Tjia, M. J.
WORK TITLE: She Be Damned
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Brisbane
STATE: QL
COUNTRY: Australia
NATIONALITY: Australian
RESEARCHER NOTES:
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| LCCN Permalink: | https://lccn.loc.gov/nb2018002078 |
| HEADING: | Tjia, M. J. |
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| 040 | __ |a Uk |b eng |e rda |c Uk |
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| 100 | 1_ |a Tjia, M. J. |
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| 375 | __ |a Females |2 lcsh |
| 377 | __ |a eng |
| 670 | __ |a She be damned, 2017: |b title page (M.J. Tjia) author page (She lives in Australia and She be damned is her debut novel) |
PERSONAL
Female.
ADDRESS
- Home - Brisbane, QL, Australia.
CAREER
Writer.
WRITINGS
- "HELOISE CHANCEY VICTORIAN MYSTERY" SERIES
- She Be Damned, Legend Times Group (London, England), 2017
- A Necessary Murder, Legend Times Group (London, England), 2018
- AS MIRANDA RIWOE
- The Fish Girl, Xou Pty Ltd. (Surrey Hills, Australia), 2017
SIDELIGHTS
M.J. Tjia is an Australian novelist. She has also written under the name, Miranda Riwoe.
She Be Damned
She Be Damned is Tjia’s first novel and the opening book in the “Heloise Chancey Victorian Mystery” series featuring the courtesan detective, Heloise. Set in the Victorian era, it finds Heloise working with Sir Thomas Avery, director of her detective agency, to help solve a series of murders of prostitutes in London. In particular, they hope to find a missing prostitute named Eleanor Carter before she becomes the next victim. Having once worked as a prostitute herself, Heloise is uniquely suited to work on this case.
“The novelty of having a prostitute [protagonist] … makes up only in part for the book’s derivative plot,” remarked a Publishers Weekly writer. However, a critic on the Historical Novel Society website commented: “Despite the author’s efforts to shock the reader in a variety of ways, she still manages to weave an entertaining tale with entertaining characters and many plot twists.” “If you like your heroines flamboyant, your servants mouthy, and your murders bloody, She Be Damned is the perfect book to get both your historical fiction fix and a head start on an excellent upcoming series,” asserted Jodie B. Sloan on the AU website. Luke Marlowe, reviewer on the Book Bag website, suggested: “Even the shortest life is imbued with humanity and dignity from the author, preventing this from becoming a book that relies on cheap shocks to thrill the reader.” Marlowe concluded: “Fun, thrilling and very well written, She Be Damned is a carefully crafted adventure.” Writing on the Crime Review website, John Cleal remarked: “There are plenty of dead ends in what is a fairly simple—and rather disjointed —plot, but both the reason for the missing girl’s disappearance and the eventual killer will be fairly obvious to any experienced reader.” “If this opening is anything to go by then this will be a fun, engaging and very lively group of novels,” opined a critic on the Aust Crime Fiction website. The same critic added: “It all came together in a beautifully balanced storytelling style. She Be Damned should leave you looking forward to the next installment with pleasurable anticipation.”
A Necessary Murder
In A Necessary Murder, Heloise investigates murders that may have been committed by a single killer. Meanwhile, she keeps a secret involving her maid, Amah Li Leen. In an interview with a writer on the Better Reading website, Tjia explained: “The murder that opens the book is actually based on the Road Hill House murder. Elements of the case can be found in numerous works of fiction. Kate Summerscale’s book The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher was of particular interest to me, as it investigates the murder but also outlines how the police force of the time worked.”
J.Y. Saville, critic on the Book Bag website, described A Necessary Murder as “an easy-to-read sensory delight of a Victorian adventure, with intrigue and secrets aplenty, but not much detection.” Saville added: “Heloise is described as a professional detective, but she doesn’t start investigating anything for a good dozen chapters.” Writing on the Nudge Book website, Gill Chedgey remarked: “The historical details appear well researched and authentic, and it is easy for the reader to conjure the sights and sounds of two very different social strata of 1863 London.” A reviewer on the Aust Crime Fiction website suggested: “It’s when writing about the personal circumstances of these women that Tjia really hits her high notes. That’s not to say that the mystery elements aren’t interesting, especially the interspersion of history and societal norms from the time, although it may be that you will have had to read the first book.”
The Fish Girl
The Fish Girl is a 2017 book written by Tjia under the name, Miranda Riwoe. it borrows elements from “The Four Dutchmen,” a story by Somerset Maugham. Its protagonist is Mina, a young woman from Indonesia, who is hired to work for a Dutch merchant. In an interview with a contributor to the Stella Prize website, Tjia explained that the research she conducted for the “Heloise Chancey Victorian Mystery” series helped to inspire The Fish Girl. She stated: “As part of my research I read W. Somerset Maugham’s short stories about his time in South-East Asia, which are set a bit later, but still within the colonial period. That’s how I came across ‘The Four Dutchmen’. I am of Indonesian heritage and maybe that’s why I was particularly incensed by the tone of the story.”
Cass Moriarty offered a favorable review of The Fish Girl on her self-titled website. Moriarty asserted: “Like the best fairy tales, this story has both tragedy and hope at its heart, and a mystical and profound message, and would make the ideal gift for someone special in your life.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, May 7, 2018, review of She Be Damned, p. 50.
ONLINE
AU, http://arts.theaureview.com/ (August 8, 2017), Jodie B. Sloan, review of She Be Damned.
Aust Crime Fiction, http://www.austcrimefiction.org/ (September 19, 2017), review of She Be Damned; (September 25, 2018), review of A Necessary Murder.
Better Reading, https://www.betterreading.com.au/ (August 29, 2018), author interview; (October 11, 2018), author profile.
Book Bag, http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/ (August, 2017), Luke Marlowe, review of She Be Damned; (October 1, 2018), J.Y. Saville, review of A Necessary Murder.
Cass Moriarty website, https://cassmoriarty.com/ (October 1, 2017), Cass Moriarty, review of The Fish Girl.
Crime Review, http://crimereview.co.uk/ (March 31, 2018), John Cleal, review of She Be Damned.
Historical Novel Society, https://historicalnovelsociety.org/ (May, 2018), review of She Be Damned.
Nudge Book, https://nudge-book.com/ (July 15, 2018), Gill Chedgey, review of A Necessary Murder.
Stella Prize website, https://thestellaprize.com/ (April 3, 2018), author interview.
- A Necessary Murder: A Heloise Chancey Victorian Mystery - 2018 Legend Times Group, https://smile.amazon.com/She-Be-Damned-Heloise-Chancey/dp/178507931X/ref=sr_1_2_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1538432380&sr=8-2&keywords=Tjia%2C+M.+J.Legend Times Group
- She Be Damned: A Heloise Chancey Mystery - 2017 Legend Times Group, https://smile.amazon.com/She-Be-Damned-Heloise-Chancey/dp/178507931X/ref=sr_1_2_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1538432380&sr=8-2&keywords=Tjia%2C+M.+J.
- Better Reading - https://www.betterreading.com.au/news/compelling-historical-whodunnit-qa-with-m-j-tjia-on-her-new-novel-a-necessary-murder/
M.J. Tjia is a Brisbane-based writer. Her novella The Fish Girl, published under her real name M. J. Riwoe, was shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize. Her work has been long listed for the Crime Writers Association (UK) Debut Dagger. She is the author of She Be Damned: A Heloise Chancey Mystery. This is the second novel in the series.
- Stella Prize website - https://thestellaprize.com.au/2018/04/the-fish-girl/
QUOTED: "As part of my research I read W. Somerset Maugham’s short stories about his time in South-East Asia, which are set a bit later, but still within the colonial period. That’s how I came across 'The Four Dutchmen'. I am of Indonesian heritage and maybe that’s why I was particularly incensed by the tone of the story."
3 April 2018
The Stella Interview: Mirandi Riwoe on The Fish GirlMirandi Riwoe is shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize. In this special Stella interview, Mirandi shares her favourite contemporary Australian female writers, and the background to – and inspiration for – her novella, The Fish Girl.
Please tell us something about how you came to write The Fish Girl
One of the characters in my crime novel, She Be Damned, set in Victorian London is an Asian woman from Makassar. As part of my research I read W. Somerset Maugham’s short stories about his time in South-East Asia, which are set a bit later, but still within the colonial period. That’s how I came across ‘The Four Dutchmen’. I am of Indonesian heritage and maybe that’s why I was particularly incensed by the tone of the story – that the tragedy lay in the destruction of the Dutchmen’s friendship, not in the dire treatment of the ‘Malay trollop’. Originally, I wrote it up as a short story but, maybe two years later, I visited it again. I felt like I needed to do her story more justice.
What themes did you want to investigate in your book?
Somerset Maugham’s story intimates that the Malay woman is predatory, nothing but trouble. I remember, straight after reading ‘The Four Dutchmen’, saying to my mother, ‘There’d be a reason she was in that situation’, and I wanted to create a story that explained that trajectory. At first, Mina was nameless; I wanted to touch upon the idea that she could be any woman, then or now. Therefore, I investigated themes to do with the exploitation and lack of agency faced by many women in the world, then and now, and the injustice this invokes. Also, the idea that isolation or lack of belonging can drive people into undesirable situations.
Did you find the novella form – with its tight word constraints – liberating or constraining?
Actually, in a sense I found the novella form liberating in that I wasn’t constrained to make Mina’s story novel length: it could just become whatever it was meant to be.
What are your favourite novellas?
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood and Springtime by Michelle de Kretser.
Who are your favourite Australian female writers – and why?
There are so many! Here are a few: Emily Maguire, for her work, both fiction and non-fiction, that encourages me to think more deeply about the feminist themes she investigates; Clementine Ford, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Alice Pung, Sonya Hartnett, and Steph Bowe – for resonant, meaningful works that not only I enjoy, but that I can give to my daughters to read; I have a soft spot for Ruth Park’s vibrant storytelling; and I marvel at Laura Elvery’s and Jennifer Down’s poised, perceptive prose.
Where do you go to write?
I am so easily distracted in spaces like the library or share offices. The only place I can write is at the table on my back deck (when no-one else is around) or in my own study at home.
