A review of ‘The Shanghai Circle’ by a member of the Online Book Club on the 28th of April 2024
5 out of 5 stars
As soon as I began reading The Shanghai Circle by Tony Henderson, I felt like I was right there in the chaotic streets of Shanghai during the 1930s. It’s a place full of secrets and danger. Right from the beginning, Henderson’s storytelling took me to a world where power, traditions, and betrayal were all colliding, with a big showdown on the horizon.
The book tells the story from two perspectives. One is about the busy world of trade companies. We meet Thomas Mathers, a young English guy learning the ropes at the Guest Company, a big trade firm. There’s also Davina Guest, the boss’s daughter, who’s being trained to become the director and be the first woman to run a trade company. The other view is about the triads, which are Chinese groups doing illegal things, mostly with drugs. We see Joseph Pak-ho, whose dad leads the Sung Society, a powerful triad, and Irina Donsky, a Russian woman who gets mixed up with them. We get to know these people, their good and bad sides, and what they want out of life. We see how their lives change because of what’s happening in the city and the choices they make. Did Devina become the director of the company, or was she fought and threatened? Find out when you get this book.
The writer does a great job putting these made-up people into real-life events from Shanghai and Hong Kong’s past. The story lets us learn some history while we see what happens to the characters. The author lived in Shanghai and worked in trade, so he knows the city well and shows it in the story. I didn’t dislike anything about this book; the book was well written and free from grammatical errors. I enjoyed reading this book and loved how the author explained some scenes; it made me feel inside the story itself. The book felt like a movie, and I would wish it were acted out someday.
One thing I loved about this book The Shanghai Circle is that its an excellent historical novel which captures a powerful tale of giving up things, chasing dreams, and being faithful, all set in a busy city full of troubles. It’s a book that makes a lasting impression with its engaging characters, well-painted setting, and smart plot twists. I strongly recommend it to anyone searching for an absorbing and different story to dive into the Shanghai of the 1930s.
I would rate this book a 5-star rating for its perfect work and beautiful storyline.