Now You See Us

This arresting novel from Jaswal (The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters) focuses on three vulnerable Filipina women who provide domestic labor to upper-class Singapore households. Cora, a seasoned worker, struggles with a kind, well-meaning employer, whose manipulative daughter is a source of trouble. Donita bristles at the abusive control exerted by her church leader, especially when it interferes with the relationship she pursues on her days off. And Angel takes care of her disabled employer while continuing to mourn a bad breakup with another woman. The three stay connected via a shared online chat after an incident in which they were briefly accused of shoplifting together. Despite the risks, they are galvanized into investigative action when another maid whom Donita knows is accused of murdering her employer by a police department only looking for the most obvious suspect. Jaswal effectively balances the murder mystery plot and the dramas of the individual women; they each take agency over their own lives and find, if not truly happy endings, at least satisfying ones. This sympathetic, humane look at low-paid domestic workers will resonate with many. Agent: Anna Power, Johnson & Alcock. (Mar.)