A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder (Inspector Singh Investigates #1)

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A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder (Inspector Singh Investigates #1)

by Shamini Flint (Goodreads Author)

3.42 of 5 stars 3.42 · rating details · 507 ratings · 117 reviews

Inspector Singh is in a bad mood. He's been sent from his home in Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to solve a murder that has him stumped. Chelsea Liew - the famous Singaporean model - is on death row for the murder of her ex-husband. She swears she didn't do it, he thinks she didn't do it, but no matter how hard he tries to get to the bottom of things, he still arrives back at t...more

Paperback, 295 pages

Published 2009 by Piatkus

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Apr 10, 2013 Cleffairy rated it 4 of 5 stars

First of all, I have to say that I find it difficult to start this book, because the first chapter was very descriptive, horrifying and not to mention absolutely morbid. I could barely stop myself from retching when I read the first chapter of Inspector Singh Investigates: A Deadly Cambodian Crime Spree. Ms. Flint did a very good job with the opening salvo.

The opening salvo was too good, in fact that it almost scares me from reading further. But as I flip the pages, I found that it’s not all mor...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Remi rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Inspector Singh Investigates" is a series of murder-mystery novels by Shamini Flint which, I have to say, have kept my interest several books on. I picked up this first book in the series (each book places the lead character in a different country--so far all in Asia) without much hope for even finishing it. But I did. And then bought the 2nd and 3rd novels in the series. So far there are 5 and I will definitely be picking up the rest at some point.

Inspector Singh is a detective in Singapore's...more "Inspector Singh Investigates" is a series of murder-mystery novels by Shamini Flint which, I have to say, have kept my interest several books on. I picked up this first book in the series (each book places the lead character in a different country--so far all in Asia) without much hope for even finishing it. But I did. And then bought the 2nd and 3rd novels in the series. So far there are 5 and I will definitely be picking up the rest at some point.

Inspector Singh is a detective in Singapore's police force. He is short, fat, drinks on duty, and wears a big crown of a turban on his head. Definitely not cookie-cutter detective material. But it works. He is good at his job and I enjoy reading about him solving his crimes.

Singh is first send to Kuala Lumpur to help out but soon gets deep into the case with mixed emotions from the Malaysian police force. A wealthy Chinese-Malaysian tycoon (Alan) is found shot at point blank range and his ex-wife, the former model Chelsea, has practically been deemed the murderer by the local police and media before much of an investigation gets underway. This, naturally sets the stage for conflict between Singh and the Malaysia police when he begins to dig around, not find too much at first, but still insist (without much evidence) that Chelsea is innocent. But the way Shamini Flint deals with this conflict between local and foreign police was not heavy-handed. I enjoyed reading about the dynamics between Singh and Inspector Mohammad.

I didn't like Chelsea's character at first but I figured this was just a way to get the reader to doubt Singh, setting it up for when he eventually pulls up enough evidence to find her innocent. I'm not going to say whether that happens or not, but I will say that Shamini Flint does a good job of making the reader change their minds about who the guilty party is actually.

There are a number of issues brought up in the novel that are significant problems in Malaysia today--most of which are officially considered non-issues by government threats unfortunately. The timber industry in Borneo plays a role in this story. I liked that part and could imagine reading a novel on that side story alone.

Central to the case is religion. Alan and Chelsea had been preparing for a big divorce settlement. But Alan wanted the kids. So he did what he felt he had to do and convert to Islam. How is that relevant to a custody battle you may ask? Only in Malaysia, it seems. The civil divorce case then proceeded to the Islamic courts which be default would award custody of their children to the Muslim parent (as doubting a new convert's intentions for converting in the first place, even if it is obvious, is illegal). Unless Chelsea was unwilling to convert, she would lose the case. This says a lot about the state of due process of law in Malaysia, but that is for another forum altogether. Still, I was riveted by this plot twist.

