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After The Inquiry
Police sergeant Hafiz lies in a coma after a gunshot to the head. The investigation by Internal Affairs uncovered a game of Russian roulette gone wrong, and the case is now closed. But there are rumbles of concern in the Ministry, and middle-aged civil servant Boon Teck—assisted by young colleague Nithya—is dispatched to take another look.
Suffused with mystery and intrigue, After The Inquiry steps into the mirror maze of Singapore's bureaucracy, where silvered surfaces hide troubling secrets, and those who search for the truth risk getting lost...
Suffused with mystery and intrigue, After The Inquiry steps into the mirror maze of Singapore's bureaucracy, where silvered surfaces hide troubling secrets, and those who search for the truth risk getting lost...
204 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
3 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
Jolene Tan
4 books13 followersJolene Tan is a writer from Singapore who lives in England. She has also lived in Germany.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
March 12, 2021
boon teck and nithya were tasked to do a further investigation on a closed cased - an incident which causes police sergeant, hafiz, to lie in coma after a gunshot to the head.
this is @ethosbooks latest fiction release aND IM ABSOULTELY DIGGING IT!!!! i really love the format it was written in - as if youre reading an actual investigation report-ish and there were also footnotes included! as much as it was a very unique experience to read in such a way, it took me awhile to get used to it esp reading the footnotes but i guess its just a personal preference that i dont really fancy them in the first place. like i know its important to read but they also tend to interrupt the flow of reading?? :")
anyways overall its such a great book with a very important message. touching on themes like social status, racial priviledge and discrimination - moreover set in our local scene + public service sector - i cant help but to find how relatable everything is as a working adult. AND THAT ENDING....it really gives me this HAH-in-your-face realization that YES, they are actually still happening in the workforce even up till today, that "its just the way things go" and "you lose good people sometimes". it also makes me feel angry...it just hurts knowing that there will always be the hardworking people expecting change and fighting for the good but they will end up be the ones getting hurt and disappointed.
its such a necessary read and highly recommend this to everyone esp if youre looking for a refreshing yet reflective read. another book to add in your #singlit TBR too!!!! you might not want to miss this!!!!
// thank you so much @ethosbooks for the ARC in exchange of an honest review, i really enjoyed this one 💚
this is @ethosbooks latest fiction release aND IM ABSOULTELY DIGGING IT!!!! i really love the format it was written in - as if youre reading an actual investigation report-ish and there were also footnotes included! as much as it was a very unique experience to read in such a way, it took me awhile to get used to it esp reading the footnotes but i guess its just a personal preference that i dont really fancy them in the first place. like i know its important to read but they also tend to interrupt the flow of reading?? :")
anyways overall its such a great book with a very important message. touching on themes like social status, racial priviledge and discrimination - moreover set in our local scene + public service sector - i cant help but to find how relatable everything is as a working adult. AND THAT ENDING....it really gives me this HAH-in-your-face realization that YES, they are actually still happening in the workforce even up till today, that "its just the way things go" and "you lose good people sometimes". it also makes me feel angry...it just hurts knowing that there will always be the hardworking people expecting change and fighting for the good but they will end up be the ones getting hurt and disappointed.
its such a necessary read and highly recommend this to everyone esp if youre looking for a refreshing yet reflective read. another book to add in your #singlit TBR too!!!! you might not want to miss this!!!!
// thank you so much @ethosbooks for the ARC in exchange of an honest review, i really enjoyed this one 💚
September 23, 2021
finished 1/2 in kino like a month ago, finished other 1/2 today. pretty interesting and enjoyable read, plot is good, characters good. will say the witty references to hot topics in our culture got tiring after a while: some lack of subtlety there. could have benefited from being about 50 less pages, even though it's not long as it is, just that it gets a bit repetitive.
March 6, 2021
In After the Inquiry, senior civil servant Boon Teck is tasked to inquiry into a closed investigation of workplace bullying that resulted in a sergeant in a coma in the hospital.
Jolene's characters have strong, distinguishable voices, and I enjoyed being in the shoes of middle-aged, pro-establishment, iron-rice-bowl, prides-himself-at-being-centrist Boon Teck as he muses about his investigation and his interactions with Nithya, his supervisee. Nithya is young and painfully reminds me of myself. Boon Teck is paternalistic and sometimes condescending towards his younger counterpart, but he writes about his interactions with a confidence and a lack of self-awareness that only Chinese men in power do.
Boon Teck and Nithya however are very relatable characters and we see them in all their glory, flaws, hopes, beliefs, and all. In a very short scene, Boon Teck calls out the public service:
Nithya is bold, but clever, as she sidesteps her way around the problematic structures of her job. She tries to speak up for injustice wherever her role takes her, but was shot down almost everytime in favour for 'how we always did things'.
Jolene Tan explores many social issues in her second novel. She weaves the mystery into undeniably Singaporean flavours of inequality, nepotism, racism, sexism, and the failings of our establishment. Her writing is often quietly devastatingly to the focuses of her criticism. It's one of my favourite things about it. I found myself laughing at her subtle hits and jabs and reflecting as well on the criticism she intending to bring into the story. Sometimes she alludes to things quite subtly that I wonder how many people miss it, and how much I missed too.
I find the mystery itself not to be the focal point of the story, even as everything revolves around it. I was excited and racing through to find out (how much drama can one stuff into a Singaporean setting, you know) what happened but when I reached the ending, I was a little disappointed but not surprised. After all, often things end with a whimper.
Overall, it was a fun, very local read.
Jolene's characters have strong, distinguishable voices, and I enjoyed being in the shoes of middle-aged, pro-establishment, iron-rice-bowl, prides-himself-at-being-centrist Boon Teck as he muses about his investigation and his interactions with Nithya, his supervisee. Nithya is young and painfully reminds me of myself. Boon Teck is paternalistic and sometimes condescending towards his younger counterpart, but he writes about his interactions with a confidence and a lack of self-awareness that only Chinese men in power do.
Boon Teck and Nithya however are very relatable characters and we see them in all their glory, flaws, hopes, beliefs, and all. In a very short scene, Boon Teck calls out the public service:
"Later my boss rebuked me for "tactlessness", for "irrational hostility", but I stuck to my guns. "Come on, Rajesh, you saw it too; he just wasn't impressive. We just can't give a good job to a white horse with bad references, and especially not one who has attacked the public service so openly, people will say it's nep-"
"Don't say it," Rajesh said warningly."
Nithya is bold, but clever, as she sidesteps her way around the problematic structures of her job. She tries to speak up for injustice wherever her role takes her, but was shot down almost everytime in favour for 'how we always did things'.
Jolene Tan explores many social issues in her second novel. She weaves the mystery into undeniably Singaporean flavours of inequality, nepotism, racism, sexism, and the failings of our establishment. Her writing is often quietly devastatingly to the focuses of her criticism. It's one of my favourite things about it. I found myself laughing at her subtle hits and jabs and reflecting as well on the criticism she intending to bring into the story. Sometimes she alludes to things quite subtly that I wonder how many people miss it, and how much I missed too.
I find the mystery itself not to be the focal point of the story, even as everything revolves around it. I was excited and racing through to find out (how much drama can one stuff into a Singaporean setting, you know) what happened but when I reached the ending, I was a little disappointed but not surprised. After all, often things end with a whimper.
Overall, it was a fun, very local read.
March 6, 2021
Thank you Ethos Books for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review!
This was such a interesting read.
I am surprise it has more humour than I thought it would.
I love the way this was being written.
Its kind of a drama, report and a lot of dialogue.
Of course because I'm Singaporean, the places, humour and language is so close to home and relatable.
This was such a interesting read.
I am surprise it has more humour than I thought it would.
I love the way this was being written.
Its kind of a drama, report and a lot of dialogue.
Of course because I'm Singaporean, the places, humour and language is so close to home and relatable.
March 19, 2021
4 solid stars!
Damn. Oh damn. This is such a good book – I honestly cannot wait for it to be published so that people can start reading it! I will try my best to put my thoughts down coherently but please bear with me! I’m still trying to process what I read.
