Review: A quiet story, with a small paranormal twist
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 4, 2012
Ursula straddles two worlds - literally. Born in Maylasia, but educated in England, Ursula finds herself back in Maylasia after her parents are killed in a car accident. She elects to stay in Maylasia, but decides she no longer wants to work in the financial auditing world. With no job prospects in sight, she answers a rather vaguely-worded newspaper advertisement for The Check Your Luck Agency located just over the border in Singapore. Intrigued by the words "not for the faint of heart", Ursula passes the agency's test requirements and finds herself embroiled in investigative case work involving fraud, people who cheat and lie, but not a whiff of paranormal activity. On the job, that is.Like the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Ursula's story unfolds as a series of anecdotes, and food is used as a setting and a metaphor to explain the local culture. The descriptions of Ursula's friends, co-workers and neighbors are vividly drawn, yet Ursula herself is a somewhat closely guarded secret that only becomes partially revealed in the first novel.Deciding that the agency is in for some stiff competition, her boss Fiona decides to advertise in a unique manner. The agency will take part in a local "Ghost Hunters" television show, and as Ursula is young, beautiful, Fiona nominates her to take part in the making of the television show without her knowledge. Teamed up with the former model Shariff, who makes her heart beat just a little bit faster, the TV show is about to make its debut at the end of the first novel. Talk about a cliff-hanger.For those expecting car chases, angry spirits and cliff-hangers at the end of each chapter, this is not for you. Things do happen, and here's hoping that the writing and editing will show a bit more plot progression. The anecdotes are very charming, sometimes leaving the reader to think of a diary entry for that particular day, with no impact on what will happen tomorrow. Still, a very promising first book, and a unique peek into the Asian culture of today.After purchasing this book, I received a complimentary copy of this book for review.