A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder (Inspector Singh Investigates 1)

Travel Guide

The idea of a Sikh inspector from Singapore going to Malaysia to investigate just flows into a booktrailer’s veins with joy – How many cultures and countries can one mix in one book? There’s always the sense of an outsider in another culture coming into play and when that outsider is a policeman of some sort then the outsider tag is even more keenly felt.

The locale of Kuala Lumpur is beautifully evoked from the very first page –

“He could see the coastline of Peninsular Malaysia. Singapore, a small island separated from the Malaysian mainland by a thin strip of water the Straits of Johor, and connected by two bridges, had disappeared from view”

The observations and cultural highlights don’t stop there however – as the story also deals with the conflicts between Malaysia and Singapore

”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.”

In addition to this, the Inspector’s Sikh background and customs are also woven into the fabric of this novel.

And the final impression? Children anywhere in any dispute no matter the religion or beliefs of society or the parents are the real human story.