Spirit Play: Mak Chik Maryam mysteries #2 (The Mak Chik Maryam Mysteries)

Jamillah has not been herself of late. A market-trader, and one of the well respected village "aunties," she is clearly in need of main puteri, a traditional Malaysian form of exorcism. The ceremony is a stunning success: A clearly enraptured Jamillah throws off her depression, dancing wildly. And the next morning she is dead. Osman, the new chief of police, is happy to go along with the widespread belief that Jamillah was killed by sorcery, a victim of the spirits, but Mak Chik Maryam is not convinced. A venerable "auntie" herself, she knows how many secrets there are in even a little village. And while she's got plenty of respect for the spirits, she's inclined to lay the blame just a little closer to home. Besides, she got a taste for sleuthing in Shadow Play. Murder, she'll tell you, is simply too important to leave to the men. First published in Singapore as Princess Play, Spirit Play was a finalist for the prestigious Star People's Choice award. A Malaysian Miss Marple examines a suspicious death following an exorcism in this mystery by the author of Shadow Play for fans of Alexander McCall Smith. Mak Chik Maryam is by profession a market-trader: She sells the exquisite, hand-made fabrics for which her village is well known. But her true calling is as the Miss Marple of rural Malaysia, where her skills are badly needed. While the police-chief is a nice boy, everyone knows that no man can match a village “auntie” for coaxing out the gossip and separating rumor from the truth that shines like Maryam’s good gold jewelry. That discerning eye will come in particularly handy when one of Maryam’s fellow traders is murdered after a main puteri ceremony—essentially a ritual exorcism. Intoxicated by the “spirit play,” the villagers are eager to blame supernatural powers, but Maryam, ever the pragmatist, suspects some forces a little nearer at hand. “For lovers of armchair tourism and detective stories, Barbara Ismail has created a winner in her series about Mak Chik Maryam.” — The Straits Times (Malaysia) "Jamillah has not been herself of late. A market-trader, and one of the well respected village "aunties," she is clearly in need of main puteri, a traditional Malaysian form of exorcism. The ceremony is a stunning success: A clearly enraptured Jamillah throws off her depression, dancing wildly. And the next morning she is dead. Osman, the new chief of police, is happy to go along with the widespread belief that Jamillah was killed by sorcery, a victim of the spirits, but Mak Chik Maryam is not convinced. A venerable "auntie" herself, she knows how many secrets there are in even a little village. And while she's got plenty of respect for the spirits, she's inclined to lay the blame just a little closer to home. Besides, she got a taste for sleuthing in Shadow Play. Murder, she'll tell you, is simply too important to leave to the men."--Publisher's description Mak Chik Maryam is by profession a market-trader: She sells the exquisite, hand-made fabrics for which her village is well known. But her true calling is as the Miss Marple of rural Malaysia, where her skills are badly needed. While the police-chief is a nice boy, everyone knows that no man can match a village "auntie" for coaxing out the gossip and separating rumor from the truth that shines like Maryam's good gold jewelry. That discerning eye will come in particularly handy when one of Maryam's fellow traders is murdered after amain putericeremony – essentially a ritual exorcism. Intoxicated by the "spiritplay," the villagers are eager to blame supernatural powers, but Maryam, ever the pragmatist, suspects some forces a little nearer at hand. Tiger spirits prowl Kampong Penambang in the third novel of the award-winning Kain Songket Mysteries detective series set in Kelantan, Malaysia. Amateur sleuth Mak Cik Maryam volunteers to investigate the death of a village reprobate, convinced it will be a quick investigation with clear suspects. But her detection soon spirals out of control with a plethora of suspects who wanted him dead, including almost everyone he knew. Maryam falls victim to a hala spell turning her into a were-tiger, terrifying her and her family, and leaving her vulnerable to any number of evil influences. Join Mak Cik Maryam in her latest adventure, Spirit Tiger, as she investigates Kelantan's gambling underworld. Mak Chik Maryam investigates the murder of a fellow trader after a main puteri ceremony - essentially a ritual exorcism. Intoxicated by the "spirit play," the villagers are eager to blame supernatural powers, but Maryam suspects some forces a little nearer at hand