Incredible book with a unique storyline and wonderful characters. I liked that Harriet was a woman ahead of her time and was an excellent solver.

I have had this book on my TBR shelf for A WHILE now. I randomly picked it up at a used bookstore forever ago and thought it sounded good. I liked that it was set in a different location than I was used to reading and perhaps might have a hint of adventure in ways that I haven’t experienced before in some ‘far east’ mystery books.

But like so many readers, I took it home and set it down on my bookshelf for another day. Every time I would go looking for something to read, I would pause at the title but then keep going in favor of another lady detective novel where I had known and loved already instead of picking up someone new. But then I was sitting at my sister in law’s house in Arizona desperate for something new to read and for some reason this book popped up on my Kindle App as recommended reading.

Not wanting to spend money on a dud, I downloaded a sample and it was clear from the very beginning that after three chapters I desperately needed the full book—-and the next three books in the series! I will admit that at first I was intimidated by the ‘glossary’ and cast of characters listed at the beginning. I was unfamiliar with many of the words and there seemed to be a lot of characters but I am glad I didn’t let that throw me off and instead it enriched the story for me!

Summary
Harriet Gordon stumbles into a murderous web of stolen gems and cutthroat thieves as she runs from her tragic past in an enthralling new historical mystery series set in early twentieth century Singapore.

Singapore 1910–Desperate for a fresh start and to distance herself from her tragic past, Harriet Gordon finds herself in Singapore at the height of colonial rule. Hoping to gain some financial independence, she advertises her services as a personal secretary. It is unfortunate that she should discover her first client, Sir Oswald Newbold–explorer, mine magnate and president of the exclusive Explorers and Geographers’ Club–dead with a knife in his throat.

When Inspector Robert Curran is put on the case, he realizes that he has an unusual witness in Harriet. Harriet’s keen eye for detail and strong sense of duty interests him, as does her distrust of the police and her traumatic past, which she is at pains to keep secret from the gossips of Singapore society.

When a second body is dragged from the canal, Harriet feels compelled to help with the case. She and Curran are soon drawn into a complex web of stolen gemstones and a mysterious gang of thieves who have no qualms about killing again to protect their secrets. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
The setting really made this book something special for me. I don’t know much of anything about Singapore let alone from this era! But I loved discovering this interesting island and the people (eastern and westerners!) throughout the story. It wasn’t heavy on the history which I appreciated but there was enough to feel authentic and exotic at the same time! Having the gem trade play so heavily in the story was also fascinating to me! The gem trade was and continues to be such a mysterious and often shadowed business with no doubt lots of questionable practices. I loved exploring that and how it played into the murder. It gave this book a sense of adventure, romanticism, and exoticness that I was absolutely here for! If for nothing else—-read this book for that alone!

I thought it believable how Harriet and Curran worked together in this one. It wasn’t the case of nosy lady turned detective—-this was truly a case of lady in the wrong place at the wrong time who hates the police! It felt very different from the traditional lady detective series and I just adored watching them work together. They mystery itself was excellent and with enough red herrings and twists to keep me guessing up until the end. Just when I thought I had it figured out, something would shift and I would find myself questioning who the killer could be now! It was absolutely wonderful and I really enjoyed watching the mystery unfold!

This book was unlike any historical murder mystery that I have ever read. I truly enjoyed my time with the characters and was so thankful I had three more books to read with these characters. I loved the rich culture of Singapore and the well constructed complex characters in Harriet and Curran. I am looking forward to binging the next three books while I am here and am only sad that once I am done I will have to wait a year for the next book to come out! If you love historical mysteries with brilliant characters and writing, do NOT miss this series!

Book Info and Rating
Kindle Edition, 320 pages

Published August 6th 2019 by Berkley

ASIN B07KDW7YKS

Review copy provided by personal collection. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 5 stars

Genre: historical fiction, mystery, cozy mystery

Unfortunately, it was not possible to download this book in time. The 5* star rating was chosen in order to not hurt the book sales or ranking, even though it was not possible to read it.

I love historical mysteries that star a plucky female. This one was right up my alley. Harriet is widowed and lives with her brother, who runs a boys' school, in Singapore. While trying to retrieve her typewriter from an eccentric explorer's house, she discovers a murder. There were twists and turns and the adventure was fun to read. Recommended.

Harriet Gordon is escaping the tragedy of her past. She has come to Singapore to stay with her brother who is the headmaster at a local school. She would like to earn a little money and typing is one skill she has that can help her do that. She lives in a time when women aren't encouraged to earn their living. She stumbles upon the rather brutal murder of Sir Oswald Newbold who had hired her to type his memoirs. This brings her into contact with Inspector Robert Curran. Together they solve the mystery -- him with his police skills and her for her observation skills.

