I thought this book was very much like The Help in Singapore. It was a real eye-opener to think that migrant domestic workers are still being treated as it appears that they are. I was so astonished by what this book revealed that I had to look it up online, only to find that the book accurately illustrates the emotional and, sometimes, physical abuse these workers face. Reading how these workers are treated makes Singapore sound like a very unpleasant place to live. Someone always seems to be watching what others, locals or immigrants, are doing.

These poor women, for the book focuses mostly on women, who are in working in Singapore to earn money to send home to their families, mostly in Indonesia, face so much cruelty at the hands of their employers and law enforcement. At times, the treatment verges on brutality, always assuming the worst because of a person’s nationality. Many of these women are treated as little better than slaves.

This book came across as much as a series of character studies as a murder mystery. It also provided commentary on working conditions and women’s subjugation. If I hadn’t known that this was a contemporary novel, I’d have thought that it occurred during the Colonial period of Singapore’s history. It’s certainly not a good recommendation for Singapore or its people. It’s a portrayal of the dark side of what’s known as a clean and world-class city-state.

There’s also one character who uses feigned religiousness as a cover for nastiness and forcing her beliefs and opinions on others. She’s bigoted, racist, and cruel, even against her own son because she doesn’t agree with his decisions.

The women that this book follows are brave and dedicated. When they learn that a friend of theirs has been arrested for murdering her employer, they get involved in trying to find proof of her innocence. The one character who eventually solves the case isn’t the one I would have suspected. She turns out to be dedicated and persistent to getting her friend out of jail.

This book has so many wonderful story lines. It won’t leave you wanting. It’s beautifully crafted and easy to read. It touches on grief and hope, goodness and evil, abortion, physical and sexual abuse, as well as friendship and romance. All of the employers are not bad people. Just as in real life, there are good and bad. This book provided enlightenment as to what’s going on today in what’s supposed to be a highly respected country.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

What is the perspective from the other side? Domestic workers? They do it all and see it all. But what are their opinions and sentiments?
Jaswal explores four women’s experiences as domestic servants and all the stuff they are asked to do and their treatment.
I’m always interested in many different angles of society and it was an interesting read.
I did struggle at times with the dialogue and tempo of the story, but it is a worthwhile read.

Thanks to Net Galley and William Morrow for the ARC! Balli Kaur Jaswal sets out to bring to light the plight of domestic workers in Singapore and other countries. This novel follows three domestic workers and the issues they have with their employers and navigating their lives in a foreign country. It was sad to see the ways they were treated. I think the murder investigation was supposed to add some lightness and humor to the story but it didn’t work out that way for me. I went into this expecting a lighter novel like the previous I had read and was disappointed. It was good for the subject matter and I definitely learned a lot about the struggle of domestic workers.

This was easy to read and kept me on my toes! I didn't want it to be over but was dying to see what would happen next. I didn't like it quite as much as Crazy, Rich, Asians or The Help but it definitely had vibes from both of those books!

I really liked this look into the lives of Filipina domestic workers and their Singaporean employers. It showed the often difficult conditions that the Filipina workers have to labor under, as well as the way their employers treated them - some good, some awful. The book follows the lives of three workers who become involved in trying to solve a murder case involving one of their own.

What an eye opening story that had me googling domestics in Singapore. I thought I was reading about women bonding in a foreign country through their shared experiences. There was sooo much more to uncover. If you are an advocate for women, if you are an advocate for social justice, read this book and try to keep your blood pressure down. There is so much to digest in this book. I learned something and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will recommend this to my book club.

I read and *loved* Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows when it first came out, so when I saw this book was available on NetGalley, I grabbed it to read.

This book was pretty slow at the start. I'm completely unfamiliar with the culture in the novel, and I even googled to see if this was sci-fi, because SURELY this could not be happening in real life. I'm grateful to this novel for opening my eyes to the plight of the domestic worker abroad and the awful working conditions they are subjected to by society, but it took me a while to connect to the characters and figure out where they were going. It doesn't help that Cora's secret was stretched out for so long that it was hard to stay intrigued.

