Shanghai

A Novel

By: Joseph Kanon

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

In this dazzling thriller, New York Times bestselling author Joseph Kanon gives us his richest setting yet: 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 visa: 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?

©2024 Joseph Kanon (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

interesting subject

interesting to learn Shanghai was safe haven for some refugees but story didn't amount to much. love all Kanon's other books... too weak. Reader is excellent.

No Safe Haven in Shanghai

The timeline and setting alone drew me in. Shanghai, late 1930s, trading entrepot controlled by weakening Western powers. The Japanese, having already taken over much of eastern China, loom as a threat. Shanghai was the Havana of the East. Gambling, shows, prostitution, drugs. Warlords. Gangs, the feared Kempetai, the Japanese version of the Gestapo. Shanghai was a dangerous place, yet a haven for European Jewish refugees who had nowhere else to go. Amidst all this, Joseph Kanon has crafted an intriguing story of using wits to survive, love, betrayal, and redemption.

A very different story of Jewish refugees

A fascinating and very different view of Jewish refugees washed up on the shores of Shanghai as World War II is circling. The decadence of Shanghai like a microcosm of the world. Kanon creates a menacing and brooding atmosphere and characters that are sympathetic as they are flawed and broken. A moving book.

A great movie!

Loved the story, characters and especially the performances. Very visual. It really came to live.

History in digestible form

Joseph Kannon does not neglect his characters as he unspools his espionage novels. Narrator excellent.

Joseph Kanon’s masterful phrase making.

I’m a longtime fan of Joseph Kanon, but his move to Asia didn’t lead to the compelling plotting and atmospherics of his earlier novels, especially those set in postwar Germany. Nevertheless, still an enjoyable read.

Good Listen

Good Story. A new perspective on a time just before WW II. Good Narration. Rather slow moving, not a thriller. Good. Solid. Worth the listen.

The dept of character development

Amazing characters struggling to survive in an impossible situation. Shanghai a pre-War Asian Las Vegas. Slow, tense build as characters chance the odds - with devastating consequences.

Joseph Kanon is unique !

Another great story from Joseph Kanon , a writer that has the capability to bring you back in time to narrate captivating stories with suspense and charm .
Probably not the best book he has written , but still this is a precious jewell not to miss.
I strongly recommend it

Wonderful historical mystery

The characters, the situations, the intrigue. Having been there added to the story for me.