Jan-Philipp Sendker has become one
of my favorite authors and I was eagerly anticipating his newest work, Whispering
Shadows, which is a mystery story set in Hong Kong and mainland China. An
ex-pat, but longtime Hong Kong resident, Paul Leibovitz, is asked to look into
the disappearance of a young American business executive. He turns to a close friend, Zhang, a homicide
detective in Shenzhen, and together the two of them attempt to learn what
has happened. Their search for truth is dangerous, particularly when opposition
from local officials leads to some definite tension and suspense.
In addition to the Asian settings, what I like best about Sendker’s writing is the personal
reflection and soul searching shared by his characters and that was evident
again in Whispering Shadows as Paul and Zhang each battles with an
inner voice amid distractions of everyday life.
In this case, secrets and events are tied to happenings from the time of
the Cultural Revolution and there is plenty of opportunity to debate the
meaning of trust, past choices involving betrayal, and the essence of true
friendship. Having been told that this book is intended to be part of a trilogy, I
am once again already looking forward to another title from Jan-Philipp Sendker.
Starred review from Booklist; other titles by
Sendker: The Art of Hearing Heartbeats and A Well-Tempered
Heart.
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