Spirit Play

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.