Recommended for readers who are interested in social issues in Malaysia and of course for anyone who likes reading about nontraditional police procedurals. Not recommended to readers who need for the story to follow their own understanding of the world (this book may anger you)!
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Jan 15, 2013 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the first book I've read about Inspector Singh, and I enjoyed it enough to read more. Strangely enough for a book titled "Inspector Singh investigates..." It wasn't really about him that much.

inspector Singh appears to be a maverick police officer in Singapore. Overweight, a smoker, and with many years of experience to flesh out his intuition. A lot of this was told rather than shown, which was a weakness I the book. The plot revolves around the murder of a wealthy and influential Malays...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Lizzie Hayes rated it 5 of 5 stars

‘Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder’ by Shamini Flint
Published by Piatkus, January 2009. ISBN: 978-0-7499-2975-6

This is the first book in a new series featuring an Inspector in the Singapore police force. Inspector Singh is a first glance not a prepossessing character – he is of large girth, I think the description is ‘fleshy’. A heavy smoker - his breathing always sounds strained, and we gather he is not a particularly snappy dresser. We meet Inspector Singh wedged i...more ‘Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder’ by Shamini Flint
Published by Piatkus, January 2009. ISBN: 978-0-7499-2975-6

This is the first book in a new series featuring an Inspector in the Singapore police force. Inspector Singh is a first glance not a prepossessing character – he is of large girth, I think the description is ‘fleshy’. A heavy smoker - his breathing always sounds strained, and we gather he is not a particularly snappy dresser. We meet Inspector Singh wedged in a plastic seat at Changi Airport. He had just that morning read in the newspaper of the murder of Alan Lee and felt sorry for the policeman who would be charged with the task of finding the murderer; he is even sorrier now that he has learnt that, that policeman is himself.

Although the murder of Alan Lee was in Malaysia, his accused wife, Chelsea Liew, is a Singapore citizen. Inspector Singh knows that he has been passed the poisoned chalice. His hostile reception by the Malaysian police is no surprise. He is assigned an assistant or rather, as Singh suspects, a spy.

He begins his investigation by interviewing Chelsea Liew and is not wholly convinced of her guilt. Despite Inspector Mohammad’s assertion that they have an open and shut case, Singh begins to dig. His method is to listen, and he reminded me in his approach of Inspector Gamache in the Louise Penny books.

Chelsea Liew’s main consideration is her children. Prior to the murder she and her husband have been locked in a custody battle, and now he is dead and she is potentially on death row for his murder, things look bleak. As Singh investigates he discovers several possible suspects for the killing of Alan Lee – not a popular man by all accounts.

There are many twists in the story, which draw on the background of its setting. I learnt a good deal about the relationship of Malaysia and Singapore. I alluded initially to Inspector Singh being of unprepossessing visage but he grows on one. He is a wonderful character, his intellect cleverly belied by his appearance.

This is a marvellous book. I enjoyed it enormously and cannot recommend it too highly. The writing is good, the characters clearly defined, and Inspector Singh a terrific character. I also loved the humour which is subtle and in many ways endearing. I understand that a second book is to be issued later this year. I will be first in line for it.
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Lizzie Hayes
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Oct 13, 2011 Jane Debano rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shamani Flint is a Cambridge Law grad who wrote her first novel about a Sikh police inspector named Singh. He’s fat, sweaty and unpopular with his superiors in Singapore. He is sent to Kuala Lumpur to investigate the murder charges against a popular model from Singapore accused of killing her Chinese husband. The wife, Chelsea Liew, was a teenage crush of the Inspector’s. The husband, Alan Lee, was a very wealthy timber baron and a wife beater, who womanized while his youngest brother ran the Co...more Shamani Flint is a Cambridge Law grad who wrote her first novel about a Sikh police inspector named Singh. He’s fat, sweaty and unpopular with his superiors in Singapore. He is sent to Kuala Lumpur to investigate the murder charges against a popular model from Singapore accused of killing her Chinese husband. The wife, Chelsea Liew, was a teenage crush of the Inspector’s. The husband, Alan Lee, was a very wealthy timber baron and a wife beater, who womanized while his youngest brother ran the Company and his older brother walked away from the business and campaigned against the environmental rape of the rich Malaysian forests. Singh gets grudging cooperation from local Insp. Mohammed and is assigned Sgt. Shukor to make sure he doesn’t get into any trouble. Singh is convinced of Chelsea’s innocence but the case against her looks bad. Not only did her husband abuse her, but he recently converted to Islam, and under Sharia law minor children belong to the Islamic parent, even after death. Chelsea had threatened to kill him to keep her kids away from him.
Chelsea is eventually released due to the confession of the oldest brother Jasper. Singh doesn’t believe in his guilt either. He turns to the details of Alan’s life to find the real murderer. Alan’s newest mistress turns out to be the old girlfriend of his oldest son, who is seen arguing with his father on surveillance tape. Then there is the ecologist whose native wife and unborn child were murdered by thugs employed by the timber company. Singh has to overcome his disgust for the hot, dirty, teeming streets of the city, so different from his home in squeaky-clean Singapore, as well as try to convince his minder, Sgt. Shukor and his boss Insp. Mohammed, that there are many different avenues to explore. Initially resentful of this stranger in their midst, they eventually become allies in the search for the truth.
There is a lot of humor in this book, mostly inadvertent, as Singh bumbles his way along in his search for the truth. This is the first in a series of travelogue mysteries for Singh, since his superiors try to keep him away from Singapore as much as possible. I have already put a hold on the next mystery, set in Bali. I can’t wait to see what Inspector Singh comes up against next.
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Oct 03, 2011 Bettina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime

Inspector Flint verlässt Singapur in beruflicher Mission: Die Singapurianerin Chelsea Liew ist in Malaysia des Mordes an ihrem Ehemann angeklagt und Singh soll nun sicherstellen, dass Liew einen fairen Prozess im Nachbaarstaat bekommt. Ein Einsatz, der eigentlich ein Witz ist, weil Singh außerhalb seines Einflussbereichs tätig sein wird und in Wirklichkeit wohl nicht viel ausrichten könnte. Aber den Vorgesetzten ist alles Recht, was Singh zu einer frühzeitigen Pensionierung veranlassen könnte. D...more Inspector Flint verlässt Singapur in beruflicher Mission: Die Singapurianerin Chelsea Liew ist in Malaysia des Mordes an ihrem Ehemann angeklagt und Singh soll nun sicherstellen, dass Liew einen fairen Prozess im Nachbaarstaat bekommt. Ein Einsatz, der eigentlich ein Witz ist, weil Singh außerhalb seines Einflussbereichs tätig sein wird und in Wirklichkeit wohl nicht viel ausrichten könnte. Aber den Vorgesetzten ist alles Recht, was Singh zu einer frühzeitigen Pensionierung veranlassen könnte. Der Inspector nimmt seine Aufgabe wider Erwarten Ernst und schlägt quer, als er Liews Unschuldsbeteuerungen glaubt und nach anderen Verdächtigen fragt.

In diesem Fall war ich mal wieder dem Projekt "Literarische Weltreise" dankbar, für das ich dieses Buch zu Malaysia entdeckt habe. Der dicke Stempel "Mängelexemplar" ziert den Buchschnitt, aber das bezieht sich definitiv nur auf Äußerlichkeiten. Für den Inhalt gilt es keineswegs. Shamini Flint hat einen interessanten Außenseiter der Singapurianischen Polizei entworfen, bei dem ich allerdings nicht ganz nachvollziehen kann, wieso er in Ungnade gefallen ist. Zu hartnäckig? Zu wenig bestechlich? Zu ehrlich? Möglicherweise ist es das, denn diskrete Umschläge scheinen öfter bei Mitarbeitern in Behörden einzutrudeln. Ein Teil der Umschläge kommt regelmäßig von Lee Timbers, dem Unternehmen, das der ermordete Alan Lee geführt hat. Die Abholzungen der Firma sind dank der "finanziellen Kooperation" mit den Behörden nie als illegal aufgefallen. Aber hat das mit dem Mord zu tun, wenn die Exfrau auf Grund eines schmutzigen Sorgerechtsstreits sehr viel mehr Grund hatte, ihrem Mann den Tod zu wünschen?

Was mir an dem Buch auf Anhieb gefallen hat, war der sehr angenehmen Erzählstil, den Antoinette Gittinger aus dem Englischen geholt hat. Dazu brauchte es nur wenige Seiten, um mich zu überzeugen. Hinzu kommt die lebhafte Schilderung der kulturellen, politischen und religiösen Vielfalt in der Region. Hin und wieder kollidieren die Lebensentwürfe. Das beginnt damit, dass Singh in Malaysia sich automatisch nur in die Nesseln setzen kann, wenn er auf fremdem Terrain ermittelt und endet mit perfiden Tricks, um in Scheidungsangelegenheiten den Expartner hinterhältig in die Pfanne zu hauen. Verschiedene Rechtssysteme, die nebeneinander gelten, machen es möglich. Gut, dass Singh in seinem malaysischen Kollegen Mitstreiter findet, die merken, dass Chelsea Liew zwar die einfachste Wahl, aber womöglich nicht die richtige war.