Can you tell us what you’re working on next?
I’ve started work on a literary novel set in the Gold Rush period in North Queensland. The story revolves around the experiences of two Chinese siblings searching for gold and a young woman from Queanbeyan. An extract of this will be published in Griffith Review later this year. Further down the line I will work on my third crime novel in the series.
Mirandi Riwoe is a Brisbane-based writer. Her novella The Fish Girl won Seizure’s Viva la Novella prize and her debut novel, She be Damned, was released in 2017. Her work has appeared in Best Australian Stories, Review of Australian Fiction, Rex, Peril and Shibboleth and Other Stories, and she has received fellowships from the Queensland Literary Awards and Griffith Review. Mirandi has a PhD in Creative Writing and Literary Studies.
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QUOTED: "The novelty of having a prostitute [protagonist] ... makes up only in part for the book's derivative plot."
She Be Damned: A Heloise Chancey Mystery
Publishers Weekly.
265.19 (May 7, 2018): p50. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
She Be Damned: A Heloise Chancey Mystery
M.J. Tjia. Legend (IPG, dist.), $14.95 trade paper (288p) ISBN 978-1-78-507931-3
Set in 1863, Tjia's uneven first novel and series launch introduces courtesan Heloise Chancey, who has worked on and off for a private detective agency over the last 18 months. Sir Thomas Avery, the agency's head, has been looking into the mutilation murders of four London prostitutes, the savagery of which will remind readers of the crimes of Jack the Ripper; the victims' occupation has made solving their killings a low priority for the police. But now, a 17- year-old girl from a good family, Eleanor Carter, has disappeared and may have fallen prey to the murderer. Since Eleanor was last seen in a house of ill repute run by a madam who once employed Heloise, Sir Thomas asks Heloise--who in her vanity has considered dyeing her pubic hair--to investigate. In the course of her probe, she encounters an attractive police sergeant with whom she develops a relationship that follows a predictable path. The novelty of having a prostitute as an investigator in Victorian England makes up only in part for the book's derivative plot. (July)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"She Be Damned: A Heloise Chancey Mystery." Publishers Weekly, 7 May 2018, p. 50. Book
Review Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A538858680/GPS?u=schlager& sid=GPS&xid=a34d8d90. Accessed 1 Oct. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A538858680
1 of 1 10/1/18, 5:17 PM
- Aust Crime
www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-she-be-damned-mj-tjia
Word count: 616QUOTED: "If this opening is anything to go by then this will be a fun, engaging and very lively group of novels."
"It all came together in a beautifully balanced storytelling style. SHE BE DAMNED should leave you looking forward to the next instalment with pleasurable anticipation."Review - She Be Damned, M.J. Tjia
HideBook Cover
HideAuthor Information
Author Name:
M.J. Tjia
Author's Home Country:
Australia
HidePublication Details
Book Title:
She Be Damned
ISBN:
9781921997884
Series:
Heloise Chancey
Year of Publication:
2017
Publisher:
Pantera Press
Publisher Website:
Pantera Press - She Be Damned (link is external)
HideCategories & Groupings
Category:
Crime Fiction
Sub Genre:
Historical
HideBook SynopsisLondon, 1863: Women in Waterloo are turning up dead, their sexual organs mutilated and removed. When another girl goes missing, fears grow that the killer may have claimed their latest victim.
The police are at a loss and so it falls to courtesan and professional detective, Heloise Chancey, to investigate.
With the assistance of her trusty Chinese maid, Amah Li Leen, Heloise inches closer to the truth. But when Amah is implicated in the brutal plot, Heloise must reconsider who she can trust, before the killer strikes again.
HideBook ReviewSHE BE DAMNED is the opening salvo in an new series set in London in the 1860's featuring courtesan and professional detective Heloise Chancey. If this opening is anything to go by then this will be a fun, engaging and very lively group of novels.
Given this is the debut, there is a scene and character set up going on, but never to the detriment of the plot and pace of the story overall. Chancey is a wonderful character - strong, resilient, a survivor despite the odds stacked against her - revealed as the novel progresses. There's a really good, unforced sense of place and time as well, established using circumstances and events, rather than resorting to scene setting descriptions. Everything about the novel feels true to life, right from the interactions that Chancey has with the police and brothel madams, the girls who work in the brothels, street urchins, and the maids and staff who keep both her, and the wheels of society moving.
The central plot is also very much of the time. The dodgy doctors, the backyard resolutions of untimely pregnancy and the questionable health care for sex workers in those days. From the awful numbers of women being found mutilated and dead, co-coinciding with the disappearance of a young woman thrown out of her family home for her own unmarried pregnancy there is a timely, without being preachy, reminder that we're quick to blame the women, never the clients, never the downright stupid "rules" and restrictions involved. It's actually quite refreshingly done - many of these women are survivors, they are making the best of the hand that life has dealt them and Chancey, in particular, is unrepentant (nor should she be), and proud of her achievements.
Needless to say I really loved this novel. Loved the character, appreciated the observations about women's role in society and the need to survive despite the odds. Loved the sense of place and time, and really liked the way that it all came together in a beautifully balanced storytelling style. SHE BE DAMNED should leave you looking forward to the next instalment with pleasurable anticipation.
Submitted 1 year 1 week ago by Karen.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 1:19pm
All Reviews of Books by this Author - Crime Review
http://crimereview.co.uk/page.php/review/5979
Word count: 587QUOTED: "There are plenty of dead ends in what is a fairly simple – and rather disjointed —plot, but both the reason for the missing girl’s disappearance and the eventual killer will be fairly obvious to any experienced reader."
She Be Damned
Publisher Legend Press
Date Published 01 August 2017ISBN-10 178507931X
ISBN-13 978-1785079313
Format hardcover
Pages 288
Price £ 8.99
She Be Damned
by M.J. TjiaProstitutes are turning up dead, their sexual organs mutilated and removed. Courtesan and detective Heloise Chancey investigates.
Review
MJ Tjia has chosen what should have been a controversial and daring theme for her British debut. The Australian-raised Eurasian author sets her story, which features a courtesan-turned-detective, in hypocritical Victorian London. Societal reaction to poverty, prostitution and racial hybrids should have offered a platform to launch an explosive and insightful examination of attitudes at the time. Instead, this CWA Debut Dagger entry is a ‘so-nearly’ – a story of what might have been. What could have been a gripping, chilling and suspenseful novel falters into a melange of carnality, brutality and high fashion.Her protagonist, Heloise Chancey, is a celebrated and beautiful Paon de Nuit, a high-class courtesan and part-time actress who draws her clientele from among the aristocratic, rich and famous of Victorian society. Despite having her wardrobe designed by the Paris fashion house of Worth, she is beginning to worry about the effects of age. Much allusion is made to the struggles of her early years on the streets or in a succession of upwardly mobile brothels, but there is no satisfactory explanation for her translation from cheap whore to an educated, well-spoken, opera-loving call girl at the very top of her profession.
Nor is it clear how she became involved with the business of detection, working on demand for a private agency run by a successful – and knighted – businessman. Equally unclear is the role of her maid, Amah Li Leen, a Eurasian from the Indonesian city of Makassar. Even her name is confusing. Amah, also amma, ayah or yaya, depending on which colonial language you use, is a term throughout the Far East for a woman employed for domestic tasks, usually childcare. Li Leen, mostly in the background as a rather conservative and strict factotum, also features between chapters – and is a character who deserves far more development.
In the London of 1863, prostitutes in the notorious Waterloo area are being found murdered, their sexual organs mutilated and removed. When a pregnant teenage girl of good family goes missing, and with police at a loss, fears grow that she may have become the latest victim. Through a family friend, Heloise is called in to investigate. With the assistance of Li Leen, her other staff and various street vendors, urchins and prostitutes, she inches towards the truth.
There are plenty of dead ends in what is a fairly simple – and rather disjointed – plot, but both the reason for the missing girl’s disappearance and the eventual killer will be fairly obvious to any experienced reader. If the gutsy, determined and seductive Mrs Chancey and Li Leen are to return, I hope it will be at rather greater length to develop what could become two notable characters rather than staying the sketchy also-rans they are here.
Reviewed 31 March 2018 by John Cleal
John Cleal is a former soldier and journalist with an interest in medieval history.
- The Book Bag
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=She_Be_Damned_by_M_J_Tjia
Word count: 688QUOTED: "Even the shortest life is imbued with humanity and dignity from the author, preventing this from becoming a book that relies on cheap shocks to thrill the reader."
"Fun, thrilling and very well written, She Be Damned is a carefully crafted adventure."She Be Damned by M J Tjia
She Be Damned by M J Tjia
Tjia She.jpg
Buy She Be Damned by M J Tjia at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Crime (Historical)
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Luke Marlowe
Reviewed by Luke Marlowe
Summary: A romping adventure set in Victorian England, She Be Damned is a clever crime thriller that's elevated by fantastic characters in a well paced plot
Buy? Yes Borrow? Yes
Pages: 288 Date: August 2017
Publisher: Legend Press
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1785079313Share on:
London, 1863: prostitutes in the Waterloo area are turning up dead, their sexual organs mutilated and removed. When another girl goes missing, fears grow that the killer may have claimed their latest victim. The police are at a loss and so it falls to courtesan and professional detective, Heloise Chancey, to investigate. With the assistance of her trusty Chinese maid, Amah Li Leen, Heloise inches closer to the truth. But when Amah is implicated in the brutal plot, Heloise must reconsider whom she can trust, before the killer strikes again.
A Victorian murder mystery with a plucky, headstrong prostitute braving the dangerous streets in order to find the killer and rescue her friends. It doesn't take much more than that to sell me on a book, so I picked up She Be Damned ready to curl up for a night of adventure and excitement. Does it deliver? Most definitely. Author MK Tjia sweeps the reader up into her world within moments – the dark, grubby streets of Victorian London brought to life in descriptive, well paced sentences that pull the reader in, keeping them hooked by providing them with cleverly drawn characters and a hugely compelling romp of a plot. The reader sees the story through the eyes of both Heloise and her assistant Amah Li Leen, allowing the author to play with the reader's view of the narrator somewhat and introducing an air of unpredictability that leads to some excellent twists later on.
There's always the danger that a book focusing on the murder of prostitutes could fall into a rather misogynistic hole, but Tjia avoids this with skill. Having the lead character be a former prostitute allows her a certain amount of insight into the lives of the girls killed, and even the shortest life is imbued with humanity and dignity from the author, preventing this from becoming a book that relies on cheap shocks to thrill the reader. In fact, both Heloise and Amah Li Leen are characters years ahead of her time – independent, strong willed and fully in charge of their own agendas, yet fitting well into the world which Tjia has created – one in which men hold the positions of power, but where behind every man there are several strong women.
Fun, thrilling and very well written – She Be Damned is a carefully crafted adventure that I hugely enjoyed, and I look forward to seeing what the delightful Mrs Chancey gets up to next. Many thanks to the publishers for the copy, and for further reading I recommend The Queen's Man by Rory Clements – another adventurous and well paced thriller that combines historical detail with clever plot.
Buy She Be Damned by M J Tjia at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy She Be Damned by M J Tjia at Amazon.co.uk
Buy She Be Damned by M J Tjia at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy She Be Damned by M J Tjia at Amazon.com.
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- AU
http://arts.theaureview.com/reviews/book-review-join-courtesan-detective-heloise-chancey-as-she-explores-the-murky-depths-of-victorian-london-in-m-j-tjias-she-be-damned/
Word count: 619QUOTED: "If you like your heroines flamboyant, your servants mouthy, and your murders bloody, She Be Damned is the perfect book to get both your historical fiction fix and a head start on an excellent upcoming series."
Book Review: Courtesan detective Heloise Chancey explores the murky depths of Victorian London in M. J. Tjia’s She Be Damned
August 8, 2017 / Jodie B. SloanHeloise Chancey enjoys a life of luxury. From humble beginnings as a common prostitute, she has risen to become a sought-after courtesan, with a retinue of staff at her beautiful Mayfair home. But Heloise has a second occupation, one that would cause even more raised eyebrows. Armed with formidable detective skills and an inside knowledge of the dangerous Victorian streets, Heloise is called upon to assist in locating Eleanor Carter, a well-to-do young lady who has gone missing. But with Waterloo prostitutes showing up dead, their bodies mutilated and their sexual organs removed, Heloise must use every tool in her arsenal and work fast to find both Eleanor and the killer, before the two collide.
The debut novel from M. J. Tjia, She Be Damned, is the first in a new series featuring Victorian courtesan and detective Heloise Chancey. Chancey’s is a powerful voice, putting one in mind of another female detective from historical fiction, the 1920s set Miss Fisher. Tjia’s attention to historical detail brings Chancey – and all her other characters – to life, and it’s easy to imagine Heloise moving between two opposing spheres, from investigating the backstreets of London to attending the opera in all her finery.
But Chancey is not always cool, calm, and collected, and that’s a huge part of what makes her such a strong lead character. Despite everything she’s seen, whether from her days on the streets or from previous investigations, she remains in touch with her reality and with her emotions. Exchanges with the girls she knew in the brothels, street urchins that break her heart, the loyalty of her servants; Tjia has put much into making sure that Heloise is no cold blooded detective or disillusioned whore.
Tempering Chancey’s louche lifestyle and dark side hustle are short chapters from her Chinese maid, Amah Li Leen. Outspoken with her mistress, the reason behind Amah’s dedication and her uncanny ability to read Chancey like a book is revealed by the slow exploration of her backstory, and when Amah is falsely accused of the murders, Chancey is more fired up than ever to get to the bottom of things. Amah is every bit a lead as Chancey, and I can’t wait to know more!
Despite being the first in the series, She Be Damned does feel like one has been dropped into the middle of a story, and that definitely worked for me. Alluding to past investigations and with a rise to the (socially unacceptable) top, there’s still much to unpack when it comes to Heloise Chancey and Amah Li Leen. Having our heroines already established means She Be Damned can barrel merrily along, dealing with the important business of solving bloody murders and tracking down lost rich girls. Character is revealed along the way, and, even with the twists and turns of the case, it’s nice to have a few personal plot twists to look forward to!
If you like your heroines flamboyant, your servants mouthy, and your murders bloody, She Be Damned is the perfect book to get both your historical fiction fix and a head start on an excellent upcoming series.
She Be Damned is available now through Pantera Press
- Historical Novel Society
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/she-be-damned/
Word count: 353QUOTED: "Despite the author’s efforts to shock the reader in a variety of ways, she still manages to weave an entertaining tale with entertaining characters and many plot twists."
She Be Damned
By M. J. Tjia
Find & buy onProstitutes in the Waterloo district of London in 1863 are being found dead in unusual numbers and with unusually macabre mutilations. Then a young girl of good family goes missing in the area, and Mrs Heloise Chancey is asked to find her. Mrs Chancey, who poses as a wealthy widow, has a variety of skills. To Sir Thomas Avery she is one of those very rare females: a woman detective. To a select number of wealthy gentlemen she is an experienced and beautiful courtesan. She can also pose as a street prostitute or a sewing woman. She is, occasionally, an actress, and as such she can quickly assume any number of identities.
To find Miss Carter, who is in “an unhappy condition,” Heloise spends some time in Madame Sylvestre’s brothel, making friends throughout the underbelly of London society but putting herself in considerable danger of being mutilated and murdered. She visits medical and not-so-medical men and women who practice abortions, never knowing who her friends or enemies are.
The author sets out to paint a picture of the unfashionable, dangerous side of Victorian London, a place where women are especially vulnerable and danger lurks around every corner. She spares no effort to delineate the physical and moral filth that Heloise must negotiate as she searches for Miss Carter. Heloise herself is an entertaining character, and her normal lifestyle of wealth and beauty stands in vivid contrast to the sleazy brothels and abortionists’ hovels she must investigate. The many facets and options of her wealthy life run counter to the one focus of London prostitutes: to survive.
Despite the author’s efforts to shock the reader in a variety of ways, she still manages to weave an entertaining tale with entertaining characters and many plot twists.
« Previous review - Better Reading
https://www.betterreading.com.au/news/compelling-historical-whodunnit-qa-with-m-j-tjia-on-her-new-novel-a-necessary-murder/
Word count: 796QUOTED: "The murder that opens the book is actually based on the Road Hill House murder. Elements of the case can be found in numerous works of fiction. Kate Summerscale’s book The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher was of particular interest to me, as it investigates the murder but also outlines how the police force of the time worked."
Compelling Historical Whodunnit: Q&A with M.J. Tjia on her new novel A Necessary Murder
August 29, 2018
About the authorM.J. Tjia is a Brisbane-based writer. Her novella The Fish Girl, published under her real name M. J. Riwoe, was shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize. Her work has been long listed for the Crime Writers Association (UK) Debut Dagger. She is the author of She Be Damned: A Heloise Chancey Mystery. This is the second novel in the series.
Purchase a copy of A Necessary Murder here
A Necessary Murder is the second instalment of the Heloise Chancey Mysteries. How has Heloise’s character developed since the first novel?In the first novel, it’s established that Heloise has a certain amount of independence and wealth from her career as a courtesan. Due to the events in the first novel, Heloise has become more independent in spirit. She strains a little more against her personal situation and the patriarchal tethers of society.
As a piece of historical fiction, how much research went into A Necessary Murder?I did a lot of the foundational research when writing the first novel in the series, She be Damned. I spent time in London and familiarised myself with the period by reading academic literature, fiction and non-fiction. Of course, the internet is also a rich source of information. I read many books about the lives of courtesans and the working-class women of Victorian London. Works by Henry Mayhew, Lee Jackson and Liza Picard were particularly helpful. I also researched the Asian population of London (which became a part of my PhD thesis). This research, regarding the Asian migrants in London, proved helpful for the second novel, A Necessary Murder. I learnt of the Strangers’ Home for foreign sailors and the boarding houses for unemployed maids from India and so forth.
What inspired the idea behind A Necessary Murder?The murder that opens the book is actually based on the Road Hill House murder. Elements of the case can be found in numerous works of fiction. Kate Summerscale’s book The Suspicions of Mr Whicher was of particular interest to me, as it investigates the murder but also outlines how the police force of the time worked.
Also, for this second novel, in which I wanted Amah Li Leen to feature more heavily, I read through news articles of the day to do with Asia. That’s how I came across news of the Sarawak massacres that ended up becoming the conspiracy at the centre of A Necessary Murder.
A Necessary Murder is an interesting fusion of historical and crime fiction, two very popular genres. Why do you think people enjoy reading historical and crime fiction?I think readers enjoy crime fiction for a number of reasons. I think readers like the challenge of working out the puzzle that forms the narrative—can they beat the author by guessing who the culprit is before the end of the book? I also think readers like how crime fiction has a closed ending—the criminal is always unmasked, and order is returned to the (narrative’s) world. Also, perhaps in a society or world where so much is uncertain, readers know that they will find order in a crime novel.
I think that historical fiction will always be popular because people will continue to be curious about the past. Perhaps the reason for this is simply that people like to compare their present selves to how people lived in former times. There are facets of the past that readers will long for, but there are also aspects of the past that readers can be outraged by, learn from or even just laugh at. Historical fiction also allows for modern readers to consider issues that preoccupy us now, such as gender inequality and racism, but in the safe confines of the past.
What are you currently reading?I just finished Sally Piper’s The Geography of Friendship, which is a great book about friendship, fear and how trauma changes us. I’m currently reading Josephine Wilson’s Extinctions. It’s a very moving, thoughtful book, but it’s funny too. I’m loving it.
Tagged with: A Necessary Murder, M.J. Tjia, Q&A - Aust Crime Fiction
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/necessary-murder-mj-tjia
Word count: 703QUOTED: "It's when writing about the personal circumstances of these women that Tjia really hits her high notes. That's not to say that the mystery elements aren't interesting, especially the interspersion of history and societal norms from the time, although it may be that you will have had to read the first book."
A Necessary Murder, M.J. Tjia
HideBook Cover
HideAuthor Information
Author Name:
M.J. Tjia
Author's Home Country:
Australia
HidePublication Details
Book Title:
A Necessary Murder
ISBN:
9781787198791
Series:
Heloise Chancey
Year of Publication:
2018
Publisher:
Pantera Press
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Category:
Crime Fiction
Sub Genre:
History
HideBook SynopsisStoke Newington, 1863: Little Margaret Lovejoy is found brutally murdered in the outhouse at her family's estate.
A few days later, a man is cut down in a similar manner on the doorstep of courtesan and professional detective Heloise Chancey's prestigious address. At the same time, Heloise's maid, Amah Li Leen, must confront events from her past that appear to have erupted into the present day.
Once again Heloise is caught up in a maelstrom of murder and deceit that threatens to reach into the very heart of her existence.
HideBook ReviewThe second outing for Heloise Chancey, A NECESSARY MURDER follows on from the promising debut SHE BE DAMNED. In that novel we were introduced to Heloise Chancey, courtesan, independent woman and occasional detective. A combination Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poroit in an 1800's V.I. Warshawski depiction, Chancey is considered, cautious, fearless and disdainful of societal rules and expectations. She's a highly sought after courtesan with lovers and champions in all sorts of places, and a fondness for detecting that makes enormous sense. So far the crimes she's involved in have had a certain female or domestic leaning about them, making her insertion into the story, in the timeframe, conceivable and, one supposes, achievable.
In A NECESSARY MURDER more is drawn out about Chancey's mixed race background - her Malay "maid" is actually her mother, and her involvement in Chancey's investigation in this outing is more overt - with Amah Li Leen's suspicions about a series of violent deaths, including that of a very young child, falling very close to home indeed. Chancey is called upon to take a position as governess in the home of the first victim - looking after a younger brother - in an attempt to work out if these murders are connected to events years ago in Malaysia, or if there's something closer to home at their heart.
SHE BE DAMNED delivered much potential in the character of Heloise Chancey, an unapologetic, strong woman surviving in a world that's not well disposed towards independent women. Her bravery tempered by intelligence, and a burning desire to see wrongs righted, the basic plot of the first novel had Chancey involved for reasons that made enormous sense. In A NECESSARY MURDER there's slightly less personal motivation for her (as opposed to her mother, but that's not known to Chancey until much later on), so she's taking more of a role as an independent private detective. Because of that there's something slightly less convincing about the underlying plot elements here which struggle a bit for clarity of purpose. Instead, this time, Amah is taking the more personal involvement and that thread has considerable credence as a result. It's when writing about the personal circumstances of these women that Tjia really hits her high notes.
That's not to say that the mystery elements aren't interesting, especially the interspersion of history and societal norms from the time, although it may be that you will have had to read the first book as much of the setup from there is required reading. For this reader at least, it's the personal stories of Heloise Chancey and her mother Amah Li Leen that leave me wanting this series to continue.
Submitted 6 days 17 hours ago by Karen.
Tuesday, September 25, 2018 - 2:29pm
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- Nudge Book
https://nudge-book.com/blog/2018/07/a-necessary-murder-by-m-j-tjia/
Word count: 416QUOTED: "The historical details appear well researched and authentic and it is easy for the reader to conjure the sights and sounds of two very different social strata of 1863 London."
A Necessary Murder by M.J. Tjia
Review published on July 15, 2018.A provocative title if ever there was one? Especially for those who believe that all murder is unnecessary! What better way to lure a reader in?
An historical whodunnit that had me thinking of Mr. Whicher at times and E.C.R. Lorac at others, the reader is whisked into a world of oriental Victorian deception and murder. Quite a diverse recipe for crime aficionados. This is the second book to feature Heloise Chancey. I’ve not read the first and whilst this does work as a standalone I feel the experience would have been enhanced by familiarity with the first tale. I sometimes found I had to re-read parts to sort out the various relationships in my head that may have been introduced in the first story. (Note to self, add She Be Damned to the ‘Want to Read’ list.) Ms. Chancey is a courtesan and a detective! Not a combination I’ve come across so far in my crime reading but it makes for a good one!
Sub-plots and red herrings abound as we are plunged into some brutal murders that may or may not be connected with aspects of Heloise’s past. The historical details appear well researched and authentic and it is easy for the reader to conjure the sights and sounds of two very different social strata of 1863 London. Heloise is a gutsy lady but she never loses touch with her femininity. It’s just as well for that does add a little light relief in what might otherwise be a dark and violent tale.
The final denouement was largely unexpected although in retrospect the clues were there. I love it when that happens!! It’s a successful fusion of cultures which certainly made me think about Victorian London beyond the mere Dickensian.
I’m sure that’s not the last of Heloise Chancey. Why stop at two stories?! I’ll be keeping my eyes open for the next one that’s for sure! My thanks to Legend Press for the opportunity to read this intriguing mystery.
Gill Chedgey 3/3
A Necessary Murder by M.J. Tjia
Legend Press 9781787198791 pbk Jul 2018 - Book Bag
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=A_Necessary_Murder_by_M_J_Tjia
Word count: 714QUOTED: "an easy-to-read sensory delight of a Victorian adventure, with intrigue and secrets aplenty, but not much detection."
"Heloise is described as a professional detective, but she doesn't start investigating anything for a good dozen chapters."A Necessary Murder by M J Tjia
A Necessary Murder by M J Tjia
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Buy A Necessary Murder by M J Tjia at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Crime (Historical)
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: JY Saville
Reviewed by JY Saville
Summary: An easy-to-read sensory delight of a Victorian adventure, with intrigue and secrets aplenty, but not much detection.
Buy? Maybe Borrow? Yes
Pages: 272 Date: July 2018
Publisher: Legend Press
ISBN: 978-1787198791Share on:
It's 1863 and a little girl has been found murdered at the family home in Stoke Newington. A few days later and a few miles across London, a man is found dead in a similar way outside the opulent townhouse of Heloise Chancey, courtesan and part-time detective. Could they be connected? And what, if anything, does either of them have to do with Heloise's maid, Amah Li Leen, and the troubling events in her past which are threatening to resurface?
This is the second novel in MJ Tjia's Heloise Chancey series, following She Be Damned which came out in 2017. Again, the story is told partly from Heloise's point of view and partly from that of her maid Amah Li Leen, who has Chinese heritage but came to England from Indonesia many years earlier. I was struck early on by the sensory detail - the descriptions of sounds and smells (cologne, sandalwood, foods, not to mention less pleasant odours in the street and the morgue) as well as the many visual details really set the scene and make it easy to immerse yourself in Heloise and Amah's world. The intrigue and tension are set up almost immediately, with hints at Heloise's background and Amah's past and family connections.
However, I think there was too much fashion and fornication and not enough detection for my taste and despite the initial intrigue it seemed a bit slow to gather momentum. Heloise is described as a professional detective, but she doesn't start investigating anything for a good dozen chapters, and even then, despite a slight connection with the murders (through a friend of a friend, not to mention one of the bodies being found on her doorstep) she seems to take it up out of boredom, because she has nothing better to do that week. I didn't get a sense of her being driven to find answers, or of this being a regular occupation. Amah on the other hand was driven, watchful, and systematic. Ultimately I found Amah's half of the novel more captivating and her parallel investigations more tense and interesting than Heloise's.
If A Necessary Murder had been presented as a Victorian adventure novel, full of excitement and jeopardy with a hint of the Far East and a central mystery, I think I would have enjoyed it more. It's the suggestion that Mrs Chancey is a professional detective that sets up unfulfilled expectations of systematic investigation and logical deduction, and since I hadn't read the first novel I was surprised at the amount of time it took for her to become involved, and the way she seemed to stumble across some of the information and put the pieces together rather than set about it in a more planned way.
For another sensory treat of a detective novel you could try The Devil's Feast by M J Carter which is again set in London but this time in the 1840s, or give the first Heloise Chancey novel a try.
Buy A Necessary Murder by M J Tjia at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy A Necessary Murder by M J Tjia at Amazon.co.uk
Buy A Necessary Murder by M J Tjia at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy A Necessary Murder by M J Tjia at Amazon.com.
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=A_Necessary_Murder_by_M_J_Tjia
- Cass Moriarty website
https://cassmoriarty.com/the-fish-girl-mirandi-riwoe/
Word count: 432QUOTED: "Like the best fairy tales, this story has both tragedy and hope at its heart, and a mystical and profound message, and would make the ideal gift for someone special in your life."
The Fish Girl – Mirandi Riwoe
Oct 1, 2017 | What Am I Reading?
The Fish Girl – Mirandi Riwoe
This is a review of the perfect gem of a novella that is The Fish Girl (Xoum Seizure 2017) by Mirandi Stanton (Riwoe), winner of the 2017 Seizure Viva la Novella Prize, but before I explore that I have two relevant comments. The first is to commend the high quality of Australian writing – especially by women – that I have been fortunate to read and review recently. We are breeding some seriously talented writers and I am so enjoying the breadth and depth of their work. Secondly, and this relates particularly to novellas, I reviewed two of the previous winners of the Seizure Viva la Novella Prize (Christy Collins and Julie Proudfoot) and couldn’t speak highly enough of their work. And now, here we have another. I’m happy to say the high bar has been surpassed yet again.
The Fish Girl is in the same league as Nick Earls’ Wisdom Tree series. Mirandi’s voice is clear and assured as she envelopes us in a sensory experience inspired by Somerset Maugham’s story ‘The Four Dutchmen’. Mina is an Indonesian girl living a simple life in a fishing village when she is chosen to accompany a Dutch merchant and work in his household. Her life is irrevocably changed by the people she meets and the choices she makes, and by the decisions made by those more powerful around her.
This tale is a parable and a fairy story grounded in the rich and luscious detail of the tropics. The language is deceptively simple and the dialogue natural. Native words, customs and objects are deftly incorporated into the narrative with such ease and grace that we feel magically transported to the setting. The themes – of love and yearning, of betrayal and sacrifice, of shame and longing – are universal, yet poignantly specific to this girl, this landscape, this one young woman’s story. Each character is perfectly drawn. The sounds of the market, the smells and tastes of the food, the temper of the weather and the sea, all are engaging and curious.
Like the best fairy tales, this story has both tragedy and hope at its heart, and a mystical and profound message, and would make the ideal gift for someone special in your life.