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Shanghai
In this dazzling thriller, New York Times bestselling author Joseph Kanon gives us his richest setting pre-World War II Shanghai, where glamour and squalor exist side by side and murder is just a cost of doing business. A love affair against all odds, a city dancing on the rim of a volcano—Shanghai is the story of a political haven that becomes a minefield of conflicting loyalties.
After the violence of Kristallnacht (1938), European Jews, now desperate to emigrate, found the consular doors of the world closed to them. Only one port required no entry Shanghai, a self-governing Western trading enclave in what was technically Chinese territory, a political anomaly that became an escape hatch—if you were lucky enough to afford a ticket on one of the great Lloyd liners sailing to the East and safety.
Daniel Lohr was one of the lucky ones—lucky enough to have escaped the Gestapo when his colleagues in the resistance were caught, lucky to have an uncle waiting in Shanghai, lucky to find a casual shipboard flirtation turn unexpectedly passionate. But even lucky refugees have to confront the reality of Shanghai. With all their assets, and passports confiscated by the Nazis, they arrive penniless and stateless in a tumultuous, nearly lawless city notorious for vice. When you can sink fast, how far are you willing to go to survive? What lines do you cross? As Daniel tries to navigate his way through his uncle’s world in Shanghai’s fabled nightlife, he finds himself increasingly ensnared in a maze where politics and crime are two sides of the same shiny coin. The trick, his uncle tells him, is to stay one step ahead. But how do you stay ahead of murder? How do you outrun your own past?
After the violence of Kristallnacht (1938), European Jews, now desperate to emigrate, found the consular doors of the world closed to them. Only one port required no entry Shanghai, a self-governing Western trading enclave in what was technically Chinese territory, a political anomaly that became an escape hatch—if you were lucky enough to afford a ticket on one of the great Lloyd liners sailing to the East and safety.
Daniel Lohr was one of the lucky ones—lucky enough to have escaped the Gestapo when his colleagues in the resistance were caught, lucky to have an uncle waiting in Shanghai, lucky to find a casual shipboard flirtation turn unexpectedly passionate. But even lucky refugees have to confront the reality of Shanghai. With all their assets, and passports confiscated by the Nazis, they arrive penniless and stateless in a tumultuous, nearly lawless city notorious for vice. When you can sink fast, how far are you willing to go to survive? What lines do you cross? As Daniel tries to navigate his way through his uncle’s world in Shanghai’s fabled nightlife, he finds himself increasingly ensnared in a maze where politics and crime are two sides of the same shiny coin. The trick, his uncle tells him, is to stay one step ahead. But how do you stay ahead of murder? How do you outrun your own past?
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 25, 2024
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July 20, 2024
After Kristalnacht in Germany on the eve of what would become the second big war in Europe the message to the Jewish populaties is clear, get out before you die. From the city of Triest Daniel Lohr leaves the old world for the oriental city of Shanghai.
During the crossing by boat, after yet another fleecing by officials of the more fascist variety, most Jewish people know that the times are changing.
Daniel Lohr finds himself on a boat with nothing to do and finds love with a beautiful woman knowing perfectly well when they get to the Chinese town their lives will change again.
Shanghai big Chinese city is run by Chinese authority, Chinese gangs and even the Japanese occupation troops are contributing to this Pearl in the east.
Daniel finds his uncle, who send for him, in decent shape operating in the nightclub scene. Uncle want his nephew to take over the family business.
Daniel Lohr finds that live is just as complicaties in Shanghai as it was in Berlin or Vienna.
This book is a nice illustration of a city taking up fugetives in a different era where life is cheap and power is coveted.
A point of critique for me is that there is too much European participation and very little Chinese or Japanese influence for a book taking place in China with the boys from Japan being the major threat. It is mostly European affairs in play, for me somewhat of a letdown.
Good point is that this is a reasonably thin book so it does not take much time to read.
During the crossing by boat, after yet another fleecing by officials of the more fascist variety, most Jewish people know that the times are changing.
Daniel Lohr finds himself on a boat with nothing to do and finds love with a beautiful woman knowing perfectly well when they get to the Chinese town their lives will change again.
Shanghai big Chinese city is run by Chinese authority, Chinese gangs and even the Japanese occupation troops are contributing to this Pearl in the east.
Daniel finds his uncle, who send for him, in decent shape operating in the nightclub scene. Uncle want his nephew to take over the family business.
Daniel Lohr finds that live is just as complicaties in Shanghai as it was in Berlin or Vienna.
This book is a nice illustration of a city taking up fugetives in a different era where life is cheap and power is coveted.
A point of critique for me is that there is too much European participation and very little Chinese or Japanese influence for a book taking place in China with the boys from Japan being the major threat. It is mostly European affairs in play, for me somewhat of a letdown.
Good point is that this is a reasonably thin book so it does not take much time to read.
unable-to-finish
August 29, 2024dnf at page 140. The WWII Shanghai setting interested me but this is not my jam.
July 20, 2024
Shanghai
Joseph Kanon
reviewed by Lou Jacobs
readersremains.com | Goodreads
Multiple award-winning author Joseph Kanon dazzles with another gritty noir tale, blending historical fiction with an intriguing crime thriller. The setting is 1939 Shanghai, a tumultuous city wracked with crime, squalor, and political upheaval. Yet it is probably the only refuge for European Jews fleeing the Nazi horde.
It requires no entry visa and welcomes all comers to cope with the warring factions. The world is on the precipice of World War II—the Japanese occupy China, with a puppet government in Nanking, while Chiang Kai-shek nominally runs the government in exile. The Shanghai Municipal Police constantly war with the local crime bosses as vice and violence pervade the streets. All the while, the Communists desperately try to insinuate themselves into the political machinations. After the sudden violence and awakening call of Kristallnacht (1938), the European Jews clearly see their imminent demise.
