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The Shanghai Tunnel
Portland, 1868. It is a rough hewn place, an exploding trading post that has dreams of becoming a metropolis.
Horace Stratton, one of Portland's wealthiest heirs, has decided to come home for good after amassing yet another fortune in Shanghai. With him comes his wife Emily, a shy daughter of missionaries, and their teenaged son. On the brink of that happy return, Horace suddenly falls ill and dies in San Francisco.
Emily and her son bring her husband home to Portland and they try to settle into this new culture. While they look as if they should belong, Portland is a strange and unsettling place for them.
Emily is guilt-ridden, but sorrow is one of the few emotions she didn't feel when told of her husband's passing. For Emily had learned more about her husband's past than anyone would believe. And she discovers that all of his schemes did not die with him.
His partners very much want Emily and her son to go away... by whatever means necessary. Emily will have to delve into her husband's seedy and painful past and set things right so that she can make a life for herself and her son in this strange land.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Horace Stratton, one of Portland's wealthiest heirs, has decided to come home for good after amassing yet another fortune in Shanghai. With him comes his wife Emily, a shy daughter of missionaries, and their teenaged son. On the brink of that happy return, Horace suddenly falls ill and dies in San Francisco.
Emily and her son bring her husband home to Portland and they try to settle into this new culture. While they look as if they should belong, Portland is a strange and unsettling place for them.
Emily is guilt-ridden, but sorrow is one of the few emotions she didn't feel when told of her husband's passing. For Emily had learned more about her husband's past than anyone would believe. And she discovers that all of his schemes did not die with him.
His partners very much want Emily and her son to go away... by whatever means necessary. Emily will have to delve into her husband's seedy and painful past and set things right so that she can make a life for herself and her son in this strange land.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
383 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 19, 2008
140 people want to read
About the author
Sharan Newman
52 books194 followersSharan Newman is a medieval historian and author. She took her Master’s degree in Medieval Literature at Michigan State University and then did her doctoral work at the University of California at Santa Barbara in Medieval Studies, specializing in twelfth-century France. She is a member of the Medieval Academy and the Medieval Association of the Pacific.
Rather than teach, Newman chose to use her education to write novels set in the Middle Ages, including three Arthurian fantasies and ten mysteries set in twelfth-century France, featuring Catherine LeVendeur a one-time student of Heloise at the Paraclete, her husband, Edgar, an Anglo-Scot and Solomon, a Jewish merchant of Paris. The books focus on the life of the bourgeoisie and minor nobility and also the uneasy relations between Christians and Jews at that time. They also incorporate events of the twelfth-century such as the Second Crusade and the rise of the Cathars.
For these books, Newman has done research at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique France Méridionale et Espagne at the University of Toulouse and the Institute for Jewish History at the University of Trier, as well as many departmental archives.
The Catherine Levendeur mysteries have been nominated for many awards. Sharan won the Macavity Award for best first mystery for Death Comes As Epiphany and the Herodotus Award for best historical mystery of 1998 for Cursed in the Blood. The most recent book in the series The Witch in the Well won the Bruce Alexander award for best Historical mystery of 2004.
Just for a change, her next mystery, The Shanghai Tunnel is set in Portland in 1868.
The Shanghai Tunnel allowed Sharan Newman to explore the history of the city she grew up in. She found that the history she had been taught in school had been seriously whitewashed. Doing research in the city archives as well as the collections at Reed College and the Oregon Historical society was exciting and eye-opening. Many of the “founding fathers” of Portland turn out to have been unscrupulous financiers. Chinese workers were subject to discrimination and there was an active red light district.
On the other hand, Portland in the post-Civil War period also saw some amazingly liberal movements. Women’s rights were an important issue as was religious toleration. Even at that early date, preserving the natural environment was hotly debated.
This is the world in which Emily Stratton, the widow of a Portland merchant and the daughter of missionaries to China, finds herself.
