Ovidia Yu – författare

This delectable and witty mystery introduces Rosie “Aunty” Lee, feisty widow, amateur sleuth and proprietor of Singapore’s best-loved home cooking restaurant.

After losing her husband, Rosie Lee could easily have become one of Singapore’s “tai tai,” an idle rich lady devoted to an aimless life of mah-jongg and luxury shopping. Instead she threw herself into building a culinary empire from her restaurant, Aunty Lee’s Delights, where spicy Singaporean home cooking is graciously served by Rosie Lee herself to locals and tourists alike. But when a body is found in one of Singapore’s beautiful tourist havens, and when one of her wealthy guests fails to show at a dinner party, Aunty Lee knows that the two are likely connected.

The murder and disappearance throws together Aunty Lee’s henpecked stepson Mark, his social-climbing wife Selina, a gay couple whose love is still illegal in Singapore, and an elderly Australian tourist couple whose visit—billed at first as a pleasure cruise—may mask a deeper purpose. Investigating the murder is rookie Police Commissioner Raja, who quickly discovers that the savvy and well-connected Aunty Lee can track down clues even better than local law enforcement.

Wise, witty and unusually charming, Aunty Lee’s Delights is a spicy mystery about love, friendship and home cooking in Singapore, where money flows freely and people of many religions and ethnicities co-exist peacefully, but where tensions lurk just below the surface, sometimes with deadly results.

Rosie “Aunty” Lee—feisty widow, amateur sleuth and proprietor of Singapore’s best-loved home cooking restaurant—is back in another delectable, witty mystery set in Singapore.

Slightly hobbled by a twisted ankle, crime-solving restaurateur Aunty Lee begrudgingly agrees to take a rest from running her famous café, Aunty Lee’s Delights, and turns over operations to her friend and new business partner Cherril.

The café serves as a meeting place for an animal rescue society that Cherril once supported. They were forced to dissolve three years earlier after a British expat killed the puppy she’d adopted, sparking a firestorm of scandal. The expat, Allison Fitzgerald, left Singapore in disgrace, but has returned with an ax to grind (and a lawsuit). At the café one afternoon, Cherril receives word that Allison has been found dead in her hotel—and foul play is suspected. When a veterinarian, who was also involved in the scandal, is found dead, suspicion soon falls on the animal activists. What started with an internet witch hunt has ended in murder—and in a tightly knit, law-and-order society like Singapore, everyone is on edge.

Before anyone else gets hurt—and to save her business—Aunty Lee must get to the bottom of what really happened three years earlier, and figure out who is to be trusted in this tangled web of scandal and lies.

''One of Singapore''s finest living authors'' South China Morning Post''Simply glorious. Every nook and cranny of 1930s Singapore is brought richly to life'' CATRIONA MCPHERSON''Charming'' RHYS BOWEN''One of the most likeable heroines in modern literature'' SCOTSMAN________________The next title in the Mystery Tree series, exploring Singapore after the Japanese retreat and in the aftermath of WWII.________________Praise for Ovidia Yu:''Chen Su Lin is a true gem. Her slyly witty voice and her admirable, sometimes heartbreaking, practicality make her the most beguiling narrator heroine I''ve met in a long while'' Catriona McPherson''Charming and fascinating with great authentic feel. Ovidia Yu''s teenage Chinese sleuth gives us an insight into a very different culture and time. This book is exactly why I love historical novels'' Rhys Bowen''A wonderful detective novel . . . a book that introduces one of the most likeable heroines in modern literature and should be on everyone''s Must Read list'' Scotsman''Unassuming, brilliantly observant'' SCMP''Ovidia Yu''s writing helped me peel back the layers to understand Singapore. The story and Chen Su Lin''s initiative and tenacity, set against a backdrop of wartime Singapore, intrigued both the historian and the mystery lover in me'' Kara Owens CMG CVO, British High Commissioner to Singapore

