First Entry in the Inspector Samuel Tay Novels
A FANTASTIC READ!
I simply loved the AMBASSOR’S WIFE by Jake Needham. Compelling plot, intriguing characters, detailed and intelligent narrative, this first in the INSPECTOR SAMUEL TAY NOVELS had it all … including a ‘niftily’ complex intricacy that left lots of dark spaces for secrets to hide. Talk about immersive! I really felt I was there witnessing the events and not reading words on my trusty kindle. As for the storyline:
Two American women are found dead. Brutally beaten and posed in a lewd fashion, it’s discovered that one of the victims has ties to politics. The connection complicates matters, but then so does the possibility of a serial killer running loose in Singapore. Businesses don’t relish tourism tanking because of grisly murders committed on unaccompanied young women traveling alone. The urgency to take control of the situation before it becomes fodder for ugly headlines falls to the police. And it’s under these unique circumstances, that the top brass hands the case over to Inspector Samuel Tay. However, the assignment has its own set of problems … namely, a leash and collar in the form of pressure for Tay to find a culprit … any culprit and not necessarily the one who committed the slayings. However, making someone a scapegoat and calling it a day is not an option for Tay … but then neither is losing his job. So it’s with trepidation the veteran detective begins the difficult and thankless job of weeding out a killer without anyone noticing.
Needham does what he does best in crafting this unputdownable mystery. The words flow and before you know it, you’re again staying up way past your bedtime and dragging yourself into the office in the next morning. Not that I’m complaining … not when the use of language is impeccable with just the right ratio of action to descriptive passages. In case you’re wondering, it’s the same ratio of whipped cream to pie filling used in baking. And the magic formula ensures that every bite …. every nuance … is there. I believe that if Mr. Needham were a pianist, he’d be playing the notes found by striking the keys, but also those found in-between the keys.
And a word about pacing … while some novels tout “fast-paced” as a selling point, this mystery takes a different approach in allowing the pacing to take as much time as is needed. This is achieved by conforming the speed to the character of Inspector Samuel Tay, the man at the center of all the action. As we soon learn, Tay is a pragmatic man … a humble man … a logical man … an orderly man that doesn’t rush about and is in no hurry to do anything other than his job. Therefore, he doesn’t rush, he stalks. Stalks the problem … the offender … while methodically piecing together clues until he finds the solution through analysis. It’s this relentless pursuit that sets the pacing that mirrors the rhythm of the protagonist’s heart. It creates a seamless process that is utterly compelling and really does make you believe you are in Singapore cheering him on.
I highly recommend this book, and any of Mr. Needham’s books. He really is a gifted author so take full advantage and try this one out for size. I have no doubt you’ll enjoy and why I’m giving this five solid stars.
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