A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder

May 24, 2010
Flint's promising first in a new series introduces portly Inspector Singh of the Singapore police. Singh's bosses send him to Kuala Lumpur to see that former model Chelsea Liew, a Singaporean accused of murdering her abusive Malaysian husband, timber tycoon Alan Lee, gets justice rather than summary execution. Singh has few leads, and an annoyingly fit, young, and handsome Sergeant Shukor of the Malaysian police hounds his steps, ostensibly to help—but really to spy on him. It is, on the face of it, an open and shut case. Chelsea had been suing for divorce and the custody of her children when Alan's lawyer announced that his client had converted to Islam and had declared his minor sons Muslim as well so that only the religious courts had jurisdiction over the custody hearing. At this point Chelsea threatened to kill Alan, who was found fatally shot soon after. Flint (Three Stars and other children's books) keeps the reader hooked right up to the unexpected resolution.

April 1, 2010
A retro sleuth attempts to save a femme fatale from being framed.

As former supermodel Chelsea Liew is being denied bail in a Kuala Lumpur courtroom, plus-sized Inspector Singh, having drawn the Singapore police department's short straw, rushes by plane and train to interrupt the trial. Singapore and Malaysia, both on the Malay peninsula, are rival nations with continually contentious relations. The Malaysian tabloids have virtually convicted Singapore-born Chelsea of the murder of wealthy ex-husband Alan Lee and provoked Singh's 11th-hour mission of justice on behalf of Chelsea's homeland. Malaysian police pronounce themselves"more than happy" to cooperate. Their passive aggression is trumped by Singh's abrasive single-mindedness. More distractions to be brushed away are Chelsea's incompetent Indian attorney and her own flair for the histrionic. Though Chelsea has some public sympathy, she also had a compelling motive: Alan, who had numerous affairs during their long marriage, was planning to seize custody of the couple's three children. At first, it looks as if the victim's brothers, elegant, hardworking Jasper and chronically overlooked half-caste Kian Min, will be obstacles in Singh's path. Then Jasper surprises everyone by confessing to the crime. This development should free Chelsea, so why does she declare him a liar? As the shrewd Singh continues to probe, all he finds are more plausible suspects.

The series kickoff (and adult-fiction debut) from prolific children's author Flint effectively captures the color and vigor but also the clichs of vintage whodunits.

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July 1, 2010
Inspector Singh of the Singapore police is sent to Kuala Lumpur to help investigate the murder of a man married to a citizen of Singapore. The wife is in jail accused of the killing. Working with the Malaysian police is a bit strained, but mutual respect and different methods that achieve the desired goal bring the two teams together. VERDICTA fascinating plot and an unexpected ending get this series debut off to a great start. Fans of Tarquin Hall's Vish Puri series and other international mysteries will want to check this one out. [Library marketing campaign.]

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2010
Flints adult debut is the first investigation by Inspector Singh of Singapore, and its a charming and solid mystery with an enticing international atmosphere. Notoriously difficult Inspector Singh is sent to Malaysia when a Singaporean citizen, former model Chelsea Leiw, is accused of her husbands murder. Since his superiors are glad to be rid of him, Singh is pretty much on his own in Malaysia, a country he considers to be dirty, foreign, and altogether too hotits impossible for him to keep his trademark white sneakers spotless, something that is never a problem in his ultraclean and rule-bound home country. Singh is so determined to find the real killer (and thereby free Chelsea, Singhs teenage crush) that after hes officially off the investigation, he stays on to pursue his own inquiries. Flint effectively builds the plot around contemporary political issuesthe logging industry and the efforts of environmentalists to regulate itbut the real appeal of her novel is Singh himself, whose timeless, idiosyncratic personality will draw all types of mystery readers. Try suggesting this to fans of H. R. F. Keatings Inspector Ghote novels.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)