If You Don't Go

by Diana Hongcha

Silver Medal Winner, Global Book Awards

A vanished Chinese CEO. A lost Bitcoin fortune. A past that refuses to be buried.

Alice Zhu hasn’t set foot in China since 1989 due to trauma-induced aerophobia. But when her childhood friend Deckard Shen, who is the CEO of her top client, suddenly ghosts her, leaving behind a hefty unpaid legal bill that threatens her career and her family’s financial security, she is left with no choice but to return to China to confront him.

In Shanghai, Alice finds that Deckard has vanished and his company is in turmoil. Rumors of government investigations and corporate and personal secrets suggest Alice may not truly know her lifelong friend. Desperate for answers, Alice teams up with Duan Lili, a sharp young woman who knows more than she lets on. Together, they embark on a cross-country hunt for a man who does not wish to be found, and soon realize the search is far more dangerous than they ever imagined.

Interwoven with Alice’s journey are Deckard’s fractured recollections of their shared youth from 1980s China--political upheaval, teenage misadventure, and a past that still holds them captive. To break free, they have to do more than uncover the truth. They must change how they see themselves.

Join Alice, Deckard, and Lili’s adventure by getting your copy today. Because If You Don’t Go, you’ll never know how the story ends.

What you'll love:

a multi-faceted female lead vivid, atmospheric settings a complex, ambitious plot with heart

Great vacation read:

propulsive, smart, packed with surprising twists escapist vibe

Book-club friendly:

timely questions about truth, censorship, and technology book club guide included

Structure & voice:

dual POVs and dual timelines literary, intelligent yet immensely readable

Content:

gentle thriller with no graphic violence, explicit sex, or strong language Bitcoin/ cryptocurrency subplot; a light, witty tone

Themes:

how experiences change minds; confronting long-buried truths; censorship and its cost; China--past and present; the value of money

Perfect for fans of Qiu Xiaolong, Lisa See, Laura Dave, Liane Moriarty, and Lisa Brackmann, this novel blends:

the emotional resonance of personal secrets the pulse of a missing-person search the suspense of twisting plots with richly drawn characters, the vivid immediacy of life in modern China.

Genres: Amazon

372 pages, ebook

Published September 14, 2025

About the author

Diana Hongcha has worked as both an attorney and a part-time homeschool teacher. Born and raised in China before emigrating to the United States as a teenager, she has spent her adult life navigating the space between two cultures. Frequent travel for family and work, combined with a close eye on Chinese media, has given her a front-row seat to her homeland’s sweeping transformation.
While the news in the West often paints China in broad strokes, Diana's intimate connection with the country allows her to find the nuances headlines often miss. She wrote If You Don't Go to bridge that gap, inviting readers to experience China at a human level through a compelling story that is as insightful as it is fun.
Diana dreams of one day splitting her time between Chengdu and Bozeman, Montana, though for now, she’s happily immersed in family life and the next story waiting to be told.

Reviews

[Jane Qu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me on an adventure across continents and time to tell the story of Alice, who travels to China to find her missing client and longtime friend, Deckard. I loved the lived-in feeling of the flashblacks to Alice's teenage life in China. I also enjoyed seeing the portrayal of post-Covid China in this book. As a Chinese-American myself, this nuanced depiction of modern China is a refreshing change from how China appears in the news as either a national security threat or a hegemonic rival to the US. I was delighted by the zigs and zags in the story, which kept me guessing on where Alice and Lili would go next to find Deckard and whether their alliance will last. One more aspect of this book that I want to celebrate is that the protagonist Alice is a middle aged woman, which is a type of hero that we don't often see in media but I would love to see more of. It was genuinely moving to read about Alice overcoming her fears to fly back to the homeland and embark on the adventure of a lifetime - truly a reminder that it's never too late for anyone to overcome an inertia that has built up over time. There are certainly emotional beats in this book but also plenty of laughs that I had a hard time putting it down. I highly recommend this book!

[Kevin Fine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. As someone who has been fascinated by China for over two decades (including trying to learn the language and making several trips) I can honestly say this book gave me a powerful and unexpected gift. I was blown away by how vividly it captures the essence of a nation in flux.

What makes it so special is the way that it plunges you into the heart of modern China's tumultuous history. You don't just read about the changes; you feel them through the eyes of the protagonist as she returns to a country that has transformed almost beyond recognition.

This book is perfect for a fun, adventurous read and it had me turning pages way too late into the night. But what I loved was that I emerged with a visceral sense of what it might have been like to live through this incredible era. An absolute must-read!

[Thomas L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to read an earlier version of this lively book in a novel workshop. The finished novel is even stronger: set mainly in China, it provides a propulsive narrative of a missing-person case with high stakes. The China depicted here is largely free of political headlines and focuses instead on the hopes and ambitions of its citizens. Alice Zhu, the attorney heroine of what promises to be a series of novels, offers a striking perspective on events as they unfold, both super-accurate and wryly bemused. Her search for her missing friend and client, Deckard Shin, embodies some thrilling episodes in rural China, along with critiques of where current technology may be taking us and some smoothly executed plot twists. This initial novel in the Alice Zhu series is a fast-paced and rewarding read. It's also a great vacation read (I finished the book in Florence), one that would be fun to read anywhere.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A non-put-able down-able bitcoin mystery.

If You Don't Go is a blast to read with real depth. For readers from China, it's a homecoming—authentic, intimate, and true. For everyone else, it's a class about a time in Chinese history and the people who lived it. This isn't just a page-turner—it's an adventure that educates as it entertains. A mystery that moves, a thriller that teaches. A must-read.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Suspenseful Search Across Time and Place

If You Don’t Go blends mystery, memory, and danger in a powerful way.
Alice feels real as she faces her past while searching for a friend who may not want to be found.
The settings across China are vivid and add depth to the unfolding tension.
I appreciated how the story weaves personal history with corporate and political pressure.
This book delivers suspense while also exploring loyalty, identity, and the cost of unfinished choices.

[Jeff Warmke · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read!

This one is really good. It follows Alice as she returns to china after 30 years. It plays on multiple themes: family trauma, moral ambiguity of law, technology and memory. It was complex enough to provoke thought and thrilling enough to keep me entertained. I really enjoyed it.

[Caldwell Mireya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A smart, well-crafted literary thriller with real emotional depth. The dual timelines are handled seamlessly, and the tension builds naturally without relying on excessive violence.
Alice is a compelling lead, and the cultural and political layers add substance to the suspense. Sharp, immersive, and thoughtfully written highly recommended.

[Sylvester Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how the novel blends a fast-moving mystery with big ideas about censorship, technology, and loyalty. The characters are richly drawn, especially Alice and Deckard, whose shared past adds real weight to the search. The twists are surprising without feeling forced.

[Solveig Pederson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel! Diana Hongcha deftly takes us on a gripping and mysterious ride through China's past and present with her main characters, Alice Zhu and Deckard Shen. There's a surprising twist around every corner. Mystery, Adventure, History, Politics, Tech, Family, Emotion!