The Mouse Marathon

Overview

Lee Jaylin, a 31-year-old workaholic Advertising Executive, wonders just what the point of it all is when her long-time friend and lover departs to travel the world, leaving her with the less than exhilarating task of promoting "designer condoms." With penetration, humor and roller-coaster momentum, Ovidia Yu subtly weaves an intricate web of hidden relationships with a highly comic series of events, in the process questioning the most cherished assumptions of Singapore's high-pressure, breakneck-paced lifestyle. Is this really the rat race? Or just a long and lonely mouse marathon?This title is being reissued under the new Marshall Cavendish Classics: Literary Fiction series, which seeks to introduce some of the best works of Singapore literature to a new generation of readers. Some have been evergreen titles over the years, others have been unjustly neglected.Authors in the series include: Catherine Lim, Claire Tham, Colin Cheong, Michael Chiang, Minfong Ho, Ovidia Yu and Philip Jeyaretnam.

Reviews

"Yu as concocted a delightful vintage whodunit bubbling with charm and an infectious curiosity about human nature." —Kirkus Reviews on The Frangipani Tree Mystery "This exceptional series launch from Yu (the Aunty Lee mysteries) provides a fascinating look at the then–British Crown colony. . . . Offers a rare commodity in the genre—a young, Asian, female amateur sleuth. Mystery fans are sure to embrace her." —Publishers Weekly on The Frangipani Tree Mystery "Fans of Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher will find much to enjoy." —Publishers Weekly on Aunty Lee's Chilled Revenge"This delicious sophomore entry in Yu's sassy series . . . has the quaint accessibility, colorful characters and quotidian detail of a traditional cozy but also a slyly bracing edge." —Kirkus Reviews on Aunt Lee's Deadly Specials "Fans of Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series will find a lot to like." —Publishers Weekly on Aunty Lee's Delights "Using a slightly fussy and gossipy tone, Yu has created a winning traditional-style series that's sure to go over big with fans of Tarquin Hall, Anne Zouroudi, and Alexander McCall Smith. Her protagonist, a Singaporean Miss Marple, is marvelous." —Library Journal starred review of Aunty Lee's Delights "This delightfully anachronistic series debut from playwright and occasional novelist Yu (Miss Moorthy Investigates, 2012, etc.) boasts buoyant prose and a colorful cast, led by the lovably unstoppable sleuth herself." —Kirkus Reviews on Aunty Lee's Delights

Author Biography

One of Singapore's most prolific writers, Ovidia Yu has published numerous works of fiction and has had more than 30 of her plays produced on stage. She's known for her mystery novels, including The Frangipani Tree Mystery, The Mimosa Tree Mystery, and Aunty Lee's Delights. She has won many awards for her literary work, including the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Singapore Foundation Culture Award (1996), the National Arts Council (NAC) Young Artist Award (1996) and the Singapore Youth Award (1997).