiobook （which the reader did a good job on） something finally started to happen。 The perpetrators were starting to slip up and the mystery was being solved。 Many others have enjoyed this story。 I bought the book and that is why I finished it。 I may try another book in the series as it was well written， but I would not reread it。 。。。more

Susan Siow ，

I'm Singaporean so this book holds a special place in my heart。 I'll be reading the next book for sure！ I'm Singaporean so this book holds a special place in my heart。 I'll be reading the next book for sure！ 。。。more

Iris ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The writing and the story were both very good and I'm glad I read it。 However， there were a few recurring things that made it a bit uncomfortable at times and I can't see myself continuing the series。It's set in colonial Singapore but all the main characters （including the villains） are European。 To be honest， it wouldn't bother me so much if the most significant person of color was Curran's common-law wife （was she his live-in housekeeper or was that just other people's perception of her？ It's The writing and the story were both very good and I'm glad I read it。 However， there were a few recurring things that made it a bit uncomfortable at times and I can't see myself continuing the series。It's set in colonial Singapore but all the main characters （including the villains） are European。 To be honest， it wouldn't bother me so much if the most significant person of color was Curran's common-law wife （was she his live-in housekeeper or was that just other people's perception of her？ It's not like she did much in the story for me to know what she does outside her relationship with Curran）。 I can support his relationship with her。 It makes me like him that he's angry about how people who were his "social equal" treated her and that he loves her explicitly。 But there were so many hints of a relationship building between Harriet and Curran。 Is something going to happen to Li An？ To get her out of the way so that these two white people can be in an acceptable relationship？ It's just disrespectful and people who know about Curran's relationship make insinuations about him and Harriet。 Does Li An not count because she's not white？ It's just uncomfortable。Also， the number of times Harriet says something along the lines of "I'm no simpering female" or "I am not one of those hysterical women who swoons at mentions of violence" made my head hurt。 It's very historical "I'm not like other girls" and I don't really feel like dealing with that。But again， the story was engaging。 These things just bothered my specifically so I rated it a bit lower just because my rating system is extremely arbitrary。 。。。more

May ，

It is clear that the author knows a lot about Singapore and her history。 However， for me， the writing style and the much attention given to the setting of Singapore drew me away from the fun of a very good mystery。 I have enjoyed most of it， but some parts I have found it laborious to read。

Michele ，

A good mystery historical period piece （1910）。 It was especially fun to listen to and recognize the places in Singapore we’ve visited。 Excellent narration。

Chloe Frizzle ，

A slow murder mystery。 Set in Singapore， but with mostly European characters。 Not much character work。Booktone = New York Pink （intellectual， plot focus）。 https://youtube。com/watch？v=AD4WKlAB0Jw A slow murder mystery。 Set in Singapore， but with mostly European characters。 Not much character work。Booktone = New York Pink （intellectual， plot focus）。 https://youtube。com/watch？v=AD4WKlAB0Jw 。。。more

Kathryn Wells ，

This was a solid read for me。 It is an interesting take historically and I liked getting to know a culture [in this case Singapore] through the eyes of the characters。 The mystery is okay and the characters are likeable， though some of the side-characters remain a little thin。 I will admit that it is slow at points and I spent some time skimming， but the pacing definitely adds to the "feel" of the era the book is set in。 Worth picking up some further books in the series。 This was a solid read for me。 It is an interesting take historically and I liked getting to know a culture [in this case Singapore] through the eyes of the characters。 The mystery is okay and the characters are likeable， though some of the side-characters remain a little thin。 I will admit that it is slow at points and I spent some time skimming， but the pacing definitely adds to the "feel" of the era the book is set in。 Worth picking up some further books in the series。 。。。more

Angelique Kohler ，

I expected more from Harriett based on the book being titled a Harriet Gordon mystery。I liked the Inspector and will be quite irritated if a relationship develops between the two， considering he is already in a relationship。

The Lit Bitch ，

I have had this book on my TBR shelf for A WHILE now。 I randomly picked it up at a used bookstore forever ago and thought it sounded good。 I liked that it was set in a different location than I was used to reading and perhaps might have a hint of adventure in ways that I haven’t experienced before in some ‘far east’ mystery books。But like so many readers， I took it home and set it down on my bookshelf for another day。 Every time I would go looking for something to read， I would pause at the titl I have had this book on my TBR shelf for A WHILE now。 I randomly picked it up at a used bookstore forever ago and thought it sounded good。 I liked that it was set in a different location than I was used to reading and perhaps might have a hint of adventure in ways that I haven’t experienced before in some ‘far east’ mystery books。But like so many readers， I took it home and set it down on my bookshelf for another day。 Every time I would go looking for something to read， I would pause at the title but then keep going in favor of another lady detective novel where I had known and loved already instead of picking up someone new。 But then I was sitting at my sister in law’s house in Arizona desperate for something new to read and for some reason this book popped up on my Kindle App as recommended reading。Not wanting to spend money on a dud， I downloaded a sample and it was clear from the very beginning that after three chapters I desperately needed the full book—-and the next three books in the series！ I will admit that at first I was intimidated by the ‘glossary’ and cast of characters listed at the beginning。 I was unfamiliar with many of the words and there seemed to be a lot of characters but I am glad I didn’t let that throw me off and instead it enriched the story for me！The setting really made this book something special for me。 I don’t know much of anything about Singapore let alone from this era！ But I loved discovering this interesting island and the people （eastern and westerners！） throughout the story。 It wasn’t heavy on the history which I appreciated but there was enough to feel authentic and exotic at the same time！ Having the gem trade play so heavily in the story was also fascinating to me！ The gem trade was and continues to be such a mysterious and often shadowed business with no doubt lots of questionable practices。 I loved exploring that and how it played into the murder。 It gave this book a sense of adventure， romanticism， and exoticness that I was absolutely here for！ If for nothing else—-read this book for that alone！I thought it believable how Harriet and Curran worked together in this one。 It wasn’t the case of nosy lady turned detective—-this was truly a case of lady in the wrong place at the wrong time who hates the police！ It felt very different from the traditional lady detective series and I just adored watching them work together。 They mystery itself was excellent and with enough red herrings and twists to keep me guessing up until the end。 Just when I thought I had it figured out， something would shift and I would find myself questioning who the killer could be now！ It was absolutely wonderful and I really enjoyed watching the mystery unfold！This book was unlike any historical murder mystery that I have ever read。 I truly enjoyed my time with the characters and was so thankful I had three more books to read with these characters。 I loved the rich culture of Singapore and the well constructed complex characters in Harriet and Curran。 I am looking forward to binging the next three books while I am here and am only sad that once I am done I will have to wait a year for the next book to come out！ If you love historical mysteries with brilliant characters and writing， do NOT miss this series！ 。。。more

Lisa ，

I loved this book！ It was action from page 1 and the complications and mystery just kept ratcheting up。 The characters are fabulous and their backstories are interesting。 The set up for Harriett’s continued involvement with the police is perfect。 And the setting is phenomenal—I could easily imagine myself in another helmet， white linen， and surrounded by jungle。

Niffer ，

I've somehow been reading a fair number of not so great books recently， so this one was a breath of fresh air。 Some of the character histories were not fleshed out quite enough for my liking， although I suspect the author plans to treat them more in depth in future books， and I do struggle a bit with books set in colonial areas where the natives are reduced to mere background。 Still， I appreciated the solidity of the characters and that the mystery took center stage with just hints of potential I've somehow been reading a fair number of not so great books recently， so this one was a breath of fresh air。 Some of the character histories were not fleshed out quite enough for my liking， although I suspect the author plans to treat them more in depth in future books， and I do struggle a bit with books set in colonial areas where the natives are reduced to mere background。 Still， I appreciated the solidity of the characters and that the mystery took center stage with just hints of potential romance in the future。 I look forward to reading the next book in the series。 。。。more

Rhonda ，

I am extremely interested in Singaporean， Straits Settlements， and Peranakan history， so had a predisposition to like this fictional foray into that time and space。 It was a quick and enjoyable read， though it definitely treads upon the heels of Ovidia Yu’s Crown Colony series。 Despite its English protagonists， it does a decent job at showing the iniquities， greed， racism， and hypocrisy of European colonialism。 It thus has more contextual depth than most cozy mystery series， though I had hoped i I am extremely interested in Singaporean， Straits Settlements， and Peranakan history， so had a predisposition to like this fictional foray into that time and space。 It was a quick and enjoyable read， though it definitely treads upon the heels of Ovidia Yu’s Crown Colony series。 Despite its English protagonists， it does a decent job at showing the iniquities， greed， racism， and hypocrisy of European colonialism。 It thus has more contextual depth than most cozy mystery series， though I had hoped it would transcend the cozy formula entirely and become character-driven， with richly developed senses of time， place， & culture like the novels of Yangtze Choo， Tan Twan Eng， Selina Siak Chin Loke， and sometimes Ovidia Yu。 Nonetheless， this book offered a mini vacation to a favorite place。 。。。more

Melissa ，

I really enjoyed this story！ Excellent mystery with a fantastic cast of characters。 Will be devouring books 2 and 3 asap！

Vaibhav Varkhedkar ，

Nice Mystery。 Truly a good read。 A lovely depiction of tropical colonial life。

Kira Barman ，

Sometimes I read a book and think “I should probably just stop writing because anything I put out will pale in comparison to this。” This was one of those books！ I was sucked in from the first page。 Harriet Gordon is working as a typist for hire in 1910 Singapore， where her brother is the headmaster of a local school for English boys。 She discovers one of her clients brutally murdered， and ends up being drawn into the investigation alongside Inspector Robert Curran。 She proves to be helpful， but Sometimes I read a book and think “I should probably just stop writing because anything I put out will pale in comparison to this。” This was one of those books！ I was sucked in from the first page。 Harriet Gordon is working as a typist for hire in 1910 Singapore， where her brother is the headmaster of a local school for English boys。 She discovers one of her clients brutally murdered， and ends up being drawn into the investigation alongside Inspector Robert Curran。 She proves to be helpful， but her life is ultimately put in danger because of who and what she knows。The two main characters were wonderfully written- complex， intriguing， with interesting back stories that just make you want to learn more。 The attraction seems to be of the very slow burn variety， and there are other love interests lurking about， which gives us the possibility for some great story lines in future books。 And the mystery！！ The mystery was actually very engaging and twisting as well。 Sometimes in historical fiction/mystery with a love side story， one of those things gets lost and it’s often the mystery。 Not so in this case。Loved this one- 5 enthusiastic stars and anxiously awaiting the next one！ 。。。more

Debbi ，

This book reminded me of the bubble the British created in the places they colonized。 It was as if no people other than Europeans were of any consequence。 The lovely setting of Singapore 1910 drew me in， but although I was interested in the place and several of the British characters were well developed。 There were no Asian characters of any depth and that was disappointing， it would have made the book more enjoyable for me。 I listened to the audiobook and the narrator， Saskia Maarleveld was exc This book reminded me of the bubble the British created in the places they colonized。 It was as if no people other than Europeans were of any consequence。 The lovely setting of Singapore 1910 drew me in， but although I was interested in the place and several of the British characters were well developed。 There were no Asian characters of any depth and that was disappointing， it would have made the book more enjoyable for me。 I listened to the audiobook and the narrator， Saskia Maarleveld was excellent。 I'm not sure I would have finished a print copy。 。。。more