Daniel Lohr, our main protagonist, is a journalist who has a nominal presence in a Communist cell embedded in Berlin and has recently been exposed. Being half-Jewish, he feels the noose tightening as his Jewish father is rounded up and executed at Sachsenhausen. Having a gentile mother is certainly not helpful under the Nazi race laws. He barely escapes the clutches of the Gestapo when he receives a first-class ticket aboard the Lloyd Company ocean liner headed for Shanghai, provided by his estranged Uncle Nathan. Aboard ship, he will meet others who will become intricately woven into his future dilemmas in Shanghai. He becomes embroiled in a shipboard romance with Leah Auerbach, who is traveling with her elderly mother. He’ll dine with Florence Burke, a seemingly flighty rich matron who will be instrumental in sustaining the Jewish community of Shanghai. And, most importantly, the self-important and slimy Colonel Yamada, the liaison of the Japanese Military Police, better known as the Kempeitai (the equivalent of the Nazi Gestapo). Immediate shipboard tension and gamesmanship arise with the stakes being the attention of lovely Leah. All will enter this city of squalor, glamour, and crime without a passport, ten marks, and one suitcase of clothes. How they will survive and prosper will depend on navigating many moral choices and dilemmas.
Daniel will be met warmly by his estranged uncle, who runs a casino, nightclub, and brothel. He will have his morality severely tested as he faces the reality of what must be done to survive in this tumultuous situation. To survive, his uncle is in bed with several of the most powerful crime bosses, each with varying agendas. It’s necessary to walk a tightrope to coexist with the puppet government, the local police, and now the Kempeitai, all wanting a handout, vernacularly referred to as “the squeeze.” Daniel reluctantly becomes his uncle’s valued assistant, rising in prominence and becoming known and respected amongst the various factions in the criminal underworld. He will become ensnared in the maze of politics and crime. Things are further complicated when he sees that Leah has chosen her way to survive by becoming Yamada’s mistress. Daniel cannot tolerate the smirking Yamada.
Kanon is masterful in weaving multiple plot lines, along with precise and intriguing dialogue, to ramp up the mystery and intrigue into a page-turning, exhilarating denouement. The reader will develop a distinct relationship with the motivations of these multi-layered characters. This will prove to be a foreshadowing of the events to come in this horrendous time in history. The chaos of the time is a palpable character in this riveting tale.
Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner Publishing for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. After enjoying this marvelous multidimensional tale, the reader will want to delve into Kanon’s masterful oeuvre of fiction.
..... Published at MysteryAndSuspenseMagazine.com ....
Joseph Kanon
reviewed by Lou Jacobs
readersremains.com | Goodreads
Multiple award-winning author Joseph Kanon dazzles with another gritty noir tale, blending historical fiction with an intriguing crime thriller. The setting is 1939 Shanghai, a tumultuous city wracked with crime, squalor, and political upheaval. Yet it is probably the only refuge for European Jews fleeing the Nazi horde.
It requires no entry visa and welcomes all comers to cope with the warring factions. The world is on the precipice of World War II—the Japanese occupy China, with a puppet government in Nanking, while Chiang Kai-shek nominally runs the government in exile. The Shanghai Municipal Police constantly war with the local crime bosses as vice and violence pervade the streets. All the while, the Communists desperately try to insinuate themselves into the political machinations. After the sudden violence and awakening call of Kristallnacht (1938), the European Jews clearly see their imminent demise.
Daniel Lohr, our main protagonist, is a journalist who has a nominal presence in a Communist cell embedded in Berlin and has recently been exposed. Being half-Jewish, he feels the noose tightening as his Jewish father is rounded up and executed at Sachsenhausen. Having a gentile mother is certainly not helpful under the Nazi race laws. He barely escapes the clutches of the Gestapo when he receives a first-class ticket aboard the Lloyd Company ocean liner headed for Shanghai, provided by his estranged Uncle Nathan. Aboard ship, he will meet others who will become intricately woven into his future dilemmas in Shanghai. He becomes embroiled in a shipboard romance with Leah Auerbach, who is traveling with her elderly mother. He’ll dine with Florence Burke, a seemingly flighty rich matron who will be instrumental in sustaining the Jewish community of Shanghai. And, most importantly, the self-important and slimy Colonel Yamada, the liaison of the Japanese Military Police, better known as the Kempeitai (the equivalent of the Nazi Gestapo). Immediate shipboard tension and gamesmanship arise with the stakes being the attention of lovely Leah. All will enter this city of squalor, glamour, and crime without a passport, ten marks, and one suitcase of clothes. How they will survive and prosper will depend on navigating many moral choices and dilemmas.
Daniel will be met warmly by his estranged uncle, who runs a casino, nightclub, and brothel. He will have his morality severely tested as he faces the reality of what must be done to survive in this tumultuous situation. To survive, his uncle is in bed with several of the most powerful crime bosses, each with varying agendas. It’s necessary to walk a tightrope to coexist with the puppet government, the local police, and now the Kempeitai, all wanting a handout, vernacularly referred to as “the squeeze.” Daniel reluctantly becomes his uncle’s valued assistant, rising in prominence and becoming known and respected amongst the various factions in the criminal underworld. He will become ensnared in the maze of politics and crime. Things are further complicated when he sees that Leah has chosen her way to survive by becoming Yamada’s mistress. Daniel cannot tolerate the smirking Yamada.
Kanon is masterful in weaving multiple plot lines, along with precise and intriguing dialogue, to ramp up the mystery and intrigue into a page-turning, exhilarating denouement. The reader will develop a distinct relationship with the motivations of these multi-layered characters. This will prove to be a foreshadowing of the events to come in this horrendous time in history. The chaos of the time is a palpable character in this riveting tale.
Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner Publishing for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. After enjoying this marvelous multidimensional tale, the reader will want to delve into Kanon’s masterful oeuvre of fiction.
..... Published at MysteryAndSuspenseMagazine.com ....
January 9, 2024
Joseph Kanon is my go-to author for WWII spy stories. If you are new to Kanon, start at the beginning with my favorite Los Alamos (2010) which won the Edgar Award for best first novel, and then work your way through the nine novels to Shanghai. Geographically and literally you will cover the globe during those uniquely tense 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s — the eras when readers were officially introduced to the Espionage genre of mysteries. Imagine a more mysterious Oppenheimer-led campus in New Mexico if a murder had occurred months before the success of the atomic bomb testing; that was Kanon’s first novel, Los Alamos. From there we were taken to Germany, Turkey, Brazil, England, Russia and now Shanghai.
