The Yellow Rambutan Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu

An entertaining story that is set in Singapore after the Japanese Occupation. The 4th instalment of The Mystery Tree series centred on Su Lin and her family can be read as a standalone. Before the war, she helped the police solve several cases as an interpreter n local liaison duties. 

It begins with a friend, Botak Beng who was looking for her Uncle Chen regarding an important matter and was found stabbed in the drain nearby their neighbor's house. It's the third day of Chinese New Year, and no visits are made nor are visitors received as it is believed that evil spirits roam the earth. It couldn't have been a coincidence that Botak had been killed after he'd tried to see her uncle. Or probably because Uncle Chen has been cutting ties with his former underworld connections like smuggling and protection rackets. 

The story explored relationships between families who still believed in superstitions and taboos as the way of local life. Things weren't easy but wouldn't be so bad. They working out in this new post-war world. I enjoyed the pacing and the atmosphere that the author evoked which surprised me and was well on its way.  It's worth reading and I give 4.5 ⭐️ 

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙 

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online stores

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Not Alone by Sarah K. Jackson

 

An imaginative adventure and gripping story of Katie and her son, Harry who had to leave their homes to find Jack. She gets to travel across the world after a major storm with high levels of particles and toxicity hit the country 5 years ago. When Katie stumbles a letter written by him, it's like a glow of hope that he might be alive.

Everyone's fighting since then with not enough food, they just need to know how to forage, and how to grow things to survive. Besides, she was scared of dying and left Harry abandoned. She has to fight hard against the dust, toxins, grief, fear, hunger, pain, and hopelessness. It is the ultimate second chance that tore two lovers apart. This book is relatively slow with so much emotion beneath the surface.  A consequence of climate change and humans' desperate attempts that change the landscape of society and disastrous futures. 4 ⭐️

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online stores