I very much enjoyed this next installment of the China Thriller series, I find them incredibly difficult to put down.  I thought the plot was well constructed and interesting, I didn't guess as much as I usually do! It is certainly more visercal than the previous two, so please note the content warnings. It was nice to get a glimpse of Shanghai, though I'm glad it's a one off.

The major frustation for me with the ongoing (and in my opinion inexplicable) tension between Margaret and Li Yan. I mean, from what we learn in the book, I would expect them to be very happy in each others' company and more familiar with each others' pressure points now. The love triangle was completely unecessary and distracting. Great summary from another reader: "There is too much drama surrounding an adolescent-like relationship between two seasoned professionals, most of which could be resolved through an honest conversation... I hope to see some character growth in the next entry. Perhaps Margaret who considers Beijing her home now could learn to speak Mandarin?". There are also some casual racist and ablist language used, which I'm unsure is reflective of the characters and the time it was set in or a reflective of the author himself. Either way, I still really enjoyed reading and looking forward to the next installment. In hoping that we don't go through yet again another separation and coming together.