What readers think of Whispering Shadows, plus links to write your own review.

Jan-Philipp Sendker has done it again. He has written another sure bestseller with Whispering Shadows. His ability to take you deep into the heart of his characters shines through in this novel. This story explores the meaning of love and trust as well as the weight of years of guilt and what it can do to a person. As Paul Leibovitz struggles to overcome his grief and guilt he is forced out of his isolation by his interactions with a lover and a best friend which sets the stage for a story of thrilling suspense on top of the deep character study. The setting of the story in present day Hong Kong and China provides the reader with an enlightened understanding of the political and business atmosphere driving the economy of this area. For those who like a book to provide them with characters that endear and make a lasting impression this book would have definite appeal. With so many themes to explore in this many layered novel this book will provide a lot of discussion for book groups.

Whispering Shadows is a mystery of the murder of an American business man set in China. As the story unfolds and the mystery is solved the main character, Paul, a recluse, is able to put his grieving for his own son aside, as he helps a mother find her son's murderer. The real story isn't so much about the solving the murder as it is about how Paul is able to allow life and love back into his living. The author did a wonderful job revealing to the reader the deep wound that he was buried in and how painful the process was as he slowly pulled himself out. This story is unique in that the character development is so good, that the mystery is secondary to the story.

The setting in contemporary Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, was portrayed realistically from what I observed on a recent visit to Hong Kong and from news stories in the media. The main character is a westerner who had long lived in China, as is the author. The author's experience was undoubtedly a contributing factor to the believability of the characters, the setting and the circumstances of the story. The mystery of this story was intriguing, in large part due to the setting which portrayed business and cultural beliefs and practices. One of the most interesting aspects is the report of the experiences of two of the Chinese characters during the Cultural Revolution when they were part of the Red Guards. I had never given much thought to how those traumatic experiences might have affected those who lived through that difficult time in China. Now I see how many might have suffered what we now recognize as PTSD. There were places in this book where the writing was awkward and the transitions from one time and place to another were not smooth. Due to that, I would give this book 4 stars instead of the 5 that the characters and story line deserve. I see that this is the first of a proposed trilogy. I look forward to reading the next two!

This novel started on a hopeless note and concluded with a grain of optimism. The storyline takes us there. I enjoyed this book very much. I liked the characters and the location. China is such a mystery. It is the focal point of this novel, the sights, sounds, smells, and bustle. Literally, everything is made in China, and with the new capitalism comes the corruption. This plays a key point in this story. The writing flowed smoothly. I will definitely read this author again, starting with "The Art of Hearing Heartbeats".

I enjoyed this book -- maybe not quite as much as I did his previous book, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, which I loved. But the characters were beautifully drawn, the story was absorbing and illuminating. I look forward to Sendker's next book!

I was intrigued with the setting of this book~China~and the clash of civilizations with Americans doing business in China. I loved the main character Paul; I did feel his pain and loyalty to his departed son. It was fun to watch him wake up and engage in the world. I could always do without a love story mixed into a mystery, but this one was rather tender. Paul's Chinese detective partner, Zhang, was a delight as his Buddhism gave a nice balance to the massive corruption. I would read this author again. Really enjoyed the book!

I really enjoyed this book, it captured what it is like to live in Hong Kong and in China. The characters are memorable, and the story is well told. I have never read anything by this author before this book, but I think I'm going to add him to my to-read list.

I have to also mention the translator is outstanding; Christine Lo is her name. I do not understand German, but I'm told the translation from German to English is really close, about 98, and that is good enough for me.

I loved Sendker's "The Art of Hearing Heartbeats", so I jumped at the chance to read his new novel. This book is very different from that one, but very good in a different way. This novel has a underlying sadness to it due to a personal tragedy that was visited upon Paul, the main character . He is reluctantly brought out of his determined isolation and grief to help another grieving parent solve the mystery of her missing son. Through this investigation we the readers are brought into modern China and I was truly enlightened by what I learned! I really enjoyed this look into a very different world!