I was initially drawn to this book because of the setting. I have family in both Singapore and Malaysia. The book drew me in right away. It was interesting to read what Singapore was like at the time. I liked Harriet Gordon and felt drawn to her. I had to admit I got a little confused over the plot of the actual mystery, but it wasn't enough to turn me off. I also admit that I began to have my suspicions about who the guilty party was about halfway through.

I would recommend this book to anyone. And thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reading copy.

Going into this book, I was pretty much excited because 'Singapore' is part of the title. However, as I read the book, I realized that this book centers around the whites and the murder mystery that was taking place in Singapore and that's basically it. The locals were basically appearing as the servants and sub characters. I understand that the situation was indeed that way back then, but can you imagine if this book were written with the perspective of the locals instead? I bet it was going to be more awesome if it's done well.

Stevie‘s review of Singapore Sapphire (Harriet Gordon Mystery, Book 1) by A.M. Stuart
Historical Mystery published by Berkley 06 Aug 19

I’m a great fan of detective stories set in the first half of the twentieth century, but don’t spot nearly enough new ones set before the First World War, much less set in countries with which I am mostly unfamiliar. So, seeing this novel heralding a new series fitting all those criteria caused great excitement. Harriet Gordon was widowed in India, losing both her husband and son to a typhus epidemic, then took up the suffragette cause after returning to England. Traumatised by her experience of being force fed while on hunger strike in prison, and keen to avoid bringing further scandal on her family after her case was reported in the papers, she now lives with her brother in Singapore, carrying out unpaid administrative work for the school in which he is headmaster and advertising her services as a shorthand typist to other expats in order to earn some actual money. It’s the latter job that leads Harriet into all sorts of trouble when she stumbles over the body of her new employer.


The victim turns out to be a not at all popular chap, although he had gained membership of an exclusive club through fulfilling its criteria for acceptance: he has had a geographical feature named after him. Harriet tries to put the experience out of her mind, but that evening she is visited by a young man who claims that his life is in danger from the same gang who killed Harriet’s client. At first sceptical, and not at all keen to involve herself with the police – even if this time she is a witness, rather than a suspect – Harriet finds herself drawn into the mystery, when the young man is also murdered. Working with Inspector Robert Curran, and also with a local journalist, Harriet attempts to bring down the killers, while also dealing with the more mundane-seeming problems of the boys at her brother’s school.

It becomes apparent that the father of one of Harriet’s favourite pupils is somehow mixed up in the mystery, and when both he and the boy go missing, Harriet is forced to take risks in order to try and save them. Following which, Curran and his allies also rush to the rescue, knowing more than Harriet just how high the stakes are, and just how ruthless a gang she is up against.

This book was written with a real sense of knowledge of both the location and the era. I loved all the snippets of domestic and public life we saw the characters taking part in, and Harriet and Robert in particular were complex and fascinating individuals. I’d like to see more of Curran’s slightly unconventional home life, and learn more about his lover and her past. I’d also like to see more of Harriet’s family, especially following on from the additional member that joins it as a result of this book’s finale.

It goes without saying that I can’t wait for the next book in this series to be announced.

Grade: A

Mrs. Harriet Gordon is a widow who has recently moved to Singapore (a British colony) to live with her priest brother Julian, who is the headmaster of a school for English boys. Trying to earn some money, she takes a job typing up the memoirs of Oswald Newbold, who is a British man who made his money from ruby mining in Burma (also a British colony). Unfortunately for Harriet, she is the one to discover Newbold's murdered body, and she is swept up into the case involving missing hotel clerks, kidnapped schoolboys, suspicious antique dealers, astute inspectors, charming journalists, and Scottish doctors. There's murder, intrigue, mystery, and danger around every corner for Harriet, and she is just the amateur sleuth to help Inspector Curran solve this case.

3.5/5 stars for this cozy-ish mystery. Fans of Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell series will also enjoy Harriet Gordon's series as there is a female sleuth, an adept partner, and a potential romance (with a budding love triangle). However, unlike Raybourn's books, Singapore Sapphire is narrated third-person limited omniscient, and that prevents the reader from fully connecting with Harriet and Curran. In turn, it drags at points. I read it in only a few days, but I didn't devour it. And while I find myself starting to ship Harriet and Curran, I am also at war with myself as the liberal in me despises the potential romance that would break up Curran's (obviously) authentic love for Li An on the (potential) basis of Harriet being a superior match because she is British and Li An is Malaysian. However, there are so many hints to potential exploration of Li An and Curran's backstory that I suspect we'll get more on them in future books.

