The Shanghai Factor - Hardcover

McCarry, Charles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802121276 ISBN 13: 9780802121271

Publisher: Mysterious Press, 2013

Synopsis

Charles McCarry is widely considered one of the greatest espionage writers of the all-time, and in THE SHANGHAI FACTOR he returns to his roots with an absorbing tale of global skullduggery that leaves the reader guessing at every turn.

A young, unnamed spy is living in Shanghai in order to observe and absorb the culture and language so as to aid a shadowy U.S. agency known only as 'HQ'. However when he meets a sultry and mysterious woman named Mei, they begin a torrid affair that threatens to expose him to HQ's enemies.

Soon the head of HQ, Luther Burbank, gives the spy a task that will force him to risk everything: go undercover as the American ambassador for a massive Chinese multinational conglomerate, and learn the secrets of their powerful CEO Chen Qi, whom HQ believes to be a front man for the nearly uncrackable Chinese Intelligence, known as the Guoanbu.

Soon the spy finds that HQ isn't the only one tracking his every move, and the deadly Guoanbu may be aware of his true identity. Danger lies around every corner, as the enigmatic Mei flits in and ouf of his life, yet every time he thinks he's closer to the truth, he finds himself drawn further into a deadly cat-and-mouse game between HQ and the Guoanbu that might not only end his life, but could upend the East/West balance of power.

About this title

About the Author

Charles McCarry served under deep cover as a CIA operations officer in Europe, Asia, and Africa. He is the author of twelve previous critically acclaimed novels, as well as numerous works of non-fiction including Citizen Nader. He currently splits his time between Florida and the Berkshires.

Reviews

*Starred Review* McCarry’s unnamed protagonist is a young spy for a shadowy U.S. intelligence agency. His assignment is simply to live in Shanghai, absorb its culture, and hone his language skills. He does this and other, more intimate things with lusty Mei, whom he assumes is an agent of Guoanbu, the secretive Chinese intelligence service. In time, he comes to the attention of Luther Burbank, head of counterintelligence, who thinks the young man may be his key to penetrating Guoanbu. Character is crucial in The Shanghai Factor. The unnamed spy is nearly a perfect isolate, a third-generation spook raised by proper but emotionally remote New England WASPs, close to no one except his current lover. His isolation suits him. Burbank is both ascetic and eccentric—and possibly modeled on legendary CIA counterintelligence chief, James Jesus Angleton. He relishes the long game necessary to compromise Guoanbu. The plot is appropriately sinuous, but it is the narrator’s voice and worldview that make this a must-read for espionage aficionados. The Shanghai Factor is wildly entertaining and further proof that McCarry is a modern master of the genre on a par with le Carré and Robert Littell. --Thomas Gaughan

Edition details

• Publisher: Mysterious Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0802121276
• ISBN 13: 9780802121271
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336