Mit Inspector Singh war ich nicht das letzte Mal in Südostasien unterwegs. Was mich sehr neugierig auf weitere Fälle macht, ist, dass die kommenden Bücher alle in einem jeweils anderen Land spielen werden. Sampai jumpa, Inspector Singh - bis bald!

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Sep 17, 2011 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Inspector Singh is not having a good day. A police officer in Singapore, he's been sent to supervise a murder investigation in Malaysia, and is only there because the accused is a Singaporean citizen. He understands going into things that he's going to be extremely unwelcome and expects to kind of get stonewalled; he doesn't expect things to turn out the way that the do.

Part of the problem is the nature of the case at hand. The accused is former supermodel Chelsea Liew, who's accused of shooting...more Inspector Singh is not having a good day. A police officer in Singapore, he's been sent to supervise a murder investigation in Malaysia, and is only there because the accused is a Singaporean citizen. He understands going into things that he's going to be extremely unwelcome and expects to kind of get stonewalled; he doesn't expect things to turn out the way that the do.

Part of the problem is the nature of the case at hand. The accused is former supermodel Chelsea Liew, who's accused of shooting her estranged husband as the sad resolution of a custody battle. Chelsea is definitely in a pickle; she stands out as the obvious suspect to the police and despite the fact that her late husband was a weasel of the first order in every possible respect and nobody cares that he's gone, she still faces execution if convicted of murder.

Singh figures out pretty quickly that Chelsea isn't the killer, and finds in this case a reason to get his investigative juices flowing, so to speak. It isn't a spoiler to say that Singh exonerates Chelsea fairly easily, however, once that's happened, his job is technically done. Singh stays on in Malaysia to investigate the crime unofficially, and it's from there that the story really takes off.

Singh isn't a typical detective. He's been on the job a long time, which has made him a little bit jaded and a pain in the butt to his superiors, who'd really like him to retire, or at least go away. He chain smokes like crazy. He finds himself terribly bothered by everyday things. And yet, through it all, he's phenomenally good at his job, and he enjoys having a chance to prove that, at least to himself. Investigating who really killed Chelsea's philandering almost-ex-husband takes him down many paths, and they all seem to lead back to within the family itself. Who's a victim and who's a criminal? Can they be both?

This is another situation where I'm happy that there are other books in the series currently in publication, as the waiting factor that always seems to plague me isn't an issue! With winter just around the corner I'll be looking for excellent mysteries to have on hand for snow days, and this series definitely fits the bill.

Overall Grade: A(less)

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Sep 07, 2011 LJ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: asia, cozy, female_author, malaysia, mystery, mysterybookclub, police_procedural

First Sentence: The accused, Chelsea Liew, was in court.

Inspector Singh has been sent from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to investigate the case of a former model, Chelsea Liew, accused of murdering her ex-husband. Involved in a bitter dispute over the custody of their children, Chelsea, in court, threatened to kill her ex, and was the obvious suspect after his being shot. In spite of the evidence, Singh is less certain of her guilt and, working with Inspector Mohammad, dedicates himself to finding...more First Sentence: The accused, Chelsea Liew, was in court.

Inspector Singh has been sent from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to investigate the case of a former model, Chelsea Liew, accused of murdering her ex-husband. Involved in a bitter dispute over the custody of their children, Chelsea, in court, threatened to kill her ex, and was the obvious suspect after his being shot. In spite of the evidence, Singh is less certain of her guilt and, working with Inspector Mohammad, dedicates himself to finding the truth.

In many ways, this book is similar to THE GUILTY PLEA by Robert Rotenberg, also reviewed this month, but this is such a better book, mainly due to the author’s voice and construct of characters.

One really can’t help but like Insp. Singh. From the very beginning, one is taken in by his delightfully pragmatic approach and view. He not only wins over those around him, but the reader as well. By his side, we are provided with Inspector Mohammad, who quotes Shakespeare when he’s angry. It is a winning combination, indeed.

Flint’s writing and observations are wonderful. The story deals with the conflicts between Malaysia and Singapore with the author citing a broader view that…”there was absolutely no possibility of a successful resolution to the case he had just been handed. There never was when religion trumped rational behavior and politics influenced police work.” “Programmed randomness struck him as an oxymoron.” She also makes some solid observations about greed and humanity being out of sync with nature.

The story provides an interesting look at Sikh life and customs. Flint masterfully conveys the impact and emotions of the case through the true victims—the children. You also sense the frustration of the police in a case with several suspects for no definitive evidence toward any of them.