I tend to gravitate towards atmospheric historical fiction novels that transport the reader to a different time and place. With Singapore Sapphire, Stuart has captured colonial Singapore with an acute attention to detail. I am a firm believer that a good historical fiction novel is one that can effortlessly incorporate aspects of people, places or events from history into the fictional story-line. Stuart accomplishes this with ease. As with most “first in series” stories, there is a bit of a slow build as the author has to take the time to introduce us to our lead characters – in this case, widowed Harriet Gordon, who is seeking a fresh start away from England, and our British Straits Settlements Police Force inspector Robert Curran, who some of the local expatriate community feel is "going native".

Things I loved about this story?

One, that Stuart does not delay in providing readers with a dead body and a suspected murder to mull over. No point in shill-shallying around when the purpose is murder! While I found parts of the mystery rather easy to figure out, Stuart kept my interest to the end, throwing into the mix a wider web of intrigue and some suspenseful moments.

Two, Stuart has created well-rounded characters. Harriet is a strong female lead - independent, but not to the point of interfering in a police investigation (I hate it when characters think they can take over the police investigation as their own) - and is the perfect civilian "sounding board" for Inspector Curran.

Three, while we learn a fair bit about our characters in this story, Stuart has left room for further development. The author has imbued Harriet and Curran with enough chemistry for a possible romance, but leaves this as just a hint and leaves the field open, providing a possible rival for Harriet's affections. I should stress that this is not a romance novel, it just leaves the door open for a potential romantic relationship in future installments.

Four, Stuart adeptly captures the setting (right down to the humid, fetid climate), the romantic lure of the Far East and the colonial tensions, all without overshadowing the mystery plot.</blockquote> Overall, I found this to be a solid mystery with engaging, well-developed characters and a descriptively detailed exotic location. Perfect piece of escapism reading for this reader and I look forward to more books being published in this series.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was fine. I'd read the second book in the series. I loved the location and the attention to historical detail. The plot of the mystery itself was fine, but the pacing of the book felt wrong-- the second half especially. I think most of the issue comes from the fact that our hero and heroine are separated. In fact, <spoiler> the heroine is held captive by the villains for the last half. I wasn't a super fan of her being quite this level of damsel in distress, but it wasn't offensive to me either-- ymmv </spoiler>. Regardless, we often hear information presented to Harriet and then Curran figures out the same information in the next chapter.
My other hesitation is that the author establishes early on that Curran has a Malay long-term serious partner, Li An. She (and their relationship) is obviously not socially accepted in early 1900's Empire Malaysia, but it's very clear he loves her deeply. But there is still a lot of hinting at a future relationship between Harriett and Curran? Maybe this is my fault as a reader because I want this to be a nice, cozy historical mystery series like Sebastian St. Cyr or Veronica Speedwell, and I'm concerned that this power-imbalanced love triangle is going to make it... less cozy. And based on the execution of the mystery's pacing in this book, I'm not convinced such a love triangle would be well-executed.

I was excited to read a historical mystery set in Singapore, but I thought this story was a little slow. The mystery didn't grab my attention, and I didn't end up finishing it. I plan to, though, since I hate leaving books unfinished, but I guess I need to come back to this one.

I was looking for something good in the historical fiction genre so was happy to receive a copy of Singapore Sapphire, set in 1910 China in exchange for my honest review (thanks, Berkley Publishing and NetGalley). This is the first in a planned series by A.M. Stuart featuring Harriet Gordon and Inspector Robert Curran, and is good on the history, less on the mystery…

Harriet Gordon’s brother (Reverend) Julian runs a school in Singapore, and when Harriet lands in Singapore following the death of her husband, she needs to find some paying work. She advertises her typing services and gets a job for Sir Oswald Newbold typing up his memoirs. He is murdered the next day, and she finds the body.

Inspector Robert Curran is the detective investigating this death and a second murder of a young man working in the hotel. Curran realizes Harriet’s ability to see things and they work together to solve the mystery.

The historical setting is extremely well done, and the characters are extremely well drawn. The structure is not that of a typical mystery with the revelation near the end of the story, which might not be the best for some readers. Hence the “good on the history, less on the mystery” line above. I’d give it 3.5 stars, but I really am an easy grader, and the history is so well done, I’ve rounded it up to four.

Are you in the mood for historical fiction that features a very interesting cast of characters faced with solving a series of murders and what appears to be a gem smuggling operation in colonial Singapore? If so, then this is the book for you!

