My Thoughts on the Book The Umbrella Man...

Jake Needham has created quite the complex character in Singapore Police Inspector Samuel Tay. For he is not your typical hardboiled detective, nor is he your typical, weathered, grunting veteran cop.

One of his most noteworthy flaws is that he gets sick when he sees a corpse, never mind when he sees blood. How can a veteran police inspector in a metropolitan setting like Singapore not be able to see a corpse without attacks of nausea, you might ask? He does. But he still gets the job done.

The story revolves around the most horrific of events: a terrorist bombing in the middle of Singapore City. It’s 9/11 all over again, but with different citizens. Needham illustrates the event with heart-gutting detail—there is even a later detonation that targets the first responders.

Because he has ruffled the feathers of the American Ambassador in the previous book, Tay is forbidden by his higher-ups to investigate the bombing. He is instead given the case of a found corpse near the outskirts of the city-state. Tay thinks there is a connection between the bombings and the murder victim. And leads the investigation with this in mind.

After twists and turns, and learning secrets about his long-passed-on father, Tay finally solves the case and confronts the antagonist. But I will say no more.

For lovers of hardboiled detective fiction or police procedurals, this book—this series of books—is right up your alley!