Newman has written a non-fiction book, The Real History Behind the Da Vince Code Berkley 2005. It is in encyclopedia format and gives information on various topics mentioned in Dan Brown’s novel. Following on that she has just completed the Real History Behind the Templars published by Berkley in September of 2007.
She lives on a mountainside in Oregon.
(Text taken from: http://www.sharannewman.com/bio.html )
Rather than teach, Newman chose to use her education to write novels set in the Middle Ages, including three Arthurian fantasies and ten mysteries set in twelfth-century France, featuring Catherine LeVendeur a one-time student of Heloise at the Paraclete, her husband, Edgar, an Anglo-Scot and Solomon, a Jewish merchant of Paris. The books focus on the life of the bourgeoisie and minor nobility and also the uneasy relations between Christians and Jews at that time. They also incorporate events of the twelfth-century such as the Second Crusade and the rise of the Cathars.
For these books, Newman has done research at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique France Méridionale et Espagne at the University of Toulouse and the Institute for Jewish History at the University of Trier, as well as many departmental archives.
The Catherine Levendeur mysteries have been nominated for many awards. Sharan won the Macavity Award for best first mystery for Death Comes As Epiphany and the Herodotus Award for best historical mystery of 1998 for Cursed in the Blood. The most recent book in the series The Witch in the Well won the Bruce Alexander award for best Historical mystery of 2004.
Just for a change, her next mystery, The Shanghai Tunnel is set in Portland in 1868.
The Shanghai Tunnel allowed Sharan Newman to explore the history of the city she grew up in. She found that the history she had been taught in school had been seriously whitewashed. Doing research in the city archives as well as the collections at Reed College and the Oregon Historical society was exciting and eye-opening. Many of the “founding fathers” of Portland turn out to have been unscrupulous financiers. Chinese workers were subject to discrimination and there was an active red light district.
On the other hand, Portland in the post-Civil War period also saw some amazingly liberal movements. Women’s rights were an important issue as was religious toleration. Even at that early date, preserving the natural environment was hotly debated.
This is the world in which Emily Stratton, the widow of a Portland merchant and the daughter of missionaries to China, finds herself.
Newman has written a non-fiction book, The Real History Behind the Da Vince Code Berkley 2005. It is in encyclopedia format and gives information on various topics mentioned in Dan Brown’s novel. Following on that she has just completed the Real History Behind the Templars published by Berkley in September of 2007.
She lives on a mountainside in Oregon.
(Text taken from: http://www.sharannewman.com/bio.html )
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 22, 2022
Surprisingly good given that I don't usually read historicals and prefer non-fiction for the era. Newman has some well developed characters and goes down the many rabbit holes for a good mystery.
December 11, 2008
This was a terrific book, and I'm so glad it's the start of a new series. Late-nineteenth-century Portland is lovingly drawn here, and Emily, the main character, is a wonderful blend of traditional woman-of-her-time and budding feminist (feminist in a historically appropriate way, of course!). The plot is complex and compelling. Great stuff.
(I very much enjoyed Newman's previous series, set in medieval France, but I also thought that the last one showed signs of the author getting impatient with her own characters. Good to see her try something new that she's clearly excited about and ready to take on as a series.)
(I very much enjoyed Newman's previous series, set in medieval France, but I also thought that the last one showed signs of the author getting impatient with her own characters. Good to see her try something new that she's clearly excited about and ready to take on as a series.)
July 1, 2010
The characters were so well-written. This writer seems smart and witty and certainly does her homework. I love it that one of the characters comments that the mountains have come out. An odd expression until you've witnessed it - like the moon being out, only much rarer. And some one else asks when the rain should break - it's already March - and is told that it usually stops raining by the 4th of July. Perfect! I'm so bringing this back home with me!
March 13, 2009
I really enjoyed this historical mystery about Portland set in the 1860s. Emily Stratton may be the daughter of missionaries to China but she's not that naive. She knows when she is being duped. She has to get to the bottom of her late husband's business dealings before someone gets to her and their son.
