A. M. Stuart

This is the second instalment of the Maiden’s Creek series of Australian historical fiction stories, but can easily be read as a standalone. Alison Stuart, who also writes a historical crime series set in Singapore as A.M.Stuart, was born in Kenya and grew up in Australia from age 9. Her stories are engaging and extensively researched.

The story is set in 1873 in Maiden’s Creek, a mining town based on Walhalla in Victoria. Eliza Penrose arrives from England after the death of her mother, to live with her brother Will who has been mining gold at Shenandoah near Maiden’s Creek. She finds herself standing on an outback street only to be rudely knocked over by Scotsman Alec McLeod. When Will does not arrive to collect her she finds, to her heartbreak, that he has recently died in a mining accident. She is left to live with her patronising uncle Charles Cowper, owner of the Maiden’s Creek mine.

Despite her uncle’s disapproval Eliza begins working at the school as a teacher, and settles into the small community. After a while things begin to seem amiss and Eliza wonders if there was more to Will’s death than a simple fall. Eliza has to work with mining engineer Alec, Will’s friend and confidante, to try and work out what really happened to Will. The two uncover secrets like Will’s plan for a new engine, and her uncle’s corner cutting and deceitful accounting practices. The secrets plunge them both into a highly dangerous situation.

The story is well researched and creates a great sense of the time and place. I also enjoyed some of the characters. Alec is still grieving the loss of his wife and child, and lives with his deaf younger brother Ian. Both men are great characters. Some of the scenes at the end were a little dramatic and improbable, but I found this a really enjoyable story. 4.5 stars… (plus d'informations)

When Harriet Gordon's brother Julian is invited to Kuala Lumpur to visit a respected boys school, she decides to go along as it may be a good fit for their young charge, Will, is Julian accepts a post there. Separately, Inspector Robert Curran has headed to the same area looking for his half-sister, who was forcibly taken from India to a 'gentleman's club' in the area. The colonials at this out post are a small group, and it doesn't take much to be on the ins or outs. The wife of the headmaster of the school shots a man she says was trying to attack her. While that investigation and trial begin, Curran remains undercover looking for the secret Topaz Club. It was good mystery and the attention to historical detail was very well done as usual.… (plus d'informations)

Terror in Topaz is the 4th and final installment of Alison Stuart's Harriet Gordon Mystery Series. It is set in 1920s Singapore and features amateur sleuth Harriet Gordon. Harriet volunteers her time at brother Julian's school for boys but after her suffragette past became known, she was fired.

The publisher's summary: Singapore 1910: Harriet Gordon has been dismissed from the job she loved and finds herself cast adrift. When her brother receives an invitation to visit a prestigious school in Kuala Lumpur, she and Julian decide to leave Singapore behind for a few days, but their pleasant visit takes a dark turn when a visitor to the school is shot dead on the front steps of the headmaster’s bungalow. After being suspended from the Straits Settlements Police, Inspector Robert Curran has disappeared on a personal quest to find a missing girl, but his suspension is not all it appears and he receives secretive orders to investigate the mysterious Topaz Club, which seems to be at the center of high-level corruption within the colonial government of Malaya.The uninvestigated death of a woman with links to the Topaz Club brings Harriet and Curran together in a determination to shut down the notorious establishment for good. MBut a devious criminal stands in the way and it is going to take Harriet and Curran all their resources to bring justice for the victims of the Topaz Club and in doing so, find what it is they have been looking for in each other.

I loved this series and am sad it has ended. A prequel to Singapore Sapphire was published in August 2023. Umbrella tells the story of Harriet's earlier life. It is just over 50 pages in length.

The setting for Terror in Topaz moves from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. Many times when a series author changes the setting, the story suffers. This did not happen here. The plot and writing are superb. It was everything I expected and more. The relationship between Harriet and Inspector Curran grew to be a romantic one. Brother Julian's felt his career was in flux and we see him pondering his options. His usual straightlaced demeanor changes to a softer one. With all of this character growth it is difficult to accept that there is nowhere for the series to continue.

The Kuala Lumpur setting did not seem much different than Singapore. It had the usual clubs and mansions where the British sat for tea on their verandas. Both places share a climate with oppressive heat and the author has shared photographs of both of them on her Pinterest page. If you want to learn more about these novels I recommend checking out the Pinterest page.… (plus d'informations)

Gather the Bones
3 Stars

After losing her husband in the Great War, Helen Morrow visits his family estate in the UK and becomes embroiled in a centuries-old mystery. Haunted by the ghosts of the past, Helen and her late husband's cousin, Paul, must work together to uncover the clues or they will find neither peace nor happiness.

Unfortunately, the slow pacing and poor execution undermine an otherwise excellent premise.

The dual mysteries with their shared wartime theme, the Napoleanic Wars and the Great War, are compelling. However, the inclusion of paranormal elements is unnecessary and actually detracts from the storyline as the characters are preoccupied with the ghosts rather than the investigation. Moreover, the ultimate explanations for both mysteries are rather lackluster. The culprit in the 19th-century case is obvious from the start and the revelations concerning Charlie's death are not nearly as dramatic as expected.

The romance between Helen and Paul also has potential; however, Paul's vacillations and Helen's willingness to marry another man put a damper on their relationship.

All in all, an OK read but not one of the best in the genre.… (plus d'informations)