A review of ‘The Shanghai Circle’ by a member of the Online Book Club on the 17th of October 2023 – first review
5 stars out of 5
The Shanghai Circle by Tony Henderson is a work of historical fiction that dates back to 1936 in Shanghai, China. This book is the first in the Chinese Circle’s series. The book is divided into 43 chapters and 348 pages. Cheung Pak-ho is the Sung Triad society leader, and the father of Joseph. Triad Sung society was known for its involvement in drug dealings.
The book begins with the punishment of Leung Tat-wu, who had broken one of the oaths of society. Cheung wanted his son, Joseph, to be his successor as he initiated him into society. Charles Guest is a British businessman who has a daughter, Davina, whom he wants to be the successor in his business, and it is rare to see a woman as the successor to a company. They both reside in Shanghai. Charles still hasn’t let go of the memories of his wife. What really happened to his wife? Grab a copy of the book to find out.
The book has a lot of positive aspects. I love the action and suspenseful storyline because the author kept me guessing what would happen next. The rivalry between the Cheung family and the Guests family was interesting to read about. The introduction of Donsky Irina also added a lot of suspense and brought about different plot twists. The characters were also superbly developed. I’m glad I learned a lot about China and some events that occurred in its history. I also learned about their culture and way of life. I love the setting of the book. I found it more interesting reading about the means of transportation, which was done by sailing on dangerous seas.
In all honesty, I didn’t dislike anything about the book because it was well written, and the author also ensured that there were no errors in the book so readers could read and comprehend with ease. I appreciate the lessons this book teaches, and I believe women should also be seen as capable hands who are good successors, and they shouldn’t be discriminated against.
I’m rating the book 5 out of 5 stars. I gave it a perfect rating because of its positive aspects. There were no errors in the book because it was exceptionally well edited. I recommend the book to fans of historical fiction because it would be a great read for them.