Independent of the government, Carter is looking for work and thinks the unsolved death of a police officer. Sergeant Cox appears to have been murdered by a skilled assassin. The police have few clues and fewer suspects, but the suggestion that there may be a boxing connection intrigues him.
In this novella, set between Singapore Girl and Singapore Boxer, Carter confronts fighters in the ring and the streets to solve who killed Sergeant Cox and why.
Murray Bailey returns to his Singapore-set Ash Carter series with Singapore Worlds, a novella which takes place between the full length novels, Singapore Girl and Singapore Boxer. It will obviously be of particular interest to fans of this reliably gripping historical action series but it should also appeal to those in search of a short but still absorbing standalone read.
Ash Carter is ex-Special Investigations Branch but although he has no official role in Singapore his expertise in solving tricky cases means he is called upon to assist the stalled investigation into the fatal stabbing of Sergeant Cox two weeks previously. Despite being a high-priority case, little progress has been made and Inspector Singh hopes that Carter's connections might help move things along.
The novella opens with Ash visiting the New World Amusement Park, described as 'a kaleidoscope of lights, sounds and vices'. Amusement Parks were still big business in Singapore in the 1950s, with New World, Gay World and Great World attracting scores of locals, as well as soldiers, keen to spend their pay. Ash is drawn to New World because it's the only park with a boxing ring, although he acknowledges the bouts are more of a circus than a proper boxing match. Murray Bailey immediately captures the vivid, chaotic sense of place and as the book progresses, both the amusement parks and boxing are an important part of the plot.
Carter's involvement isn't welcomed by everyone but he soon starts making headway as he investigates the theory that the murder may be gang-related. He is, inevitably, reunited with Su Ling, who works for organised crime boss, Andrew Yipp. Having encountered Su Ling in later books in the series, I enjoyed seeing her and Ash's potent chemistry here. The sparks fly between them but with a reignited relationship too risky to pursue, it's perhaps fortunate for Carter that he's called away to investigate a second case, after a young soldier is found dead in a hotel room. Although a relatively brief interlude in the story, this sub-plot allows for a poignant exploration into historic attitudes which resulted in the scandalous tragedy.
Despite being a shorter book, I never felt short-changed by either the intriguing plot or the characterisation in Singapore Worlds; Murray Bailey drew me into the complex, violent world of youth gangs and organised crime as Ash Carter gradually pieces together the apparently conflicting pieces of evidence. There are a number of possible culprits and as Carter doggedly seeks the truth, the rising sense of tension is impressively riveting. The dramatic climax and shocking revelations are followed by an emotional, satisfying conclusion which reveals a great deal about the sort of man Ash Carter is. Crime, corruption and poverty underpin events and the research behind this series is evident throughout as the dark underbelly of 1950s Singapore is vibrantly brought to life. A compulsive, action-packed read which complements the main series perfectly; I highly recommend it.
Singapore Worlds is available as an ebook from Amazon and is on Kindle Unlimited.
About the Author
Murray Bailey is the author of Amazon bestseller Map of the Dead, the first of the series based on his interest in Egyptology. His main series however is the Ash Carter thrillers, inspired by his father's experience in the Royal Military Police in Singapore in the early 1950s. He also writes prequel Near East series featuring Ash Carter, and the Blackjack series set in Hong Kong which overlaps the end of the Singapore series.
Murray is well traveled, having worked in the US, South America and a number of European countries throughout his career as a management consultant. However he also managed to find the time to edit books, contribute to articles and act as a part-time magazine editor.
Murray lives on the south coast of England with his family and a dog called Teddy.
Comments
Post a Comment