While the settings of these spy thrillers are key to the stories Kanon tells, he excels at dialogue. The novels are quick and engrossing. More of a Charles Cummings than a John le Carre, but the story holds you even if the detail is not as compelling as many spy masters. Shanghai’s plot centers on escaped Jews in 1938 who made their way to Japanese controlled China — to Shanghai, the one port which required no entry visas from German Jews. The self-governing but lawless city, perfect for stateless Jews. The desperate passengers on the ship separate once in Shanghai, but come back together as lives intertwine when each must decide their moral fate in the unfamiliar, unchosen and violent new home. I enjoy learning of a new setting in mysteries — Kanon takes readers to a very unique time and place with Shanghai. My rating: 4 of 5.
This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. Shanghai will be published on June 25, 2024.
While the settings of these spy thrillers are key to the stories Kanon tells, he excels at dialogue. The novels are quick and engrossing. More of a Charles Cummings than a John le Carre, but the story holds you even if the detail is not as compelling as many spy masters. Shanghai’s plot centers on escaped Jews in 1938 who made their way to Japanese controlled China — to Shanghai, the one port which required no entry visas from German Jews. The self-governing but lawless city, perfect for stateless Jews. The desperate passengers on the ship separate once in Shanghai, but come back together as lives intertwine when each must decide their moral fate in the unfamiliar, unchosen and violent new home. I enjoy learning of a new setting in mysteries — Kanon takes readers to a very unique time and place with Shanghai. My rating: 4 of 5.
This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. Shanghai will be published on June 25, 2024.
June 27, 2024
Readers hoping for an absorbing, noir-ish historical tale starring the exotic city of Shanghai at WWII's onset will want to take a close look at Joseph Kanon’s latest offering.
It is 1939. The start of the war is only months away. Jewish newspaperman and resistance member Daniel Lohr is forced to flee Germany for Shanghai with nothing more than 10 marks, some clothes, and an offer of help from the somewhat dodgy uncle who runs nightclubs there. Traveling first class aboard a luxury liner, on a ticket paid for by that uncle (for whom he is safeguarding a mysterious package), Daniel begins a romance with the beautiful Leah; and becomes acquainted with Colonel Yamada of the Kempeitai, Japan’s counterpart to Germany’s Gestapo. Once he arrives in Shanghai, it is through these and other characters that Daniel will come to know the city’s nightlife and all the political, criminal, financial, and romantic cross-currents that roil its perilous waters. And then the war begins.
Mr. Kanon has infused his story with the sights, sounds, and smells of 1939 Shanghai and characters as distinctive as any imagined by Damon Runyon. He does a very good job identifying and explaining the various forces at work, whether they be the international set, criminal gangs, desperate refugees, Japanese secret police, the war, or that somewhat shady uncle. He has also given us mysteries to puzzle over and tautly drawn scenes of action and adventure.
His prose and dialogue initially took some getting used to. I found it filled with subtlety and subtext, frequently requiring readers to pay close attention and even fill in some blanks. In other words, Mr. Kannon does not spoon-feed his story to us. Instead, he often invites us to imagine for ourselves what is going on and how characters feel about it.
All in all, a very enjoyable reading experience.
It is 1939. The start of the war is only months away. Jewish newspaperman and resistance member Daniel Lohr is forced to flee Germany for Shanghai with nothing more than 10 marks, some clothes, and an offer of help from the somewhat dodgy uncle who runs nightclubs there. Traveling first class aboard a luxury liner, on a ticket paid for by that uncle (for whom he is safeguarding a mysterious package), Daniel begins a romance with the beautiful Leah; and becomes acquainted with Colonel Yamada of the Kempeitai, Japan’s counterpart to Germany’s Gestapo. Once he arrives in Shanghai, it is through these and other characters that Daniel will come to know the city’s nightlife and all the political, criminal, financial, and romantic cross-currents that roil its perilous waters. And then the war begins.
Mr. Kanon has infused his story with the sights, sounds, and smells of 1939 Shanghai and characters as distinctive as any imagined by Damon Runyon. He does a very good job identifying and explaining the various forces at work, whether they be the international set, criminal gangs, desperate refugees, Japanese secret police, the war, or that somewhat shady uncle. He has also given us mysteries to puzzle over and tautly drawn scenes of action and adventure.
His prose and dialogue initially took some getting used to. I found it filled with subtlety and subtext, frequently requiring readers to pay close attention and even fill in some blanks. In other words, Mr. Kannon does not spoon-feed his story to us. Instead, he often invites us to imagine for ourselves what is going on and how characters feel about it.
All in all, a very enjoyable reading experience.
June 24, 2024
Complex, intriguing!
Wonderful expose of Jews trying to leave Europe prior to Hitler taking complete control. Shanghai is the only port not requiring entry visas.
Daniel Lohr, a Jew, leaves Germany bound for Shanghai, to join his uncle. Uncle Nathan has been running a nightclub with a sideline in gambling. The relationship between Daniel’s father Eli and his brother Nathan is intriguing. We are given fascinating snippets of their lives, pictures from which we must deduce what’s happening.
That’s the tone of this biting thriller. Bits and pieces are leaked to us. We infer much. Like real life we don’t see all the factors at first glance.
Daniel had been an unregistered member of the communist party. His cell had been compromised, fortunately he wasn’t. He barely escapes Germany.
On the ship he meets a cross section of people he’ll run into again in Shanghai. Leah whom he has a voyage only relationship with, Florence a member of the Jewish community in Shanghai and a compatriot of Madame Chiang, and Colonel Yamada, the head of the Kempeitai, the Japanese military police, a Gestapo like organization.
Uncle Nathan is opening a new casino with the two main gang leaders in Shanghai. Daniel takes up the mantle of beloved nephew, as close as a son. He becomes his uncle’s trusted right hand.