AFTER THE INQUIRY starts off as a mystery. From the synopsis, we know that police sergeant Hafiz is in a coma with a gunshot wound to the head after a case of Russian roulette gone wrong. While the matter has already been investigated by Internal Affairs, the Ministry is called in to tie up loose ends and ensure that the investigation process was up to standard (ie. the proper procedures were carried out, no negligence/oversight by Internal Affairs during the investigation etc.).
Enter our narrator Boon Teck, a middle-aged senior civil servant working at the Ministry who has an impressive track record regarding such tasks. Together with Nithya, a junior colleague, they unravel what happened to sergeant Hafiz that night and along the way, unintentionally discover some secrets about Singapore’s bureaucracy.
REVIEW:
I have to admit that when I first started AFTER THE INQUIRY, what hooked me was the mystery – I really wanted to know what happened and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! But as I continued reading, the mystery started to take a backseat. Topics like racial discrimination, sexism, social injustice, the idea of sacrificing one person for the “good” of society started to take centre stage.
Reading this book made me stop and reflect on whether my perception of the world and my moral viewpoint is naïve. In an ideal world, everything would be white vs. black and there would be a straightforward answer to every question. But the reality is always more grey than we like to think.
From a citizen’s point of view, it’s easy to say, “This is wrong, the government should do this instead”. But when you are in a position of authority and you are expected to care for an entire nation’s welfare, it is never that straightforward. No government can pass a law that would benefit every single citizen – there will always be some groups who benefit more than others. As the leader of a country, you can only make decisions based on what you think is likely to have the best outcome for everyone.
That being said, it doesn’t mean that I agree with how things played out in this novel. While reading the climax, I experienced a multitude of emotions ranging from shock, fury, disgust, fear and eventually (I have to admit) some level of understanding. And although I thought the ending was fitting for the storyline, it didn't sit well with me. If you are in a position of authority and you have to choose between one person and the stability of a nation, which would you choose? I thought this grey area was touched on quite well. (Or maybe my moral compass is in the wrong direction, I honestly don’t know anymore lol)
Writing style wise, I enjoyed this report format. Like some readers, I did experience some initial difficulty with the footnotes but after I got used to it, I enjoyed reading them. These footnotes provided more context without interrupting the flow of the “report”. The author also injects some elements that you wouldn’t normally see in a formal report (like dialogue, and Teck also talks about his emotions at some parts) so you don’t have to worry that the writing style will be too dry. I thought it was unique but still very readable and I really liked it.
I especially like that Jolene Tan selected Teck to be the narrator in this book. To me, he is a morally grey character. I was (and still am!) so conflicted about him. One minute I was angry and disgusted by his actions and words, thinking, “OMG this guy is seriously crazy, what is wrong with him!” to “Okay I guess I kind of understand why he has to do that…” Putting his politicking aside, you get the feeling that he does want the best for his country. But you also wonder whether he is so brainwashed by the work he is doing and the institution that he is working for, that he no longer knows what is truly best for his country. Watching him rationalise and justify his actions was quite... eye-opening. If the author had instead selected Nithya to be her narrator, it would have been easy to write Teck off as deluded and we would have lost these interesting layers in the narrative.
All in all, this was a very enjoyable and thought-provoking read. Its local context makes it relatable and the storyline makes you wonder if there might be some element of truth to this piece of fiction. I loved it, and I know I will be thinking about it for some time. Highly recommended!
Damn. Oh damn. This is such a good book – I honestly cannot wait for it to be published so that people can start reading it! I will try my best to put my thoughts down coherently but please bear with me! I’m still trying to process what I read.
AFTER THE INQUIRY starts off as a mystery. From the synopsis, we know that police sergeant Hafiz is in a coma with a gunshot wound to the head after a case of Russian roulette gone wrong. While the matter has already been investigated by Internal Affairs, the Ministry is called in to tie up loose ends and ensure that the investigation process was up to standard (ie. the proper procedures were carried out, no negligence/oversight by Internal Affairs during the investigation etc.).
Enter our narrator Boon Teck, a middle-aged senior civil servant working at the Ministry who has an impressive track record regarding such tasks. Together with Nithya, a junior colleague, they unravel what happened to sergeant Hafiz that night and along the way, unintentionally discover some secrets about Singapore’s bureaucracy.
REVIEW:
I have to admit that when I first started AFTER THE INQUIRY, what hooked me was the mystery – I really wanted to know what happened and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! But as I continued reading, the mystery started to take a backseat. Topics like racial discrimination, sexism, social injustice, the idea of sacrificing one person for the “good” of society started to take centre stage.
Reading this book made me stop and reflect on whether my perception of the world and my moral viewpoint is naïve. In an ideal world, everything would be white vs. black and there would be a straightforward answer to every question. But the reality is always more grey than we like to think.
From a citizen’s point of view, it’s easy to say, “This is wrong, the government should do this instead”. But when you are in a position of authority and you are expected to care for an entire nation’s welfare, it is never that straightforward. No government can pass a law that would benefit every single citizen – there will always be some groups who benefit more than others. As the leader of a country, you can only make decisions based on what you think is likely to have the best outcome for everyone.
That being said, it doesn’t mean that I agree with how things played out in this novel. While reading the climax, I experienced a multitude of emotions ranging from shock, fury, disgust, fear and eventually (I have to admit) some level of understanding. And although I thought the ending was fitting for the storyline, it didn't sit well with me. If you are in a position of authority and you have to choose between one person and the stability of a nation, which would you choose? I thought this grey area was touched on quite well. (Or maybe my moral compass is in the wrong direction, I honestly don’t know anymore lol)
Writing style wise, I enjoyed this report format. Like some readers, I did experience some initial difficulty with the footnotes but after I got used to it, I enjoyed reading them. These footnotes provided more context without interrupting the flow of the “report”. The author also injects some elements that you wouldn’t normally see in a formal report (like dialogue, and Teck also talks about his emotions at some parts) so you don’t have to worry that the writing style will be too dry. I thought it was unique but still very readable and I really liked it.
I especially like that Jolene Tan selected Teck to be the narrator in this book. To me, he is a morally grey character. I was (and still am!) so conflicted about him. One minute I was angry and disgusted by his actions and words, thinking, “OMG this guy is seriously crazy, what is wrong with him!” to “Okay I guess I kind of understand why he has to do that…” Putting his politicking aside, you get the feeling that he does want the best for his country. But you also wonder whether he is so brainwashed by the work he is doing and the institution that he is working for, that he no longer knows what is truly best for his country. Watching him rationalise and justify his actions was quite... eye-opening. If the author had instead selected Nithya to be her narrator, it would have been easy to write Teck off as deluded and we would have lost these interesting layers in the narrative.
All in all, this was a very enjoyable and thought-provoking read. Its local context makes it relatable and the storyline makes you wonder if there might be some element of truth to this piece of fiction. I loved it, and I know I will be thinking about it for some time. Highly recommended!
April 25, 2023
5 stars. Thought-provoking is an understatement, After the Inquiry questions the very foundations of our worldviews.
Police sergeant Hafiz lies in a coma after a gunshot to the head. The investigation by Internal Affairs uncovered a game of Russian roulette gone wrong, and the case is now closed. But what appeared to be a seemingly straightforward case, albeit uncharacteristically violent in our conservative state, unravels into something serious as we are taken through the reinvestigation in a report by civil servant Boon Teck.
Tan calculated her every move in delivering this tale. Teck’s shrewd narration* ensured a clear understanding of the plot where no detail is missed, while his self-proclaimed unbiasedness (in the footnotes especially) allowed his personality—or rather, mindset—to show, which was as important, if not more, than the main story.
This book made me rage, understandably, at times, but when I started genuinely considering what I would do in the characters’ positions, I found my conclusion was no answer at all; things are just not that simple, and the more you ponder, the larger the web gets.
There is no doubt this is a standout Singlit. It is thoroughly Singaporean, unique to our political system and demographic, and an expertly crafted suspense story as well. I’m now rather excited for A Certain Exposure, which is another favourite of many friends.
* His language use was often commented on in reviews, so here are my thoughts. I agree it was very atas (complex, high level) but I feel that only served to confirm Teck’s inclination of highlighting his education and good manners, so I liked that attention to detail. Overall, I felt it wasn't overdone or tedious, and just searched up definitions occasionally.
Thank you to Ethos Books for sending me this copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Grab yourself a copy of the new, reissued edition, available now!
“Between academic training, however sophisticated, and the daily realities of governance, lies a gap which experience alone cannot bridge. Experience, you see, is only raw material; it can be refined into all the wrong lessons. A budding public servant needs, above all, guidance.”
“Before all this, I did what I was told to do, even if I didn't understand why, because I thought I'd learn to understand eventually. I had faith it would add up into a better whole. I don't have that anymore.”
Police sergeant Hafiz lies in a coma after a gunshot to the head. The investigation by Internal Affairs uncovered a game of Russian roulette gone wrong, and the case is now closed. But what appeared to be a seemingly straightforward case, albeit uncharacteristically violent in our conservative state, unravels into something serious as we are taken through the reinvestigation in a report by civil servant Boon Teck.
Tan calculated her every move in delivering this tale. Teck’s shrewd narration* ensured a clear understanding of the plot where no detail is missed, while his self-proclaimed unbiasedness (in the footnotes especially) allowed his personality—or rather, mindset—to show, which was as important, if not more, than the main story.
This book made me rage, understandably, at times, but when I started genuinely considering what I would do in the characters’ positions, I found my conclusion was no answer at all; things are just not that simple, and the more you ponder, the larger the web gets.
There is no doubt this is a standout Singlit. It is thoroughly Singaporean, unique to our political system and demographic, and an expertly crafted suspense story as well. I’m now rather excited for A Certain Exposure, which is another favourite of many friends.
* His language use was often commented on in reviews, so here are my thoughts. I agree it was very atas (complex, high level) but I feel that only served to confirm Teck’s inclination of highlighting his education and good manners, so I liked that attention to detail. Overall, I felt it wasn't overdone or tedious, and just searched up definitions occasionally.
Thank you to Ethos Books for sending me this copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Grab yourself a copy of the new, reissued edition, available now!
“Between academic training, however sophisticated, and the daily realities of governance, lies a gap which experience alone cannot bridge. Experience, you see, is only raw material; it can be refined into all the wrong lessons. A budding public servant needs, above all, guidance.”
“Before all this, I did what I was told to do, even if I didn't understand why, because I thought I'd learn to understand eventually. I had faith it would add up into a better whole. I don't have that anymore.”
August 13, 2023
pretty straightforward book expressing disillusionment towards a bureaucracy riddled with inhumane and corrupt practices, and the people who mechanically and spinelessly uphold it under the guise of deference to the established order. the banality or evil... or something. the narrator is reminiscent of the self-deluding butler in Remains of the Day, except he's a civil servant with some unsaid elitist and racist views and a tendency to rationalise some very questionable behaviour. the book also contains some thinly veiled references to Teo You Yenn, Li Hongyi's email and other news topics.
the criticisms that the book makes can seem kinda repetitive or one-note as the book goes on, especially since the plot itself is also kinda flat. verdict: agree with kelly on this one.
the criticisms that the book makes can seem kinda repetitive or one-note as the book goes on, especially since the plot itself is also kinda flat. verdict: agree with kelly on this one.
January 31, 2023
As a public servant, I really enjoyed reading it as it resonated with my experiences/personas met in the public service.
But as a public servant, I was also extremely disappointed by the ending:( Though it is not entirely illogical, I just did not like it. Perhaps it was because I am more of Nithya than I thought.
But as a public servant, I was also extremely disappointed by the ending:( Though it is not entirely illogical, I just did not like it. Perhaps it was because I am more of Nithya than I thought.
June 2, 2021
One of the best novels that I've read in a long time!
July 20, 2021
This is a really good book that I couldn't put down. It's kind of like a mystery with lots of social commentary thrown in, and the story itself is really smartly crafted. We start from the POV of Teck, a seasoned civil servant sent to investigate an already-closed case along with his young and idealistic assistant, Nithya.
It's interesting because throughout the investigation, Teck is already familiar with the case and is only sent to tie up loose ends. We as readers piece together the mystery as Teck goes along (together with Nithya). This, along with the way the story is presented, is terrific at characterising Teck. He's a no-nonsense, detail-oriented, pretty much perfect civil servant, and although he REALLY annoys me, it doesn't put me off and I still care very much about his character and the story. Nithya is also a delightful character: she's young and full of energy (maybe that's why I'm drawn to her, because I'm also young?) but I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two, and the way they push against and support each other. Even when they clashed, the line between the two sides was woven so well, and Jolene Tan's way of making me care about the characters was so effective even if I really disliked Teck on a personal level. (Nithya though! I like her so much!)
Nothing about the mystery feels out of place, and when it's finally pieced together at the end, it gave me a big whoosh of AH THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE. To be honest, there were some parts of the story where I was a bit like, wait what, I don't like this part. But all that was resolved at the end, and even these parts were entertaining to read anyway.
The social commentary was also, unfortunately, very real. Everything felt like it could happen in real life.
My gripes with this book: the way it's presented is through an investigative report with lots of footnotes. It really drives home the point of Teck's by-the-book character, but I never really got used to it and it kind of got annoying to read the main text and the footnotes back and forth, especially when they contained important plot points, and especially when like footnote 70-something would say "see footnote 32" and I had to flip flip flip. Would hate to read this as an ebook haha.
Also, one or two scenes felt a bit inorganic, like it felt out of character to include stuff like Teck's filial piety thing / his zhi char dinner in a report like that. The story does this pretty often - veering into Teck's personal life - although to be fair, most of the time, the suspension of disbelief worked out pretty well, save one or two instances like that.
Great book! Would definitely recommend.
It's interesting because throughout the investigation, Teck is already familiar with the case and is only sent to tie up loose ends. We as readers piece together the mystery as Teck goes along (together with Nithya). This, along with the way the story is presented, is terrific at characterising Teck. He's a no-nonsense, detail-oriented, pretty much perfect civil servant, and although he REALLY annoys me, it doesn't put me off and I still care very much about his character and the story. Nithya is also a delightful character: she's young and full of energy (maybe that's why I'm drawn to her, because I'm also young?) but I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two, and the way they push against and support each other. Even when they clashed, the line between the two sides was woven so well, and Jolene Tan's way of making me care about the characters was so effective even if I really disliked Teck on a personal level. (Nithya though! I like her so much!)
Nothing about the mystery feels out of place, and when it's finally pieced together at the end, it gave me a big whoosh of AH THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE. To be honest, there were some parts of the story where I was a bit like, wait what, I don't like this part. But all that was resolved at the end, and even these parts were entertaining to read anyway.
The social commentary was also, unfortunately, very real. Everything felt like it could happen in real life.
My gripes with this book: the way it's presented is through an investigative report with lots of footnotes. It really drives home the point of Teck's by-the-book character, but I never really got used to it and it kind of got annoying to read the main text and the footnotes back and forth, especially when they contained important plot points, and especially when like footnote 70-something would say "see footnote 32" and I had to flip flip flip. Would hate to read this as an ebook haha.
Also, one or two scenes felt a bit inorganic, like it felt out of character to include stuff like Teck's filial piety thing / his zhi char dinner in a report like that. The story does this pretty often - veering into Teck's personal life - although to be fair, most of the time, the suspension of disbelief worked out pretty well, save one or two instances like that.
Great book! Would definitely recommend.
November 22, 2024
After plowing through two challenging books that I eventually DNFed out of self-care, I wanted something comforting and straightforward, so a murder mystery it is. The premise is that a police officer was found shot and is in a coma. Supposedly, he got annoyed at his subordinate and tried to get him to play russian roulette, but it backfired (pun intended) and he accidentally took himself out. Everything’s been done already, but a senior civil servant is told to tie up the loose ends.
What’s interesting about this book is that it’s the villain’s POV, kind of like Kuang’s ‘Yellowface’ but a lot more upfront about it from the start. The man complains about reports being bloated and twice the necessary length but carries on like he’s “writing missives from the revolutionary war in a quill pen,” to quote that twitter meme. He’s obviously a cb and excellent villain—such a sad and hollow man with a sad and hollow personal life. I did struggle to put up with his self-effacing monologues but in the end I decided to persevere to find out what happens to Nithya (she deserves better!!).