Abhirup Dutta ，

What immediately pulls me to the book， is the setting。 Colonial Singapore and Malaysia are well-researched and beautifully described by the author， and I felt transported to the lush rainforests， rubber plantations， curry-tiffin lunches， cricket matches， and of course， generous cups of tea。I loved the protagonists - Mrs。 Gordon and Detective Curran。 Despite their mutual attraction， rather than going for a cheesy romance， they have an excellent professional relationship and a friendship on equal What immediately pulls me to the book， is the setting。 Colonial Singapore and Malaysia are well-researched and beautifully described by the author， and I felt transported to the lush rainforests， rubber plantations， curry-tiffin lunches， cricket matches， and of course， generous cups of tea。I loved the protagonists - Mrs。 Gordon and Detective Curran。 Despite their mutual attraction， rather than going for a cheesy romance， they have an excellent professional relationship and a friendship on equal terms。There are two small qualms about the book （although it didn't take away my enjoyment - but this makes it a 4 instead of a 5）。 The first is regarding the story - towards the end， it becomes more of a police-procedural than a mystery。 And Harriet - the titular character - plays second-fiddle to Curran， so people expecting a female protagonist to solve a 'puzzle' mystery will be disappointed。Secondly， while I appreciate that the main characters are egalitarians and show indignation at the racial prejudices of their colonial compadres， native Asian characters are still in the background， making appearances only as maids， nurses， constables and errand-men。 If you are looking for a similar historical mystery with a feminist protagonist， try Perveen Mistry series which features a diverse cast of Indian， British and Anglo-Indian characters in prominent roles。Having said that， these were only minor qualms。 I am looking forward to the next book in the series， and would love exploring the bungalows， the tea-gardens and cricket matches of Colonial-Era Singapore with the buddy-duo of an unapologetically suffragist woman and an honest and competent police officer， two rare characters in novels。 。。。more

Rachel ，

I have found a new favorite！ to add to my other favorites。 From the very first pages I knew I had a winner。 The writing was smooth and the atmosphere exotic。 The heroine was plucky， a former suffragette who had been through force feeding in London after returning there following the death of her doctor husband and child in India。 The police detective is tall， dark and handsome and belongs to another。 The murder occurs in the first few pages and the mystery is sufficiently convoluted。 The bad guy I have found a new favorite！ to add to my other favorites。 From the very first pages I knew I had a winner。 The writing was smooth and the atmosphere exotic。 The heroine was plucky， a former suffragette who had been through force feeding in London after returning there following the death of her doctor husband and child in India。 The police detective is tall， dark and handsome and belongs to another。 The murder occurs in the first few pages and the mystery is sufficiently convoluted。 The bad guys are very bad and the outcome is satisfying。 Did I mention it's a historical mystery set in 1910 Singapore？ 。。。more

Rachel ，

Excellent read。 The main characters are real and endearing。 The mystery had many twists and turns。 The setting was wonderful—colonial Singapore was a small city surrounded by jungles， not the sprawling metropolis it is today。 I do hope future installments include native people as more than servants and underlings。 The main characters both have sympathies for their native friends， colleagues and lovers， but still view them as colonists。 I’m sure there were people who didn’t hold those attitudes。

Carol ，

Singapore in 1910。 I’ll start this review by caveating that I love historical fiction and historical fiction meets crime / thriller is all of me so this was probably always going to be a book I enjoyed。 Looking for a fresh start and to escape her past， Harriet Gordon lands in Singapore。 She advertises her services as a secretary and finds herself with a client， Sir Oswald Newbold。 An explorer， mine magnate and president of the Explorers and Geographers' Club。 Things take a turn when he is found Singapore in 1910。 I’ll start this review by caveating that I love historical fiction and historical fiction meets crime / thriller is all of me so this was probably always going to be a book I enjoyed。 Looking for a fresh start and to escape her past， Harriet Gordon lands in Singapore。 She advertises her services as a secretary and finds herself with a client， Sir Oswald Newbold。 An explorer， mine magnate and president of the Explorers and Geographers' Club。 Things take a turn when he is found dead。 Inspector Robert Curran is sent to investigate， and quickly ropes in Harriet as his informal assistant on the case。 Another body is found， Harriet continues to help the Inspector and they are drawn into a web of thieves， stolen gemstones， and murder。 This is a ‘fun’ mystery， if it can be described as such and an easy read / listen （I listened to it on audio from Audible - narrated by Saskia Maarleveld）。 It was a little slow at the start （the first quarter or so） but then got going and was well paced and plotted from there。 The author really captured the sense of colonial Singapore in the early 20th century。 It’s the first in a series and I would probably read more。 。。。more

Patricia ，

I really enjoyed this historical mystery set in 1910 Malaya--current day Malaysia。 Nice to read something based in a location I've never read about。 I really enjoyed this historical mystery set in 1910 Malaya--current day Malaysia。 Nice to read something based in a location I've never read about。 。。。more

Donna ，

Backdrop of this mystery is Singapore in the early years of the 1910。 There is murder that is connected to jewel smuggling。 Several people are suspects。 The two leads characters investigate one a detective and the other a young woman who lives with her brother。

Juanita ，

I really enjoyed this historical mystery。 Set in colonial Singapore， the attention to historical detail was fantastic and really brought the setting to life。 I have to admit that I wasn't sure about this book at first。 The mystery itself was interesting but I found the pacing a little uneven。 Nothing much happens in the first 1/3 of the book - the focus seemed to be more on setting the scene and telling us more about the main characters - Harriet Gordon and Inspector Curran。 And then all of a su I really enjoyed this historical mystery。 Set in colonial Singapore， the attention to historical detail was fantastic and really brought the setting to life。 I have to admit that I wasn't sure about this book at first。 The mystery itself was interesting but I found the pacing a little uneven。 Nothing much happens in the first 1/3 of the book - the focus seemed to be more on setting the scene and telling us more about the main characters - Harriet Gordon and Inspector Curran。 And then all of a sudden， everything quickens and events occur at seemingly lighting speed。 Normally， I would not stick it out through a mystery that is this slow - I like my mysteries evenly paced， feeding me little clues to work with every chapter。 But I found the characters of Harriet Gordon and Inspector Curran to be very compelling。 Harriet Gordon is fiercely independent and strong willed。 At a time when women were not granted opportunities to pursue education or work， Ms Gordon is undeterred and seeks out ways in which she can do more than host tea parties。 And it was refreshing to come across a story where the police was depicted as competent and thoughtful。 Inspector Curran's character was well rounded and I enjoyed the way in which he and Harriet worked together。Additionally， I found this period in Singapore's history interesting to read about and continued on。 Being Sri Lankan， the descriptions of Singapore held a high sense of relatability - the intense heat and humidity is something I am all too familiar with！Overall， a promising start and I'm looking forward to picking up the next book in the series！ 。。。more

C。 Vestraci ，

Really enjoyed it ！

Holly B ，

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld Series: Harriet Gordon Mystery， Book 1 Length: 10 hrs and 48 min Audible ReviewI'm a mood reader and I love historical mysteries， so when I saw this new series with a Singapore setting that takes place in 1910， I just had to try it。 The narrator was excellent and really enhanced the experience。 She does have an accent， so I had to concentrate in the beginning until my brain adjusted！ There is also a quite a large cast to keep tabs on which was a bit Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld Series: Harriet Gordon Mystery， Book 1 Length: 10 hrs and 48 min Audible ReviewI'm a mood reader and I love historical mysteries， so when I saw this new series with a Singapore setting that takes place in 1910， I just had to try it。 The narrator was excellent and really enhanced the experience。 She does have an accent， so I had to concentrate in the beginning until my brain adjusted！ There is also a quite a large cast to keep tabs on which was a bit challenging at times。I loved the character of the English widow， Harriet and the handsome Inspector Curran。 They really made quite the crime fighting team。 I'm curious about what they will be up to in the next installment。Good murder mystery， strong characterization， likeable characters， though it does get a bit long winded at times。 Overall， thumbs up！ 。。。more

Cody ，

I loved my time with this。 Interesting characters， slowly revealed complex mystery and good setup for the future。Quick hits:- Characters have solid backstories which make them feel real and flawed。- Plot starts narrow and slowly expands。- The reveal felt somewhat unexpected and unpredictable which I didn’t really like as I didn’t have much of a chance to guess。- Solid ending setup for the series。Overall， I’m excited to continue reading more。 The reveal was a little too unpredictable but still en I loved my time with this。 Interesting characters， slowly revealed complex mystery and good setup for the future。Quick hits:- Characters have solid backstories which make them feel real and flawed。- Plot starts narrow and slowly expands。- The reveal felt somewhat unexpected and unpredictable which I didn’t really like as I didn’t have much of a chance to guess。- Solid ending setup for the series。Overall， I’m excited to continue reading more。 The reveal was a little too unpredictable but still enjoyable overall。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Singapore Sapphire

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Singapore Sapphire&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Singapore Sapphire&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0