The war is over for some, but in the East annihilation threatens the lives of thousands...

The Allies have won the war in Europe but Su Lin, now caring for old blind Professor Kutsuki, sees ominous signs that the Japanese occupiers mean to wipe out the population of Singapore rather than surrender to the enemy.

When a young aide is found dead by the mushroom trees at the professor's house, and top secret communications go missing, stolen by 'a Chinese girl with a limp' even Su Lin's Japanese cousin Mrs Maki accuses her of being the thief and traitor. The handsome Yoshio Yoshimoto defending her only makes things worse for Su Lin, especially when a jealous rival is the next to die.

As the cloud of destruction looms, Su Lin races against time to recover secrets long buried in the mulch of the mushroom trees.

Praise for Ovidia Yu:

'One of Singapore's finest living authors' South China Morning Post

'A wonderful detective novel . . . a book that introduces one of the most likeable heroines in modern literature and should be on everyone's Must Read list' Scotsman

'Ovidia Yu's writing helped me peel back the layers to understand Singapore. The story and Chen Su Lin's initiative and tenacity, set against a backdrop of wartime Singapore, intrigued both the historian and the mystery lover in me' Kara Owens CMG CVO, British High Commissioner to Singapore