June 22, 2014
From what I've been reading, this was meant as the start of a series. It's a shame it doesn't seem to be continued. The research was meticulous, but even more importantly, it was beautifully integrated into a well-constructed story with complex, interesting characters and a unique setting. It's a wonderful read from one of my favorite authors.
May 18, 2009
This books takes place in Portland, Oregon in 1868 and gives a great picture of life in that time and about the tunnels built under the city. Besides the mystery involved, the setting was the great part of this book. Very enjoyable reading!
November 21, 2008
Loved it! Newman has left medieval France and headed to post-Civil War American west. Suspense novel set in Portland with a missionary's daughter who grew up and lived in China as the protagonist.
March 10, 2009
This is a Portland author. She wrote the Catherine LeVendeur medieval mystery series. This one is set in Portland in 1860. Recommended if you like mysteries, history and live in Portland.
July 29, 2011
I lived in Portland and had no idea there were tunnels under the city, but not surprised. The West has all kinds of stories of this kind floating around. Fascinating book.
July 9, 2020
This novel disappointed me on many levels. The title itself is a false promise. A man disappears through a trap door into what we assume is a tunnel under Portland, Oregon, in chapter one. Then we hear nothing about the tunnel or tunnels for 309 pages, at which point the protagonist’s son similarly disappears. This leaves 55 pages for the tunnel to figure at all, and we are actually in the tunnel for about a page and a half. On page 128 meanwhile our protagonist Emily does meet a woman on the street who is looking for her lost son. If we page back we see his name is also Alex, the name of the boy who disappeared into the tunnel on page 2. Only in the broadest metaphorical sense is this a novel about the Shanghai Tunnel. So structure is a problem—the middle pages also being rather aimless. There are indeed events—someone gets murdered in the kitchen—Emily, the widow, tries to sleuth out what seedy ventures her deceased husband was involved in and whether or not to trust his business partners. Mostly she tries to make sense of Portland society and find a suitable cook to hire.
I love historical novels, especially for their evocation of place, very specifically, a place in a time. One thinks of Don Berry’s Oregon books or Brian Doyle’s bringing to life a coastal Oregon town, or Sarum, or The Saxon Stories. The Shanghai Tunnel gives us few specifics of Portland in 1868 other than what one might imagine on her own: that the streets were muddy, that it rained a lot, that there was a mix of grand homes and hovels, that the town was edged by wild woods, that transportation was by foot or horse-drawn carriage. Talk of the east side but no mention of how one might get over there. I’m left with little sense of Emily’s actual house and its layout or décor. A street name is occasionally mentioned but this offers no mental grid for the reader to enter with imagination and inhabit that place and time. I’ve been through the underground tunnels in Pendleton and was hoping for a similar descriptive experience, but nothing much is offered except what is cooked in the mansion kitchen and lots of servings of tea and cakes. The author tries to ground the historical context with snippets from newspapers and diaries as epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter, but I must say these mystified me. Often they bore little thematic link to what followed and were not illuminating.
Emily and Robert are likable enough but Emily’s thought processes are truly drawn-out and belabored. She seems bright and capable of figuring things out but also so naïve about her son’s clandestine activities that we tend not to credit her judgment. So our “place” is rather generic and so is our cast of characters. Continuity is drastically violated in places—when, for example, Lily, who is kept in a locked chamber in the Hellhole tavern (one of the descriptions that did come to life) is suddenly and without explanation present in the second floor bedroom of Emily’s mansion. How did she get from one place to another? An escape, a nighttime trek through muddy and unfamiliar streets, a sneak into the manor or a climb up a trellis to a high window—all could have been exciting. But no, suddenly Lily is one place,confined, and then another.
So the final chapter explains everything: the “satan” in charge is someone you might not have expected; he confesses without hesitation (seems unrealistic); Robert’s whereabouts are revealed; and a romance blossoms. Eleven pages of quick revelation as an exciting end to a tedious tale.