“A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder” is extremely well plotted with a very good ending and wonderful characters; particularly Singh who impacts the lives of those around him. I, for one, cannot wait to read more of this series.

INSPECTOR SINGH INVESTIGATES: A MOST PECULIAR MALAYSIAN MURDER (Pol Proc-Ins. Singh-Kuala Lumpur-Cont) – Ex
Flint, Shamini – 1st in series
Minotaur Books – 2008, US Hardcover – 9780312596972
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Aug 11, 2011 Barbara Mitchell rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cathy of the Kittling:Books blog has been writing about Inspector Singh books for a while now and her reviews were so funny I just had to try one. I borrowed this one from the library. It turns out Cathy is right; I'm going to look for the rest of the series now.

Inspector Singh is a police detective in Singapore. For this case he has been sent to Kuala Lumpur to investigate the case of a former model from Singapore who has been accused of killing her ex-husband. Since Singh is obese and unused t...more Cathy of the Kittling:Books blog has been writing about Inspector Singh books for a while now and her reviews were so funny I just had to try one. I borrowed this one from the library. It turns out Cathy is right; I'm going to look for the rest of the series now.

Inspector Singh is a police detective in Singapore. For this case he has been sent to Kuala Lumpur to investigate the case of a former model from Singapore who has been accused of killing her ex-husband. Since Singh is obese and unused to Kuala Lumpur, he sweats, gets his shiny shoes dusty, unwillingly visits his gossipy sister, faces down the opposition of the local police force to his intrusion, and resents his minder.

The victim, Alan Lee, was the president of a huge logging company which has been clear-cutting in Borneo and causing all kinds of violent trouble for the people and animals on that island. Lee was a wife beater, and cheated on his gorgeous wife frequently as he enjoyed his money and let his youngest brother run the company. The middle brother, Jasper, is an ecologist investigating his younger brother's misuse of power. Meanwhile, the victim's wife had divorced him but was in danger of losing her children because Alan Lee had converted to Islam before he died and the Islamic Court would probably rule against letting the children be raised by a non-Moslem woman.

Now all this is very serious stuff, but Singh is unconsciously hilarious. The contrast between him and the others on the case is, as author Shamini Flint writes, "Mohammad led the way, walking with long-limbed elegance. Shukor padded silently in his wake, Singh lumbered after them. A study in physical contrasts, they looked like a procession that was not just walking along a corridor but up the evolutionary chain as well."

Flint is a writer with a light touch but her characters are drawn swiftly and precisely. I also enjoyed the descriptions of Kuala Lumpur, especially when Singh got lost in the city. You think of a sharp detective as a man who can chase suspects, is an excellent shot, yet cerebral. Singh is anything but this kind of detective but he surely gets the job done. He's a great character and I liked this book very much.(less)

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Jul 07, 2011 Zeborah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, poc-authors, women-authors, 2011

I'm not really a mystery fan, so I don't know if the genre is as white-English-village as it's stereotyped to be, but if so this makes a great change.

It wasn't however unproblematic. Islam is, though not evil, certainly a major antagonistic force in this story. We briefly encounter a nomadic tribe in Borneo whose nobly pacific ways are under threat by evil Big Commerce, and who are championed by a white guy gone native, not to even the whole avenging-the-dead-wife-and-son motif. And... I think t...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Alan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-abroad, 2013

I have mixed feelings about this one... "A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder" was a fairly easy read about Kuala Lumpur, Muslim Family Law, Pop Culture, Environmentalism and a little bit of Murder. Don't let the title mislead you; this book does not really have very much to do with the murder or the title character, Inspector Singh. There are a lot of other things going on, maybe too many, because the end result is a little unsatisfying and shallow.

Don't get me wrong. I liked a lot of the elements...more I have mixed feelings about this one... "A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder" was a fairly easy read about Kuala Lumpur, Muslim Family Law, Pop Culture, Environmentalism and a little bit of Murder. Don't let the title mislead you; this book does not really have very much to do with the murder or the title character, Inspector Singh. There are a lot of other things going on, maybe too many, because the end result is a little unsatisfying and shallow.

Don't get me wrong. I liked a lot of the elements and ideas, but none of them ever seemed to reach their full potential. The story jumps around a lot between the characters, so it's hard to get attached to any of them or the things that they care about. Inspector Singh is an interesting protagonist, and if Shamini Flint had focused on him more then the reader might not have felt so adrift.

