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Miss Moorthy Investigates
Safe, strait-laced 1970s Singapore is terrorised by 'The Strangler', a bizarre killer who targets single, successful career women and removes the hands of his victims. Despite the rumours doing the rounds, young Miss Moorthy feels safe as a secondary school teacher. That is, until her colleague, Evelyn Ngui, is murdered and her free-spirited flatmate, Connie, encounters the murderer in their house. Now sensible Miss Moorthy has no choice. She must investigate. Will she pin down the motivations of The Strangler?. Will she understand his association with the naive Evelyn Ngui? Most importantly, will she come out alive, as she stumbles upon forgotten secrets? Find out, as Miss Moorthy handles school students, anxious parents, a stuffed blue rabbit, and possibly, more than one killer, with aplomb.
212 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 5, 2021
I only came across Ovida Yu come months ago in a response to a comment on YouTube and her works immediately piqued my interest since the comment mentioned that she wrote mysteries set in Singapore. Other than Crazy Rich Asians, perhaps, I don’t recall reading any other book set there. Looking her up further and the series she has written, I also came across this one which I thought would be great to start with since it is relatively short (207 pages) and a standalone but still ticks the boxes of being set in Singapore and as a bonus is also a historical mystery being set in the 1970s. And I’m really glad that I picked this up because it turned out to be really delightful!
In the story we meet Savitri (or Savi) Moorthy who is born to parents who have both had careers linked with music. She herself has been a performer but much to her parents’ horror, she doesn’t not want a career in music but would rather be a school teacher. Her morning routine not being very suited to her family’s (she has to be in school by 7.15) she moves out and shares a flat with her friend Constance Chay, a producer of TV shows. And her old college-mate and friend Maj. Antony Tan who admires her (and regularly proposes), happens to be a medical examiner.
In Singapore meanwhile, a killer known as the “strangler” is on the loose, who targets young and successful career women (and cuts off their hands) but Miss Moorthy is not particularly bothered by this until her colleague Evelyn Ngui is murdered. And this seems to be the work of the Strangler. Even though Evelyn was not much of a friend of Miss Moorthy’s, she was previously seeing David, a friend of Anthony’s, so she does have a personal connection. Then the Strangler breaks into Miss Moorthy’s flat putting both her and Connie in danger. So of course Miss Moorthy decides to investigate. But investigating the case and Evelyn Ngui’s possible connection with it ends up also placing Miss Moorthy in her fair share of danger (of course she has Antony and Connie by her side for the most part). But does she manage to solve it?
This was a really enjoyable read; I especially loved how the author managed to write a murder mystery with all its actual dangers, even an encounter with a murderer (which however, seemed almost funny rather than serious) and still keep the general tone and writing full of humour. The characters are also a great deal of fun—Miss Moorthy, her parents (though we don’t actually meet them), Connie with the latest TV dramas that she’s producing and even the more serious Antony. Like Miss Marple, to whom many reviewers have compared Miss Moorthy, the latter too has insight into people, and this makes her observations on them rather fun to read. Evelyn Ngui whose murder it is that Miss Moorthy is trying to solve had a fairly complicated life with more than one love interest—and so Miss Moorthy certainly has her hands full trying to understand the colleague she didn’t know very well. She soon enough figures out Evelyn’s murderer was most likely a copycat and so there are a range of suspects to pick from. And of course, in the tradition of murder mysteries, there is a second death as well. I did not really guess whodunit or why in this one so I enjoyed the mystery element too.
And of course I loved the setting in Singapore—places are referenced, also the different cultures that comprise it—Malay, Chinese, Indian— come through and there’s also food (plenty actually) like Madam Wee’s lavish meal or even snacks. There are also period details from HDB (Housing Development Board) flats to American TV shows that were popular like Hawaii Five O and Mannix. But my favourite part was the writing itself—humorous and pleasantwhich made the book a really lovely read. I wish there were more mysteries with these characters; and I would certainly like to explore the other series by the author, especially the one set in 1930s Singapore!
p.s. I didn’t much like the cover of this one though it does represent the story well.
In the story we meet Savitri (or Savi) Moorthy who is born to parents who have both had careers linked with music. She herself has been a performer but much to her parents’ horror, she doesn’t not want a career in music but would rather be a school teacher. Her morning routine not being very suited to her family’s (she has to be in school by 7.15) she moves out and shares a flat with her friend Constance Chay, a producer of TV shows. And her old college-mate and friend Maj. Antony Tan who admires her (and regularly proposes), happens to be a medical examiner.