I love historical novels, especially for their evocation of place, very specifically, a place in a time. One thinks of Don Berry’s Oregon books or Brian Doyle’s bringing to life a coastal Oregon town, or Sarum, or The Saxon Stories. The Shanghai Tunnel gives us few specifics of Portland in 1868 other than what one might imagine on her own: that the streets were muddy, that it rained a lot, that there was a mix of grand homes and hovels, that the town was edged by wild woods, that transportation was by foot or horse-drawn carriage. Talk of the east side but no mention of how one might get over there. I’m left with little sense of Emily’s actual house and its layout or décor. A street name is occasionally mentioned but this offers no mental grid for the reader to enter with imagination and inhabit that place and time. I’ve been through the underground tunnels in Pendleton and was hoping for a similar descriptive experience, but nothing much is offered except what is cooked in the mansion kitchen and lots of servings of tea and cakes. The author tries to ground the historical context with snippets from newspapers and diaries as epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter, but I must say these mystified me. Often they bore little thematic link to what followed and were not illuminating.
Emily and Robert are likable enough but Emily’s thought processes are truly drawn-out and belabored. She seems bright and capable of figuring things out but also so naïve about her son’s clandestine activities that we tend not to credit her judgment. So our “place” is rather generic and so is our cast of characters. Continuity is drastically violated in places—when, for example, Lily, who is kept in a locked chamber in the Hellhole tavern (one of the descriptions that did come to life) is suddenly and without explanation present in the second floor bedroom of Emily’s mansion. How did she get from one place to another? An escape, a nighttime trek through muddy and unfamiliar streets, a sneak into the manor or a climb up a trellis to a high window—all could have been exciting. But no, suddenly Lily is one place,confined, and then another.
So the final chapter explains everything: the “satan” in charge is someone you might not have expected; he confesses without hesitation (seems unrealistic); Robert’s whereabouts are revealed; and a romance blossoms. Eleven pages of quick revelation as an exciting end to a tedious tale.
March 18, 2018
I have read many of Sharan's books in the past and purchased this one several years ago but hadn't gotten around to reading it. Her usual setting is medieval Europe, but this one was set in Portland Oregon soon after the Civil War. Not my usual period of interest, either. However, I love her writing style and trusted her to give me a good story. And she delivered as expected. The characters in the story are the focal point rather than the history or the setting, as in some historical fiction. I never felt bombarded by a history lesson; there was no data dump. I think the book could have used some more fleshing out, but for the most part, it was very enjoyable.
June 8, 2017
What a great book! Portland in the 1860s and the sleuth is the daughter of missionaries to China. Deals with inter-racial tensions as well as a great mystery. I love this new series by Sharan Newman and hope there are more to follow.
June 27, 2019
Having been born in Portland it is near and dear to my heart. I love the rough depiction, and that Ms. Newman has found another female character that is strong but acts appropriate to her time and place.
January 11, 2010
I'd give two and a half stars - but grading up a little because this is set in Portland, Oregon (where the writer lives). This is a fairly good novel of this genre, & it's fun to read about post-Civil War Portland. It seems like Newman did her research, & I wasn't really aware there was such a large Chinese presence in Portland at that time. The characters were mostly stereotypical - but I liked Emily, the main character, & that made up for a lot. Great use of real historical characters like Thomas & Etta Eliot. My favorite part of the book was the scene where Mt. Hood suddenly appears on a clear day - previously unseen by Emily, who has just moved to Portland - & she says, "Who put that there?"! I would have liked a little more depth & a little more scary stuff in this book - the mystery felt...not very mysterious. But this is a decent, undemanding book, with an interesting female lead, & if you enjoy historical mysteries, or books set in Portland, you'll probably like it.
April 8, 2009
I love Sharan Newman's medieval series featuring Catherine LeVendeur, a Jewish merchant's daughter. I had high hope for this series as well. However, after reading about 60 pages I ended up skipping to the back of the book to see how things turned out. The pace was slow, the characters seemed to lack depth. I know this isn't the current trend in literature, but I do like an author to give me some basic physical description of the main character, and I got nothing from this book to give me a mental picture.
