Keeping Promises: "The Night Tiger" by Yangsze Choo

11 year old Ren is a houseboy in the home of an old ex-patriot doctor and has made the dying man a promise. In 49 days, Ren must find his master's missing finger. And bury it in his grave. If he does not succeed... his master's soul would be doomed to walk the earth. Set in 1930's Malaya, the Night Tiger sweeps you away to another time and an exotic place filled with the beliefs and superstitions of the people and brought to vivid life by the author.
Ren's search is not the only mystery in this intriguing story. It is also the story of Ji Lin, a beautiful girl and the daughter of a lovely yet weak widow mother who had remarried a successful but critical business man. He brings to the marriage a son, Shin, devastatingly handsome, even as a boy. Ji Lin and Shin become close as children but when they are older, Shin leaves home and Jin Li begins a double life, working at a dress shop by day and as a dance hall girl called Louise by night.
One night, a dance hall customer is being too familiar and by accident she comes into possession of a glass vial containing an odd object. What could it be?
How will all these characters and their lives and secrets intersect?
The Night Tiger will ensnare you in these and other mysterious happenings and make you fall in love with Ren and the other unforgettable characters in this entrancing tale. Yangsze Choo is a remarkable writer and once you've read this one, don't miss her debut work The Ghost Bride! You'll be looking forward to whatever she has in store for us in the future! Very highly recommended!
*I also fell in love with the book cover. Simply exquisite!