Unfortunately, this is the major problem with the story. The murder of Alan Lee is not at all peculiar. It's pretty straight forward and unimpressive. There are hardly any clues to be found, and if the police are so easily baffled, what chance does the reader have? There's nothing to go on. With some twenty pages to go, you might want to pick a suspect at random, because it feels like that's what the author did too.

Lastly, I feel as though my lack of knowledge about Malaysia and Singapore tainted my reading. I'd like to continue with the series to see how it develops, but knowing that each novel is set in a different Asian country, I do worry that this will be a recurring problem. I felt like a tourist - a lazy one - and I don't feel like I've learned anything about the Malaysian people or culture by reading this book.

I wouldn't recommend this novel because I don't think it was anything special. It didn't feel exotic, and it wasn't particularly exciting. I enjoyed reading it, I guess, but it never really grabbed me. That said, I would love to discuss some of the themes with people - the Muslim Family Law in particular - because I thought that was pretty interesting.(less)

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Jan 16, 2011 Alexa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-2011-total-books-read-cha, 666-challege-bookcrossing

I wanted this series to be the male Number One Ladies' Detective Agency, but other than both protagonists being of "traditional build", and both mysteries taking place in unusual- to-many -Western readers--locales (Botswana, Malaysia), the two mysteries bear few similarities. I was drawn to this book originally as a major Precious Ramotswe fan, but found nothing particularly charming or endearing about the sweaty, uninspired Detective Singh. The only things which held my interest were the settin...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Martha Bullen rated it 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to enjoy this book. I picked it up because the back cover copy said it will appeal to fans of two of my favorite mystery series, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri books set in Laos.

Sadly, I found this novel derivative and disappointing. The premise is that a "portly detective" from Singapore is sent to Malaysia to look into a high-profile murder involving a Singapore citizen. A former beauty queen was accused of killing her wealthy and abusive husband.

I fo...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Biogeek rated it 2 of 5 stars

The first in the Inspector Singh series of investigations across South East Asia, this one did not grab me as quickly as the others. While the case, beautiful Chelsea Liew is accused of murdering her amoral, philandering, abusive and faith-swapping husband, has all the ingredients of a good murder mystery, Flint spends far too much time on what seems to be a pet obsession; how Singaporeans differ from all their neighbors, in this case Malaysians. The early pages that should have been page-turner...more

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Feb 15, 2011 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

In my quest to "visit" as many countries as possible this year through reading, I discovered this mystery series set in Malaysia, and staring Inspector Singh - sent to KL from Singapore to solve the murder of a wealthy businessman. The obvious suspect is the man's wife, but Singh feels immediately that she could not have accomplished the deed. When the dead man's brother confesses to the crime under suspicious circumstances, the Malaysian police think their case is closed, but Singh has other id...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Ann Giammona rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, on-my-shelf, fiction

An entirely satisfying murder mystery. This well plotted police procedural had me revising my theory of whodunit multiple times, but its biggest attraction is the window it provides on a society and culture I may never get to see first hand.

The book introduces Inspector Singh of the Singapore Police Force on assignment in Kuala Lumpur, Malayasia to ensure that Chelsea Liew, a Singaporean citizen who has been arrested for the murder of her wealthy Malaysian husband, is treated fairly by the Mala...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Socrates Chinniah rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Travellers

A companion for a short trip .

When i picked up the book , the title intrigued me to think about the book to be either a sherlock holmes type or Inspector Jacques clousaeu of Pink panther , but Inspector singh was not a hint of both. Singh is a maverick in the Singapore police force whom the colleagues like to see him out of the department for reasons best known to them.
The Story was not fast paced or with loads of surprise elements , the pace of the story remained steady throughout. The story...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Kathy Chung rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, malaysia, asian

reviewed at : Mama Kucing Books : Inspector Singh Investigates : A Most Particular Malaysian Murder by Shamini Flint

I love this book. Shamini seems to managed to touch a few controversial issue. Like what happen if conversion to Muslim is fake, what happen to the death body of the so call convert, the "harta pusaka", wife beating, environmental issue and a few others.

The only thing I don't like is the misplaced usage of the word "lah" in this book. She doesn't seems to get the hang of how the w...more

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May 23, 2012 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, asia

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 03, 2011 Tyson Adams rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really do enjoy a good mystery novel. They can make do without the sex and violence of normal crime or thriller stories and yet still keep you intrigued. Shamini did have a good reason for eschewing sex and violence, her mother edits it all out. Fortunately she left the humour and intrigue in.