In Singapore meanwhile, a killer known as the “strangler” is on the loose, who targets young and successful career women (and cuts off their hands) but Miss Moorthy is not particularly bothered by this until her colleague Evelyn Ngui is murdered. And this seems to be the work of the Strangler. Even though Evelyn was not much of a friend of Miss Moorthy’s, she was previously seeing David, a friend of Anthony’s, so she does have a personal connection. Then the Strangler breaks into Miss Moorthy’s flat putting both her and Connie in danger. So of course Miss Moorthy decides to investigate. But investigating the case and Evelyn Ngui’s possible connection with it ends up also placing Miss Moorthy in her fair share of danger (of course she has Antony and Connie by her side for the most part). But does she manage to solve it?
This was a really enjoyable read; I especially loved how the author managed to write a murder mystery with all its actual dangers, even an encounter with a murderer (which however, seemed almost funny rather than serious) and still keep the general tone and writing full of humour. The characters are also a great deal of fun—Miss Moorthy, her parents (though we don’t actually meet them), Connie with the latest TV dramas that she’s producing and even the more serious Antony. Like Miss Marple, to whom many reviewers have compared Miss Moorthy, the latter too has insight into people, and this makes her observations on them rather fun to read. Evelyn Ngui whose murder it is that Miss Moorthy is trying to solve had a fairly complicated life with more than one love interest—and so Miss Moorthy certainly has her hands full trying to understand the colleague she didn’t know very well. She soon enough figures out Evelyn’s murderer was most likely a copycat and so there are a range of suspects to pick from. And of course, in the tradition of murder mysteries, there is a second death as well. I did not really guess whodunit or why in this one so I enjoyed the mystery element too.
And of course I loved the setting in Singapore—places are referenced, also the different cultures that comprise it—Malay, Chinese, Indian— come through and there’s also food (plenty actually) like Madam Wee’s lavish meal or even snacks. There are also period details from HDB (Housing Development Board) flats to American TV shows that were popular like Hawaii Five O and Mannix. But my favourite part was the writing itself—humorous and pleasantwhich made the book a really lovely read. I wish there were more mysteries with these characters; and I would certainly like to explore the other series by the author, especially the one set in 1930s Singapore!
p.s. I didn’t much like the cover of this one though it does represent the story well.
July 12, 2020
Singaporean author Ovidia Yu has two mysteries set in her native Singapore already: one set in 1930s Singapore that begins with The Frangipani Tree Mystery, and a second one set in modern Singapore that begins with Aunty Lee's Delights. So forgive me for burdening Miss Yu with yet another request: Please, please, please follow up Miss Moorthy Investigates with sequels! I need another Singapore series!
Set in 1975, Savi Moorthy, a nightclub singer turned secondary English teacher at a prestigious girls’ school, becomes intrigued when her standoffish colleague, Evelyn Ngui, is murdered. It’s presumed to be the latest serial killing by a man they’ve dubbed The Strangler; however, the tenacious, perspicacious Miss Moorthy starts to believe Evelyn’s murder was just made to look like The Strangler’s job — a copycat killing to throw police of the scent. If so, who hated Evelyn enough to do her in?
Miss Moorthy enlists her progressive roommate and her doctor pal (who wants to be more than a pal) in her quest for justice for Evelyn not because she liked Evelyn — few people did — but in the interest of justice itself. In other words, a modern woman after my own heart. More please, Miss Yu! The book is an extra bargain for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, as it’s free for them.
Set in 1975, Savi Moorthy, a nightclub singer turned secondary English teacher at a prestigious girls’ school, becomes intrigued when her standoffish colleague, Evelyn Ngui, is murdered. It’s presumed to be the latest serial killing by a man they’ve dubbed The Strangler; however, the tenacious, perspicacious Miss Moorthy starts to believe Evelyn’s murder was just made to look like The Strangler’s job — a copycat killing to throw police of the scent. If so, who hated Evelyn enough to do her in?
Miss Moorthy enlists her progressive roommate and her doctor pal (who wants to be more than a pal) in her quest for justice for Evelyn not because she liked Evelyn — few people did — but in the interest of justice itself. In other words, a modern woman after my own heart. More please, Miss Yu! The book is an extra bargain for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, as it’s free for them.
November 7, 2020
Full of gentle humour and amusing observations, Miss Moorthy Investigates is a murder mystery set in 1970s Singapore. Miss Moorthy is a teacher in a secondary school, to her parents’ dismay. Savitri “Savi” Moorthy had a former career as a singer, and her parents can’t understand why she would instead choose to teach instead.
When a teacher at her school is believed to be murdered by the Strangler, Savi begins inadvertently investigating because the woman was involved with a childhood friend of her sort of boyfriend.
Savi actually makes a capable investigator, considering she’s never done so before, and though she makes a few wrong turns, her many skills, along with her good humour and amused approach to life help her progress to the unhappy solution.
I enjoyed this quite a bit, and liked the humour running through the story, as well as Savi’s observations of people’s characters.
It’s a pity this is the only Miss Moorthy story by this author, but Ovidia Yu has two other series I’m now interested in checking out.
When a teacher at her school is believed to be murdered by the Strangler, Savi begins inadvertently investigating because the woman was involved with a childhood friend of her sort of boyfriend.
Savi actually makes a capable investigator, considering she’s never done so before, and though she makes a few wrong turns, her many skills, along with her good humour and amused approach to life help her progress to the unhappy solution.
I enjoyed this quite a bit, and liked the humour running through the story, as well as Savi’s observations of people’s characters.
It’s a pity this is the only Miss Moorthy story by this author, but Ovidia Yu has two other series I’m now interested in checking out.
July 6, 2022
2.5⭐️
July 28, 2020
Bu seneki okuma planlarım içerisinde daha önceden hiç kitap okumadığım ülkelerden kitaplar okumak da var. Tabii bu tarz ülkelerden ancak kindle için neler bulabiliyorsak onları okuyorum. Ovidia Yu'dan başka bir kitap okumak istemiştim aslında ancak bulamadım o yüzden bu kitap kısmet oldu. Öykü yetmişlerin Singapur'unda geçen klasik bir cinayet öyküsü. Az karakterli çok da şaşırtmayan bir sona sahip. Ancak hoşça vakit geçirmek isteyen ya da yazın kafası çok dağılmadan bir okuma yapmak isteyecekler için ideal diye düşünüyorum. Özellikle klasik detektif romanları okuyucuları ve Miss Marple sevenler beğenecektir.
September 4, 2018
Simple story, not very enthralling yet very readable. characters really close to reality. the author's apparently an Agatha Christie fan, esp Ms Marple's(like me) and having an Indian (Bengali) protagonist in a Singaporean novel was definitely a cherry on top. I really liked the writing style..... wit bordering on sarcasm. But what differentiates it from Ms Christie's works is the predictability.... which Agatha Christie books are definitely lacking.....
An enjoyable overall read.
An enjoyable overall read.
February 14, 2020
Miss Moorthy is a very bright and energetic secondary school teacher. Unfortunately she has the worst traits of amateur detectives. She is absolutely certain the she, and only she, can solve the mystery. She completely discounts the possibility of the police being competent enough to make any headway. She blithely puts herself in dangerous situations, knowing that she is too valuable to the author for anything really bad to happen. I enjoyed the setting in Singapore but found the whole episode with the “Strangler” completely unbelievable.
April 2, 2021
The location is Singapore and there is a killer going around killing young women and cutting off their hand.
Ms. Moorthy an English teacher in a catholic school gets dragged into the murder mystery when her colleague is also murdered.
Ms. Moorthy enters into the murky world of the rich and powerful and tries to figure out if it is her colleague's ex or her colleague's present richie rich playboy who could have killed her.
Using her wits she goes about solving the mystery.
A good read.
Ms. Moorthy an English teacher in a catholic school gets dragged into the murder mystery when her colleague is also murdered.
Ms. Moorthy enters into the murky world of the rich and powerful and tries to figure out if it is her colleague's ex or her colleague's present richie rich playboy who could have killed her.
Using her wits she goes about solving the mystery.
A good read.
May 26, 2017
Ovidia Yu is a great writer and a humourous one at that too. I picked up Miss Moorthy Investigates recently and only read Ovidia Yu’s work for the first time. This murder mystery fictional story was published in 2012 and is a tidy 200-page novel that kept me guessing who the murderer was.
The story was set in Singapore in the 1970s and the author’s descriptions of that era brought back fond memories of the years when I was still a teenager. It was a period when The Specialist Shopping Centre and The Gluttons Corner were still around. Songs like Leaving on a Jet Plane and Rocky Mountain High by John Denver were popular hits then.
The author moved quickly through the story without compromising any detail leading to reader’s understanding of the circumstances and the psyches of potential crime suspects. The whole story tied up nicely and it was with pleasure to read till the end.
Despite the gruesome murders, Ovidia Yu is good with her sense of humour and there were plenty to keep you laughing and smiling throughout.
This is a recommended read and one would not regret reading a Singapore-style murder crime story.
The story was set in Singapore in the 1970s and the author’s descriptions of that era brought back fond memories of the years when I was still a teenager. It was a period when The Specialist Shopping Centre and The Gluttons Corner were still around. Songs like Leaving on a Jet Plane and Rocky Mountain High by John Denver were popular hits then.
The author moved quickly through the story without compromising any detail leading to reader’s understanding of the circumstances and the psyches of potential crime suspects. The whole story tied up nicely and it was with pleasure to read till the end.
Despite the gruesome murders, Ovidia Yu is good with her sense of humour and there were plenty to keep you laughing and smiling throughout.
This is a recommended read and one would not regret reading a Singapore-style murder crime story.
