Hello from Syonan (Japan Occupied Singapore). It’s August 1945. My name is Chen Su Lin and I’m twenty-four years old, born in the year of the metal monkey.

Some say the war is over in the West, Germany has surrendered. Here we are isolated without radios and Japan claims the Allies have abandoned us. But daily air raids tell a different story. Though the incendiary bombs are terrifyingly destructive, most welcome the raids as a sign that Britain and America haven’t given up on us.

Meantime, I’m lucky to be staying in Moss House, on the grounds of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, where I’m working for Mrs Maki, my Japanese cousin (it’s a long story) as a housekeeper and translator. Thanks to my grandmother, I speak enough Japanese as well as English, Malay, Hokkien and Cantonese to communicate.

I’m also figuring out how to grow mushrooms from spores in our dried supplies. After all, here in Singapore, food is comfort and creativity as well as necessity. And mushrooms are delicious and versatile ingredients.

This morning I was tending to a mushroom tree (one of the huge half rotted tree trunks I use as substrate) when I heard the planes coming and scrambled under the tarpaulin I use to protect the spawning mushrooms.

The planes passed without incident but I’ve just realised I’m not alone under this tarp. There’s a foot here, and it’s attached to a leg that’s attached to. . .

The Mushroom Tree Mystery, A Singapore Tree Mystery #6
Genre: Historical, Traditional
Release: June / October 2022
Purchase Link

The Allies have defeated Germany in Europe, but Japan refuses to surrender the East.

In Singapore, amid rumours the Japanese occupiers are preparing to wipe out the population of the island rather than surrender, a young aide is found murdered beneath the termite mushroom tree in Hideki Tagawa’s garden and his plans for a massive poison gas bomb are missing. To prevent any more destruction it falls to Su Lin to track down the real killer with the help of Hideki Tagawa’s old nemesis, the charismatic shinto priest Yoshio Yoshimo.

About the author
Ovidia Yu is a full-time writer in Singapore who writes plays as well as books. She especially loves reading and writing mysteries. Her History Mystery Tree series, introduces readers to authentic details of 1940’s Singapore via fictional murders.

All comments are welcomed.