A review  of ‘The Shanghai Circle’ by a member of the Online Book Club on the 16th of October 2023

4 stars out of 5

In the backdrop of 1936 China, The Shanghai Circle explores a bustling city with a rich diversity of origins, given the time period. Although everyone is welcome there, no promises are made, and navigating its streets can be a perilous journey, with drug dens and brothels lurking at every corner.
Joseph is Cheung Pak-ho’s son, and if he proves himself, the rightful heir to his position as a leader of one of the most influential criminal organizations in Shanghai. As he starts preparations to join the family enterprise, he hopes this can be a chance to get closer to his distant father. Dark secrets arise, and violent conflicts ensue within the enigmatic Sung Triad Society as a lifelong grudge is passed on to Joseph as his legacy.

Meanwhile, in the International District, Charles Guest and his ambitious daughter Davina brace for immense changes in their firm. As Japan starts overpowering China, and communism rises in popularity, Shanghai seems to be engulfed by all these issues without remedy, and everything is at stake. In an unavoidable relocation of the business to Hong Kong, Davina is ready to prove her worth as the next taipan, or leader, of the Guest company.
Irina is a descendant of wealthy Russian nobles, with only her name and wits left. As her financial situation worsens, she must put her dignity at risk for the sake of survival.

As these characters’ lives intertwine, the stark contrast of the city becomes evident, with its slums steps away from luxurious hotels and apartments. Shanghai is teeming with life, and it remains as unpredictable as ever.

I enjoyed the unique historical setting used in this novel and appreciated the lengths the author went to to make the story captivating and plausible at the same time. Every detail is meticulously considered to form something seemingly real. The constant use of Chinese terminology also proved crucial to immerse me deeper into this world.
I loved that I could find many similarities between the characters even though they had different backgrounds and were in incomparable situations.

As a downside, I sometimes found that the wording used throughout the story was overly explicit and left little to the imagination. Striking the right balance between being detailed and allowing room for interpretation can be hard.

Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. It is a well-written story that spares no details, and I stayed engaged in it from beginning to end. I recommend it to anyone with a penchant for historical fiction novels.