This is my first Shamini Flint novel, and features the fat Indian Inspector for Singapore, Inspector Singh. Singh is the atypical hero, someone you would prefer not to know. Yet you find yourself wanting...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Lachlan rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: a-shelf-of-crime

Thin on character, plot, mood, emotion. I wanted this book to be great, but it wasn't, so I hoped it would be good, and it wasn't.

I should have stopped reading at page 15 where Inspector Singh meets the Malaysian policeman Inspector Mohammad. "Thank you for coming down to help us poor Malaysians stumbling around in the dark on this case." says Mohammad. From this statement Singh concludes Inspector Mohammad's "..hostility was going to be subtle". Why would he think it was going to be subtle base...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: asian, crime, review-books

Think Hercule Poirot in a Sikh turban and the tropical heat of Kuala Lumpur, but add a hefty dose of rumpled Columbo and I think that's the best description of Inspector Singh of the Singapore police that I can come up with. A MOST PECULIAR MALAYSIAN MURDER is the first in this series from Singapore based author Shamini Flint.

This book is definitely on the lighter side of crime fiction, I'll have to read the next couple that I have here to be able to say if that's an ongoing characteristic, but...more Think Hercule Poirot in a Sikh turban and the tropical heat of Kuala Lumpur, but add a hefty dose of rumpled Columbo and I think that's the best description of Inspector Singh of the Singapore police that I can come up with. A MOST PECULIAR MALAYSIAN MURDER is the first in this series from Singapore based author Shamini Flint.

This book is definitely on the lighter side of crime fiction, I'll have to read the next couple that I have here to be able to say if that's an ongoing characteristic, but I'm guessing it's probably exactly where the books are heading. Whilst there is a shooting murder in this book, it happens off-page, there's very little in the way of rushing around on the part of the main protagonist and whilst there is always the threat of the death penalty hanging over the chief suspect, there's a sense that Inspector Singh will, of course, save the day. Which he does with a hefty dose of gentle humour, quite questioning, observation and just enough prodding of various sore points. Or at least he sort of does. But more on plot later. It seems a more than reasonable expectation that the personality of the main character is going to inform each of his future investigations, and whilst Singh takes his job seriously, he's very much set up to be a "character".

Of course a debut book in a series has to be read with that in mind, and A MOST PECULIAR MALAYSIAN MURDER is an unusual book in that Inspector Singh isn't so much "investigating the crime" as checking that another authority have got it right. He's not in his usual territory and must rely on some local support (and use some indifference from the local authorities as a spur to proceed). There's a few sub-themes working their way through the book - with the chief suspect fighting the Syariah courts for custody of her children, a battle for control of the family company, and a tribe of native people's being butchered, all of which are pulled together at the end of the book with some hefty reeling in of the various lines. It's not too hard to work out that these threads are all going to coincide, and therefore have some idea of where the resolution is coming from, but there are precious few clues for the reader to work with. Really there's less of a solving and more of a revealing going on, and because of that I doubt it's going to be a very satisfactory ending for fans of guessing the culprit before the author reveals all.

As the start of a new series of rumpled, "character" type detectives, I thought A MOST PECULIAR MALAYSIAN MURDER was a good, light, fun read, introducing a new protagonist who really seems to have some potential. In future books I really hope he hits his stride, embraces his inner grumpy old man and gets to grips with his surroundings. I'm also hoping that the next books have a little more leeway to introduce the world that Inspector Singh inhabits, as this first book did seem to have it's hands full introducing him.
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Sep 21, 2011 HKd rated it 1 of 5 stars

I came to this book wanting to like it but sadly had to give up on it after a few chapters.

First of all, there was the look of it. Page after page of dense text with little white space is visually unappealling and really puts me off. Beyond that the writing was dull and uninspiring, way too much expositions and the characters cliched and all too frequently slipped over the edge into racial stereotypes. Inspector Singh was, I think supposed to be endearing in a Mma Ramostwe kind of way, but the...more

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Jul 22, 2010 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-asia

When beautiful Singaporean model Chelsea marries wealthy Malaysian businessman Alan Lee, it seems like a fairy tale come true. But twenty years and three children later, the couple is divorced amid allegations of adultery and abuse. The custody fight ends with Lee shot to death and Chelsea arrested. Inspector Singh comes to Kuala Lumpur to make sure that Chelsea's rights are respected, since Singapore public opinion backs her. Singh is unpopular in tidy, regulated Singapore, but he's good at sol...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Teruna Wangi rated it 3 of 5 stars

The first 4/5 of the book got me totally hooked and I just couldn't put it down.