That all being said, the last 20% of the novel really took off, and the ending was so satisfying. I enjoyed the story, though it was a slow, meandering path to get there for me.

Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes drama. Anyone who likes multiple perspectives.

Now, this is how you write a book set in the Singapore that I know and love.

I felt myself being transported to the eclectic shophouses in Chinatown and Jalan Besar, envisioned strolling past the private landed estates of Marine Parade, and could vividly the swanky Marina Bay Sands skyscrapers in front me. But it's not just the geography and culture that the author has nailed.

It's also the social and class divide, the classism and elitism and casual racism, the nation's reliance on a foreign workforce, our treatment and perception of these migrant workers, and a whole plethora of other issues that tend to get swept beneath Singapore's glitz and glamour.

I loved how this book was told through the alternating POVs of three migrant women in Singapore and enjoyed getting to know them, as it gave me a greater understanding of what workers like them are actually going through in reality.

Cora's grief and how she has been impacted by the Philippine Drug War, Donita's blossoming romance and the savage remarks that she delivers when standing up for herself, Angel trying to better herself... their experiences have all touched me deeply.

There were parts that made me laugh and scenes that filled me with indignance on behalf of the characters. But most of all, I felt quite ashamed after reading this book... in a good way.

3.5 stars rounded up!

Balli Kaur Jaswal’s “Now You See Us”shows a side of Singapore that’s different from its glossy depiction in the well-known “Crazy Rich Asians.” Told from the points of view of three Filipina domestic workers, readers see the clash between the wealthy and the servant class; between traditional values and more modern, progressive attitudes; and between following one’s heart and conscience and following societal norms. Cora, Angel, and Donita each have their own struggles and secrets as well as differing conflicts with their employers, but they are all connected by a sense of loss—loss of family, independence, and identity as they live and work in a country that is not theirs.

I enjoyed seeing this more diverse, grittier portrayal of the country. I also appreciated that the author shined a light on the poor treatment of overseas domestic workers and the Philippines’ controversial war on drugs. But, unfortunately, there was some heart missing in the novel. I didn’t feel connected to the characters, and their friendship with each other seemed lacking and even a bit forced at times. The big murder mystery that brought them together wasn’t executed in a compelling way. To be honest, it was the least interesting part of the novel to me and I wish more time was spent on their background stories and developing bond so I could really grow to care about them and their respective journeys. Nonetheless, I do think this is an important story and worthwhile to read.

Thank you for William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. My review was posted to Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4812147407.

An amusing and heartbreaking tale of the lives of several Filipino maids in Singapore who accidentally end up embroiled in a murder.

My biggest thought is that I wish this was longer to allow for more character development. Helen obviously had some mental health issues and, while they were touched upon, they were never really addressed, even by her. I liked her and Tyler and the evolution of their relationship, but again, I felt like this would have felt more satisfying with more depth.

This is billed as a cross between Crazy Rich Asians and The Help, both of which I liked, so I thought I'd try it. It is true to the marketing campaign, being similar to both books, but it fell short for me.

The story focuses on three Filipina domestic workers and their situations working in Singapore, Cora, Donita and Angel work for very different families. Donita's ma'am, Mrs. Fann is suspicious and abusive to the young Donita; Cora has a hard time setting boundaries between her and ma'am Elizabeth and Angel, who is supplanted in her role as a caregiver by a newly hired nurse, battles the nurse for control of the household. When a fourth worker, Flordeliza, is arrested for murdering her employer, the three band together to prove her innocence.

