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Penny Dreadful
Hong Kong. Idyllic beaches. Glitzy cityscapes. What can possibly go wrong? Jasmine Spitfire, Hong Kong’s social counsellor extraordinaire, thought her life would forever consist of the disillusioned, the disgruntled and the mildly depressed. She's wrong. The moment a gruesome murder darkens her doorstep, Spitfire's world teeters on the cusp of paranoia and self-destruction. Why did Piers Blunt, the corporate power-player, die in such a horrific manner? And who could have done this?Jasmine embarks on an investigation that puts in her radar a cast of suspects, making the crowded city even more claustrophobic. Was it Piers' disgruntled wife, Farrah? Was it his colleagues, who were salivating to usurp his position? Was it his beautiful, ambitious mistress, nicknamed Penny the dreadful? But when the clues do not add up while the dead bodies begin to pile up, fiery Spitfire must race against time--and overcome her own demons--to find and stop the real murderer.A suspenseful, psychological, white-knuckle whodunit with Sherlockian wit and intensity set amidst the glittering skyscrapers, dark alleyways, and majestic shorelines of Hong Kong. Penny Dreadful throws you in the front seat of a maddening ride and compels you to keep your eyes, and your heart, wide ”Books like 'Penny Dreadful' are hard to come by. It's rare to see a finely crafted whodunit with soul. It's hard not to like Jasmine Spitfire, because she reminds us of ourselves—a supposedly normal person, albeit with a few quirks, who chooses to do what is right despite all the risks... Much more than a thriller, 'Penny Dreadful' is a scathing commentary on Hong Kong society, woven into an intricate, heart-rending yet uplifting page turner that holds you hostage until the very end... Spellbinding!” - J.B. Lazarte, Carlos Palanca Awardee and author of 'All the Darkness Unseen.' An excellent read! The characters are so well developed here and you feel like you're walking the streets of Hong Kong. The writing is absolutely terrific... I recommend 'Penny Dreadful' to those who love a good whodunit with humour and suspense. It's a thrilling and entertaining ride to the very last page.” - RoseMarie Williams, Books and Stuff blog
305 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 9, 2019
18 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
T.M. Tam
1 bookTM Tam is a Hongkonger. She was a banker, a photographer and now, a writer. For her, it's a natural progression of life of sorts, alphabetically, at least.
Penny Dreadful is her fourth novel. Having written about the city's past and present, she is now inhabiting a 2033 Hong Kong.
She has a husband, two sons, two cats and a dog who hates walkies.
Visit her at: https://www.TM-Tam.com.
Penny Dreadful is her fourth novel. Having written about the city's past and present, she is now inhabiting a 2033 Hong Kong.
She has a husband, two sons, two cats and a dog who hates walkies.
Visit her at: https://www.TM-Tam.com.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 28, 2019
Okay, first off, this was an excellent read. A lot of twisty bits and suspense which I love in a thriller. I like that the story takes place in a sweltering hot Summer in Hong Kong because right now this Winter is brutal. Imagining being too hot on the streets of Hong Kong is okay with me.
The characters are so well developed here and you feel like you're walking the street of Hong Kong from Teresa's brilliant descriptions of the city. The writing is absolutely terrific.
The book jumps from the recent past to the present. The story is mostly told by the Protagonist Jasmine Spitfire when we meet Jasmine, a Guidance Counsellor, Social Worker, a Life coach with a double Masters in Psychology she's in the middle of talking one of her clients down. Jasmine sees herself as just a normal person doing a job she loves, however; on the side, Jasmine does some sleuthing for her clients, a cheating asshole husband there, a misunderstanding in communication here, you know regular stuff. And so this is how we come to meet Penny Szeto, a beautiful, smart, ambitious and climbing to the top woman. Once Penny has been introduced to the story, the twists and suspense become even more interesting. Some of which you will not see coming.
Look out for some real psychological manipulation, from some of these character(s).
She's come to Jasmine for help after the murder of her boss Piers Blunt, thinking the police might pin the murder on her. Jasmine's office offers help to both the rich and the not so rich, so her visiting this particular office is not surprising on its own.
As I mentioned the characters are well developed and we learn a great deal about Penny through the pages. I have to say though Penny is one ruthless bitch, that girl will have you hating her one moment and kinda liking her the next. I mean we all want to reach our career goals right?
"She's the epitome of someone narcissistic, ambitious, single-minded to the point of being obstinate. She has no empathy for fellow human beings and thinks that the world revolves around her. Everything she does is based on what the benefits her, and her alone. It's the simplest logic in her mind - does it help me? Yes, then do it. No, then forget it."
There's humor throughout, but not so that the real horror taking place is forgotten for more a than a second. The banter between jasmine and her boss, or the lead detective and even her father is just the right touch throughout the book.
I really love how the author weaves the story throughout Hong Kong, from the upper echelons to some of the grubbiest streets and along the way we learn some of its cultures. We know that Jasmine Spitfire is half Chinese and half British and we're given some deep insight into how she had to deal with being a local Hongkonger and not being treated as such growing up and as and now as an adult.
I recommend Penny Dreadful to those who love a good whodunnit, set on the streets of Hong Kong with humor and suspense. It's a thrilling and entertaining ride to the very last page.
Thank you Teresa Tam-Morris, for sending me a Digital copy of your book Penny Dreadful.
The characters are so well developed here and you feel like you're walking the street of Hong Kong from Teresa's brilliant descriptions of the city. The writing is absolutely terrific.