Yet the past flows through Shanghai, danger is ever present and Daniel knows to show an unconcerned face, even as the communists want to use him, the triads kill him, and Colonel Yamada destroy him.
As Daniel peels away one face of Shanghai he’s greeted by another.
Best to leave, but when?
The ending is either filled with hope or despair. I cannot tell. It actually doesn’t matter. Shades of greys like Casablanca. The story unfolds “through a glass darkly” and I was caught up in that whirlwind half light.
A gritty tragic novel, a different aspect of people escaping Germany, bound for an alternative to the US—Shanghai, where the Japanese are playing a waiting game. The type of tale Kanon excels in.
A Scribner ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Wonderful expose of Jews trying to leave Europe prior to Hitler taking complete control. Shanghai is the only port not requiring entry visas.
Daniel Lohr, a Jew, leaves Germany bound for Shanghai, to join his uncle. Uncle Nathan has been running a nightclub with a sideline in gambling. The relationship between Daniel’s father Eli and his brother Nathan is intriguing. We are given fascinating snippets of their lives, pictures from which we must deduce what’s happening.
That’s the tone of this biting thriller. Bits and pieces are leaked to us. We infer much. Like real life we don’t see all the factors at first glance.
Daniel had been an unregistered member of the communist party. His cell had been compromised, fortunately he wasn’t. He barely escapes Germany.
On the ship he meets a cross section of people he’ll run into again in Shanghai. Leah whom he has a voyage only relationship with, Florence a member of the Jewish community in Shanghai and a compatriot of Madame Chiang, and Colonel Yamada, the head of the Kempeitai, the Japanese military police, a Gestapo like organization.
Uncle Nathan is opening a new casino with the two main gang leaders in Shanghai. Daniel takes up the mantle of beloved nephew, as close as a son. He becomes his uncle’s trusted right hand.
Yet the past flows through Shanghai, danger is ever present and Daniel knows to show an unconcerned face, even as the communists want to use him, the triads kill him, and Colonel Yamada destroy him.
As Daniel peels away one face of Shanghai he’s greeted by another.
Best to leave, but when?
The ending is either filled with hope or despair. I cannot tell. It actually doesn’t matter. Shades of greys like Casablanca. The story unfolds “through a glass darkly” and I was caught up in that whirlwind half light.
A gritty tragic novel, a different aspect of people escaping Germany, bound for an alternative to the US—Shanghai, where the Japanese are playing a waiting game. The type of tale Kanon excels in.
A Scribner ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
January 20, 2025
Having won a copy of the advance reader's edition of this forthcoming novel through a Goodreads giveaway, I wish I could say I loved it. A spy thriller set mostly in Shanghai at the outset of WW2, it has a suitable exotic locale and characters. But I'm still really put off by Kanon's tendency to write so much of the dialog in short little clipped sentence fragments, as if characters are speaking while trying to catch their breath. Perhaps he's doing it because he's convinced that people spoke like that 80 years ago, but I find it really distracting and encountered the same issue when I reviewed The Accomplice on here several years ago. If you've not read him and like authors like Le Carre, Alan Furst, and Olen Steinhauer, I recommend starting with The Good German, which is really outstanding.
July 19, 2024
Joseph Kanon is a master of the pre - or post - World War ll thriller/ spy novel genre. And he doesn't disappoint here.
European Jews are desperate to escape the violence of 1938. All options are closed off to them except one port that requires no entry visa : Shanghai, a political anomaly that becomes an escape hatch for Daniel Lohr lucky enough to have escaped the Gestapo - where others have fallen.
Will Daniel find a new life with his Uncle Nathan managing night clubs and casinos or will he fall victim to Shanghai's political chaos and out of control violence.
This novel is rife with tension and mistrust at every corner. It had me looking over my shoulder more than once.
European Jews are desperate to escape the violence of 1938. All options are closed off to them except one port that requires no entry visa : Shanghai, a political anomaly that becomes an escape hatch for Daniel Lohr lucky enough to have escaped the Gestapo - where others have fallen.
Will Daniel find a new life with his Uncle Nathan managing night clubs and casinos or will he fall victim to Shanghai's political chaos and out of control violence.
This novel is rife with tension and mistrust at every corner. It had me looking over my shoulder more than once.
March 1, 2025
In the opening scene of Joseph Kanon’s latest novel, SHANGHAI, people are crowding on the dock to board the Raffaello, a ship out of Nazi Germany. Following the destruction, violence, and death against Jews during Kristallnacht in November 1938 it was becoming clear as to what Hitler’s ultimate goal was – the Jews had no choice but to try and get out. The question was where to go – even if you were able to acquire the proper paperwork. If you were lucky enough to obtain the necessary documents to leave Germany you would have to relinquish all of your property and possessions by a devalued sale or outright seizure. You would only be allowed to take some clothing and ten Reichsmarks out of the country.
For Daniel Lohr, whose father Eli, a judge was murdered at Sachsenhausen concentration camp it was time to leave. He was asked by Leah Auerbach; a person he met on the crowded dock why he was going to China? His terse answer was “It is not here.”
For thousands of desperate people in the 1930s, this Chinese metropolis was a last resort. Most countries and cities had restricted entry for Jews trying to flee violent persecution by Nazi Germany. Not Shanghai, however. This multicultural oasis – that included British, French, American, Russian and Iraqi residents – was among the very few places Jewish refugees were guaranteed to be accepted, with no visa required.
Despite Shanghai being more than 435 miles from their homes in Germany, Poland and Austria, more than 20,000 stateless Jews fled to China's largest city to escape the Holocaust between 1933 and 1941. Shanghai was not just a safe haven. It was also a modern city with an established community of Russian Jews.
At first, life in Shanghai was peaceful for its newest residents. The Jewish refugees were welcomed by Shanghai residents, and they created a strong community with schools and a vibrant social scene. What the refugees couldn't foresee was they would travel across the globe only to fall into the clutches of the Nazis' most powerful ally. In 1941, Japan seized Shanghai. Acting under instruction from the Nazis, Japanese troops rounded up all of the city's Jews and confined them in Tilanqiao. Shanghai's Jewish ghetto was established.
