A review of ‘The Shanghai Circle’ by a member of the Online Book Club on the 28th  of December 2023

5 out of 5 stars

The Shanghai Circle by Tony Henderson is a historical fiction with an enthralling story based in 1939 Shanghai, China before the Japanese invasion. The book is first of The Circle series. Henderson has done a fantastic job at getting the readers hooked from the very first chapter. The book takes you through a captivating and suspenseful story marked by wartime turmoil and governmental instability, effectively capturing the era’s essence by vividly depicting the lifestyles and work dynamics of that time.

Henderson has intricately laid out the details and character perspectives that can fuel the readers imagination. I enjoyed the character development of Irina and Joseph. As the story unfolds, the character’s internal struggles and personal growth takes the centre stage, and readers can connect and understand the characters. Further, the character that truly captivated me most in the book is the character of Davina, a strong-willed young woman determined to succeed and follow in her father’s footsteps, all within a world primarily governed by men.

Themes like love, war, greed, power, betrayal, revenge, prostitution, drug use, and crime were carefully woven into the story. The book digs deep into the patriarchy and family-oriented Chinese society, socio-economic life and traditional affiliations built on loyalty.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would give it 5 out of 5. Except a little problem in memorizing the names at first, the book was an absolutely great read for me. Flawlessly written and with a gripping storyline, it kept me hooked the entire time. Another thing I loved was that the book was fast-paced and events didn’t drag. This made it more interesting and enjoyable and enabled me to read the book with a very curious mind.

Also, I didn’t find any typing errors or grammatical mistakes. It is well edited and properly laid out. Anyone who is into adventure, suspense, and historical fiction would love it. There was nothing that I disliked about this book.