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Aunty Lee's Delights
Aunty Lee's Delights: A Singaporean Mystery | Ovidia Yu
31 posts | 29 read | 34 to read
This delectable and witty mystery introduces Rosie "Aunty" Lee, feisty widow, amateur sleuth, and proprietor of Singapore's best-loved home-cooking restaurant After losing her husband, Rosie Lee could have become one of Singapore's "tai tai," an idle rich lady. Instead she is building a culinary empire from her restaurant, Aunty Lee's Delights, where spicy Singaporean meals are graciously served to locals and tourists alike. But when a body is found in one of Singapore's tourist havens and one of her guests fails to show at a dinner party, Aunty Lee knows that the two events are likely connected. The murder and disappearance throws together Aunty Lee's henpecked stepson, Mark, his social-climbing wife, Selina, a gay couple whose love is still illegal in Singapore, and an elderly Australian tourist couple whose visit may mask a deeper purpose. Investigating the murder are Police Commissioner Raja and Senior Staff Sergeant Salim, who quickly discover that Aunty Lee's sharp nose for intrigue can sniff out clues that elude law enforcers. Wise, witty, and charming, Aunty Lee's Delights is a spicy mystery about love, friendship, and food in Singapore, where money flows freely and people of many religions and ethnicities coexist peacefully, but where tensions lurk just below the surface, sometimes with deadly consequences.
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Smarkies
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Mehso-so

Audio narration was good. Mystery was a so-so as it seemed to drag in bits. Let's see if the next one in this series is better as I have liked her other books.

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BookmarkTavern
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Pickpick

A body washes up after one of Aunty Lee‘s guests goes missing. If Miss Marple owned a tea shop in Singapore and had access to the internet.

This was delightful! I loved Aunty Lee and Nina! Their relationship was just so sweet. The mystery actually kept me guessing, & I didn‘t accurately predict anything. I desperately want recipes for all the food described. The ending felt a little rushed, but I was charmed the whole time. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

66 likes1 comment
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KathyWheeler
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Mehso-so

I liked the character of Aunty Lee, but the pacing of the story was a problem — everything at the end is rushed. I also had an issue with the narration. The dialog was at an acceptable level, but the narrator lowered her voice to almost a whisper for anything that wasn‘t dialog. I might read other books in the series, I‘m not sure. #diversecozy #audiowalk

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SusanLee
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Eggs Perfect 🍫🍬🍭 2y
2 likes1 comment
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DebinHawaii
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#JulyJam

The first three books in the Singaporean Mystery series featuring Aunty Lee (who is a bit of a meddler but an excellent cook) for Aunt/Uncle Day.

Katerina The question that straight popped into my head: are there recipes in the books? 😃 2y
DebinHawaii @Katerina That is a great question! It‘s been quite a while since I read the books but I went to read my blog reviews & could only find mention of 2 recipes in the second book. 🤷🏻‍♀️ But, I was reading ARCs so it‘s possible there were recipes in all of the finished books. 2y
Librarybelle @Katerina @DebinHawaii I read the first book not too long ago, and my edition did have a couple of recipes in the back! I cannot which ones, but they were of Singaporean food mentioned in the book. 2y
Eggs Beautiful covers 🤗 2y
Katerina @Librarybelle @DebinHawaii Nice! I'll see if my local library has them 🙂 2y
45 likes5 comments
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Librarybelle
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Pickpick

It was delightful to visit a part of the world (Singapore) I have no knowledge of; this is a quick read cozy mystery featuring the ever inquisitive Aunty Lee. I‘ll definitely read the rest in the series! #2013 #192025 #SeeYouInAsia #Adult #BBRC

LibrarianRyan Nice! 2y
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SusanLee
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Eggs Pretty 🤩 2y
SusanLee @Eggs ikr! I always get swayed by pretty covers! 2y
7 likes2 comments
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thebacklistbook

The writing was approachable, but the characters just didn't work for me. Bored rich woman can't stop talking about area body discovery despite no new information. Skanky b*tch wife of aforementioned woman's step son thinks she is so hard done by. Seriously she is constantly scheming to steal money that doesn't belong to her. I couldn't find anybody to root for and kept wondering when the b*tch would get murdered. It was definitely time to bail.

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thebacklistbook
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My favorite thing about Autumn is the foliage color shift. The riot of colors is astoundingly beautiful. Though tragically absent this season. Cinnamon rooibos chai tea. Grateful for the tomatoes I will harvest soon, that the election went well, and that most people in my country are recognizing the wisdom of being vaccinated. #wondrouswednesday

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Jen2
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Pickpick

So fun!!!

SusanLee I‘ve enjoyed this one much! 3y
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Bookwormjillk
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Pickpick

This murder mystery set in Singapore was a ton of fun. I can‘t wait to read the rest. #ReadingAsia

Librarybelle This is on my to read list! 3y
EvieBee Been meaning to get into this and her other series after an author interview. She‘s great! The books must be awesome! 3y
Bookwormjillk @EvieBee this one was really clever. She had a lot of cultural observations wrapped up in her “cozy” mystery. 3y
56 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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tdrosebud
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@Bookwormjillk Jill, thank you so much for the #litsylovespringswap package! I love everything and you spoiled me. And LOL about getting each other the same book! That made my day. Thanks again!
Thank you @Bookgoil and @rsteve388 for organizing!

Bookwormjillk I guess we were well matched! 4y
Bookgoil So many cute things and lots of yummy tea!! ❤️ 4y
Crazeedi Founding Gardeners? Sounds awesome 4y
33 likes3 comments
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BookishMarginalia
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#CurrentlyListening to the first in the #AuntyLee #SingaporeanMystery #cozymystery series — seems promising! #FirstinSeries

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Mogoeg
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Pickpick

Lindy‘s review reminded me that I snagged this on my kobo when it was on sale, so I thought it would be a fun read after some heavier fare.

It‘s a fun cozy mystery-very light. I lived in Singapore for four years so this was a lovely ‘visit‘ & I especially enjoyed the descriptions of food! Yu has an insider‘s perspective & a sharp eye for character - she puts both to good use here, oh so gently skewering Singaporeans & Ang Mo (Westerners) alike.

Lindy 😁Thanks for tagging me. I‘m glad you enjoyed it too. 4y
MemoirsForMe I really enjoyed this one too! 🙌🏻 4y
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Lindy
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Pickpick

This cosy mystery set in Singapore sent me to my travel album to revisit the 10 days I spent there in 2002. It also sent me to the internet to look up Peranakan recipes. Bring on the coconuts and chilies! Aunty Lee is a sprightly old woman who runs a restaurant and pays close attention to people. Solving mysteries is her passion. I‘m on to the second in the series now. These are light palate cleansers between heavier reads.

Butterfinger Is this a picture of you? 4y
Cathythoughts ✨✨✨✨✨✨ 4y
Lindy @Butterfinger Yes. I was travelling on my own and a stranger offered to take my photo. This was in the pre-digital camera, pre-smartphone days. 4y
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erzascarletbookgasm We love Peranakan food. Lovely photo. 🙂 4y
Lindy @erzascarletbookgasm I didn‘t eat at Peranakan places when I was there because I‘m vegetarian but in this novel Aunty Lee feeds an American vegetarian. She advises her to eat at Buddhist places near temples, which was my strategy. I was staying in Little India, so I also ate a lot of Indian cuisine. 4y
erzascarletbookgasm I love the Indian spices. The Peranakan Chap Chye, a vegetable-based stew is one of my favourites. Here‘s a link to the recipe if you‘re interested. https://www.google.com/amp/s/babanyonyaperanakans.org/2019/03/08/chap-chai-melak... 4y
Tanisha_A A happy photograph! 😃 4y
Lindy @Tanisha_A Looking at the photo is enough to return me to the heat and humidity of Singapore. 😊 4y
Lindy @erzascarletbookgasm Thanks! How interesting that this closely resembles and is connected to one of my favourite Korean dishes: chap chae. 4y
Mrs_B My husband and I were there not that long ago - it‘s beautiful in the Orchid garden. The food in Singapore was amazing. 4y
Lindy @Mrs_B Yes, I loved the botanic garden so much I spent two whole days there. The giant Amazonian waterlily grows outdoors, not in a specially constructed greenhouse like all the other botanic gardens where I‘ve seen it. I have such good memories of the food, too. 4y
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Lindy
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Aunty Lee has a knack for preparing foods people swore tasted exactly as they remembered them from their distant childhoods. She was frequently asked for recipes and accused of withholding vital ingredients when these did not produce the desired result. In truth, she withheld nothing, but she could not give instructions for instinct.

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Angeles
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Pickpick

Excellent, fun audiobook. The narrator is really good and brings the nosy, older widow protagonist to life. Aunty lee is one of the sweet, 100 per cent decent and uplifting character that I enjoy spending time with right now.

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BookNAround
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Pickpick

Just barely a pick, this was a nice mystery set in Singapore with a rich, smart, nosy widow who owns a restaurant and finds herself investigating two missing women. The pacing was uneven but Aunty Lee was delightful as a character. The first in a series. Full review at https://booknaround.blogspot.com/2020/01/review-aunty-lees-delights-by-ovidia-yu...

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SusanLee
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Pickpick

An easy read with some enthralling moments. Interesting how the investigation is incorporated into recipes. This book does resemble Agatha Christie‘s Miss Marple.

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ReadingEnvy
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Pickpick

A fun read from a well loved Singaporean author - a crime novel set at her family restaurant. First in a series and I found it in #hoopla!

This is a good one for people who read all the Crazy Rich Asians books already.

LeeRHarry I want to read these as I‘m an Aunty Lee 😆 6y
ReadingEnvy @LeeRHarry ha! Perfect 6y
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ReadingEnvy
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My tree stalker has even appeared in author statements. #jacaranda

Zelma 😂 I saw jacaranda in a title that came across my desk at work. Totally thought of you and almost took a photo. It wasn‘t an appropriate moment for photos so I abstained. 6y
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MemoirsForMe
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Pickpick

If only we could all have an Aunty Lee in our families. Between her yen for making sure everyone is happily fed delicious and distracting food and her insatiable appetite for crime solving, she's a hoot! You can definitely sense Ovidia's homage to Agatha Christie here as well as to her fascinating homeland. A delightful read with a deliciously diverse cast of slippery characters.
#readharder
#mysterybypocauthor

PurpleyPumpkin Sounds like fun, escapist reading. We all need a book like that every now and then. Stacked!📚👍🏽 6y
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BookishMe
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SilversReviews My son loved the Aunty Lee books...I haven‘t read them yet. (edited) 7y
BookishMe @SilversReviews cool that your son enjoyed them! 7y
34 likes3 comments
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Downtonabbeyroad394
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Goodreads challenge. #24. A Book With A Female Protagonist over the Age 60:

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Smrloomis
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Pickpick

This was very fun and I‘m looking forward to the next book (above is the first page). Thanks to @RealLifeReading for the recommendation; I loved the #Singapore setting. #LitsyAtoZ @BookishMarginalia

RealLifeReading You're welcome! Glad you liked it! 7y
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Smrloomis
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“He was almost trembling with excitement ... if he had had a tail, he would have wagged it.” 😂😂😂

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Smrloomis
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Finally starting this in earnest. So far, so good. #LitsyAtoZ

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llwheeler
Pickpick

So good! Aunty Lee is delightful, and I can really see the series potential in the ensemble cast. Can't wait to get the next books. And someone should really make this into a show, it'd be amazing. One of my fave new discoveries this year (#blameitonlitsy - thanks!) Will now be my go-to rec for diverse mysteries.

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llwheeler
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Mr. M. L. Lee, you might be dead before this book even starts, but I like the way you think. I function much more satisfactorily when I am constantly learning something.

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llwheeler
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The first book I'm diving into from my new (to me) haul! Bad lighting in this pic but it kinda matches my house.
Only 1 chapter in but I already know two things: I want to eat all the food described, and I want this to be a tv series.
I am quite tired but I'm also in denial that I have to go to work tomorrow, so we'll see how much further I get tonight.

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BookishMe
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#setinSouthEastAsia another local series I hope to read this year
#sglit #overdrive