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Changi: A Mystery
Caught up in a bizarre murder, will Violet’s family fight for the truth or fight each other?
Violet has organised her life in Singapore with a zeal that keeps her family close by her side, and any intimacy safely at bay. While she chases the attention of a German doctor, her daughter and her friends spend their days lost in a hollow world of make believe, memories,
and old Agatha Christie novels.
But a death shatters Violet’s grip on the world around her. Was this murder, accident, or suicide? With the authorities drawing closer, the family just has hours to try and piece together what really happened. Is this a puzzle, a tragedy, or a crime? Is Violet’s role to bring the truth to light, or bury it alongside the rest of Changi camp’s grizzly history?
Over the next forty-eight hours, Violet will find out once and for all whether her efforts to control her family’s lives have protected them, or simply left them at the mercy of someone else’s stories.
Changi is a story of obsession, revenge and jealousy that mixes stark emotional power with elements of a classic whodunit.
Violet has organised her life in Singapore with a zeal that keeps her family close by her side, and any intimacy safely at bay. While she chases the attention of a German doctor, her daughter and her friends spend their days lost in a hollow world of make believe, memories,
and old Agatha Christie novels.
But a death shatters Violet’s grip on the world around her. Was this murder, accident, or suicide? With the authorities drawing closer, the family just has hours to try and piece together what really happened. Is this a puzzle, a tragedy, or a crime? Is Violet’s role to bring the truth to light, or bury it alongside the rest of Changi camp’s grizzly history?
Over the next forty-eight hours, Violet will find out once and for all whether her efforts to control her family’s lives have protected them, or simply left them at the mercy of someone else’s stories.
Changi is a story of obsession, revenge and jealousy that mixes stark emotional power with elements of a classic whodunit.
134 pages, Paperback
Published June 8, 2023
1 person want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 31, 2023
{13/2023} 3/5🌟 Murder Mystery (Fiction) | 129 pages
This was an easy and fast read as it is quite a thin book. What was not easy for me was trying to understand the underlying messages in the story.
If you are a fan of Detective Benoit Blanc (Knives Out, Onion Glass), this book might be for you, as you would meet his “reincarnation” in the form of Detective Shawn. Only I found the former to be more appealing than the latter.
It all started at the night of a birthday party that would also gather estranged mother and daughter, distanced husband and wife, secret lovers and admirers, jealous admirers - what an assemble!
Each and everyone of them attended the party with personal missions only for one of them to die - by murder! But, who was the murderer? It must be someone from the party! A suspect was found standing over the body holding the murder weapon after the gunshot sound was heard- but also in attendance of other witnesses? Was it a prank? Was it another murder mystery game? Was it all planned? Was it a one man’s job? The suspect claimed that it was not what they thought. All that Detective Shawn knew was that there was a secret being hidden and covered up; and the real murderer was protected? Or wasn’t it?
I found the first half was too slow-paced for me as it was filled with a series of flashbacks introducing the characters, though it carries important information for the readers. We would get to know the backgrounds of people who were supposedly to be involved in the murder and perhaps had motives; and how they were linked to each other, in a way. For me, I think the real action starts after page 70, as Detective Shawn takes over the show.
The transitions between characters could be quite jumpy and sudden and I found myself turning the pages back and forth a few times in order for me to ensure which characters was I supposed to be focusing at. However, I think the dialogues between characters were cleverly written - sometimes cynical and insinuating.
This is a story about people with power, people with less power or perhaps no power at all. It is also about jealousy, being ambitious, lies and deceit, guilt, as well as - revenge. I wish I could discuss more about each of the characters because I personally think they were all morally grey, honestly speaking. There was still so much to uncover and secrets supposed to be revealed behind their facades, which I think would be a very good post-reading discussion.
I didn’t quite like the writing style but it certainly has an interesting premise. A clever murder location considering the mystery and history behind the name. A recommended read if you enjoy murder mystery.
Thank you Penguin Books SEA for this review copy in exchange of an honest review. Head on to their page for more information regarding this book!