Much of the book is spent on the role of foreign workers in Singapore society. Some, like Donita, are abused, and almost all are treated like second-class citizens: tolerated and unacknowledged. The title of the book reflects how invisible they are until the three main characters band together to right a wrong. While the book gives an interesting snapshot of the situation faced by poor workers trying to follow the acknowledged and unacknowledged rules of a culture in which they are trying to assimilate, I kept waiting for more action. It wasn't until the very end that things picked up and the three banded together to draw attention to the miscarriage of justice. The book makes an important statement on the treatment of workers, but I felt it could have been a better book if it was wound up more quickly. 3.5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow for an advance copy for review. The publication date is March 7, 2023.

This is a look at class and race as three women work as domestic servants for wealthy Singapore families and the mistreatment that these women receive at the hands of the matriarchs of the families who employ them. As we get to know the three different MC, one of them becomes embroiled in a murder case and the others don’t believe she could possibly have done it, but they have no way to prove it. We see the vast difference between the haves and the have nots in this story and it very much reminds me of “The Help” had it been set in Asia. An interesting read and gripping as well as you don’t think that this type of thing goes on in he modern day but it still does.
Thanks to William Morrow & company and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

In Singapore, the Merry Maids Agency finds jobs for domestic workers from the Philippines, to work in elite households. Corazon, Angel and Donita are from different households but have formed a friendship. When a fellow worker is arrested for the murder of her employer, the three know that she couldn't have done it and was being used as a scapegoat. Not really wanting to get involved but through their social media network and legwork, they slowly begin to figure out what happened and who it could have been.
An eye-opening and intriguing storyline based on true to life events on how foreign workers are invisible and yet treated with distrust.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for this e-galley of "Now You See Us".

An entertaining tale of the trysts, trials and tribulations of the domestic help and their employers. The story is based in Singapore but it could well describe any affluent South Asian lifestyle. The twist happens when a Filipino maid is accused of murdering her employer. Her friend, another Filipino maid refuses to believe it and ropes in her fellow maid community into an investigation. The book also deals with various topics of women's rights, gender equality, LGBTQ prejudices, abortion access and the like albeit in a light-hearted manner. Overall, a quick and refreshing read. Well written, this is my first book by the author and I'm definitely looking into her other novels.

Thanks to Netgalley, Balli Kaur Jaiswal and William Morrow for the ARC.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Three woman move to Singapore for work. When they hear about a woman being murdered by the maid, they are surprised. They all work in medial jobs and are worried. This book dragged on occasions.

I wanted to like this more than I did. I had just read a book abt a woman being trafficked so the themes are similar to this book. Here we are in Singapore where immigrants flood in to help as domestic workers- maids, elder care, Nannie’s. But these women can become exploited and are not protected from gross over work. I enjoyed the premise and how there was a message board for “ma’ms” which reminded me a lot of Eliza stars a rumor or even such a good age. That said the pacing was a little uneven and the story waned for me at about halfway. I think perhaps it didn’t go deep enough into the characters so I just didn’t feel attached to the story. Good not great, I’m sure it’ll find an audience.

The pacing of the book was a bit slower than I normally like but I liked the premise! It definitely told a story that should get more mainstream attention than it currently does. It’s more of a 3.5 star than a 3.

Corazon, Donita, and Angel are Filipina domestic workers in the homes of Singapore's super-wealthy elite. When their acquaintance, Flordeliza, is arrested for murdering her female boss, the three women work together behind the scenes to uncover what happened and clear the name of their friend before something irreversibly terrible happens to her.

This book did a lot to illuminate the abuses endured by domestic workers at the hands of their employers, but it was far from a preachy, tear-jerking drag. There were a lot of funny moments and sly humor that made me love the three main characters (especially Corazon). The mystery of what happened to Flor's ma'am felt like a side note in many ways. The real story was about three women forging a friendship to save another woman and each other.

This was a powerful novel that was a lot more serious than I initially anticipated, based on the synopsis alone. The murder mystery takes second stage to the real story in my opinion, and that is the depiction of the unfair conditions domestic workers are subjected to in society. A good solid read!