Book Talk: The Harriet Gordon Mysteries: Tea and Death in Colonial Singapore

There will be book signing at the end of the session, so prepare your burning questions, and grab your books to get them autographed!

Books are available here and here.

Australian author A.M. Stuart's love affair with Singapore began in 2000 when she moved with her family to Singapore, where she lived for 3 years and threw herself into exploring the history and the different cultures of the island. The idea for the Harriet Gordon Mysteries was born in the microfiche room of Singapore's National Library when she came across an advertisement in a 1905 edition of the Straits Times… "An Englishwoman undertakes Typing and Shorthand… She guarantees… absolute secrecy"!

The first Harriet Gordon Mystery, Singapore Sapphire, was published in 2019 and has been followed by Revenge in Rubies and Evil in Emerald. The fourth, and final, episode in Harriet's adventures Terror in Topaz will be published in 2023.

Born in Kenya, her family came to Australia when she was ten years old. Outside writing, she enjoyed a varied career as a lawyer in a wide number of fields including the military and as a senior executive in the fire services. She also writes historical fiction as ALISON STUART.

About the moderator, Dr. Anjana Rai Chaudhuri:

Anjana Rai Chaudhuri was born in Kolkata, India, and obtained a PhD in Chemistry from the United States. She lived in America for six years, married her Singaporean husband there, finally settling in Singapore. Anjana worked for many years as a research scientist in premier universities (including the University of Oxford, UK) and is the author of a science book chapter, fourteen research papers and review articles published in prestigious chemistry journals.

Anjana's love of English Literature led to a BA in English Language and Literature from the Singapore University of Social Sciences in 2012. She is a double gold medal winner, for her master's in chemistry and BA in Literature, respectively. Motivated by her husband's diagnosis of chronic leukaemia, Anjana became a founder/moderator of cancer patient support groups, volunteering at the Singapore General Hospital, which led to the hospital awarding her an inspirational caregiver award. Her work with cancer patients led to two publications, one in the prestigious British Medical Journal.

Anjana is the author of three works of fiction. Her first novel, a historical romance, The Scent of Frangipani, was published in 2019 by Monsoon Books, UK.