''One of Singapore''s finest living authors'' South China Morning Post ''Simply glorious. Every nook and cranny of 1930s Singapore is brought richly to life'' CATRIONA MCPHERSON ''Charming'' RHYS BOWEN ''One of the most likeable heroines in modern literature'' SCOTSMAN ________________ The next book in the Mystery Tree series, exploring Singapore after the Japanese retreat and in the aftermath of WWII.Singapore 1949When all the angsana trees on the island bloom at the same time it''s a glorious fragrant display that lasts only one day... and the next morning Su Lin comes across an old friend laughing hysterically while holding her dead lover on the thick carpet of yellow flowers by the quarry pool that was their childhood haunt. She instantly realises her friend could not be the killer as she could not have sliced so cleanly through the man''s throat with no weapon in sight.As she tries to help her friend, Su Lin has to figure out where her own loyalties lie. Angsana blossoms aren''t the only things disappearing overnight in post-war Singapore as the newly returned British-increasingly on edge because of anti-colonial uprisings in nearby Indonesia-rush to change laws and revoke permits and positions. But more pressingly, Su Lin has to prove her friend''s innocence and stop a calculating killer from murdering again... ________________ Praise for Ovidia Yu: ''Chen Su Lin is a true gem. Her slyly witty voice and her admirable, sometimes heartbreaking, practicality make her the most beguiling narrator heroine I''ve met in a long while'' Catriona McPherson ''Charming and fascinating with great authentic feel. Ovidia Yu''s teenage Chinese sleuth gives us an insight into a very different culture and time. This book is exactly why I love historical novels'' Rhys Bowen ''A wonderful detective novel . . . a book that introduces one of the most likeable heroines in modern literature and should be on everyone''s Must Read list'' Scotsman ''Unassuming, brilliantly observant'' SCMP ''Ovidia Yu''s writing helped me peel back the layers to understand Singapore. The story and Chen Su Lin''s initiative and tenacity, set against a backdrop of wartime Singapore, intrigued both the historian and the mystery lover in me'' Kara Owens CMG CVO, British High Commissioner to Singapore

''The sharpest exercise in decolonising fiction in Singapore''s literary landscape. It is also, simply, really fun to read!'' - Ong Sor Fern----------''Til death do us part...Singapore, 1947. Newlyweds Su Lin and Le Froy are in the Cameron Highlands, an idyllic pocket of countryside on the tropical Malay Peninsula. But this is no honeymoon ... Le Froy is on a protection assignment for powerful businessman Max Moreno and his wife Elfrieda, whose associates have been brutally murdered.But the hideaway cannot protect the Morenos from vicious threats and ghostly sightings, and when Elfrieda vanishes with a stash of precious emeralds, Su Lin and Le Froy fear the worst. The only clue to Elfrieda''s disappearance is rotting fruit from a rose apple tree, piled outside her lodge.When monsoon floods make escape from the Highlands impossible, Su Lin is determined to find Elfrieda with time to spare to get to know her new husband. But when Max''s body is discovered surrounded by rose apples, passion turns to policing: Su Lin and Le Froy must work together try to prevent further deaths, including their own.----------Praise for Ovidia Yu:''One of Singapore''s finest living authors'' - South China Morning Post ''One of the most likeable heroines in modern literature'' - The Scotsman ''Chen Su Lin is a true gem. Her slyly witty voice and her admirable, sometimes heartbreaking, practicality make her the most beguiling narrator heroine I''ve met in a long while'' - Catriona McPherson ''Charming and fascinating with great authentic feel. Ovidia Yu''s teenage Chinese sleuth gives us an insight into a very different culture and time. This book is exactly why I love historical novels'' - Rhys Bowen ''Unassuming, brilliantly observant'' -SCMP ''Ovidia Yu''s writing helped me peel back the layers to understand Singapore. The story and Chen Su Lin''s initiative and tenacity, set against a backdrop of wartime Singapore, intrigued both the historian and the mystery lover in me'' - Kara Owens CMG CVO, British High Commissioner to Singapore

First in a delightfully charming crime series set in 1930s Singapore, introducing amateur sleuth Su Lin, a local girl stepping in as governess for the Acting Governor of Singapore.1936 in the Crown Colony of Singapore, and the British abdication crisis and rising Japanese threat seem very far away. When the Irish nanny looking after Acting Governor Palin''s daughter dies suddenly - and in mysterious circumstances - mission school-educated local girl Su Lin - an aspiring journalist trying to escape an arranged marriage - is invited to take her place. But then another murder at the residence occurs and it seems very likely that a killer is stalking the corridors of Government House. It now takes all Su Lin''s traditional skills and intelligence to help British-born Chief Inspector Thomas LeFroy solve the murders - and escape with her own life.''Simply glorious. Every nook and cranny of 1930s Singapore is brought richly to life, without ever getting in the way of a classic puzzle plot. But what''s a setting without a jewel? Chen Su Lin is a true gem. Her slyly witty voice and her admirable, sometimes heartbreaking, practicality make her the most beguiling narrator heroine I''ve met in a long while.'' Catriona McPherson''Charming and fascinating with great authentic feel. Ovidia Yu''s teenage Chinese sleuth gives us an insight into a very different culture and time. This book is exactly why I love historical novels.'' Rhys Bowen

''Great protagonist, great setting - this is a delightful book'' Morning Star The second novel in Ovidia Yu''s delightfully charming crime series set in 1930s Singapore, featuring amateur sleuth Su Lin.What we came to think of as the betel nut affair began in the middle of a tropical thunderstorm in December 1937 . . . Singapore is agog with the news of King Edward VIII''s abdication to marry American heiress Wallis Simpson. Chen Su Lin, now Chief Inspector Le Froy''s secretarial assistant in Singapore''s newly formed detective unit, still dreams of becoming a journalist and hopes to cover the story when the Hon Victor Glossop announces he is marrying an American widow of his own, Mrs Nicole Covington, in the Colony. But things go horribly wrong when Victor Glossop is found dead, his body covered in bizarre symbols and soaked in betel nut juice.The beautiful, highly-strung Nicole claims it''s her fault he''s dead . . . just like the others. And when investigations into her past reveal a dead lover, as well as a husband, the case against her appears to be stacking up. Begrudgingly on Le Froy''s part, Su Lin agrees to chaperon Nicole at the Farquhar Hotel, intending to get the truth out of her somehow. But as she uncovers secrets and further deaths occur, Su Lin realises she may not be able to save Nicole''s life - or even her own.''Charming and fascinating with great authentic feel. This book is exactly why I love historical novels'' Rhys Bowen''I really enjoyed this wonderful gem of a book. The diversity and rich history portrayed in the book are what make The Frangipani Tree Mystery a brilliant read. The fact that it''s a fusion of crime and historical fiction adds brownie points to the package!'' Bookloves Reviews

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA SAPERE BOOKS HISTORICAL DAGGER*''Simply glorious. Every nook and cranny of 1930s Singapore is brought richly to life'' CATRIONA MCPHERSON ''Charming'' RHYS BOWEN''One of the most likeable heroines in modern literature'' SCOTSMAN_________Su Lin is doing her dream job: assistant at Singapore''s brand new detective agency. Until Bald Bernie decides a ''local girl'' can''t be trusted with private investigations, and replaces her with a new secretary - pretty, privileged, and white. So Su Lin''s not the only person finding it hard to mourn Bernie after he''s found dead in the filing room. And when her best friend''s dad is accused, she gets up to some sleuthing work of her own in a bid to clear his name. Su Lin finds out that Bernie may have been working undercover, trading stolen diamonds for explosives from enemy troops. Was he really the upright English citizen he claimed to be? Meanwhile, a famous assassin commits his worst crime yet, and disappears into thin air. Rumours spread that he may be dangerously close to home.Beneath the stifling, cloudless Singaporean summer, earthquakes of chaos and political unrest are breaking out. When a tragic loss shakes Su Lin''s personal world to its core, she becomes determined to find the truth. But in dark, hate-filled times, truth has a price - and Su Lin must decide how much she''s willing to pay for it. _________Praise for Ovidia Yu:''One of Singapore''s finest living authors'' South China Morning Post''Chen Su Lin is a true gem. Her slyly witty voice and her admirable, sometimes heartbreaking, practicality make her the most beguiling narrator heroine I''ve met in a long while'' Catriona McPherson''Charming and fascinating with great authentic feel. Ovidia Yu''s teenage Chinese sleuth gives us an insight into a very different culture and time. This book is exactly why I love historical novels'' Rhys Bowen''A wonderful detective novel . . . a book that introduces one of the most likeable heroines in modern literature and should be on everyone''s Must Read list'' Scotsman''Unassuming, brilliantly observant'' SCMP

LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER''Simply glorious. Every nook and cranny of 1930s Singapore is brought richly to life'' CATRIONA MCPHERSON ''Charming'' RHYS BOWEN''One of the most likeable heroines in modern literature'' SCOTSMAN _________Mirza, a secretive neighbour of the Chens in Japanese Occupied Singapore, is a known collaborator and blackmailer. So when he is murdered in his garden, clutching a branch of mimosa, the suspects include local acquaintances, Japanese officials -- and his own daughters.Su Lin''s Uncle Chen is among those rounded up by the Japanese as reprisal. Hideki Tagawa, a former spy expelled by police officer Le Froy and a power in the new regime, offers Su Lin her uncle''s life in exchange for using her fluency in languages and knowledge of locals to find the real killer.Su Lin soon discovers Hideki has an ulterior motive. Friends, enemies and even the victim are not what they seem. There is more at stake here than one man''s life. Su Lin must find out who killed Mirza and why, before Le Froy and other former colleagues detained or working with the resistance suffer the consequences of Mirza''s last secret._________Praise for Ovidia Yu:''One of Singapore''s finest living authors'' South China Morning Post''Chen Su Lin is a true gem. Her slyly witty voice and her admirable, sometimes heartbreaking, practicality make her the most beguiling narrator heroine I''ve met in a long while'' Catriona McPherson''Charming and fascinating with great authentic feel. Ovidia Yu''s teenage Chinese sleuth gives us an insight into a very different culture and time. This book is exactly why I love historical novels'' Rhys Bowen''A wonderful detective novel . . . a book that introduces one of the most likeable heroines in modern literature and should be on everyone''s Must Read list'' Scotsman''Unassuming, brilliantly observant'' SCMP

''One of Singapore''s finest living authors'' South China Morning Post''Simply glorious. Every nook and cranny of 1930s Singapore is brought richly to life'' CATRIONA MCPHERSON''Charming'' RHYS BOWEN''One of the most likeable heroines in modern literature'' SCOTSMAN ________________Has Su Lin summoned a tree demon who is now killing on her behalf?The overpoweringly fragrant flowers, snakelike vines and deadly fruit of the cannonball tree are enough to keep most people away. But when a piece of expensive photographic equipment is found nearby, on closer inspection Su Lin discovers the body of Mimi, her horrible relative who has been trying to blackmail her.Su Lin is not the only one to realise how much easier this death makes things for her in the new normal of life in Syonan (Japanese Occupied Singapore). And then more fortuitious deaths follow. But is someone really killing people on her account? As Su Lin contends with the fear and rancour of those around her, the resentment of former friends and a whistling demon, can she hope not only to survive but untangle the cannonball tree''s secrets to prevent further deaths... and possibly turn the tide of the war?________________Praise for Ovidia Yu:''Chen Su Lin is a true gem. Her slyly witty voice and her admirable, sometimes heartbreaking, practicality make her the most beguiling narrator heroine I''ve met in a long while'' Catriona McPherson''Charming and fascinating with great authentic feel. Ovidia Yu''s teenage Chinese sleuth gives us an insight into a very different culture and time. This book is exactly why I love historical novels'' Rhys Bowen''A wonderful detective novel . . . a book that introduces one of the most likeable heroines in modern literature and should be on everyone''s Must Read list'' Scotsman''Unassuming, brilliantly observant'' SCMP''Ovidia Yu''s writing helped me peel back the layers to understand Singapore. The story and Chen Su Lin''s initiative and tenacity, set against a backdrop of wartime Singapore, intrigued both the historian and the mystery lover in me'' Kara Owens CMG CVO, British High Commissioner to Singapore