The book jumps from the recent past to the present. The story is mostly told by the Protagonist Jasmine Spitfire when we meet Jasmine, a Guidance Counsellor, Social Worker, a Life coach with a double Masters in Psychology she's in the middle of talking one of her clients down. Jasmine sees herself as just a normal person doing a job she loves, however; on the side, Jasmine does some sleuthing for her clients, a cheating asshole husband there, a misunderstanding in communication here, you know regular stuff. And so this is how we come to meet Penny Szeto, a beautiful, smart, ambitious and climbing to the top woman. Once Penny has been introduced to the story, the twists and suspense become even more interesting. Some of which you will not see coming.
Look out for some real psychological manipulation, from some of these character(s).
She's come to Jasmine for help after the murder of her boss Piers Blunt, thinking the police might pin the murder on her. Jasmine's office offers help to both the rich and the not so rich, so her visiting this particular office is not surprising on its own.
As I mentioned the characters are well developed and we learn a great deal about Penny through the pages. I have to say though Penny is one ruthless bitch, that girl will have you hating her one moment and kinda liking her the next. I mean we all want to reach our career goals right?
"She's the epitome of someone narcissistic, ambitious, single-minded to the point of being obstinate. She has no empathy for fellow human beings and thinks that the world revolves around her. Everything she does is based on what the benefits her, and her alone. It's the simplest logic in her mind - does it help me? Yes, then do it. No, then forget it."
There's humor throughout, but not so that the real horror taking place is forgotten for more a than a second. The banter between jasmine and her boss, or the lead detective and even her father is just the right touch throughout the book.
I really love how the author weaves the story throughout Hong Kong, from the upper echelons to some of the grubbiest streets and along the way we learn some of its cultures. We know that Jasmine Spitfire is half Chinese and half British and we're given some deep insight into how she had to deal with being a local Hongkonger and not being treated as such growing up and as and now as an adult.
I recommend Penny Dreadful to those who love a good whodunnit, set on the streets of Hong Kong with humor and suspense. It's a thrilling and entertaining ride to the very last page.
Thank you Teresa Tam-Morris, for sending me a Digital copy of your book Penny Dreadful.
January 21, 2019
This is the first time reading anything by this author. She has a knack of sparking vivid mental images through her use of language, this is definitely a book series for a person who enjoys thrillers. It's filled with suspense and twists which made reading entertaining. Very nice character development and storyline and I'm pretty sure it's going to become a best seller. A must read
January 21, 2019
Great book by the author, awesome character development and interesting story. Always got me thinking about the next event to take place due to twists and suspense the book is filled with. Highly recommended to anyone who wants and interesting novel
January 18, 2019
Books like Penny Dreadful are hard to come by. It’s rare to see a finely crafted whodunit with soul. It’s hard not to like Jasmine Spitfire because she reminds us of you and I—a supposedly normal person, albeit with a few quirks, who chooses to do what is right despite all the risks. That’s why the sense of danger as you read through the chapters, with every plot twist and every uncovering of yet another red herring, feels palpable.
I’m not sure about the genre in general, but Penny Dreadful is by far the only such novel I’ve read that’s set in Hong Kong, a city of so many stark contrasts. With a Chinese mother (long dead) and a British father (now aging and saddled with many ailments and serves as Jasmine’s constant emotional anchor), Jasmine Spitfire lives through a dilemma: from a foreigner’s point of view, Jasmine is a local; for Hongkongers, she’s a foreigner. This social dilemma gives Jasmine a nuanced identity crisis, which colors the story enough to add a few interesting dimensions and texture to the story.
There is humor here, humor that doesn’t call too much attention to itself. Instead, it humanizes the horror—the murders that are too tricky to fathom—and gives readers reason to believe in the reality the novel paints.
I love how Jasmine, despite her antics, remains grounded—the memories of her childhood, her love for his aging father, the local hometown where she grew up, the dynamics of her relationship with her boss—and shows us we’re not dealing with a gallery caricature, but a real person.
As this is a murder mystery novel, I won’t give spoilers. But let me suffice it to say that this has been a thoroughly enjoyable read, from start to finish. If you’re a fan of the genre, this would be a substantial addition to the bookshelf. There is indication that this is only the first book in what I presume to be a long series, so it’s exciting to know there’s more where Jasmine Spitfire came from. Can’t wait for the next one to drop.
I’m not sure about the genre in general, but Penny Dreadful is by far the only such novel I’ve read that’s set in Hong Kong, a city of so many stark contrasts. With a Chinese mother (long dead) and a British father (now aging and saddled with many ailments and serves as Jasmine’s constant emotional anchor), Jasmine Spitfire lives through a dilemma: from a foreigner’s point of view, Jasmine is a local; for Hongkongers, she’s a foreigner. This social dilemma gives Jasmine a nuanced identity crisis, which colors the story enough to add a few interesting dimensions and texture to the story.
There is humor here, humor that doesn’t call too much attention to itself. Instead, it humanizes the horror—the murders that are too tricky to fathom—and gives readers reason to believe in the reality the novel paints.
I love how Jasmine, despite her antics, remains grounded—the memories of her childhood, her love for his aging father, the local hometown where she grew up, the dynamics of her relationship with her boss—and shows us we’re not dealing with a gallery caricature, but a real person.
As this is a murder mystery novel, I won’t give spoilers. But let me suffice it to say that this has been a thoroughly enjoyable read, from start to finish. If you’re a fan of the genre, this would be a substantial addition to the bookshelf. There is indication that this is only the first book in what I presume to be a long series, so it’s exciting to know there’s more where Jasmine Spitfire came from. Can’t wait for the next one to drop.
April 14, 2019
A thrilling who-done-it set in the gritty reality of Hong Kong - a real page turner, couldn’t put it down!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews