A review of ‘The Shanghai Circle’ by a member of the Online Book Club on the 31st of December 2023
4 out of 5 stars
The Shanghai Circle by Tony Henderson is an interesting read. I was captivated by the book when I discovered it was set within a Chinese backdrop, exploring the fascinating world of Chinese triads. The book weaves together the impact of poverty-driven decisions, the cost of greed, and the horrors of war into a compelling and interconnected story. Each chapter of the book is approximately six pages, with each new chapter focusing on a specific character. The personalities of the characters make it easy for the reader to follow.
The story follows Joseph, who is set to succeed his father as the leader of the second-largest triad in the country. He undergoes many experiences that shift his perspectives and shape him into a man capable of successfully leading the triad. Personally, other characters like Irina and James made the story interesting for me. I was glued to the pages, eager to discover the outcomes of decisions such as Irina’s choice to become a prostitute and James’ involvement with drugs—choices that society generally disapproves of. The book contains explicit sexual content, so reader discretion is advised.
Some of the highlights of the book are that the story flows and there are no boring moments. Although each chapter focuses on a specific character, I like how the author made the stories of each character seamlessly flow into the others, giving the reader a complete view of the story. The erotic moments in the story did not seem forced but flowed with the narrative. The book itself was well-edited with no errors. All of this enhances the reader’s experience. The part where people observed others killing a monkey and eating their brains was interesting. A drawback is that when you are not interested in a specific character and the chapter focuses on that character, the whole chapter becomes difficult to read. People who are into stories about dangerous organizations and are okay with some sexual content in the story will enjoy this book. I do not recommend it to readers who prefer books without any sexual content.
I am giving it a four out of five rating because, although the book was interesting and I enjoyed it thoroughly, the story about Joseph was cut a little too short for me, and its suspense could have been increased to enhance readers’ enjoyment.