A review of ‘The Shanghai Circle’ by a member of the Online Book Club on the 23rd of November 2023

4 out of 5 stars

Are you a curious and imaginative individual who enjoys stories that keep them on their toes up all night, curious to know what’s next? If so, this is definitely the book for you! With a precisely calculated amount of violence, action, and love, The Shanghai Circle by Tony Henderson explores the world of Triads and succession. The story revolves around the time when the Triads were one of the most powerful groups in China, around the mid-1900s.
Featuring not just one main character, this story overlooks multiple points of view of exquisite three-dimensional characters, all trying to make something of themselves as extreme events in their lives occur. One character I personally grew to love, namely Davina. She was a genuine girl in power who was trying to break the patterns of patriarchy, she managed to secure a soft spot in my heart. Talking about multiple points of view, it could be a bit confusing at first, but as you read on further, everything starts to click into place as backstories are revealed in due time.
One thing I liked about reading the book was that besides just looking at action and the world of power, it also talks about how tough life can be, especially when you think you’re in control and everything is going great, it all comes crumbling down. It highlights how important relationships are to people, the writer will definitely be touching some hearts with the content. By using the idea of moral and natural evils, the writer has managed to encompass loss, grief, and repentance in this fascinating and toe-curling book.
Overall, I would rate the story to be a 4 out of 5. This is because of the confusion I talked about above. Besides that it was a great read and I would definitely read it for the first time again just to feel the tension, rivalry and character development that the writer has managed to portray in the story perfectly.