What’s interesting about this book is that it’s the villain’s POV, kind of like Kuang’s ‘Yellowface’ but a lot more upfront about it from the start. The man complains about reports being bloated and twice the necessary length but carries on like he’s “writing missives from the revolutionary war in a quill pen,” to quote that twitter meme. He’s obviously a cb and excellent villain—such a sad and hollow man with a sad and hollow personal life. I did struggle to put up with his self-effacing monologues but in the end I decided to persevere to find out what happens to Nithya (she deserves better!!).
February 5, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyed the writing and development! Not too pleased with the conclusion however. Nonetheless, the writing was all too familiar to someone trained in the ways of such prose! Really appreciated the thoroughness that went into perfecting it in this “report”!
Highly recommended read for anyone in the Service looking to be humoured by the subtleties of one’s daily grind all in the resolve of safeguarding the “national interest”… ;)
Highly recommended read for anyone in the Service looking to be humoured by the subtleties of one’s daily grind all in the resolve of safeguarding the “national interest”… ;)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2024
it felt like the book was trying to be subversive for the sake of being subversive. i expected an examination of the unique beast that is the singaporean public service bureaucracy, in all its complexity and contradictions, and the book got there sometimes. mostly, however, it was a tired narrative of Evil Men Doing Evil Things, plagued by flat and unsubtle characters—teck, a senior civil servant, was cartoonishly odious, and his young sidekick, nithya, might as well have had a halo placed over her head. the overly convoluted narrative voice also made the short 200-page novel feel like a slog. i echo other reviewers’ points about the novel’s references to contemporary political happenings feeling repetitive and unnecessary (perhaps even gratuitous), and the novel’s end stretching on for longer than it needed to be. a promising concept that got bogged down by unfocused execution. 2/5 stars.
April 22, 2021
Like in watching The Blue Mansion, it's fun to spot the references here: from the SCDF ragging case and NSF Dave Lee's death to Li Hongyi's email blast and George Yeo's loss in the 2011 general election. But unlike Glen Goei's film, Jolene Tan goes beyond one family to show how absolute power corrupts and blinds an entire system of bureaucracy. Its amusing if gimmicky form (a draft report, complete with footnotes) is the choice canvas for a civil servant's psychological self-portrait, but its diaristic interludes seemed a little too convenient and out of character. If the denouement struck me as unnecessarily sensationalistic, it's perhaps a stark reminder of what really could happen and be covered up here under unchecked state power. A solid follow-up to A Certain Exposure, despite its kiddie cover.
May 22, 2021
This piece of Sing lit starts slow like an engine warming, then revs into full, unstoppable speed in the last quarter. It takes the structure of a ministry report written by Boon Teck, in the wake of a Russian Roulette game gone wrong within the police force.
The strength of this book lies in the way race, privilege, and inequality are put in the spotlight — they simply cannot be ignored or brushed aside. As a political science & sociology student myself, it was interesting to see these topics finally enter the sphere of Singapore fiction. I definitely recommend this to those of you who want to start thinking about the socio-economic landscape in Singapore, but find news and academia too intimidating.
While the text is structured as a government report, it comes loaded with footnotes and writing that sometimes feels disruptive and unnatural. It is nonetheless a bold attempt to fit big and important ideas into the span of 200 pages. I look forward to more works from Jolene Tan, and cannot wait to see how she brings big conversations to a world of fiction.
The strength of this book lies in the way race, privilege, and inequality are put in the spotlight — they simply cannot be ignored or brushed aside. As a political science & sociology student myself, it was interesting to see these topics finally enter the sphere of Singapore fiction. I definitely recommend this to those of you who want to start thinking about the socio-economic landscape in Singapore, but find news and academia too intimidating.
While the text is structured as a government report, it comes loaded with footnotes and writing that sometimes feels disruptive and unnatural. It is nonetheless a bold attempt to fit big and important ideas into the span of 200 pages. I look forward to more works from Jolene Tan, and cannot wait to see how she brings big conversations to a world of fiction.
October 31, 2024
CRAAAZYYY i will write the review when i can lol but initial feelings are like this also i havent finished a book so quickly in awhile.
December 10, 2025
As a career public servant, this made me feel seen, with so many moments uncannily specific to the Singaporean service. The book captures the tussle between a young, liberal, bright Nithya, versus Teck, a centrist, "pragmatic", DELULU higher/mid-level boss who wants to preserve the stability of the system "for the greater good" and in the name of "serving public interest", and at what cost?
Are you a Teck or a Nithya? Do all Nithyas eventually turn into a Teck? Can a Nithya flourish in the system?
Teck is a middle manager who holds quite a bit of sway in this inquiry, and with this authority, chooses to anticipate (or in service parlance, "overstaff" his bosses) unspoken needs to cover up and keep the stability. We don't know whether the cover-up was indeed ever the DS' or higher-ups' intentions, but Teck made his own call to do so, taking these principles to the extreme. It's a very uncharitable portrait of Singapore government apparatuses – meet-the-people sessions, appeals, internal ministry machinations. Some parts hit a bit too close to home and triggered some self-reflection as a public servant myself. DO NOT TURN INTO A TECK. BTW, there are whistle-blowing channels within public service.
FOOTNOTES. A unique point of this book was the COPIOUS use of footnotes, not to share technical/scientific info, but for Teck (our unreliable asshole antagonist narrator) to insert his own thoughts, which I enjoyed.
There was one where I got taken for a ride. Well-played Jolene. This quote appears near the end of the book, "Nithya is described as a smart cookie, even if her brand name credentials are less lustrous than those of star colleagues (Note 84: See note 2)." So I flipped to note 2 right at the front on page 1, which said simply and arrogantly, "E.g. myself".
But is Teck evil, or just classic public service delulu? Definitely a delulu boss who, despite deceiving Nithya about the purpose of searching for the incident footage (to delete it) and blackmailing her, still expects some sort of relationship.
"And perhaps… shall I confess it? It's neither here nor there, but, well my feelings were a trifle hurt by her accusatory tone. I'd like Nithya, and I'd looked out for her, in my own unshowy way. I'd put out an olive branch, and she'd batted it away so vehemently. Her words were laced with grievance, the old goodwill entirely effaced. But she had admired me once. I will risk sounding mawkish and acknowledge the loss of this pained me."
I don't want to undermine your confidence in the government!! There are still many of us LIBERAL, IDEALISTIC, and bright officers doing great work. 😅
Quotes that stood out to me:
•"Matters get more complicated n agencies interfacing with the heartland. Certainly, you never wish to appear incapable; and often you need an aura of authority, the better to say no, you don't qualify for that scheme, or yes, we must impose consequences now. But beyond a certain threshold, it isn't helpful to appear smarter, better informed, more polished. People resent it. They resent your qualifications, your merits, indeed they resent your very legitimacy. Fair is foul and foul is fair. In the worst cases, you can set off one of those social media teacup thunderstorms, which agitate the big bosses mightily."
•Footnote 58: "Experts" […] But the newspapers weren't only quoting experienced counsel; they were also citing 'critics' whose claims to authority consist primarily of... being quoted as critics. The media mints and spends its own invented currency.
•"Create discretion and blame will follow" – easier to have strict guidelines and manage appeals behind the scenes.
• Nithya stared at me. "So this was always just about covering up? All that talk about the integrity of the process what was all that about? Just--just bullshit?" […] "Our job here is, and has always been, about protecting the national interest," I said. "That includes protecting the cohesion and morale of the force […] the incident was purely internal and didn't affect the public at all. So we have to consider the harm that would be done by exposing it to the armchair nitpicking of outsiders. To blow it up, sensationalise it, doesn't serve the public interest at all; it would undermine public confidence in the police force, and harm its ability to carry out security functions. What good does that do?"
•"Outsiders think the civil service is a monolith," I said. "But in reality, we don't always have the same ideas about the best way to do things. Debates can get heated! After all the dust settles, though, the important thing to remember is, we're all on the same side, working for the same thing - the nation's success."
•"And at the heart of it: you won't give up on smearing them with lies, will you? And all for.. I don't even know for what, for bureaucratic convenience?"
Are you a Teck or a Nithya? Do all Nithyas eventually turn into a Teck? Can a Nithya flourish in the system?
Teck is a middle manager who holds quite a bit of sway in this inquiry, and with this authority, chooses to anticipate (or in service parlance, "overstaff" his bosses) unspoken needs to cover up and keep the stability. We don't know whether the cover-up was indeed ever the DS' or higher-ups' intentions, but Teck made his own call to do so, taking these principles to the extreme. It's a very uncharitable portrait of Singapore government apparatuses – meet-the-people sessions, appeals, internal ministry machinations. Some parts hit a bit too close to home and triggered some self-reflection as a public servant myself. DO NOT TURN INTO A TECK. BTW, there are whistle-blowing channels within public service.
FOOTNOTES. A unique point of this book was the COPIOUS use of footnotes, not to share technical/scientific info, but for Teck (our unreliable asshole antagonist narrator) to insert his own thoughts, which I enjoyed.
There was one where I got taken for a ride. Well-played Jolene. This quote appears near the end of the book, "Nithya is described as a smart cookie, even if her brand name credentials are less lustrous than those of star colleagues (Note 84: See note 2)." So I flipped to note 2 right at the front on page 1, which said simply and arrogantly, "E.g. myself".
But is Teck evil, or just classic public service delulu? Definitely a delulu boss who, despite deceiving Nithya about the purpose of searching for the incident footage (to delete it) and blackmailing her, still expects some sort of relationship.
"And perhaps… shall I confess it? It's neither here nor there, but, well my feelings were a trifle hurt by her accusatory tone. I'd like Nithya, and I'd looked out for her, in my own unshowy way. I'd put out an olive branch, and she'd batted it away so vehemently. Her words were laced with grievance, the old goodwill entirely effaced. But she had admired me once. I will risk sounding mawkish and acknowledge the loss of this pained me."
I don't want to undermine your confidence in the government!! There are still many of us LIBERAL, IDEALISTIC, and bright officers doing great work. 😅
Quotes that stood out to me:
•"Matters get more complicated n agencies interfacing with the heartland. Certainly, you never wish to appear incapable; and often you need an aura of authority, the better to say no, you don't qualify for that scheme, or yes, we must impose consequences now. But beyond a certain threshold, it isn't helpful to appear smarter, better informed, more polished. People resent it. They resent your qualifications, your merits, indeed they resent your very legitimacy. Fair is foul and foul is fair. In the worst cases, you can set off one of those social media teacup thunderstorms, which agitate the big bosses mightily."
•Footnote 58: "Experts" […] But the newspapers weren't only quoting experienced counsel; they were also citing 'critics' whose claims to authority consist primarily of... being quoted as critics. The media mints and spends its own invented currency.
•"Create discretion and blame will follow" – easier to have strict guidelines and manage appeals behind the scenes.
• Nithya stared at me. "So this was always just about covering up? All that talk about the integrity of the process what was all that about? Just--just bullshit?" […] "Our job here is, and has always been, about protecting the national interest," I said. "That includes protecting the cohesion and morale of the force […] the incident was purely internal and didn't affect the public at all. So we have to consider the harm that would be done by exposing it to the armchair nitpicking of outsiders. To blow it up, sensationalise it, doesn't serve the public interest at all; it would undermine public confidence in the police force, and harm its ability to carry out security functions. What good does that do?"
•"Outsiders think the civil service is a monolith," I said. "But in reality, we don't always have the same ideas about the best way to do things. Debates can get heated! After all the dust settles, though, the important thing to remember is, we're all on the same side, working for the same thing - the nation's success."
•"And at the heart of it: you won't give up on smearing them with lies, will you? And all for.. I don't even know for what, for bureaucratic convenience?"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2021
🌟 Ever read a work of fiction that felt too real?
Quick Rating: 3.5🌟
#r43chelreviews #aftertheinquiry #ethosbooks
To me, After The Inquiry (ATI) seems like a long recount disguised as a work of fiction. Because it felt real. It felt so possible and real.
And because of that, it makes you question what is being hidden from members of the public.
I agreed to review this because I was intrigued by it's storytelling format - investigative report format that is sectioned into several parts. Oh, and also, the prompt got me - a game of russian roulette gone wrong which landed police sergeant Hafiz in a coma. The case is closed, but due to concerns in the Ministry, middle-aged civil servant Boon Teck and Nithiya (who is new to this sector), is dispatched to take another look.
ATI tackles SO many issues. From racial topics to the way the 'government' (in the story) works in some aspects. And i thought it made so much sense (pg 74 & 75).
Swipe to see my favourite exerpts.
And the sad thing is yea, we're a multi-racial country, but pulling this off is no easy feat. Some issues mentioned in this novel are so REAL that it shocks me because i've been living here since i was born. In school, they teach u racial harmony and all. But then, it isn't all that pretty after all is it? Fact is minorities in singapore still face a certain extent of discrimination. It will never be gone, only masked & buried.
The best part of the book lies in the last 40-50 pages, where truths unfold. Truths which the readers have been waiting for. Because since the start, I know that U KNOW, the story isn't all that simple.
If you have seen my story from last night, I was pretty fired up. I was disappointed in a certain character. Do i condone their actions? Do I agree with their method of resolving the issue at hand? No. And yet i can understand why they did it. I was mad because of how real it could be too. We will never know what is being kept from the public.
Amidst the fantastic story, I did think that some footnotes were unnecessary, as it felt more like a note that was deviating from the story. However, the report is a 'draft' after all. On top of that, I thought that the rather advanced vocabulary could have been reduced.
However, all in all, this was an enjoyable Sing-Lit. The first fiction work of 2021 published by Ethos Books! Thank you @ethosbooks for sending me a copy of After The Inquiry by Jolene Tan. It was my pleasure to review this book.
.
For those of you that are excited to get your hands on ATI, PRE-ORDERS ARE NOW OPEN! (With gifts!)
.
From now till 31 March, Pre-Orders made will come with
- an autographed copy of ATI (while stocks last)
- ATI e-book (early access while u wait)
- new personal essay by Jolene Tan
.
For more details, head to
https://www.ethosbooks.com.sg/product...
Quick Rating: 3.5🌟
#r43chelreviews #aftertheinquiry #ethosbooks
To me, After The Inquiry (ATI) seems like a long recount disguised as a work of fiction. Because it felt real. It felt so possible and real.
And because of that, it makes you question what is being hidden from members of the public.
I agreed to review this because I was intrigued by it's storytelling format - investigative report format that is sectioned into several parts. Oh, and also, the prompt got me - a game of russian roulette gone wrong which landed police sergeant Hafiz in a coma. The case is closed, but due to concerns in the Ministry, middle-aged civil servant Boon Teck and Nithiya (who is new to this sector), is dispatched to take another look.
ATI tackles SO many issues. From racial topics to the way the 'government' (in the story) works in some aspects. And i thought it made so much sense (pg 74 & 75).
Swipe to see my favourite exerpts.
And the sad thing is yea, we're a multi-racial country, but pulling this off is no easy feat. Some issues mentioned in this novel are so REAL that it shocks me because i've been living here since i was born. In school, they teach u racial harmony and all. But then, it isn't all that pretty after all is it? Fact is minorities in singapore still face a certain extent of discrimination. It will never be gone, only masked & buried.
The best part of the book lies in the last 40-50 pages, where truths unfold. Truths which the readers have been waiting for. Because since the start, I know that U KNOW, the story isn't all that simple.
If you have seen my story from last night, I was pretty fired up. I was disappointed in a certain character. Do i condone their actions? Do I agree with their method of resolving the issue at hand? No. And yet i can understand why they did it. I was mad because of how real it could be too. We will never know what is being kept from the public.
Amidst the fantastic story, I did think that some footnotes were unnecessary, as it felt more like a note that was deviating from the story. However, the report is a 'draft' after all. On top of that, I thought that the rather advanced vocabulary could have been reduced.
However, all in all, this was an enjoyable Sing-Lit. The first fiction work of 2021 published by Ethos Books! Thank you @ethosbooks for sending me a copy of After The Inquiry by Jolene Tan. It was my pleasure to review this book.
.
For those of you that are excited to get your hands on ATI, PRE-ORDERS ARE NOW OPEN! (With gifts!)
.
From now till 31 March, Pre-Orders made will come with
- an autographed copy of ATI (while stocks last)
- ATI e-book (early access while u wait)
- new personal essay by Jolene Tan
.
For more details, head to
https://www.ethosbooks.com.sg/product...
March 7, 2021
After The Inquiry, in an interesting report-like format (complete with footnotes!), details the inquiry into a puzzling Russian roulette game that led to a police sergeant in a coma. Headed by senior civil servant Boon Teck and his young protégé, Nithya, readers are led on a simmering, slow-burn mystery where the truth lies in the entangled web hiding beneath Singapore's shiny exterior.
With the report in the perspective of Teck, we not only see the mystery unfold as he interviews those involved, but also come to understand his deep-rooted beliefs in the system and bureaucracy, all of which will permeate throughout the investigation and manifest in deeply troubling ways. Alongside him is Nithya, a new civil servant with a genuine desire to better Singapore and fight against injustice. Acting as Teck's foil, their relationship highlights the paternalistic, often inflexible streak of the government through the way Teck gives Nithya guidance as a senior. Already in the first chapter, Teck comes outright and strongly endorses this:
"Experience, you see, is only raw material; it can be refined into all the wrong lessons. A budding public servant needs, above all, guidance. The cultural wisdom bequeathed by our forebears, guarded through our careers, and passed to our successors, flowing through the veins and the nerves of the service. Guidance gives experience value, by helping the young to properly interpret what they encounter and assess how to respond."
Although After The Inquiry is classified under the genre of mystery, its themes serve to unpack much more than just an adrenaline rush—it explores many social issues prevalent in Singapore in an accurate and unsettling way, pinning 'rationality' against justice, indifference against action. And while these themes are embodied in several of the characters, Tan also writes humanity into their personalities such that they feel like real, nuanced people. Teck in particular was an extremely interesting (albeit, sometimes insufferable) character who, while maintaining a staunch belief in what he does and why he does it, also very occasionally seems to display some minute instances where he feels a deep unsettlement or uncertainty in his gut (as a result from his interactions with Nithya).
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I found its conclusion an apt one, which may prove to be quite divisive—you'll either love it or hate it. Nonetheless, this was an extremely insightful and engaging read on Singapore and the public service sector, and one that I highly recommend to all Singaporeans!
Thank you to Ethos Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
With the report in the perspective of Teck, we not only see the mystery unfold as he interviews those involved, but also come to understand his deep-rooted beliefs in the system and bureaucracy, all of which will permeate throughout the investigation and manifest in deeply troubling ways. Alongside him is Nithya, a new civil servant with a genuine desire to better Singapore and fight against injustice. Acting as Teck's foil, their relationship highlights the paternalistic, often inflexible streak of the government through the way Teck gives Nithya guidance as a senior. Already in the first chapter, Teck comes outright and strongly endorses this:
"Experience, you see, is only raw material; it can be refined into all the wrong lessons. A budding public servant needs, above all, guidance. The cultural wisdom bequeathed by our forebears, guarded through our careers, and passed to our successors, flowing through the veins and the nerves of the service. Guidance gives experience value, by helping the young to properly interpret what they encounter and assess how to respond."
Although After The Inquiry is classified under the genre of mystery, its themes serve to unpack much more than just an adrenaline rush—it explores many social issues prevalent in Singapore in an accurate and unsettling way, pinning 'rationality' against justice, indifference against action. And while these themes are embodied in several of the characters, Tan also writes humanity into their personalities such that they feel like real, nuanced people. Teck in particular was an extremely interesting (albeit, sometimes insufferable) character who, while maintaining a staunch belief in what he does and why he does it, also very occasionally seems to display some minute instances where he feels a deep unsettlement or uncertainty in his gut (as a result from his interactions with Nithya).
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I found its conclusion an apt one, which may prove to be quite divisive—you'll either love it or hate it. Nonetheless, this was an extremely insightful and engaging read on Singapore and the public service sector, and one that I highly recommend to all Singaporeans!
Thank you to Ethos Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
March 22, 2023
It’s been a while since my last singlit read and I’m so glad that I picked this up. After the Inquiry by Jolene Tan was an engaging blend of compelling characters, mystery, and a cynical look at the way Singapore is run. Plus, the political events mentioned are barely veiled from their real world counterparts, giving the entire story a sense of realism.
After an unfortunate shooting in the police force, Teck, a civil servant in an unnamed ministry that sounds a lot like what I imagine the Ministry of Home Affairs is like, and his junior colleague Nithya are directed to take a closer look into the case after it has been closed. This leads to a lot more questions, especially difficult ones that our characters have to grapple with, most of all, what does it mean to be a civil servant?
I think a large part of what kept me so engaged even before the reveals started coming fast and furious, was Teck. Our main character and narrator was written with great nuance that I could practically see him come off the page. An experienced civil servant who has been savvy for the most part in throwing his lot with the right politicians and has no qualms about doing what is necessary to keep the edifice of government going. An efficient man, he disdains emotion and sentiment, even scorning reports by colleagues that stray into flowery. Yet, and this is what tickled me the most, these rules seemingly do not apply to him as I plough through the reports peppered with superfluous language that he penned. Blind spots are so real.
Plot-wise, I was very captivated by the central question of what is a civil servant, and on a larger scale, what is a government? What is it that those in service actually serve? And can we expect all civil servants to serve selflessly without thought to self-service? The questions explored here do not have straight answers, especially when one doesn’t fall back upon idealism. In the end, all that remains is a vague sense of disillusionment and cynicism.
Diversity meter:
Singaporean characters
After an unfortunate shooting in the police force, Teck, a civil servant in an unnamed ministry that sounds a lot like what I imagine the Ministry of Home Affairs is like, and his junior colleague Nithya are directed to take a closer look into the case after it has been closed. This leads to a lot more questions, especially difficult ones that our characters have to grapple with, most of all, what does it mean to be a civil servant?
I think a large part of what kept me so engaged even before the reveals started coming fast and furious, was Teck. Our main character and narrator was written with great nuance that I could practically see him come off the page. An experienced civil servant who has been savvy for the most part in throwing his lot with the right politicians and has no qualms about doing what is necessary to keep the edifice of government going. An efficient man, he disdains emotion and sentiment, even scorning reports by colleagues that stray into flowery. Yet, and this is what tickled me the most, these rules seemingly do not apply to him as I plough through the reports peppered with superfluous language that he penned. Blind spots are so real.
Plot-wise, I was very captivated by the central question of what is a civil servant, and on a larger scale, what is a government? What is it that those in service actually serve? And can we expect all civil servants to serve selflessly without thought to self-service? The questions explored here do not have straight answers, especially when one doesn’t fall back upon idealism. In the end, all that remains is a vague sense of disillusionment and cynicism.
Diversity meter:
Singaporean characters
July 20, 2021
There are books that are exceedingly stinging and painful to read because they portray truth in such a chilling manner. I was equally intrigued and uncomfortable with how the writer has portrayed Singapore’s technocratic efficiency and its obsession with orderliness.
The two main characters - Boon Teck and Nithya - provide us with the lens of contrasting ideologies. The former is a proud, self-aware career bureaucrat whose self-interest driven narrating reeks of unreliability. Even in his footnotes do we discern a degree of subterfuge. In Nithya, the writer combines minority concerns (where race and sexuality are conjoined) and provides readers with a passionate and idealistic contrast to Boon Teck’s cold calculations.
I enjoyed the read. The dialogue was believable though uncomfortable; the premise, while a little stretched, was conceivably plausible; and more importantly, the book concisely covers a myriad of themes on race, sex, power, politics, and justice.
As I end the read, I wonder who is the audience to whom this book speaks to? Career civil servants who have dedicated their lives to the illustrious cause of public service (with no confirmation nor denial of irony intended)? The ordinary Singaporean who maybe embodied in the Inspector Toh who says, “Their job is their job, your job is your job, my job is my job, I just do my job, that’s all.”? Or does it speak to the Nithyas who defeatedly says, “Before all this, I did what I was told to do, even if I didn’t understand why, because i thought I’d learn to understand eventually. I had faith it would add up into a better whole. I don’t have that anymore.”?
Such a damning indictment of our system and our society. Jolene Tan clinically and critically reveals that - We are men with empty chests; conscious cogs.
