Why a Booktrail?
2000s: A crime mystery turned on its head with its unusual angles on crime drama issues and race. Poignant to return to the site of the Bali bombings too.
A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul (Inspector Singh 2)
What you need to know before your trail
Inspector Singh has been assigned to Bali to help with security and anti-terrorist measures after a bomb has exploded. However he’s out of his depth to say the least, so when a body is found in the wreckage he joins forces with an Aussie cop to try and find out just what is going on.
Looking at events from the angle of the bomber is an interesting one and the self deprecating charm of the inspector is an added bonus. The relationship between him and the Aussie cop is also nicely explored. Issues of immigration and racism are also looked at from the opinion of the locals and adds a further twist to the usual crime and murder mysteries.
Travel Guide
“The large island shaped like a headless man that was a sparsely popular part of the Indonesia archipelago”
The Bali Bombings and the Sari Club
A Sikh detective in the Singapore police force is a great character and you just know you’re going to go on a unique journey with him. In this book the country is Bali, (the first in the series was Malaysia)
The setting here however is somewhat subdued since it is set in the aftermath and the real life tragedy of the Bali bombings, so the investigation into the bomb site and people’s injuries is heartbreaking for more than obvious reasons. However such a powerful setting brings home the horror of these acts and the murder mystery built around it does not make light of anything and is never disrespectful. The Sari Club was in the Kula District, a popular tourist destination. There is a tourist Police Station on Jalan Kartika and this could be where Inspector Singh works.
Language and culture
A nice touch is the character of Bronwyn Taylor whose expertise lies in the Indonesian language and culture, not murder and so brings a lot of local knowledge to the table. The mix of cultures from the missing expats to the Indonesian muslims and Bali locals and why certain groups might act the way they do is carefully examined.
What shines above all is the paradise island of Bali and those who live there and a community coming together.
Where Next?