Maybe it's partly that I enjoy medieval history more than American history. Maybe I was just wanting a faster read and didn't have the patience to wait out the plot development. But I don't think I'll read more of this particular series.
Maybe it's partly that I enjoy medieval history more than American history. Maybe I was just wanting a faster read and didn't have the patience to wait out the plot development. But I don't think I'll read more of this particular series.
July 6, 2008
I loved his other books.. Catherine is a wonderful heroine, strong and fearless. She really comes to know who she is and is afraid of what it means. This book is a far cry from that, Emily is fearful of her past, her present, and her uncertain future, doing what needs to be done because there is no other choice, and while she shows some determination to do what is right, it still feels like she acts only because there is no alternative.
October 20, 2014
I read this several years ago and thought it was "meh." I still think that about the writing & characterization, but I enjoyed it more because it's a pretty good story about early Portland that includes lots of local history & historical figures. Now that I live here, I find that much more interesting!
I've read a few of Newman's medieval novels and they are generally much better. But not as local ;)
I've read a few of Newman's medieval novels and they are generally much better. But not as local ;)
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July 1, 2008Kinda cool to read a piece of historical fiction set in antebellum Portland.
Newman is a fair to middling writer and her style/characters remind me of romance writers of the same quality; so its no surprise to me that she's been given a career achievement award for historical mystery by Romantic Times BOOKreviews (according to the flyleaf)
Definitely not in the same league as Nora Roberts
Newman is a fair to middling writer and her style/characters remind me of romance writers of the same quality; so its no surprise to me that she's been given a career achievement award for historical mystery by Romantic Times BOOKreviews (according to the flyleaf)
Definitely not in the same league as Nora Roberts
August 11, 2014
After being captivated by mystery's unfolding through 336 pages personalities developed earlier for characters seemed to take a back seat to a rather banal explanation for plot resolution. Did enjoy the author's portrayal of this post Civil War community and the socio-political variables that gave the reader a window into the lives of real people of that era. Would read a sequal.
July 12, 2008
I picked this one up in preparation for an upcoming trip to Portland, and the history of the city's infancy is interesting. That said, the story's nothing exceptional and I find Emily to be a bit too much of a Mary Sue for my taste.
May 13, 2013
A mystery set in Portland in 1868, using many of the historical figures as characters. And since she couldn't rewrite history so as to turn a real person into a murderer, the list of possible culprits was mighty slim.
March 3, 2009
This is quite different. Sharan's previous series takes place in Medieval France. This is a lightweight fun read—with a good historical perspective. Because Newman is a historian the history is accurate and informative.
January 3, 2010
This novel has its flaws. Newman switches the point of view around so much that it is sometimes jarring. But this was a fun, fast, suspenseful read about nineteenth century Portland, Oregon, and I enjoyed reading it.
July 29, 2015
This took a bit to get into, it felt a little plodding- perhaps due to it being the first of a series? Set ups can take a lot of time away from plot for me. On the whole Id revisit Emily again- I enjoyed this once it got rolling along.
July 2, 2008
The Portland history was interesting, but overall this was a shallow story. Very little in the way of references to the actual tunnels. Even so, it was a quick read.
June 20, 2008
Sharan Newman abandons the Middle Ages for post Civil War Oregon. Very interesting time and plot, not so engaging characters.
August 26, 2008
Special interest to those who live in Portland.
December 31, 2008
I really like Newman's new character and I certainly hope to see more of her. A great read.
March 29, 2011
good story - reminder of the "early days" loved the comment about the rain in Oregon (even in the 1850's people were wondering when it stopped!)
September 9, 2010
Enjoyable enough, but a bit dry, and the writing got a bit tiresome (how many times can someone stand up so fast they topple foodstuffs all over the carpet? read and find out!).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews