Evil in Emerald by A.M. Stuart

Evil in Emerald
by A.M. Stuart

ISBN-13: 9780593335482
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley Books
Released: March 29th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Between working at her brother’s school and typing up Inspector Robert Curran’s police reports, Harriet Gordon has little time for personal pursuits and she has been enjoying the rehearsals for her role in the Singapore Amateur Dramatic and Musical Society’s latest production – Pirates of Penzance. But Harriet quickly discovers tensions run deep within the theatre company and when the leading man is found murdered, suspicions abound, exposing scandalous behavior as well as some insidious crimes.

Inspector Curran once again turns to Harriet for help with this difficult case, but his own life begins to unravel as a mysterious man turns up on his doorstep claiming to know more about Curran’s painful past than he himself does. And after the one person he has always counted on delivers him some devastating news, the line between his personal and professional life begins to blur. Now, more than ever, Curran needs Harriet’s steadfast assistance, and when another cast member meets a violent end, Curran and Harriet will have to close in on a killer determined to make this case their final curtain call.


My Review:
Evil in Emerald is a mystery set in 1910 in Singapore. This book is the third book in a series, but you don't need to read the previous books to follow this story and this story didn't spoil the previous mysteries.

The detective asked good questions, looked carefully for evidence, and was able to connect the clues well. Harriet knew many of the suspects because they were working together on the play, so she was able to learn some additional information that helped solve the case. She's also observant and intelligent. Several people had a strong motive, so I wasn't completely sure of whodunit until the very end, but I strongly suspected whodunit over the others based on the clues.

The main characters were complex, interesting people. I cared about what happened to them, and they reacted realistically to events. The historical and setting details were woven into the story without slowing the pacing. These details brought the story alive in my imagination. There were no sex scenes. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this interesting historical mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.