Waking the Tiger

Singapore, 1939

Once a rising star of Singapore CID, Inspector Maximo Betancourt has been relegated to the Marine Division, with tedious dockyard disputes and goods inspections among his new duties. But when a beautiful, unidentified Japanese woman is found murdered in the shadow of a warehouse owned by one of Singapore's most powerful families, a distinctive tiger tattoo the only clue to her identity, Betancourt defies orders and pursues those responsible. What he discovers will bring him into conflict with powerful enemies, and force him to face his personal demons.

'Intricately plotted, thoroughly authentic and in Betancourt, a world-weary but witty and appealing protagonist, Waking the Tiger is a wonderfully accomplished debut. I felt transported back to the Singapore of the 1940s and I can't wait for the next one. Wightman is a writer we can expect great things of.' –Abir Mukherjee