Meihan Boey’s ‘The Formidable Miss Cassidy’ transports listeners to early twentieth-century Singapore, where we meet Miss Cassidy, a woman in her late thirties hired to serve as the “English” lady’s companion to 14-year-old Sarah Jane. The catch? Miss Cassidy is actually Scottish, not English, which makes her an amusing choice to explain English customs to her inquisitive charge and those around them. This twist of irony adds warmth and humour, as Miss Cassidy graciously navigates her role, with more than a few raised eyebrows at her considerable physical frame and stunning red hair.

The first half of the novel is a pleasant, insightful dive into a society in transition, especially in how it treats women. Boey’s research shines here – colonial Singapore comes vividly to life, with its sights, sounds, and social rules feeling as authentic as they are captivating. I enjoyed how the book explored changing attitudes toward women, especially in such a unique setting.

Then, without warning, the story takes a hard left into the supernatural. One moment, Miss Cassidy’s juggling afternoon tea and the expectations of polite society; the next, she’s suddenly attempting to catch evil entities! While I appreciate a genre shift when it’s done well, this one felt a bit abrupt – almost like we’d wandered into a different novel entirely. It’s a bold move, but despite a few subtle hints in the first half of the story, the two halves don’t quite mesh as well as they could.

Several subplots crop up as well, some of which add layers to the story while others seem to contribute characters without adding much to the climax. Combined with some dips in pace, these almost-disassociated plots made the novel feel a bit disjointed at times.

Thankfully, Paula Masterton’s narration is spot-on. She brings Miss Cassidy to life with warmth and personality, and her Scottish accent adds a lovely authenticity to the character. Her delivery kept me engaged, even when the story slowed, and added an extra layer of charm to the experience.

4⭐️

I had the audiobook of this delightful fantasy read by Paula Masterton who was excellent. She has a lovely gentle Scottish burr for Miss Cassidy.

Historical fiction with the setting in Singapore 1890’s, Miss Cassidy works as an English tutor for Mr Kay Wing Tong’s family, but there’s more to Miss Cassidy than being a companion or tutor.

It’s a lighter gentle enjoyable story, it’s lightly dusted with the fantasy brush so it doesn’t alienate non fantasy readers, but it might be too light for the genre enthusiasts. I enjoyed the storytelling and the insights into the life of the time. I didn’t find her character to be formidable, I found her quite charming.

It looks like it might be a series, so I’d be keen to listen to the next one.

If Mary Poppins met Supernatural!

Miss Cassidy is a governess for wealthy families, in 1890’s Singapore. When she is not teaching the children English during the day, she is ridding their houses of ghosts and other creatures during the night.

Really lovely wholesome story with a bit of action. I nice mix of genres.

The narrator for the book added personality to each of the characters and it was a very enjoyable listen.

This was such an unexpected delight. A wild ride of manners, ettiquette, demons and magic with a very proper and extremely unflappable MC. Loved it.

*The Formidable Miss Cassidy* by Meihan Boey is a delightful, fast-paced story set in 1890s Singapore, where the resilient Miss Leda Cassidy faces a terrifying pontianak while caring for the Bendemeer family. She’s soon entangled in the affairs of the spirited Kay family, fighting supernatural threats to protect those she’s grown to love.

Narrator Paula Masterton brings this suspenseful tale to life, capturing Miss Cassidy’s strength and wit with engaging nuance. Her skillful voice work immerses you in the vibrant setting, adding depth to each character and drawing you deeper into the mystery from the very start. A surprising gem that hooks you immediately!

I found the audiobook of "The Formidable Miss Cassidy" to be an enchanting tale that transports readers to colonial Singapore. Blending historical fiction with Malay (and other) folklore, this captivating story follows the compelling Miss Leda Cassidy as she navigates the complexities of her role as governess and companion to two local families, and her own heritage.

What begins as a ordinary tale of teaching English and manners quickly evolves into a spellbinding adventure, as Miss Cassidy confronts the very real threat of ghostly entities, which I won't spoil. Weaving together strands of Celtic mythology and Singapore's rich cultural tapestry, the author has crafted a fascinating and even educational experience for the reader. If you love world mythology as I do, you will love this book.

The narrator was an absolutely perfect pick for this book. She was able to do many distinct voices with ease, and I could tell the characters apart despite the fact that there are mostly women characters.

With its vivid atmosphere, well-drawn characters, masterful blend of supernatural and the historical, and the perfect narrator, "The Formidable Miss Cassidy" is an enchanting listening experience.

I truly enjoyed listening to this audiobook. It was so a great listen and I fell in love with Miss Cassidy as the story contained. She’s a fantastic character and I really enjoyed the people she met along the way.

The premise and foundations for Miss Cassidy are a compelling and unique twist on the typical cosy fantasy mystery novel. I loved the setting and the series of spooky mysteries uncovered. It would be great to get some more background on Miss Cassidy and the general fae lore. I found myself a little lost and struggling to understand the reasons behind some of the characters actions as no context was provided. Overall it was a fun read and the audiobook production is excellent. I would love for a sequel to have a deeper character exploration.

What an incredibly fun read.
Miss Cassidy is indeed formidable.
There's spooky goings on, and other stuff happening, but Miss Cassidy is not daunted.
She just heads straight on in there to sort it out.
I listened to it every spare moment I had, and it had me smiling away quite a lot.

Such a fun book! I loved all the characters. I especially loved Miss Cassidy's straight forward personality. The narration was brilliant and definitely 5 stars! I don't have much to say when I enjoy a book this much!

A descriptive tale, well constructed,with well drawn characters from the first, I listened with interest and the narrator was good. Altogether a pleasant experience. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me this audio book.