The Tembusu Tree Mystery: A Charming, Twisty, Mystery Set in 1940s Singapore

'A wonderful series . . . Ovidia Yu skilfully creates the Singapore of pre- and post-World War II, and Su Lin is the best part - a smart, logical heroine who perseveres despite obstacles and solves mysteries' - reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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The tenth instalment of Ovidia Yu's beloved series of Singapore-set historical mysteries featuring tenacious amateur sleuth Su Lin.

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It's 1947 in Singapore, and Su Lin is rolling out the red carpet for a new chapter in her life. Now happily settled in her marriage to Chief Inspector Le Froy, and having stepped away from her formidable grandmother Ah Ma's thriving business, she is the proud manager of the new Imperial Cinema.

But the grand opening isn't going as planned . . . the cinema has an unhappy history as a site for Japanese propaganda during the Occupation, and there are protesters who would rather see it demolished, than refurbished. The cinema's financier John Wong is acting very strangely, local businesswoman Madam Leong is issuing outrageous demands, and Tony Khoo, the young, fun and handsome son of the VIP guests, has gone missing.

When a body is found draped on a tyre swing and it looks like the death is connected to the redevelopment, Su Lin switches her attention from movies, to murder. And when her beloved Ah Ma's health begins to fail, she throws herself into the distracting business of crime solving, despite Le Froy's protestations.

But the more she uncovers, the greater her fear grows, that her cinema project has been hiding some seriously criminal activity. Faced with the abrupt ending of her new career, and the heartbreaking ending of her grandmother's life, Su Lin can only do what she does best . . . ask questions, find answers, and get justice.

But can she do so, before it's all too late?

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Readers and reviewers love the Su Lin series!

'What can I say? While eviscerating English and Japanese colonialism, she has fun with Chinese culture and has created a handful of unforgettable characters . . . A joy!' - reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I adore Ovidia Yu. Such an amazing sense of place, and a fascinating period in history brought alive with a great cast of characters' - reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A classic in the making' - reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I feel like I personally know and definitely love these characters. Throughout these books my love of Singapore grows with joy' - reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'One of Singapore's finest living authors' - South China Morning Post

'One of the most likeable heroines in modern literature' - The Scotsman

'Ovidia Yu's writing helped me peel back the layers to understand Singapore . . . and intrigued both the historian and the mystery lover in me' - Kara Owens CMG CVO, former British High Commissioner to Singapore

'The sharpest exercise in decolonising fiction in Singapore's literary landscape. It is also, simply, really fun to read!' - Ong Sor Fern

'Chen Su Lin is a true gem. Her slyly witty voice and her admirable, sometimes heartbreaking, practicality make her the most beguiling narrator heroine I've met in a long while' - Catriona McPherson

'Charming and fascinating with great authentic feel. Ovidia Yu's teenage Chinese sleuth gives us an insight into a very different culture and time. This book is exactly why I love historical novels' - Rhys Bowen

Author: Ovidia Yu
Publisher: Constable & Robinson
Published: 09/08/2026
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.45lbs
Size: 7.70h x 5.00w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780349000671

About the Author
Ovidia Yu is one of Singapore's best-known and most acclaimed writers. She has had over thirty plays produced and is the author of a number of comic mysteries published in Singapore, India, Japan and America.

She received a Fulbright to the University of Iowa's International Writers Program and has been a writing fellow at the National University of Singapore and was awarded the S.E.A. Write Award for Singapore.