The Devil To Pay

by C.M. Woon

Set in the period just before the Fall of Singapore, this story unfolds in a time of great uncertainty, as news of an impending Japanese invasion looms. Dennis Chiang returns as the young and eager lawyer at d’Almeida’s law firm. But little does he know that his life would soon become a lot more exciting – and dangerous. Roped in by the British Special Branch as an undercover operative to weed out Japanese agents subverting and undermining the morale of an Indian Army garrison sent to defend Malaya, Dennis finds himself going from criminal lawyer in a courtroom to an adept and rugged spy in the jungles of Malaya. This fast-paced and absorbing tale of adventure and espionage will get you hooked from the get-go.

324 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2013

Reviews

[Evangeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second book in Walter Woon's trilogy. With the onset of WWII, Dennis' life undergoes a shift - from lawyering to spying for the British. The gradual phasing out of the legal element reflects the displacement that many face during a war, and serves as a reminder of how disruptive war can be. The story also effectively portrays the undying faith that people had in the British to defend Singapore, and how that was crushed. It brought across the racism and underlying social tensions, and helped me understand why locals and the British believed that Singapore was an impregnable fortress.