Kannon’s effort reads as if we are watching the film, “Casablanca” as everything seems to have an undercurrent as relationships keep shifting and with it events. For the characters who arrive in Shanghai, they soon realize that Shanghai, the corrupt, violent city with an underclass of Chinese, and Europeans who are living out their dreams are now faced with the Japanese threat as at anytime they can take over the city.
Daniel is lucky because his Uncle Nathan is a character with an empathetic side and a gangster side which at times is difficult to determine which dominates his actions. In this case he sends the necessary funds and first class passage on one of the great Lloyds of London ships, making the arrangements for Daniel to escape Berlin. Aboard ship he will meet two of the dominant characters in the story, Leah Auerbach, a beautiful woman who he will fall in love with, and Colonel Yamada, a Japanese attached to the Kempeitai, the Japanese version of the Gestapo.
The book reflects the author’s historical knowledge as throughout the ongoing Sino-Japanese war continues, the fact that Chiang Kai-Shek and his Kuomintang refuse to fight the Japanese, holding back American aid and pressure focusing on the coming Civil War with Mao Zedong and the Communists, and the seamy side of what Shanghai is and will develop into further. Kannon’s historical reflections are accurate and give the story a high degree of authenticity.
Kannon’s description of Shanghai is fascinating as it is unlike any other area of China. Its European waterfront, neoclassical banks and office towers, and art deco hotels reflected its commercial swagger much like Liverpool, Trieste, and other western cities with its sleek new cars, trams, and Department stores. However, the underside of the city cannot be hidden with coolies, old men in silk robes, beggars, gangsters, the presence of Japanese warships, and the drive for profit in the guise of a commercial entertainment sector dominating - this is not a typical European city.
Upon arriving it is clear Uncle Nathan wants to bring Daniel into his business operations – nightclubs, prostitution, laundering money, and other avocations. Their relationship is a key component of the plot as Daniel slowly is absorbed into his uncles’ world but always keeping a moral compass when possible. Obviously in this type of environment payoffs, protection money, murder are a daily occurrence. The term that is used is the “squeeze,” as Nathan and other businessmen must share their profits with the various gangs and their leaders. In Nathan’s case he is in business with gang leaders like Xi Ling who is in competition with another gangster, Wu Tsai. Daniel will soon learn the ropes, be educated by his uncle and more importantly become a player in the corrupt night club world, even doing business with Colonel Yamada, who has his eyes on Leah.
The main characters are somewhat formulaic, but that does not distract from the novel. Colonel Yamada is a Japanese militarist and a hood; Uncle Nathan is like a cat with nine lives; Daniel, starts out somewhat naïve, but soon becomes a major force in his own right; Leah is just trying to survive employing any assets at her disposal; Selden Loomis, the gossip columnist at the North China Tribune who seemed to know everything; and Irina, Nathan’s former lover and loyal bookkeeper are all impactful.
Shanghai can best be described as an oasis protecting people from the ever expanding World War. The problem is how long will this haven last with the coming Japanese aggression to implement its Greater Co-Prosperity Sphere to dominate Asia, and its alliance with Nazi Germany. The question that dominates the constantly shifting story of relationships and human depravity is when will Japan shut the door on Shanghai as they have already begun assassinating Chinese Communists and some Europeans who would be a problem once they take control.
Kannon has written a thriller with many layers. In part, a gangster story, in part a love story that slowly develops between Daniel and Leah, Chinese violence and corruption, and lastly, Japanese ruthlessness. Daniel’s past is an interesting one in that he left from Trieste to travel to Shanghai due to the fact he had fled Berlin after his group of Jewish resistance fighters had been killed or were being tortured by the Nazis. His background will reappear in Shanghai under the guise of Dr. Karl Markowski who was one of his compatriots in Berlin. Kannon has chosen the perfect location for intrigue, danger, and treacherous political dynamics as the International Settlement which he presents contains Europeans, British, Americans, who are trying to do business amid warring gangs in the city. As Daniel becomes stuck deeper and deeper in the abyss that is crooked and murderous Chinese, and Colonel Yamada, his options become limited and he realizes he must get Leah out of the city, and once Nathan passes after a heart attack he must leave also.
The strength of Kannon’s novel is adroit plot development. With a myriad of twists and turns appropriate for the time period in which the novel takes place. Returning readers of Kannon’s past novels, and new readers will be entertained and should enjoy a gripping plot.
For Daniel Lohr, whose father Eli, a judge was murdered at Sachsenhausen concentration camp it was time to leave. He was asked by Leah Auerbach; a person he met on the crowded dock why he was going to China? His terse answer was “It is not here.”
For thousands of desperate people in the 1930s, this Chinese metropolis was a last resort. Most countries and cities had restricted entry for Jews trying to flee violent persecution by Nazi Germany. Not Shanghai, however. This multicultural oasis – that included British, French, American, Russian and Iraqi residents – was among the very few places Jewish refugees were guaranteed to be accepted, with no visa required.
Despite Shanghai being more than 435 miles from their homes in Germany, Poland and Austria, more than 20,000 stateless Jews fled to China's largest city to escape the Holocaust between 1933 and 1941. Shanghai was not just a safe haven. It was also a modern city with an established community of Russian Jews.
At first, life in Shanghai was peaceful for its newest residents. The Jewish refugees were welcomed by Shanghai residents, and they created a strong community with schools and a vibrant social scene. What the refugees couldn't foresee was they would travel across the globe only to fall into the clutches of the Nazis' most powerful ally. In 1941, Japan seized Shanghai. Acting under instruction from the Nazis, Japanese troops rounded up all of the city's Jews and confined them in Tilanqiao. Shanghai's Jewish ghetto was established.
Kannon’s effort reads as if we are watching the film, “Casablanca” as everything seems to have an undercurrent as relationships keep shifting and with it events. For the characters who arrive in Shanghai, they soon realize that Shanghai, the corrupt, violent city with an underclass of Chinese, and Europeans who are living out their dreams are now faced with the Japanese threat as at anytime they can take over the city.
Daniel is lucky because his Uncle Nathan is a character with an empathetic side and a gangster side which at times is difficult to determine which dominates his actions. In this case he sends the necessary funds and first class passage on one of the great Lloyds of London ships, making the arrangements for Daniel to escape Berlin. Aboard ship he will meet two of the dominant characters in the story, Leah Auerbach, a beautiful woman who he will fall in love with, and Colonel Yamada, a Japanese attached to the Kempeitai, the Japanese version of the Gestapo.
The book reflects the author’s historical knowledge as throughout the ongoing Sino-Japanese war continues, the fact that Chiang Kai-Shek and his Kuomintang refuse to fight the Japanese, holding back American aid and pressure focusing on the coming Civil War with Mao Zedong and the Communists, and the seamy side of what Shanghai is and will develop into further. Kannon’s historical reflections are accurate and give the story a high degree of authenticity.
Kannon’s description of Shanghai is fascinating as it is unlike any other area of China. Its European waterfront, neoclassical banks and office towers, and art deco hotels reflected its commercial swagger much like Liverpool, Trieste, and other western cities with its sleek new cars, trams, and Department stores. However, the underside of the city cannot be hidden with coolies, old men in silk robes, beggars, gangsters, the presence of Japanese warships, and the drive for profit in the guise of a commercial entertainment sector dominating - this is not a typical European city.
Upon arriving it is clear Uncle Nathan wants to bring Daniel into his business operations – nightclubs, prostitution, laundering money, and other avocations. Their relationship is a key component of the plot as Daniel slowly is absorbed into his uncles’ world but always keeping a moral compass when possible. Obviously in this type of environment payoffs, protection money, murder are a daily occurrence. The term that is used is the “squeeze,” as Nathan and other businessmen must share their profits with the various gangs and their leaders. In Nathan’s case he is in business with gang leaders like Xi Ling who is in competition with another gangster, Wu Tsai. Daniel will soon learn the ropes, be educated by his uncle and more importantly become a player in the corrupt night club world, even doing business with Colonel Yamada, who has his eyes on Leah.
The main characters are somewhat formulaic, but that does not distract from the novel. Colonel Yamada is a Japanese militarist and a hood; Uncle Nathan is like a cat with nine lives; Daniel, starts out somewhat naïve, but soon becomes a major force in his own right; Leah is just trying to survive employing any assets at her disposal; Selden Loomis, the gossip columnist at the North China Tribune who seemed to know everything; and Irina, Nathan’s former lover and loyal bookkeeper are all impactful.
Shanghai can best be described as an oasis protecting people from the ever expanding World War. The problem is how long will this haven last with the coming Japanese aggression to implement its Greater Co-Prosperity Sphere to dominate Asia, and its alliance with Nazi Germany. The question that dominates the constantly shifting story of relationships and human depravity is when will Japan shut the door on Shanghai as they have already begun assassinating Chinese Communists and some Europeans who would be a problem once they take control.
Kannon has written a thriller with many layers. In part, a gangster story, in part a love story that slowly develops between Daniel and Leah, Chinese violence and corruption, and lastly, Japanese ruthlessness. Daniel’s past is an interesting one in that he left from Trieste to travel to Shanghai due to the fact he had fled Berlin after his group of Jewish resistance fighters had been killed or were being tortured by the Nazis. His background will reappear in Shanghai under the guise of Dr. Karl Markowski who was one of his compatriots in Berlin. Kannon has chosen the perfect location for intrigue, danger, and treacherous political dynamics as the International Settlement which he presents contains Europeans, British, Americans, who are trying to do business amid warring gangs in the city. As Daniel becomes stuck deeper and deeper in the abyss that is crooked and murderous Chinese, and Colonel Yamada, his options become limited and he realizes he must get Leah out of the city, and once Nathan passes after a heart attack he must leave also.
The strength of Kannon’s novel is adroit plot development. With a myriad of twists and turns appropriate for the time period in which the novel takes place. Returning readers of Kannon’s past novels, and new readers will be entertained and should enjoy a gripping plot.
August 28, 2024
Wow. Phew. After the last quarter or so of that book I am feeling stressed and honestly had to go for a walk, my emotions are HIGH. It did not turn out at all what I had expected, the story taking so many turns and leaving the reader pretty uncomfortable the entire time. The atmospheric writing was SO WELL done as the tension, unease and mistrust were so pervasive and hard to shake even for the reader outside the story. This was a character driven story with so many interesting players and yet, it also did an amazing job of dropping you in this pretty unexplored area during this time period (at least for me). It is heavy, I didn't realize how emotionally invested I was until a few times when I audibly gasped or yelled, and I think that's because the author isn't trying to win you over with his characters, just really present them in their raw form.
Definitely recommend this one!
Note: I both read and listened to this book and I recommend both - equally amazing experiences, though the audiobook will definitely heighten the intensity (I listened to the ending and am still off-kilter).
Thanks to the publisher for a free ARC copy of this novel; my thoughts and review and my own.
Definitely recommend this one!
Note: I both read and listened to this book and I recommend both - equally amazing experiences, though the audiobook will definitely heighten the intensity (I listened to the ending and am still off-kilter).
Thanks to the publisher for a free ARC copy of this novel; my thoughts and review and my own.
July 21, 2024
I'm a Joseph Kanon fan; his historical thrillers are terrific, bringing to life some of the most crucial decades of the twentieth century. Most of his novels are set in the postwar period of the late forties or fifties; in this one he goes back to 1938, when the world was holding its breath, teetering on the brink of the most destructive war in history. The book is set in Shanghai in the last years of its special status as an international city, divided among colonial powers, with the invading Japanese poised to take over the city and rival Chinese armies headed by Mao Tse-tung and Chiang Kai-shek licking their wounds offstage and preparing for the struggle that would decide China's fate. Because it did not require an entry visa, for a few years Shanghai was a remarkably cosmopolitan melting pot, filling up with refugees, principally from the Russian civil war and the Nazi persecution of Jews. Ethnic enclaves recreated European life in the midst of a vast Chinese city, supporting among other things, an ecosystem of drugs, gambling and prostitution controlled by criminal gangs.
Yeah, there was a lot going on. It's a brilliant setting for what is basically a novel of organized crime intrigue. Daniel Lohr is a Berliner who had to flee after his resistance group was broken up by the Gestapo; he heads for Shanghai because he has an uncle there, a family black sheep who is in the nightclub business. On the pier in Trieste Daniel meets Leah Auerbach, who has fled Vienna with her mother after the Nazi takeover. On the long slow voyage to Shanghai, Daniel and Leah become lovers; Leah insists it is just a fling that will end once they disembark. Also on board is Colonel Yamada of the Kempeitai, the Japanese military police, smooth, sophisticated and sinister, with obvious designs on Leah.
In Shanghai Daniel finds his uncle trying to cope with payoffs, rival gangsters and the Japanese; the volatile mix will explode before too long, and Daniel will have to try to save his uncle, Leah and himself.
It's great stuff for suspense fans and history buffs. Kanon is a master of the historical thriller.
Yeah, there was a lot going on. It's a brilliant setting for what is basically a novel of organized crime intrigue. Daniel Lohr is a Berliner who had to flee after his resistance group was broken up by the Gestapo; he heads for Shanghai because he has an uncle there, a family black sheep who is in the nightclub business. On the pier in Trieste Daniel meets Leah Auerbach, who has fled Vienna with her mother after the Nazi takeover. On the long slow voyage to Shanghai, Daniel and Leah become lovers; Leah insists it is just a fling that will end once they disembark. Also on board is Colonel Yamada of the Kempeitai, the Japanese military police, smooth, sophisticated and sinister, with obvious designs on Leah.
In Shanghai Daniel finds his uncle trying to cope with payoffs, rival gangsters and the Japanese; the volatile mix will explode before too long, and Daniel will have to try to save his uncle, Leah and himself.
It's great stuff for suspense fans and history buffs. Kanon is a master of the historical thriller.
August 20, 2024
Ugh. I just couldn't with the writing style. I got about 75 pages in and just couldn't deal with the staccato style of dialog - incomplete sentences and very little emotion. I had read another book set in the same time and place, but the descriptive (non-dialog) sections just didn't paint the rich sort of setting I was expecting. Maybe the noir thriller genre just isn't my thing. DNF.
August 23, 2024
I did not enjoy the writing style. Too much of the book was written in dialog. Abandoned. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
January 24, 2025
very fine thriller with very well reserch of shanghai refugies and expat life during the forties. good story.
July 30, 2025
This is a very good fictional account of the atmosphere in Shanghai in the pre-World War II world, with all the intrigue of the mix of Jews, Chinese and Japanese. Very well-written.
June 29, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel. It's definitely one of my favorites this year. Running from Berlin and the Nazis, Daniel Lohr escapes to Shanghai, where his black sheep of an uncle runs nightclubs and consorts with gangsters. Daniel, discovering quite a bit of the gangster inside of himself, fits in a little too easily and works out the politics of the Chinese (nationalists vs communists and rival gangs), the occupying Japanese and the Westerners trying to keep the money flowing while the world falls around their ears. Meanwhile, a Jewish ghetto is growing, and Daniel has to work out what his own political convictions are, if any. Of course, there is a beautiful woman always just out of reach (the sex is surprisingly steamy for a WWII historical thriller). This is such a classic historical noir, with snappy dialogue and an atmosphere that makes you feel like you are there. It is paced extremely well. I am so happy to have found this author and this book. I will go back and read his earlier books now.
July 9, 2024
Set around 1938, this fantastic thriller is the story of Daniel, a Jewish man lucky enough to be granted entry to Shanghai, which was one of the few countries admitting Jews at that time. His uncle, club owner and lovable gangster, made his voyage possible. Shanghai is ruled by the Japanese, and on the crossing from Europe to China, Daniel meets two crucial characters: a Japanese man who serves as the equivalent to the Gestapo for Japan, and a frightened (but alluring) Jewish woman.
Daniel goes to work for his uncle as Shanghai is rapidly changing. Kanon’s descriptions of the nightclubs, Jewish refugee centers, and the elite of Shanghai are beautifully presented. I knew nothing of this city and era and now I feel as if I do.
Assassinations, furtive meetings, romance, and gang disputes make the story interesting on every page. I just borrowed two more of Kanon’s books from the library.
Daniel goes to work for his uncle as Shanghai is rapidly changing. Kanon’s descriptions of the nightclubs, Jewish refugee centers, and the elite of Shanghai are beautifully presented. I knew nothing of this city and era and now I feel as if I do.
Assassinations, furtive meetings, romance, and gang disputes make the story interesting on every page. I just borrowed two more of Kanon’s books from the library.
January 19, 2025
For a novel titled after an Asian city (I get it, mixed status), there are remarkably few Asian characters or perspectives. In a way this is colonizer lit at its core. The characters with any thoughts or character are White. Asians are villains or dupes. Women are passive and in need of protectors even if they just can’t see it (a la Breakfast at Tiffany’s). The noir feel was there but this seemed like it was written by a penis that saw clips of Casablanca and wanted to try its own hand (if penises had hands?).
July 3, 2024
I really enjoyed this book, just inhaled it. Shanghai during WWII is filled with Jewish refugees from Berlin and Vienna. Trying to survive.
August 26, 2024
Pre World-War II novel set in Shanghai is part historical fiction, part spy intrigue. The setting makes for an interesting take on this time period. The characters are complex and flawed.
March 19, 2025
Joseph Kanon’s book “Shanghai” was terrible. My largest frustration was that for a book that is taking place in China, in a major city in China, with both Japanese and Chinese underground influences there was almost no representation. A book about a turf war in Shanghai was just about, the white people in Shanghai. All that was concentrated on was the European influence in China and how edgy and noir it was. Every non European character was filler, or a useful plot point. All the Asian men were basically portrayed as being idiotic or criminals, no complicated backstory or justification was offered for any of their actions, but the main white dude had a hard life and was forced into crime by circumstances. We should all root for him to win the turf war and get the girl because he had such a difficult time escaping Europe, despite being a complete dud in every aspect of life and having to rely on rich criminal uncle to bail him out of shit of his own making. The only semi interesting character was the love interest who started off with a personality that got over written by the basic “all women need to be protected and can’t make good decisions for themselves,” and very quickly fell into the stereotypical swooning girl who clings to her man’s arm. Waste of time, would rate zero stars if I could.
