It’s no secret I love a good mystery series, especially in the summer. But I admit my taste runs toward the American or Anglophone: Maisie Dobbs, Mary Russell, Sara Paretsky, Lane Winslow (not to mention the queen herself, Agatha Christie). So I’ve been particularly relishing my newest mystery kick, for a taste of something different: the Crown Colony series by Ovidia Yu.
My friend Jess introduced me to the series earlier this year, through an Instagram group chat about the first book, The Frangipani Tree Mystery. I dove right into the world of 1930s Singapore, seen through the eyes of Chen Su Lin: accidental sleuth, aspiring journalist, keen observer of human nature. Though childhood polio has left Su Lin with a permanent limp, she’s capable of getting around Singapore, which is (then as now, I imagine) a fascinating crossroads of multiple cultures, which often clash with the expectations of the British colonial overlords.
Su Lin’s world has all the elements I love in a mystery series: a richly detailed setting, a cast of (mostly) likable characters who make up the protagonist’s world, entertaining plots that also provide insight into human nature, and a sleuth who is not only quick-witted but wise. I enjoy watching Su Lin puzzle out the cases she (unofficially) takes on, but I’m even more taken with her observations about culture, race, class and interpersonal dynamics, narrated with a dry wit.
Having been educated at the Mission Centre, and now working with British Chief Inspector Le Froy, Su Lin has complicated feelings about the British, but she’s proud of her Straits-born heritage. She’s sharp, but not infallible: she gets things wrong sometimes, and is able to admit to her own mistakes. And, like all the sleuths I love, she also harbors both deep compassion and a strong sense of justice.
These books are a fascinating glimpse into a time and place I know little about, and their tropical setting feels particularly apt on these long summer days. I’m three books in and looking forward to the other installments. I usually end up diving into a mystery series each summer, and I’m quite happy to have this be the summer of Chen Su Lin.
cakes, tea and dreams 
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