June 11, 2021
Immensely enjoyed this book
- written about a past time in the present time with present politico-social sensibilities (& a tinge of innocent nostalgia)
- it's a murder mystery after all, BUT MUCH MORE intently, a gender-studies fiction!!!!
-author is insightful about human behaviour, uses a gender lens & is amused rather than combative about what she observes, is candid & tongue-in-cheek ... the heroine is typical of a 1970s heroine - not overtly rebellious, but ingeniously & doggedly single-minded, unlike 1950s-60s heroines or 2K-20teens heroines...
The book is an okay murder mystery but a great novel, & is short & a quick read.
- written about a past time in the present time with present politico-social sensibilities (& a tinge of innocent nostalgia)
- it's a murder mystery after all, BUT MUCH MORE intently, a gender-studies fiction!!!!
-author is insightful about human behaviour, uses a gender lens & is amused rather than combative about what she observes, is candid & tongue-in-cheek ... the heroine is typical of a 1970s heroine - not overtly rebellious, but ingeniously & doggedly single-minded, unlike 1950s-60s heroines or 2K-20teens heroines...
The book is an okay murder mystery but a great novel, & is short & a quick read.
September 6, 2018
This is a fairly simple murder mystery, one that's not terribly long or overly complicated. It's not hugely engaging, and the main character is fine without being too interesting. I still enjoyed reading it, though, although if it was longer then it may have outstayed its welcome just a tad.
I know that sounds like more criticism than praise, but I did still enjoy reading it and don't regret doing so. I guess it's because the author is clearly heavily influenced by Agatha Christie, but, in my opinion, the book doesn't measure up to those lofty standards. Still worth a read though.
I know that sounds like more criticism than praise, but I did still enjoy reading it and don't regret doing so. I guess it's because the author is clearly heavily influenced by Agatha Christie, but, in my opinion, the book doesn't measure up to those lofty standards. Still worth a read though.
December 15, 2017
I wanted to read a bit more Singaporean fiction and as I like mysteries, this seemed like a good start. The characters were well-sketched out, especially the feisty secondary-school-teacher protagonist Miss Moorthy, who's very likeable and gets things done. The mystery itself was a bit less to my liking, but the plot was decent enough. Four stars.
January 3, 2021
The amazing Ovidia Yu kick-starts 2021's reads for me and I'm so pleased that I enjoyed this pageturner.
This was my pick for my #bookfairiesoffline and it was a great choice.
With the cold weather and armed with 3 mugs of tea, I devoured this hungrily.
I'll never look at pig tail soup or drunken prawns the same way again...
This was my pick for my #bookfairiesoffline and it was a great choice.
With the cold weather and armed with 3 mugs of tea, I devoured this hungrily.
I'll never look at pig tail soup or drunken prawns the same way again...
May 27, 2018
Nice simple murder mystery...
The setting is simple. It is an easy read. Reflection of society then... Oversimplified murder mystery with no police involvement, but fairly simple to deduct as the story progresses...
The setting is simple. It is an easy read. Reflection of society then... Oversimplified murder mystery with no police involvement, but fairly simple to deduct as the story progresses...
June 29, 2020
Too much Agata Christie flavor
Good enough plot, but, as in Agata Christie's novels, the characters are underdeveloped. Connie, the roommate of the teacher-detective, is the only one that has some sort of a voice.
Good enough plot, but, as in Agata Christie's novels, the characters are underdeveloped. Connie, the roommate of the teacher-detective, is the only one that has some sort of a voice.
December 2, 2018
Interesting
Love the 70s time period and Singapore setting. Heroine seems practical and sympathetic. Looking forward to more investigations by Miss Moorthy.
Love the 70s time period and Singapore setting. Heroine seems practical and sympathetic. Looking forward to more investigations by Miss Moorthy.
September 24, 2020
Easy read, kept me interested. I would have liked more details about life in Singapore (like Ovidia Wu’s Aunty Lee stories) but ok. I think may have been a trial run for Aunty Wu.
December 27, 2020
This wasn't my favorite, not my favorite time frame, but interesting. SuLin still my absolute favorite.
August 17, 2021
Wowiee
June 25, 2022
Enjoyable read.
July 13, 2025
A breezy and fun murder mystery! Highly recommended! :)
April 26, 2020
A busy-body teacher who turns into a investigator when an acquaintance is murdered. Was she the latest victim of ta serial murderer in loose or is there more to the story? A story that held lot of promise but didn't hold my attention 😔
November 29, 2012
A Good Read for all the lovers of Classic Murder Mysteries....i enjoyed reading it nd looking forward to see more of Miss Moorthy...full credit to OVIDIYA YU....a promising author.
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January 26, 2017A great mystery book. Recommended to every mystery and thriller lover.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews