The Mushroom Tree Mystery - (Crown Colony) by Ovidia Yu (Paperback)

About the Book

"The Allies have defeated Germany in Europe, but Japan refuses to surrender the East. In Singapore, amid rumours the Japanese occupiers are preparing to wipe out the population of the island rather than surrender, a young aide is found murdered beneath the termite mushroom tree in Hideki Tagawa's garden and his plans for a massive poison gas bomb are missing. To prevent any more destruction it falls to Su Lin to track down the real killer with the help of Hideki Tagawa's old nemesis, the charismatic shinto priest Yoshio Yoshimo"--

Book Synopsis

'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 Allies have defeated Germany in Europe, but Japan refuses to surrender the East.

In Singapore, amid rumours the Japanese occupiers are preparing to wipe out the population of the island rather than surrender, a young aide is found murdered beneath the termite mushroom tree in Hideki Tagawa's garden and his plans for a massive poison gas bomb are missing. To prevent any more destruction it falls to Su Lin to track down the real killer with the help of Hideki Tagawa's old nemesis, the charismatic shinto priest Yoshio Yoshimo.

________________
Praise for The Mushroom Tree Mystery

'Beautifully written. . . effortless storytelling and sensitive character development make this a must-read novel for 2022' The Courier

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

From the Back Cover

The war is over for some, but in the East annihilation threatens the lives of thousands...

The Allies have won the war in Europe but Su Lin, now caring for old blind Professor Kutsuki, sees ominous signs that the Japanese occupiers mean to wipe out the population of Singapore rather than surrender to the enemy.

When a young aide is found dead by the mushroom trees at the professor's house, and top secret communications go missing, stolen by 'a Chinese girl with a limp' even Su Lin's Japanese cousin Mrs Maki accuses her of being the thief and traitor. The handsome Yoshio Yoshimoto defending her only makes things worse for Su Lin, especially when a jealous rival is the next to die.

As the cloud of destruction looms, Su Lin races against time to recover secrets long buried in the mulch of the mushroom trees.

Praise for Ovidia Yu:

'One of Singapore's finest living authors' South China Morning Post

'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

'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

About the Author

Ovidia Yu is one of Singapore's best-known and most acclaimed writers. She has had over thirty plays produced and is the author of a number of comic mysteries published in Singapore, India, Japan and America.

She received a Fulbright to the University of Iowa's International Writers Program and has been a writing fellow at the National University of Singapore and was awarded the S.E.A. Write Award for Singapore.