A review of ‘The Shanghai Circle’ by a member of the Online Book Club on the 2nd of April 2024

5 out of 5 stars

Tony Henderson’s novel Shanghai Circle falls within the historical fiction genre, a genre I deeply enjoy for its suspenseful and action-packed books. Set in 1939 Shanghai during the Japanese invasion of China, the story follows Cheung Pak Ho, leader of the Sung Triad gang. As the plot unfolds, Cheung prepares for his son, Jospeh to take leadership of the Sung Triad gang. But I guess the question is can Joseph continue to be a great leader and follow in the footsteps of his father? All is revealed as you read this book.

In this book, we are introduced to Shanghai and the danger zone that has been severely impacted by war, where citizens have fled in the hope of a better life and away from imminent danger. Henderson introduces us to Cheung Pak Ho, the Sung triad leader, who has some conflict with the Guest family. However, he is soon to be taken over by his son, Joseph. Joseph and Cheung Pak Ho did not have the best bond; typically, Cheung had not been the best dad to Joseph; he often used the hard love to show Joseph the error of his ways; in fact,  you could go on to say that Cheung Pak Ho is not a loving man; he has boundaries. He is a leader, and he shows that in his attitude. Conflict arises, and action begins to show in the middle of the book when Joseph takes over the company and the conflict between the Guest Family and Cheung is shifted over to Joseph. Is he ready for the conflict? There are a lot of questions that you ask yourself as you deepen into this book. Without adding spoilers, to find out what happens to Joseph, you need to read this book for yourself.

There are many positive attributes to this book. For instance, the language in this book is clear, easy to comprehend, and precise, allowing me to understand what is being said and follow the action as it takes place. Furthermore, there were no errors, neither typographical nor grammatical, which hints that the book is well edited while also adding to my excitement for the book. The writing style employed by Henderson was fitting for the book, and this must be commended. The character development was excellent. I was able to follow each character and understand their position in the book and the goals they were reaching towards the end of the book, and I liked this. There is nothing worse than reading a book and not understanding where the characters are headed and what their end goals are. This author has shown this beautifully. I loved the character of Joseph; he was brave, courageous, and smart. Taking over a gang that was once led by your father must be challenging in a bid to impress him. I could not help but wonder whether there would be more books that follow this, as I believe that it has potential for expansion. I also enjoyed the many twists and turns in the book; this kept me on my seat, and, to put it bluntly, I could not put the book down.

In relation to negative aspects, I do not believe there is anything to dislike. There were no errors, the story line was easy to follow, and there were a range of characters, but there were not too many, which I liked. The language was fitting for the intended audience. I loved it. The author should be proud of this book.

In summary, I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars. The book is a great addition to a book shelf. I personally enjoy the historical genre. The plot was exceptionally well created. I look forward to more books written by this author. I think that this book would resonate with readers who enjoy historical fiction.