First in a new series featuring Harriet Gordon, a young widow who is staying with her brother, Reverend Julian Edwards, headmaster at St. Thomas School for English Boys. Harriet has a past in England that she was most eager to escape and came to Singapore to help out at the school. She's intelligent and rebellious, a former suffragette, and has some secretarial skills. Indeed, it is those abilities that lead her to finding the body of her new employer, Sir Oswald Newbold, a former famous explorer of Burma and who is credited with finding mines there that produce beautiful rubies and sapphires. She was meant to transcribe his memoirs for publication when he winds up dead in his ransacked home. Enter Inspector Robert Curran of the Straits Settlements Police Force Detective Branch. And thus starts the unraveling of the crime and surrounding mystery. NO SPOILERS.

Set in the tropical environment of 1910 Singapore, the sights, sounds and smell of the settlement come alive. The descriptions make you feel as if you are there suffering the humidity and heat along with the characters as they investigate the case. The writing is excellent and the pace of the story is perfectly matched to the climate and the time period. I enjoyed the development and the backstory of each of the people who inhabit the story and can't wait to learn more about them as I look forward to reading the next installment -- which, darn it, is probably quite some time away. I loved reading about this particular part of the world and am now finding myself doing a little research about Colonial Singapore and Burma and the Dutch East India Company. I loved the glossary and always find those translations helpful in really getting into a book set in a foreign locale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for this e-book ARC to read and review. Hurry up, A. M. Stuart as I am eager to visit Harriet again!

Widow Harriet Gordon has recently joined her brother in Singapore in 1910, serving as an unpaid secretary to the English boys’ school of which her clergyman brother is headmaster. Needing a source of income, Harriet places a newspaper ad offering her shorthand and typing skills in the evenings and on Saturdays. Her first client doesn’t work out so well. When she returns to his home following her first day of work, she finds that he’s been stabbed to death. The dead man was a noted explorer who discovered gem mines in Burma. Might his murder be connected to something in his past? Harriet’s observational skills contribute to the murder investigation led by the English Inspector Curran.

This is an excellent historical mystery with a strong sense of place. The characters are interesting and well-developed, with a plot that blends adventure with detective work. Harriet is a fairly young widow with a couple of admirers. One is an attractive journalist who traveled aboard the same ship as Harriet from England to Singapore. Harriet and Inspector Curran seem to develop a mutual regard over the course of the book, but this is complicated by the fact that Curran has “gone native” (that era’s euphemism for taking a local mistress). I hope that this is the first book in a series featuring Harriet Gordon. I liked the characters and setting well enough to want to see how they develop over several books.

This review is based on an electronic advance reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Singapore Sapphire is book #1 in the Harriet Gordon Mystery series and was a great introduction to this new character and setting of 1910 Singapore. I enjoyed this novel a great deal and thought Harriet was a great character, she was a contradiction of the times and definitely not one to be kept in a box. Harriet takes things into her own hands doing some investigating of her own to try and figure out who the murderer is.

My favourite character after Harriet was Inspector Robert Curran who is in charge of the murder investigation. He was another character who was ahead of the times and didn't always toe the line. I really enjoyed his interactions with Harriet and how he realised it would be helpful to have her on his side rather than trying to make her stand on the sidelines.

This isn't a simple murder though and there are many twists and turns, people who aren't who they seem to be and mysteries that arise from the past.

The imagery that Ms Stuart manages to portray through her words was wonderful and I could absolutely see Singapore as it was in 1910. The characters of the 'good guys' and the 'bad guys' were well written, I definitely wouldn't have wanted to be on the bad guys hit list.

I look forward to the next Harriet Gordon Mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a digital copy in return for an honest review.

After losing her husband and son in India, Harriet Gordon works at a school in Singapore where her clergyman brother Julian serves as headmaster. She decides to offer stenography services to provide income. She discovers her client Oswald Newbold's murdered body. Harriet's skills impress Inspector Curran. A clue VOC, which most people consider the old East India Company, surfaces. Inspector Curran and Harriet both know it must bear a different meaning. As the investigation begins to focus on the victim's past, multiple suspects emerge.1910 Singapore offers an interesting setting. I read an advance review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Singapore, 1910. Colonialism is at its height, and many Europeans have come to the East to make their fortunes. Harriet Gordon is fleeing past trauma--including the death of her husband and infant son, as well as a stint as a suffragette that included jail time and has resulted in a mistrust of the police in general. She's seeking refuge in Singapore with her brother, a reverend and a headmaster at a school for boys. She advertises her services (and her typewriter) as a personal secretary, and gets hired by Sir Oswald Newbold--an explorer, mine magnate and president of the exclusive Explorers and Geographers Club, who's writing his memoirs. But when she goes in for her second day of work, she discovers him dead, with a dagger of Oriental design sticking out of him! (Sorry, the dagger of Oriental design fits so well in this genre that I couldn't resist!) And the manuscript is missing.
Inspector Robert Curran is not your stereotypical Englishman. He too carries a past with him, and his current living situation involves a local woman as his live-in lover and companion. He's thoughtful and nuanced. And he recognizes a similar soul in Harriet, who keeps moving the investigation forward. All signs seem to point to Oswald's past in Burma, and the ruby mine he was involved with then, which was a situation right out of "Heart of Darkness. " When a second body is pulled from the canal, the two join forces to find out what's going on.
Singapore Sapphire is steeped in the steamy jungles and small town feeling that was Singapore in 1910. It exudes the tropics, and I loved the sense of place I got through it. It's also a fine mystery, with interesting characters and a complex plot. It's the first of a series about Harriet Gordon, and I'm looking forward to continuing the adventures of this remarkable woman. Highly recommended.

Singapore Sapphire sets the stage for a new mystery series set in 19th century Singapore and it does not disappoint. Harriet Gordon escapes a devastating loss and a secret past by moving Singapore to work with her brother at a parochial boy’s school. After accepting a typing assignment to earn some extra money, Harriet finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when she discovers her new employer dead! Assisting Inspector Robert Curran, Harriet uses her natural abilities of observation to uncover the truth in a thrilling mystery of deception, corruption, murder, and missing jewels!

A.M. Stewart introduces a complex and endearing heroine in Harriet Gordon. The writing style is fast paced and easy to navigate. With the addition of an exotic setting and interesting historical period this book engages the reader in a way that is unique and exciting. I loved the book and am looking forward to others to come in the series. Recommended for historical fiction and mystery.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Colonial Singapore and murder! Great reading!

It's the early 1900's in Singapore. So realistic I felt I was there!
Harriet Gordon, widowed and made childless in one fell swoop in India due to Typhus, went home to England. It was there she came in contact with the Suffragette Movement, an organization that espoused those things she'd not only envisioned, but felt deeply. That path ended badly and she joined her brother in Colonial Singapore where he is the Reverend and Headmaster of a prestigious boys school for expats.
Wanting to at least earn some sort of living (any work she does for the school is unpaid) Harriet takes out an advertisement to work as a private secretary.
Sir Oswald Newbold is deciding to write his memoirs and calls on her services. Unfortunately when Hattie arrives she finds Sir Oswald dead with his throat cut.
Inspector Robert Curran is quite taken with the sensibility of Harriet when he arrives at the crime scene. Throughout his investigation Harriet is there in deducing things, if not prior to the Inspector, then not far behind.
All trails point towards Burma, Sir Oswald's explorations, ruby mining and scraps of clues that include a defunct reference to the East India Company.
As the story progresses we see the cultural divide between the colonialists and Singaporeans. The author strikes just the right note as the various cultures interact.
Curran comes under the fire of gossip, almost to the point of social ostracism because he has Singaporean mistress. However as he's a sterling cricketer much is forgiven. Curran tells Harriet, "Li An is more important to me than social acceptance.” Curran would marry her but Khoo Li An doesn't want him to fly in the face of his compatriots.
I wonder where this devoted relationship will go to in the future"
If future plots are as complex and delicious as this I am looking forward to more of Curran and Harriet and any futher investigative undertakings.
An intriguing and throughly enjoyable read!

A Berkley Publication via NetGalley

I’m a sucker for a good mystery and for me Singapore Sapphire ticked all the boxes. I loved the setting in early 20th century Singapore, a place rich in British colonial history. The setting truly comes alive thanks to the meticulous research of author A.M. Stuart. She clearly knows the area well and has used that knowledge to add an extra layer of richness to the story. It is the unceasing humidity of the tropics that particularly features as the tension escalates.
I was truly invested in the fate of Harriet Gordon, a widow living with her schoolmaster brother, doing unpaid work at his school while trying to earn a measure of independence by marketing her services in shorthand and typing. I couldn’t help but admire her both for her calm in the face of escalating adversity and for her logical approach to solving problems.
Equally interesting was Inspector Robert Curran of the Straits Settlements Police Force, whose straightforward approach to investigating crime and his unconventional love life made him stand out.
While the characters in this story are beautifully rounded, it is the plot that really carries the story. With twist after twist, it had me glued to the edge of my seat. I could almost feel the terror Harriet faced late in the story. As the first book in The Harriet Gordon series, Singapore Sapphire sets a high standard for the ensuing stories to achieve. I am very much looking forward to finding out what challenges Harriet will face next.