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

The events in this story take place in contemporary China but they reverberate with the social and personal consequences of the worst aspects of the Cultural Revolution that began in the mid-1960s and concluded after Chairman Mao's death nearly a decade later. The author's background as a reporter in China serves him well in conveying a sense of authenticity in describing various aspects of life in Hong Kong and mainland China. For instance, the well-known extensive corruption that permeates present-day Chinese society is a key aspect of the story. Just as importantly, the reader learns about some of the horrific aspects of the earlier era through the anguished interior thoughts of a certain key Chinese character, a detective. This interiority of perspective, varying among the key characters, also enables the author to explore the problem of trust in these circumstances as well as the moral dilemmas some characters confront. In these ways, the novelist strives for literary quality as he embeds its story of crime and detection in the context of contemporary Chinese social and psychological characteristics.

However, this fusion of literary and thriller elements is not entirely successful. There is little suspense or mystery in the plot. Some of the situations and especially the conversations feel contrived and lacking in credibility. And the leading American character (Paul Leibovitz), described as having extensive experience in China, sometimes seems to think and behave in ways inconsistent with this background. I didn't know whether this was a complexity of the character intended by the author or a lapse in novelistic skill. Indeed, for me the Chinese detective and his nemesis, a leading and dangerously bright mogul, were each better understood as characters than were any of the Americans in this story. Whether the expert rendition of the Chinese context and characters outweighs these limitations and flaws will be a judgment each reader makes. However, readers looking for insights into the people of contemporary China, especially those old enough to have participated in the excesses of the Cultural Revolution, are likely to appreciate this novel despite what I see as its weaknesses.

I would give this book a 4.5 overall. It might have been a 5 except for the slightly disappointing resolution of the actual murder mystery, which I thought was a little simplistic or Perry Masonish. Sendker's descriptions of Hong Kong and China provide cultural insights that enrich the overall experience of the book. Paul and Christine's separate losses and handled with sensitivity and realism and, ultimately, hope. This book was difficult to put down and inspired me to find his earlier novels. Whispering Shadows would make a good book club selection.

Whispering Shadows is an engaging read that draws one into the world of China and Hong Kong. This is a murder mystery and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Great storyline. Outstanding historical details woven throughout the action. Many memorable characters, well written. Great descriptive setting. A very enjoyable read except for one factor that actually makes the book a 4.5 instead of a 5. The main character actions and psychological make-up border between the annoying and the unbelievable.

Jan-Philip Sendker is a masterful author with beautiful prose. I had really loved his first novel The Art Of Hearing Heartbeats and wasn't sure that this book could capture my interest in the same way.I was very pleasantly surprised and found myself as involved with this very different style of story. Whispering Shadows shows the shadows of our past reach through our future. Many thanks for giving me the opportunity to preview this book.

I was anxious to read this newest novel by Sendker as I enjoyed one of his previous books. He is a German novelist translated to English writing about China. This creates some funny sentences grammatically but overall it is a good translation however I always wonder what was lost in the translation. The novel starts off with the main character going living through a horrible life event. He remains the narrator for the first 25 of the novel before the writer switches to other characters in the book narrating. The author does a wonderful job describing the sights, smells and sounds of Hong Kong and mainland China while describing some of the subtleties of Chinese culture. The book is a mystery so slowly the book yields all of the answers while keeping you in suspense through most of the book. It is a good read and a trip to China all wrapped up in one novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The translation is excellent, the story is compelling, and the depiction of Paul gradually emerging from his grief to live and love again is well-done. The descriptions of life in Hong Kong paint a vivid portrait and the plot line throws a light on the interrelation of the police and the political system, where, as is universal, money and power typically control events and people. Sendker has written an evocative, suspenseful and thoughtful book with characters the reader comes to care about.

"Whispering Shadows" is a novel of modern China, how the legacy of the Cultural Revolution continues to affect those who survived its cruelty, an investigation into the disappearance of an American businessman involved in a joint venture with a Chinese partner, a love story and the long emotional recovery of a father who has lost his young son to leukemia. Does the story succeed on all levels? For me it does not. Nonetheless, this was a good read.

Rather than the burgeoning romance between the protagonist and a local woman, for me the heart of the story is the decades long friendship between expatriate German American Paul Leibovitz, who has lived a life of solitude on Lamma Island since the death of his son, and Zheng, a Chinese police officer in Shenzhen, a Special Economic Zone in Guangdong Province just outside Hong Kong, who may just be the only incorruptible police officer in China.

Sendker's insights into the political intrigue, corruption, and machinations of local party members and industrial magnates in China also illustrate what few westerners completely understand. It is clear the author has spent a great deal of time learning about Chinese culture and his descriptions of Hong Kong, Lamma Island, and Shenzhen are those of someone with an intimate personal knowledge of the locales and the people who live there. Sendker also cautions his readers that it is dangerous for a foreigner to make the assumption that he understands the business or political or judicial environment in China. Forced confessions still exist. And the wrong decision in a business deal can get one killed. It happened to somebody we knew in Kunming in 1992.

I had the privilege of living in Hong Kong for three years and felt drawn back into that vibrant world that I learned to love through this book. The themes are compelling: trust, friendship, gratitude, shame, fear, hubris, empathy, truth, and consequences. I rate this book a strong 4 out of 5 stars.