As a Malaysian, I could sense from the beginning that Shamini might be someone who is fond of Singapore based on the way she describes Kuala Lumpur in relation to Singapore.

However, her descriptions of how Kuala Lumpur is a city is very accurate though not that pleasing.

I read this book right after I finished Water for Elephant. It seems like an easy read to me to me compared to Water for Elephant.

In total, I enjoy t...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Elya Liyaya rated it 3 of 5 stars

i like it.. the real killer are little unexpected cos i thought of someone else along the way.. i like it the way i read it from foreigner perspective about what he thought of Malaysia.. i also love the part which i can understand more about civil and syarie case and about lawyers in Malaysia from both aspect.. i feel sorry for Chelsea.. what happen to her in this story are what we Malay call ' Sudah jatuh ditimpa tangga pula'.. anyways it's a good story..

P.s:the cooperation between the three po...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Indika De Silva rated it 4 of 5 stars

The character of Inspector Singh(who is an interesting grumpy, fat and annoyed Sikh) is first introduced in the following book; which is the first book of a series of 5 books.

A majority of the story takes place in KL Malaysia. The sights and sounds of this fascinating city has been carefully observed by the author.

The story is does not fall in the traditional whodunit category. The detective does not gather everyone in the last few chapters nor traps the killer with an elaborate scheme. However...more

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Sep 06, 2010 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

A good, solid mystery with fantastic descriptions of Malaysian bureaucracy; civil and religious courts; and unethical/murderous logging business practices. The Inspector is an endearing character, and the supporting characters are sympathetically portrayed. When it comes to character descriptions,however, Flint is either lazy or careless--Singh's obesity and excessive sweating is mentioned about 100 more times than is necessary. Perhaps Flint was still adapting to the idea of adult readers, who...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, fiction

This was just a nice little escape of a mystery. Nothing wonderful, nothing terrible. The protagonist, Inspector Singh, from Singapore but on assignment in Malaysia, seems to have the capability of being more interesting if we get to know him better in future books. And I didn't figure everything out until the very end, which is always good.

I didn't like how quickly the author jumped back and forth among scenes, making it a bit hard to keep track of what was going on with all the characters, but...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Gita rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Indians, Malaysians, Singaporeans, Asians, anyone who loves crime fiction

Shelves: crime

Inspector Singh's visit to Malaysia took me on a nostalgia trip. Although a sentence from the book has been credited with being possibly the worst sentence ever, the author has the talent to bring to life the characters and the settings.
I, for one, am delighted, as a non-European brought up exclusively with English as "mother tongue, to find a more culturally appropriate alternative to my favourite genre (Crime Fiction).
For years I've had to satisfy my cravings for this genre with European autho...more

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About Shamini Flint

Shamini Flint lives in Singapore with her husband and two children. She began her career in law in Malaysia and also worked at an international law firm in Singapore. She travelled extensively around Asia for her work, before resigning to be a stay-at-home mum, writer, part-time lecturer and environmental activist, all in an effort to make up for her 'evil' past as a corporate lawyer!

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Books by Shamini Flint

A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul (Inspector Singh Investigates #2)

The Singapore School of Villainy (Inspector Singh Investigates #3)

A Deadly Cambodian Crime Spree (Inspector Singh Investigates #4)

A Curious Indian Cadaver (Inspector Singh Investigates #5)

The Seeds Of Time (The Animal Talkers, #1)

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“Kuala Lumpur had a certain something… There was a sense of freedom perhaps, of anarchy even, that Singapore so sorely lacked. Perhaps it was the lack of deference to authority, the physical space, the ability to take a step back and enjoy a moment of quite that lent Kuala Lumpur its atmosphere. Singaporeans were always adding to the list of reasons each one kept to hand, in case they met a Malaysian, of why it was so much better on the island than the peninsula. They ranged from law and order to cleanliness, from clean government to good schools, and always ended on the strength of the Singaporean economy. But in the end, the Malaysian would nod as if to agree to the points made – and then shrug to indicate that they probably wouldn’t trade passports, not really. And if pressed for a reason they would fall back on that old chestnut which somehow seemed to capture everything that was wrong about Singapore – but your government bans chewing gum. The nanny state and the police state all rolled into one.” — 3 people liked it

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A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder (Inspector Singh Investigates #1)

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