August 18, 2024
4.5 stars. I had a hard time putting this down mainly because I don’t know much about Shanghai prior to WWII and I enjoyed reading about the city and the people, Chinese, Japanese, refugees, and Others. There was a wide range of characters. The plot was somewhat predictable but everything else made up for it.
April 22, 2025
A thrilling story with a very engaging protagonist - his ability to strategise was very impressive!
The historical details (escaping the Nazis, Communist underground and gangster life in pre-WWII Shanghai) were fascinating and the love story was compelling.
The historical details (escaping the Nazis, Communist underground and gangster life in pre-WWII Shanghai) were fascinating and the love story was compelling.
June 19, 2024
Excellent noir - thriller - set in Shanghai pre WWII - a sexy love story - the Japanese and Chinese intrigue, gambling clubs and a whole lot of danger - the climax is taut and suspenseful
September 2, 2024
Another great historical thriller by Joseph Kanon. Fast paced, good writing, and an interesting backdrop.
February 1, 2025
A promising beginning that provided diminishing returns in the end. Thin and disorganized, as well as stereotypical. Just a basic noir.
November 12, 2024
Joseph Kanon always has a story to tell but it is located in a place and that place is important to the story. In this book, Daniel gets out of Germany just in time. He is Jewish and Hitler is taking over. His uncle Nathan has procured a first-class ticket out of Germany on a ship headed for Shanghai. Uncle Nathan is there and he does everything he can to set up Daniel in business. The folks in Shanghai know they are living on borrowed time since World War II has broken out. Shipboard, Daniel meets a lovely lady, Leah, and her mother who shows signs of dementia. Daniel helps them with luggage at the gate, sees them in the dining room and so begins a shipboard romance. Once the ship reaches Shanghai, they are separated and neither knows where the other is. Daniel is met by his father's brother, Uncle Nathan, a man he remembers slightly from childhood. Uncle Nathan is "in business" in this place with so many refugees. Daniel's father is dead and Uncle Nathan becomes somewhat of a surrogate father, teaching him the ropes. On the ship, Daniel had met a Japanese man who was shunned by everyone. The world was waiting to see what Japan would do to help Hitler. It turns out that this man and Daniel were not friends but became aware of each other in the "business" they were in. And this man was in the Japanese Secret Service. Uncle Nathan uses this semi-friendship to to good for both groups. It is mafia all over, gangs killing each other, pay-back killings, everyone has to have a body guard. Can't tell you any more but just imagine what happens to Daniel, Leah and the Japanese man, Col. Yamada. It was a fun read and seemed realistic. I suspect such things happened. I rated this less than 5 because I saw too many clues, too many chances for intrigue and did, in fact, correctly predict the ending to myself. But, this is a fun read and we learn a lot more about other cultures during the world war. It was not just my country who suffered, others did, too. Well worth reading.
August 31, 2025
I’m on a pretty good run of books at the moment and this one keeps the standard very high. I’ve read Joseph Kanon before, but I don’t remember enjoying his other books quite as much as this one.
Set in the period immediately before World War 2, Daniel a Jewish man is fortunate enough to be granted passage on a ship to Shanghai, where his uncle resides.
China and Shanghai are turbulent places: China undergoing a civil war between the communists and the nationalists while Japan is the imperial power, struggling to contain such a large country. Meanwhile, in Shanghai the Settlements allowed many European Jews to settle in what they hoped would be relative safety.
Daniel’s uncle, Nathan, runs nightclubs, gambling and prostitution and maybe more and is keen to get him employed in the business. Without much else to do, Daniel gets stuck in. However, this is a complex world where ‘squeeze’ or bribes are all important, where club owner rivalry can end in a quick and messy death, and where the Japanese military police are major players too. Trouble is never far away and Daniel needs to be quick thinking and resourceful if he is to survive.
This was a good book and certainly fast moving. One of the reviews I read said it was a little like watching the film ‘Casablanca’ - `I can see that, but there is more too.
Set in the period immediately before World War 2, Daniel a Jewish man is fortunate enough to be granted passage on a ship to Shanghai, where his uncle resides.
China and Shanghai are turbulent places: China undergoing a civil war between the communists and the nationalists while Japan is the imperial power, struggling to contain such a large country. Meanwhile, in Shanghai the Settlements allowed many European Jews to settle in what they hoped would be relative safety.
Daniel’s uncle, Nathan, runs nightclubs, gambling and prostitution and maybe more and is keen to get him employed in the business. Without much else to do, Daniel gets stuck in. However, this is a complex world where ‘squeeze’ or bribes are all important, where club owner rivalry can end in a quick and messy death, and where the Japanese military police are major players too. Trouble is never far away and Daniel needs to be quick thinking and resourceful if he is to survive.
This was a good book and certainly fast moving. One of the reviews I read said it was a little like watching the film ‘Casablanca’ - `I can see that, but there is more too.
August 14, 2025
What started out as a strong and compelling story about European Jews traveling to Shanghai in 1938, turned out to be long-winded and sometimes repetitive. I saw some reviews that said Jospeh Kanon is no John le Carré, but I’m not a fan of le Carré either. Give me Frederick Forsyth]’s The Day of the Jackal and The Odessa File any day.
March 13, 2024
This book was ok. I was interested in what Shanghai was like during WWII. With so many ports closed to Jewish refugees, Shanghai, a self governing Western entity, was open to refugees. But the Japanese were occupying the country and everyone knew that eventually Shanghai would fall. Daniel Lohr has escaped, but like all the refugees, is penniless and without a passport. (The Nazis kept them.) Daniel's uncle awaits him, and Daniel must decide what he will do to survive.
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