Through this book the readers not only see the CCP in Hong Kong but also get an idea of Hong Kong's history with the emphasis on the CCP's role. I should not have expect too many "exclusives" in the book, but the first part (the early phase of CCP in Hong Kong) is quite interesting. Moreover, Loh also noted “the Hong Kong Chinese in the cracks” -- the distrust from the colonial regime and the alienation of the CCP. The CCP is willing to give power to the elite and tycoons rather than the majority of the population, through which strategy the CCP faces the risks of mishandling Hong Kong related issues and undermining itself.
An important trove of information on the workings of the Communist Party in Hong Kong, where the CCP still doesn't operate openly and politicians refuse to disclose whether they are members. At time Loh goes into too much detail. The early and later sections on CCP involvement in Hong Kong were most readable, but the middle sections, especially on handover negotiations and preparatory work, were more of a slog, bogged down by too many facts.
It's interesting to read, because I'm always interested in HK history, and it's educational, as the writer says, no one has done such work before. I especially enjoyed reading about the early sections of CCP in HK