The two main characters - Boon Teck and Nithya - provide us with the lens of contrasting ideologies. The former is a proud, self-aware career bureaucrat whose self-interest driven narrating reeks of unreliability. Even in his footnotes do we discern a degree of subterfuge. In Nithya, the writer combines minority concerns (where race and sexuality are conjoined) and provides readers with a passionate and idealistic contrast to Boon Teck’s cold calculations.
I enjoyed the read. The dialogue was believable though uncomfortable; the premise, while a little stretched, was conceivably plausible; and more importantly, the book concisely covers a myriad of themes on race, sex, power, politics, and justice.
As I end the read, I wonder who is the audience to whom this book speaks to? Career civil servants who have dedicated their lives to the illustrious cause of public service (with no confirmation nor denial of irony intended)? The ordinary Singaporean who maybe embodied in the Inspector Toh who says, “Their job is their job, your job is your job, my job is my job, I just do my job, that’s all.”? Or does it speak to the Nithyas who defeatedly says, “Before all this, I did what I was told to do, even if I didn’t understand why, because i thought I’d learn to understand eventually. I had faith it would add up into a better whole. I don’t have that anymore.”?
Such a damning indictment of our system and our society. Jolene Tan clinically and critically reveals that - We are men with empty chests; conscious cogs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2024
"After The Inquiry" berlatar di Singapura, yang mengisahkan tentang perjalanan detektif Boon Teck & rekannya Nithya dalam menyelidiki insiden penembakan yang menyebabkan sersan polisi Hafiz terbaring koma.
Detektif Boon & Nithya terperangkap dalam jaringan birokrasi yang penuh dengan ambisi politik dan hierarki kekuasaan saat mereka berusaha keras mengungkap kebenaran yang tersembunyi di balik permainan Russian Roulette.
🕵️♀️ Dalam cerita ini, isu korupsi dalam sistem hukum menjadi sorotan. Jolene Tan sebagai penulis dari novel ini, menghadirkan beberapa karakter pejabat tinggi yang mencoba menutup-nutupi fakta-fakta, kelalaian, sampai ke tindakan kriminal yang dilakukan oleh rekan-rekan mereka.
Novel ini menggambarkan tantangan etika yang dihadapi oleh para penegak hukum dalam menjalankan tugas-tugas mereka, terutama ketika terlibat dalam kasus-kasus yang melibatkan pejabat pemerintah atau elit politik 😒
Detektif Boon Teck & Nithya harus memilih antara melaksanakan perintah dari atasan mereka yang memiliki kepentingan politik, atau tetap mempertahankan integritas mereka dengan mengungkap kebenaran tanpa kompromi 🔥
Tidak hanya itu, manipulasi bukti & informasi juga menjadi bagian penting dalam cerita ini. Ada beberapa elit politik mencoba mengubah fakta-fakta untuk kepentingan mereka sendiri.
Di sinilah, aku bisa melihat dengan jelas, terang benderang, tetapi juga tidak terkejut bagaimana elit politik bekerja keras memalsukan dokumen-dokumen hingga saksi-saksi yang dicuci otak untuk mengaburkan kebenaran yang sebenarnya 😒
Karena itu, Detektif Boon Teck & Nithya terus-menerus menghadapi tekanan dari berbagai pihak elit politik yang berusaha mempengaruhi hasil penyelidikan demi melindungi reputasi, ambisi, dan kepentingan mereka sendiri.
Daebakkk 👏🎉
Detektif Boon & Nithya terperangkap dalam jaringan birokrasi yang penuh dengan ambisi politik dan hierarki kekuasaan saat mereka berusaha keras mengungkap kebenaran yang tersembunyi di balik permainan Russian Roulette.
🕵️♀️ Dalam cerita ini, isu korupsi dalam sistem hukum menjadi sorotan. Jolene Tan sebagai penulis dari novel ini, menghadirkan beberapa karakter pejabat tinggi yang mencoba menutup-nutupi fakta-fakta, kelalaian, sampai ke tindakan kriminal yang dilakukan oleh rekan-rekan mereka.
Novel ini menggambarkan tantangan etika yang dihadapi oleh para penegak hukum dalam menjalankan tugas-tugas mereka, terutama ketika terlibat dalam kasus-kasus yang melibatkan pejabat pemerintah atau elit politik 😒
Detektif Boon Teck & Nithya harus memilih antara melaksanakan perintah dari atasan mereka yang memiliki kepentingan politik, atau tetap mempertahankan integritas mereka dengan mengungkap kebenaran tanpa kompromi 🔥
Tidak hanya itu, manipulasi bukti & informasi juga menjadi bagian penting dalam cerita ini. Ada beberapa elit politik mencoba mengubah fakta-fakta untuk kepentingan mereka sendiri.
Di sinilah, aku bisa melihat dengan jelas, terang benderang, tetapi juga tidak terkejut bagaimana elit politik bekerja keras memalsukan dokumen-dokumen hingga saksi-saksi yang dicuci otak untuk mengaburkan kebenaran yang sebenarnya 😒
Karena itu, Detektif Boon Teck & Nithya terus-menerus menghadapi tekanan dari berbagai pihak elit politik yang berusaha mempengaruhi hasil penyelidikan demi melindungi reputasi, ambisi, dan kepentingan mereka sendiri.
Daebakkk 👏🎉
June 8, 2024
"In this respect, the human creature is most unsatisfactorily built. Even if a threat is wholly neutralised, the fight-or-flight response lingers; cortisol completes its circuit through the blood." - After the Inquiry by Jolene Tan
Riveting and intriguing, After the Inquiry is a mystery novel, carefully embedded in an insight into Singapore's bureaucracy. Filled with twists and turns, it is a portrayal of the sanctity of authoritarianism.
The story sets out an unfortunate incident that lands a police sergeant Hafiz in a coma, with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. According to the investigation, the police officer had orchestrated a game of Russian roulette with a junior officer, Lee.
Boon Teck is assigned to provide another perspective to the case, to uncover what must have been missed during the preliminary investigations. With every interview, a stone is turned - issues surrounding racism and sexism being brought to the fore. Yet how does this influence the Russion roulette gone wrong?
I would imagine every reader to experience this just like Boon Teck's assistant Nithya - the idealistic ingenue who follows everything by the book, but is privy to the secrets and lies of the organisation.
The story moves forward to highlight the iron-clad authority of the higher management, and the sanctity of bureaucracy in the organisation. It is almost chilling to witness how these incidents could be swept under the rug so as to preserve the hierarchy, which raises the question of integrity. This was a bold, intriguing masterpiece that allows the reader to reflect on the ideas of morality and principle.
Riveting and intriguing, After the Inquiry is a mystery novel, carefully embedded in an insight into Singapore's bureaucracy. Filled with twists and turns, it is a portrayal of the sanctity of authoritarianism.
The story sets out an unfortunate incident that lands a police sergeant Hafiz in a coma, with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. According to the investigation, the police officer had orchestrated a game of Russian roulette with a junior officer, Lee.
Boon Teck is assigned to provide another perspective to the case, to uncover what must have been missed during the preliminary investigations. With every interview, a stone is turned - issues surrounding racism and sexism being brought to the fore. Yet how does this influence the Russion roulette gone wrong?
I would imagine every reader to experience this just like Boon Teck's assistant Nithya - the idealistic ingenue who follows everything by the book, but is privy to the secrets and lies of the organisation.
The story moves forward to highlight the iron-clad authority of the higher management, and the sanctity of bureaucracy in the organisation. It is almost chilling to witness how these incidents could be swept under the rug so as to preserve the hierarchy, which raises the question of integrity. This was a bold, intriguing masterpiece that allows the reader to reflect on the ideas of morality and principle.
May 24, 2022
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
After the Inquiry is an exploration of what it means to seek justice and how being part of a bureaucratic system that has its own world of work politics and corruption where people mostly care about climbing the ranks and making a name for themselves.
I think that’s the beauty of After the Inquiry. You’re thrown, as a reader, into a perspective of a Ministry employee, Teck, investigating what happened between two Sergeants after what seemed to be a closed book for Internal Affairs. The way it was written was a draft of a Ministry report after interviewing parties involved and Teck, from the very start, was proving to be such an airy and dispassionate employee. So you try to read the “report” a.k.a the novel in as much precision and technicality as the two investigators did.
