A. M. Stuart

Set in colonial Singapore in 1910, this is a mystery written by Kenyan born author Alison Stuart, who moved with her family to Australia aged ten, and has also lived in Singapore. The main character Harriet Gordon is a widowed suffragette who begins work typing out the memoirs of a stuffy colonial Englishman. Her new job ends abruptly when her employer is murdered. She then becomes embroiled in solving the mystery with handsome detective Robert Curran. I enjoyed the portrayal of colonial Singapore and the pompous gentlemans’ explorer club. I also liked the feisty Harriet and the very decent Curran. The story itself seems to drag somewhat, and had many poorly fleshed out side characters. One of the culprits I thought was fairly obvious early on and did not provide much of a reveal, and the exposé was followed by lengthy detailed confessions. There was a hint of romance which sat oddly with me. The sexual tension between the two main characters seemed ill-fitting when he was clearly in love with his Asian housekeeper. Maybe she didn’t count as she was non-white??. It would be interesting to see where this series goes next. The audio narration by Saskia Maarleveld was excellent.… (altro)

Set in 1871 in Australia, The Postmistress is a historical romance by Australian author Alison Stuart. This is the story of Adelaide Lewis, who flees her domineering father’s English estate. She shows great strength and resourcefulness, creating a new life for herself as the postmistress of Maiden’s Creek, styling herself as the widowed Mrs Greaves. She, her beloved son Daniel, and her maid and now best friend Nettie, become firmly ensconced in the close knit community, a rugged pioneer gold-mining town, based on Walhalla in Victoria. The town has its gossiping, respectable and judgmental matrons, its brothel and working girls, and a handsome new arrival, the American confederate soldier Caleb Hunter. Things suddenly amp up when Adelaide’s past unexpectedly catches up with her. The story was pleasant although fairly predictable, with a slow burn romance between two cautious people carefully guarding their secrets. It also felt well-researched and gave a good insight into life in the harsh goldfields of Australia in the 19th century. The audiobook was well read by Jennifer Vuletic.… (altro)

This is the second instalment of the Maiden’s Creek series of Australian historical fiction stories, but can easily be read as a standalone. Alison Stuart, who also writes a historical crime series set in Singapore as A.M.Stuart, was born in Kenya and grew up in Australia from age 9. Her stories are engaging and extensively researched.

The story is set in 1873 in Maiden’s Creek, a mining town based on Walhalla in Victoria. Eliza Penrose arrives from England after the death of her mother, to live with her brother Will who has been mining gold at Shenandoah near Maiden’s Creek. She finds herself standing on an outback street only to be rudely knocked over by Scotsman Alec McLeod. When Will does not arrive to collect her she finds, to her heartbreak, that he has recently died in a mining accident. She is left to live with her patronising uncle Charles Cowper, owner of the Maiden’s Creek mine.

Despite her uncle’s disapproval Eliza begins working at the school as a teacher, and settles into the small community. After a while things begin to seem amiss and Eliza wonders if there was more to Will’s death than a simple fall. Eliza has to work with mining engineer Alec, Will’s friend and confidante, to try and work out what really happened to Will. The two uncover secrets like Will’s plan for a new engine, and her uncle’s corner cutting and deceitful accounting practices. The secrets plunge them both into a highly dangerous situation.

The story is well researched and creates a great sense of the time and place. I also enjoyed some of the characters. Alec is still grieving the loss of his wife and child, and lives with his deaf younger brother Ian. Both men are great characters. Some of the scenes at the end were a little dramatic and improbable, but I found this a really enjoyable story. 4.5 stars… (altro)

When Harriet Gordon's brother Julian is invited to Kuala Lumpur to visit a respected boys school, she decides to go along as it may be a good fit for their young charge, Will, is Julian accepts a post there. Separately, Inspector Robert Curran has headed to the same area looking for his half-sister, who was forcibly taken from India to a 'gentleman's club' in the area. The colonials at this out post are a small group, and it doesn't take much to be on the ins or outs. The wife of the headmaster of the school shots a man she says was trying to attack her. While that investigation and trial begin, Curran remains undercover looking for the secret Topaz Club. It was good mystery and the attention to historical detail was very well done as usual.… (altro)