Editorial Book Review: The Shanghai Circle (Chinese Circles Book 1) by Tony Henderson

 

The Shanghai Circle
 (Chinese Circles Book 1) 
By Tony Henderson

Publication Date: 16th December 2022

Page Length: 299

Genre: Historical Chinese Fiction

Shanghai,1936.

War looms, and a taipan, a triad leader, and a beautiful Russian girl find their lives treacherously entwined.

Davina, a feisty young woman, must help steer the family trading house through the threat of invasion, the rise of communism and a deadly typhoon. Unbeknown to her, another danger lurks in the shadows.

As heir to the powerful Sung Society, Joseph must learn the ways of the triad. Vice and violence dominate his world, but for Joseph, a personal vendetta remains unfinished business.

Stunning but stateless, Irina unwittingly falls into the triads' clutches.

While the flawed but fascinating city of Shanghai faces downfall, our characters circle each other in a perilous world as they fight for their survival and future.

The Shanghai Circle is the first novel in the Chinese Circles series.

“The Shanghai Circle” by Tony Henderson is a sweeping and atmospheric tale that draws the reader deep into the underworld of 1930s Shanghai—a city poised on the brink of political upheaval, moral decline, and irrevocable transformation. 

Henderson’s meticulous attention to historical detail is evident from the outset. Shanghai does not merely feature as a setting; it breathes and pulses with life, asserting itself as a fully realised character. Its striking contrasts— ambition shadowed by desperation—infuse the narrative with a compelling, almost cinematic vibrancy.

At the centre of the story is Joseph, a young man caught between the crushing weight of familial expectation and the uncertain pull of personal choice. As the son of Cheung, the formidable leader of The Sung Society, Joseph carries a legacy steeped in danger and power. His transformation—from hesitant youth to dangerously overconfident heir—is depicted with remarkable emotional clarity. Henderson captures the tragedy of a young man swept into a world not wholly of his own making, yet ultimately he discovers the true cost of the decisions he makes. Through Joseph’s journey, the themes of identity, loyalty, and the insidious allure of power are explored with haunting precision.

Running parallel is the world of Charles Guest and his daughter, Davina, whose international business ventures stand in stark contrast to the shifting political and criminal undercurrents of the city. The growing concern over Mao Tse-tung's communism and Japanese expansionism destabilises the region, prompting the Guests to move to Hong Kong. Little do the Guests know that Cheung has a personal vendetta against their family.

Irina, one of the novel’s most affecting figures, adds a profound layer of emotional resonance. Her descent into desperation and prostitution—driven by debt, coercion, and the gradual erosion of her autonomy—is portrayed with sensitivity and striking realism. Her journey lingers long in the mind, serving as a poignant reminder of how swiftly control can be stripped away from those most vulnerable.

Henderson’s command of atmosphere is exceptional. “The Shanghai Circle” is saturated with tension, from the shadowed world of Triad politics to the smoky interiors of brothels, opium dens, and gambling houses. These scenes are delivered with unflinching authenticity, creating an environment where danger flickers beneath every exchange. The looming Japanese threat only intensifies this sense of impending catastrophe, lending the narrative an urgent and relentless momentum.

Yet, amidst the violence and dread, Henderson offers flickers of humanity—unexpected tenderness, quiet humour, and fragile moments of connection. These contrasts deepen the emotional complexity of the story, reminding the reader that even in the darkest corners of society, people search for solace and hope.

It is important to note that this novel is not suited to those of a delicate disposition. Henderson offers a stark portrayal of humanity’s darkest impulses: rape, torture, prostitution, animal cruelty, and execution are depicted without dilution. A particularly disturbing scene involving a monkey underscores the depth of moral decay the narrative confronts. Prospective readers should be aware that the book warrants a significant content warning.

For those prepared to face its unflinching intensity, “The Shanghai Circle” delivers a narrative that is both gripping and deeply contemplative. Henderson masterfully blends historical volatility with intimate character study, crafting a story that resonates long after the final page has been turned. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a powerful meditation on loyalty, corruption, and the far-reaching consequences of choices forged in the shadows. It’s a bold, unforgettable read that leaves a lasting impression.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde

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Tony Henderson

Born and raised near London, I was fortunate enough to live in an apartment in London at the beginning of the ‘Swinging Sixties’, and since leaving home at 18 have lived well over half my life overseas.

My working life has been like a series of projects, whether it be living in Spain in the mid-sixties examining Spanish companies being considered for acquisition by British or US companies. Later in the UK, working out a system for charging other airlines for BOAC’s first Flight Simulator, juggling an overdraft for a failing (different) airline, and working for a subsidiary of the Greyhound Bus. Then in the early 1970s, I started ten years in Hong Kong, including a six-month fill-in job with Cathay Pacific Airways, but then designing and running an insurance system, together with financial and management information systems. Back to the UK in the mid-eighties to install an online group management information system from worldwide data, introducing an international email system to replace faxes, dabbling in one of the first company internet sites, supporting systems in Portugal, Spain and Italy, and embracing the early days of Local Area Networks and Help Desks.

One of those lucky people who enjoyed their career.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, when in 1999 my second wife Jo, and I, retired and moved to live in the sun in a 150 year old finca on the Costa Blanca, we were bored within three months. So we started selling houses and sold over eighty, worth nearly €40 million, before the financial crisis spoiled our fun in 2008.

Frustrated again I spent some time exploring my ancestry and had a few surprises, not least finding my ancestors fought in China and Spain over a century before I lived in those countries. Until then I thought I was the traveller in the family!

I wrote a couple of short stories which were published, and then thought why not write a novel? When I’d lived in Hong Kong two work colleagues had fled Shanghai in 1937 to escape a Japanese invasion, and two of the Chinese staff were ‘Freedom Swimmers’ who had swam five miles across Mirs Bay to escape Mao’s communism.

So I developed a new passion or ‘project’. Research. This revealed many fascinating events in China and Hong Kong from 1936 to 1973. All I needed to do was create some characters, blend them in with real people and weave stories around actual events. I wrote three novels quite quickly, built a web site and published them as ebooks on Amazon.

Then over the years I moved on to other stuff until two things happened. Firstly one of my daughters, Diana, had two novels published by Macmillan’s, and translated into German, French, Italian and Portuguese. You can find her books here www.dianarosie.co.uk. I maintain she has inherited my genes, but without too much confidence, so I only say it quietly. Secondly, after 20 years, Jo and I decided living in an old house in a village called Jesus Pobre, with 4,500 m² of land, and on a national park on a mountain called Montgo, was not as sensible as it was in 1999. So in 2020 we sold the house and moved just ten kilometres to our apartment in the port of Javea, which is two minutes walk to the Mediterranean sea.

I found apartment life was more restricted. So I found a great American literary consultant company, www.tlcbookdesign.com, to edit and lead me through republishing my three ebooks, but also issuing them as paperbacks.

I’m now considering the fourth novel, The 1997 Circle, to bring my characters from 1973 through to 1997 when China regains control of Hong Kong. Perhaps then I may follow this with The Final Circle to bring us into the 2020's when the problems of China controlling Hong Kong became sadly apparent to the local population.

Yes, I have of course had other important stuff in my personal life. A first wife, Valerie, who is still a friend, three great kids and two stepchildren scattered over the world (alphabetically at the moment - Canada, Mexico, Spain, Sweden and the UK), lots of travelling round the world, and a second wife who recognises and accepts I’m not perfect, but almost.

So in summary I’ve had, and am still having, a wonderful life.

Connect with Tony Henderson:

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