Book Reviews – The Raffles Affair

The Raffles Affair by Vicki Virtue

The setting for this whodunnit is the beautiful Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Raffles has a long history with famous authors and Ms Virtue is the second in the hotel’s new Writer-in-Residence programme. The Raffles Affair starts with the arrival at the hotel of Victoria West, who is a former MI6 agent but is here for her old school friend’s wedding. As she meets all the other wedding guests, she senses layers of friction and deceit. Naturally, there’s a kidnapping and, naturally, our beautiful spy is called upon to help solve the crime. We follow along with West as she interviews the suspects, but as the ransom deadline looms, things become more deadly. West calls on the local police force to help with her investigation and we are introduced to the delightfully food-obsessed Commissioner. There are lots of classic red herrings and false alibis, designer gowns and exquisite food. A light, easy read.