I truly empathized with Nithya because I felt just how disappointed and heartbroken she was when she thought she was working towards justice and unknowingly played a role in the shameful investigation that went against her morals and vision of what it means to be part of the force.
The writing took some time for me to get used to and the plot picks up around the halfway mark but this is a book I’ll certainly always remember when I see news about bureaucratic corruption and injustice.
Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, police intimidation, injustice
After the Inquiry is an exploration of what it means to seek justice and how being part of a bureaucratic system that has its own world of work politics and corruption where people mostly care about climbing the ranks and making a name for themselves.
I think that’s the beauty of After the Inquiry. You’re thrown, as a reader, into a perspective of a Ministry employee, Teck, investigating what happened between two Sergeants after what seemed to be a closed book for Internal Affairs. The way it was written was a draft of a Ministry report after interviewing parties involved and Teck, from the very start, was proving to be such an airy and dispassionate employee. So you try to read the “report” a.k.a the novel in as much precision and technicality as the two investigators did.
I truly empathized with Nithya because I felt just how disappointed and heartbroken she was when she thought she was working towards justice and unknowingly played a role in the shameful investigation that went against her morals and vision of what it means to be part of the force.
The writing took some time for me to get used to and the plot picks up around the halfway mark but this is a book I’ll certainly always remember when I see news about bureaucratic corruption and injustice.
Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, police intimidation, injustice
July 23, 2022
A book with a relatively straightforward but intriguing plot, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed not for its storyline but for its exposure of the problems lurking within the well-oiled machinery of our bureaucracy.
The protagonist is a high-flier within the ministry of Home Affairs, and the book follows him in his investigation of an accident. It was unnerving how spot on the author was with the protagonist’s tone (it was deadpan, narrative and analytical in an almost robotic way, but fully encapsulated the stereotype of the Singapore bureaucrat). The book was presented loosely around a series of interviews, but the tone of the interviewees (an Army regular, a ministry high-flier and a Singaporean family, among others) was also really accurate based on the personas being interviewed.
I loved how Tan wove the idiosyncrasies and drawbacks of our bureaucracy into the plot, speculating intelligently on the issues that might arise from a rigid government like Singapore’s which values conformity.
This book was a revelation because of how accurate the tone of its various characters was. It was also a really intelligent way of critiquing the limitations of our bureaucracy, as well as highlighting the drawbacks of the pressure of conformity within our government (think of how people talk about the steoreotypical civil servant: burearcratic, obediant and robotic). A stellar work of Singlit, and a must-read, especially if you work in government.
The protagonist is a high-flier within the ministry of Home Affairs, and the book follows him in his investigation of an accident. It was unnerving how spot on the author was with the protagonist’s tone (it was deadpan, narrative and analytical in an almost robotic way, but fully encapsulated the stereotype of the Singapore bureaucrat). The book was presented loosely around a series of interviews, but the tone of the interviewees (an Army regular, a ministry high-flier and a Singaporean family, among others) was also really accurate based on the personas being interviewed.
I loved how Tan wove the idiosyncrasies and drawbacks of our bureaucracy into the plot, speculating intelligently on the issues that might arise from a rigid government like Singapore’s which values conformity.
This book was a revelation because of how accurate the tone of its various characters was. It was also a really intelligent way of critiquing the limitations of our bureaucracy, as well as highlighting the drawbacks of the pressure of conformity within our government (think of how people talk about the steoreotypical civil servant: burearcratic, obediant and robotic). A stellar work of Singlit, and a must-read, especially if you work in government.
February 28, 2021
I am as impressed by After the Inquiry as I was at local author Jolene Tan’s previous debut novel, A Certain Exposure (2014).
In After the Inquiry, however, Tan embraces more humour in a story that details further investigation into the death of a police sergeant. Notwithstanding the closed status of the case (an unfortunate incident of Russian roulette gone wrong), civil servant Boon Teck and his young colleague Nithya are dispatched to relook the Internal Affairs investigation of the case.
Written as an extended confidential report, this is a surprisingly funny novel that pokes fun, but not senselessly, at Singapore’s bureaucracy. I really enjoyed the intellectual writing, which effectively balances comedy and tragedy without sidestepping the pivotal issues and themes discussed, according it the feels of an important and necessary piece of work especially in Singaporean literature.
Highly recommended!
4.5/5
Thank you Ethos Books for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review! :)
In After the Inquiry, however, Tan embraces more humour in a story that details further investigation into the death of a police sergeant. Notwithstanding the closed status of the case (an unfortunate incident of Russian roulette gone wrong), civil servant Boon Teck and his young colleague Nithya are dispatched to relook the Internal Affairs investigation of the case.
Written as an extended confidential report, this is a surprisingly funny novel that pokes fun, but not senselessly, at Singapore’s bureaucracy. I really enjoyed the intellectual writing, which effectively balances comedy and tragedy without sidestepping the pivotal issues and themes discussed, according it the feels of an important and necessary piece of work especially in Singaporean literature.
Highly recommended!
4.5/5
Thank you Ethos Books for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review! :)
May 27, 2021
This book, to me, is a choose your own adventure book. You can easily dismiss it as a crime/mystery novel with a different framing or choose to read it as a bureaucratic report as it is presented. Though the two frames sound similar, there's something magical about how the author recreated the "civil service" as it is imagined and perceived - obscenely long footnotes, some of scant relevance, and even the use of "flowery language" by Teck that had me googling every now and then.
I hated the ending, but only because I was rooting for Nithya, for the abstract values of dignity and justice, all supposedly intangible and difficult to operationalize. I wish I could give this book more than five stars and I genuinely recommend a paced, closer and conscientious read of the story.
I hated the ending, but only because I was rooting for Nithya, for the abstract values of dignity and justice, all supposedly intangible and difficult to operationalize. I wish I could give this book more than five stars and I genuinely recommend a paced, closer and conscientious read of the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2021
The book, turns out, wasn’t what I expected it to be. I’d wanted more crime, more mystery elements. But what I got was a little here and there; and it didn’t help when the highs of the book came when it was approaching its end. Many of times, I ask myself - what's the point of this content here?
That said, the book’s adequate - it's by no means a bad book. There are timely reminders about how we do things here in Singapore. There are, too, things you can learn from Jolene Tan's thoughts. The main part of it is, everything around us—there is more than it meets the eye. So, don’t go too crazy.
P.S Those who'd like to have a prelude to David Foster Wallace's style of writing (a.k.a intense footnotes), have a crack at Tan's book. She does it quite extensively.
That said, the book’s adequate - it's by no means a bad book. There are timely reminders about how we do things here in Singapore. There are, too, things you can learn from Jolene Tan's thoughts. The main part of it is, everything around us—there is more than it meets the eye. So, don’t go too crazy.
P.S Those who'd like to have a prelude to David Foster Wallace's style of writing (a.k.a intense footnotes), have a crack at Tan's book. She does it quite extensively.
June 19, 2025
first genuine foray into singlit and damn... if there was evidence for more funding for the arts in singapore this would be it.
i love unreliable and untrustworthy narrators but by god was the pov character a straight up diabolical villain at some points. at the same time you really feel how his job has slowly stripped away all his sense of justice and ethics as someone who should be actively making sure those values aren't compromised. it's a harrowing cautionary tale about how prioritising national interest and fear of authority over justice, fairness and genuine merit may be setting us up for a workforce and consequently, society, that works against its people instead of for them.
i love unreliable and untrustworthy narrators but by god was the pov character a straight up diabolical villain at some points. at the same time you really feel how his job has slowly stripped away all his sense of justice and ethics as someone who should be actively making sure those values aren't compromised. it's a harrowing cautionary tale about how prioritising national interest and fear of authority over justice, fairness and genuine merit may be setting us up for a workforce and consequently, society, that works against its people instead of for them.
January 4, 2024
first book I finished in 2024!!! so many twists, I really enjoyed reviewing of the final evidence section. for some reason, I thought (spoiler) nithya would come clean and bring the truth to light and a part of me was hoping for that to happen as well. ending the book in the way it ended made me feel somewhat disappointed, but I think that was intentionally done and I kind of get why. anyway I really enjoyed it :-)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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