A review of ‘The Shanghai Circle’ by a member of the Online Book Club on the 1st of June 2024
4 out of 5 stars
“The Shanghai Circle” by Tony Henderson takes its readers into the sphere of Shanghai in the 1930s. As the first book in the Chinese Circles series, it exposes us to a bustling city and conflict between various circles of Chinese subculture.
Henderson does an excellent job of painting a picture of 1936 Shanghai. From glamorous corporate offices to the triads’ criminal land, the descriptions let you immerse yourself as if you were there. The protagonists, Joseph, the son of a triad leader, and Davina, the daughter of a British businessman, are pretty good and engaging.
The storyline is tight and full of action, political intrigue, and personal emotion. Triad conflicts, the Japanese, and the emerging international business community keep Shanghai and the story intriguing. The book also provides an exciting insight into the cultural relations during that period, showing how Shanghai was a meeting point between the Orient and the Occident.
Nevertheless, I noticed several drawbacks when reading the book. At times, the story began to drag due to lengthy descriptions of the setting and cues from the past and present. However, it should be noted that some secondary characters are not as developed as the major ones, so they look less realistic. Some twists and turns are slightly predictable, especially if inclined towards historical literature.
But even with these flaws, The “Shanghai Circle” is an immensely recommendable read for all lovers of historical fiction and China during the early decades of the twentieth century. It will interest those readers who appreciate a robust and realistic background, multi-faceted protagonists and narrators, themes of criminal underground, power struggle, and intercultural conflicts.
To summarize, “The Shanghai Circle” is a bright beginning of Tony Henderson’s series that vividly represents 1930s Shanghai. Although I had a small concern with the flow of the novel, the historical background, prominent characters, and intriguing story make this book appealing to anyone interested in historical fiction. The book’s editing was professional; I couldn’t find any errors while reading. Therefore, I’ll rate it 4 out of 5 stars. I have cut 1 star for the reasons stated above.