Aunty Lee's Deadly Special

Part of my reading goal this year is to patronise the libraries around me more. And if they have a stock of Ovidia Yu (whose works are mysteriously lacking in bookstores near me), then it's a double win!

I rejoin Aunty Lee as she muses about food and uses her kaypoh powers for good. This book is another delight in gastronomy and crime. The characterisations are simple and effectively complex, ringing true to life. This also carries over to what I appreciate the most of the two Aunty Lee books that I've read so far: the spotlighting of Singapore in its good and bad and everything in between.

Yu's writing is also exceptionally good. I feel like people might shrug, how difficult could it be to pen a cosy crime. But there's something in the show more effortless way that Yu's sentences transition from murder to food to interpersonal relationship to internal dialogue to social commentary, that it only strikes me when I stop, how extraordinarily artful she had to be to balance all of that on top of the light tone.

I'm very sad to learn that there are only four Aunty Lees and that the last one was published in 2017. Yu has started a separate series and seems to be publishing a new book for it every year. I'm sure they're excellent but my heart yearns for an aunty Lee resolution at least! Please, Ovidia!

Aside: I wish Sharon's taste-testing was followed up. show less

Absolutely adored this mix of cooking and murder mystery - definitely a great addition to a sub-genre I'm fascinated by. Aunty Lee shows a number of characteristics that remind me of the appealing characteristics of Agatha Christies' Miss Marple, who was a teen favourite of mine. And it was lovely to have that kind of feel in a brand-new-to-me story.

Yu does a great job of characterisation - at no point in the story did I find myself confusing any of the large cast of characters, because they are all so distinct. This is helped by the chatty narrative quality of Aunty Lee, who's fascination with the people around her comes through clearly.

The pacing of the story is very well done, given that there are multiple strands being woven show more together throughout. And it includes the obligatory 'bring everyone together for the amateur detective talk', which I was delighted by. show less

My favorite cozy mysteries have some extra element to intrigue me and hold my interest, and the Auntie Lee series is a perfect example. Set in Singapore there’s an international multicultural cast of Singaporean residents who are ethnic Chinese, Indian, Malay, Eurasian, and Filipino, plus there’s lots of woven-into-the-plot tidbits about life in Singapore, including its laws--this time around especially relating to medical practices and gay rights--culture, family dynamics, and, of course, food. Auntie Lee, a wealthy widow of a certain age, runs a restaurant featuring Singaporean specialities just for the fun of it. She’s curious, nosy, likes to be around people, and is determined to be of service, even when her “services” show more aren’t exactly appreciated.

As this book opens Auntie Lee and her restaurant crew are catering a party that becomes the scene of two deaths: the hostess, a highly controlling local bigwig who owns her own law firm, and her bedridden formerly wildchild son. Food poisoning? That’s the easiest answer. Auntie Lee would get a slap on the wrist for being careless and everyone could just move on with their lives. The police are under pressure to accept that explanation and close the case, but Auntie Lee has other ideas. With distractingly delicious gifts of homemade delicacies and the ability to act strategically befuddled Auntie Lee pursues truth without worrying about the trouble she’s stirring up.

This is the kind of book that makes me miss hanging out with its characters when I’ve finished reading. Though the focus is on Auntie Lee the narrative point of view shifts around between the characters, and there are several developing relationships (including maybe a love interest for Auntie Lee?) that I look forward to catching up on in future books. show less

Aunty Lee caters a party at the house of a new client and that new client and her son die after eating one of her complex Peranakan specialties that includes a potentially poisonous nut. Her intense curiosity, meddlesomeness, and determination to clear her businesses reputation has her using every resource available to find out the truth. Lots of foodie information is included, but it isn't what diverts the flow of the story which could be a bit more sprightly but does at least move steadily.

I'd read Ovidia Yu's first Aunty Lee mystery and immediately fell in love with the cast of characters in her Singaporean mystery series.

We have Aunty Lee, a wealthy Tai Tai, widow and second wife of a wealthy Chinese merchant. Her stepson and daughter-in-law are annoyingly mercenary and quite crass with their requests for money and advances on their inheritance. Aunty Lee's patience and kindness towards them make her a sympathetic character. But Aunty Lee's generosity come through in other ways - the way that she treats her Filipina assistant, Nina, and the people that come to her restaurant. In many ways, Aunty Lee reminds me of Agatha Christie's Miss Jane Marple - she understands what makes people tick, she's always willing to help show more out, she's recognized by all as a bit of a busybody.

The Aunty Lee series also makes good use of Singapore as a location - for those of us who haven't visited Singapore in years, it's fun to read about the food, the culture, and the location.

While Ovidia Yu's murder mysteries aren't as complex as Agatha Christie's, Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials is a fun read and a satisfying second novel in the series. I'm looking forward to the next installment of the Aunty Lee books. show less

It's a good murder mystery. The whodunit story is well paced, moving right along to a sensible conclusion. The story manages to incorporate the cultural, ethnic and culinary diversity of Singapore -- I always enjoy stories set in exotic locations telling how the people go about their daily lives. There's a cast of colourful characters (Aunty Lee included) which adds to the story and allows the author to put in some sharp social commentary. Of course, the headline story of selling body parts adds depth and food for thought. Recommended reading.

While this is the second book in the series, it's the first one I read, and I loved it!

I think it would have been easier to figure out the relationships of the ongoing characters if I'd read the first one before this, but they were clear enough that I was not left confused.

The plot is nicely complex, with various possible motives for the murders depending on who committed them. So many secrets! Some of them fairly harmless, and some very much not.

Singapore itself is not just a setting, but a character. Yu is a native, and she brings the city to fascinating life, in many different ways- including descriptions of the amazing food. It's said that Singapore is one of the great food cities of the world, and I can believe it!