Chinese New Year 1952
Ash Carter had to leave the Middle East in a hurry. But when he arrives in Singapore he finds himself in the middle of a much bigger problem.
No one knows where, or when, or who but someone is planning an attack. Carter is told to make sure it doesn’t happen. With pressure from politicians and the army and with Chinese Secret Societies watching his every move, he has other plans. He is more interested in finding out who killed his friend.
It's such a pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for Singapore 52 today. Many thanks to Murray Bailey for inviting me.
Singapore 52 is the first book in Murray Bailey's Ash Carter series, although he's since written two books to date in the prequel Near East series. I've actually already read these and two of the later Singapore set novels so I know the series and particularly, Ash Carter himself quite well. However, Murray Bailey has recently updated and released Singapore 52 so I was keen to go back to the start of his life on the island.
The sense of time and place is always such a strong feature of these novels and Murray Bailey understandably takes time to really evoke the setting here. Ash Carter has only recently arrived in Singapore, having left Israel under quite a cloud. There are a few revelations about what led to his departure but not everything is fully disclosed, which has cleverly left me looking forward to finding out more in the Near East books. Now though, Ash is new in town and so we see the place through his eyes. The melting pot of nationalities is evident throughout and naturally, the resulting tensions. Right from the start, it becomes clear that the Japanese are still not welcomed by all in Singapore; this is only a few years after the end of WWII, of course. Meanwhile, many are concerned about China and the spread of Communism in the region – the Korean War and Malayan Emergency are both still ongoing, so it's no wonder that people fear Singapore could also fall.
Relations are strained between the various authorities on the island too and Ash is effectively coerced into a role as an independent working between the army and police. Ash isn't a diplomat and quickly makes his presence felt, upsetting various people while forming bonds with others. I enjoyed recognising some names and seeing how they first came to know Ash, especially one major character who has a big influence on him.
This is a slightly slower-paced thriller than the later books but I loved the complexity of the plot; Ash has a number of concurrent investigations which may be connected and it becomes increasingly evident that not only does he not know who he can truly trust, he's also constantly under covert surveillance. He was contacted by a friend shortly before arriving in Singapore but now he has been killed. Meanwhile, he is also tasked with stopping an imminent attack on the island, finding out if guns are being smuggled and investigating a scam involving a mysterious woman with a butterfly girl and drunk, amorous servicemen.
Singapore 52 is a tense, compelling read from start to finish; I was transported back to a time when Singapore was a heady mix of danger, glamour and change. Ash Carter is such a reliably interesting protagonist – I can't always predict what actions he will take but know I will empathise with what motivates him. Singapore 52 gave me a greater depth of understanding into the man and I highly recommend it both to newcomers to the series and those who have read the later books. I can't wait to read more!
Don't miss the rest of the blog tour, details are below.
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