#JanuaryReads #JanuaryTBRs #justreaddontbawang #bookmehnia #bookstagrammalaysia #bookstagrammy #malaysiamembaca #bookstagrammer #bookgram #bibliophile #bibliophilemy #bookish #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #bookish #readersofinstagram #goodreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookworm #changiamystery #scottanthony #penguinbookssea
This was an easy and fast read as it is quite a thin book. What was not easy for me was trying to understand the underlying messages in the story.
If you are a fan of Detective Benoit Blanc (Knives Out, Onion Glass), this book might be for you, as you would meet his “reincarnation” in the form of Detective Shawn. Only I found the former to be more appealing than the latter.
It all started at the night of a birthday party that would also gather estranged mother and daughter, distanced husband and wife, secret lovers and admirers, jealous admirers - what an assemble!
Each and everyone of them attended the party with personal missions only for one of them to die - by murder! But, who was the murderer? It must be someone from the party! A suspect was found standing over the body holding the murder weapon after the gunshot sound was heard- but also in attendance of other witnesses? Was it a prank? Was it another murder mystery game? Was it all planned? Was it a one man’s job? The suspect claimed that it was not what they thought. All that Detective Shawn knew was that there was a secret being hidden and covered up; and the real murderer was protected? Or wasn’t it?
I found the first half was too slow-paced for me as it was filled with a series of flashbacks introducing the characters, though it carries important information for the readers. We would get to know the backgrounds of people who were supposedly to be involved in the murder and perhaps had motives; and how they were linked to each other, in a way. For me, I think the real action starts after page 70, as Detective Shawn takes over the show.
The transitions between characters could be quite jumpy and sudden and I found myself turning the pages back and forth a few times in order for me to ensure which characters was I supposed to be focusing at. However, I think the dialogues between characters were cleverly written - sometimes cynical and insinuating.
This is a story about people with power, people with less power or perhaps no power at all. It is also about jealousy, being ambitious, lies and deceit, guilt, as well as - revenge. I wish I could discuss more about each of the characters because I personally think they were all morally grey, honestly speaking. There was still so much to uncover and secrets supposed to be revealed behind their facades, which I think would be a very good post-reading discussion.
I didn’t quite like the writing style but it certainly has an interesting premise. A clever murder location considering the mystery and history behind the name. A recommended read if you enjoy murder mystery.
Thank you Penguin Books SEA for this review copy in exchange of an honest review. Head on to their page for more information regarding this book!
#JanuaryReads #JanuaryTBRs #justreaddontbawang #bookmehnia #bookstagrammalaysia #bookstagrammy #malaysiamembaca #bookstagrammer #bookgram #bibliophile #bibliophilemy #bookish #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #bookish #readersofinstagram #goodreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookworm #changiamystery #scottanthony #penguinbookssea
February 15, 2023
Outrageous mystery, so classic of whodunit, chaotically revengeful and quiet similar with the vibe of the movie Knives Out!
It's interesting how the author decided to write a mystery puzzle trope and has the potential of a character that obsessed with others and there it goes the mixes of emotional power till someone dead..
If you're a fan of mystery and puzzle person then you shall read this one, get yourself a copy now from Penguin Books Sea or from the nearest bookstore in your area;)
It's interesting how the author decided to write a mystery puzzle trope and has the potential of a character that obsessed with others and there it goes the mixes of emotional power till someone dead..
If you're a fan of mystery and puzzle person then you shall read this one, get yourself a copy now from Penguin Books Sea or from the nearest bookstore in your area;)
August 7, 2023
I got this from KLIBF2023. I feel like it's too rushed, too thin, too many characters. They are not given the space to properly breathe. The characters were introduced up to 40% of the book, murder happens, finger-pointing & investigation... the end. I barely remember what I read tbh. I feel like this book would be so much better if it is thicker, giving the characters more memorability.
February 26, 2023
I don't know what happened. It felt like an art cinema that just bounces off your head.
July 24, 2025
I would recommend you read the original Agatha Christie instead of this, as it is the same story, without the confusing writing of this one.
September 27, 2025
Did not finish. Found the writing difficult to read. And the storyline was lacking - seemed to be a lot more snippets of characters and hard to piece together.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews