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The Rising Dragon #1
Шепотът на сенките
Първа част от поредица „Полетът на дракона“
Американецът от немски произход Пол Лейбовиц някога е бил амбициозен бизнес консултант, всеотдаен баща и любящ съпруг. След трийсет години в Хонконг обаче той изживява огромна лична драма и се разделя с жена си. Пол се изолира от социалната си среда и заживява в почти пълно усамотение на остров Лама. Влюбената в него Кристин се опитва да го върне към живота, но той няма сили да загърби миналото.
По време на едно от редките си пътувания до Хонконг Пол се запознава с американката Елизабет Оуен. Трийсетгодишният й син Майкъл, крупен инвеститор, е изчезнал безследно и отчаяната майка се нуждае от помощ. Въпреки че не желае да напуска острова и да се сблъсква с многолюдната тълпа в мегаполисите, Пол откликва на молбата й. Обръща се за съдействие към дългогодишния си приятел, полицейския детектив Джан. Трупът на Майкъл е открит, но китайското правителство прави всичко възможно да прикрие престъплението, за да не навреди на икономическите връзки със САЩ. Джан обаче подозира, че зад убийството се крие нещо повече, и започва свое собствено разследване.
Пол се оказва въвлечен в неравностойна борба с китайските власти и собствените си демони.
Американецът от немски произход Пол Лейбовиц някога е бил амбициозен бизнес консултант, всеотдаен баща и любящ съпруг. След трийсет години в Хонконг обаче той изживява огромна лична драма и се разделя с жена си. Пол се изолира от социалната си среда и заживява в почти пълно усамотение на остров Лама. Влюбената в него Кристин се опитва да го върне към живота, но той няма сили да загърби миналото.
По време на едно от редките си пътувания до Хонконг Пол се запознава с американката Елизабет Оуен. Трийсетгодишният й син Майкъл, крупен инвеститор, е изчезнал безследно и отчаяната майка се нуждае от помощ. Въпреки че не желае да напуска острова и да се сблъсква с многолюдната тълпа в мегаполисите, Пол откликва на молбата й. Обръща се за съдействие към дългогодишния си приятел, полицейския детектив Джан. Трупът на Майкъл е открит, но китайското правителство прави всичко възможно да прикрие престъплението, за да не навреди на икономическите връзки със САЩ. Джан обаче подозира, че зад убийството се крие нещо повече, и започва свое собствено разследване.
Пол се оказва въвлечен в неравностойна борба с китайските власти и собствените си демони.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Jan-Philipp Sendker
19 books941 followersJan-Philipp Sendker, born in Hamburg in 1960, and, longing to travel the world, became the American correspondent for Stern from 1990 to 1995, and its Asian correspondent from 1995 to 1999. In 2000 he published Cracks in the Great Wall, a nonfiction book about China. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats is his first novel, and since then, he has written 3 further novels, including a sequel to "The Art of Hearing Heartbeats", "A Well-Tempered Heart". In 2013, he received The indies Choice Honor Award in the category Adult Fiction for "The Art of Hearing Heartbeats. He lives in Potsdam with his family and is currently working on the third installment in his China-trilogy.
http://artofhearingheartbeats.com
http://artofhearingheartbeats.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews
April 7, 2015
Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for an opportunity to read Whispering Shadows. This was the first book I have read by Jan-Philipp Sendker. It is set in contemporary China, and told primarily from the perspective of an American expat, Paul, who has been living in Hong Kong for 30 years. It's hard to pigeon hole the genre that Whispering Shadows fits into. It's sort of a mystery involving the death of an other American. But the mystery is not very complex and the book doesn't really focus on solving of the mystery. It's also about Paul and his struggle to deal with his son's death that occurred a few years prior to the beginning of the book. And it's very much about contemporary China as seen through the eyes of someone who has lived there for 30 years, speaks the language fluently and still struggles to understand how things work. Somehow all of this comes together quite well and makes for a very readable book. I especially liked the observations about China -- the politics, the history, the lives of ordinary people and the geography. It was woven really well into the narrative and gave me a strong sense of place and context. And made me want to read more about China and fiction set in contemporary China. And I was surprised to read that this is a translation from the German because it does not read like a translation. I understand that this is meant to be part of a trilogy, and I will look forward to Sendker's next book.
April 3, 2017
I read Sendker’s first book, “The Art of Hearing Heartbeats,” and loved it so I couldn’t wait to read his follow-up. I found it hard to put down; read it within two days. Needless to say, I enjoyed the story. It’s more than your standard mystery thriller - the author also gives insight into the setting the story takes place, in this book Hong Kong. While I have traveled to China, it gave me a glimpse into the dark-side of China that you only get a glimpse of in movies. The author focuses on two men, Paul Leibovitz – an American living on an island of Hong Kong and Zheng Lin – a Chinese homicide detective living in Shenzhen. We learn about each character’s past and their shared need to find redemption as they search for the Owen’s son. Sendker does an amazing job of developing characters and the setting so you can easily imagine yourself witnessing everything that you read. It reminded me of a book that I just finished by Joseph Kanon, “Istanbul Passage.” I highly recommend it and I am now a confirmed fan of Sendker!
June 15, 2015
Jan-Phillip Sendker proves himself to be a gifted author with his second novel, “Whispering Shadows”. I adored this novel as much as his first novel, “The Art of Hearing Heartbeats”. Sendker is able to create complex and real characters that the reader can identify with and have compassion for: imperfections, faults, and all.
In this novel, the whispering shadows are the guilt, fright, and insecurities caused by the 1966 Chinese Cultural Revolution on the Chinese people. In his Acknowledgments, Sendker writes that he was inspired by life stories told to him from Chinese people. I always enjoy novels that awaken me to the struggles and fears of people of whom I’m not familiar. China is an interesting country, full of complexities and disparities. “Whispering Shadows” provides an insider look at the differing culture of China, along with business dealings that Americans find strange.
I’m truly fond of novels that I gain such insight in an absorbing tale. The main character, Paul Leibovitz is on a self-imposed isolation in Hong Kong due to the death of his young son. A troubled American woman, Elizabeth Owens, asks for his help during a coincidental meeting. Against his innate sense, he agrees to help. The reader feels Paul’s struggles to keep independent of society as he becomes unwittingly involved in a murder.
Beyond learning more about China, this is a superb thriller. The reader gets to read a masterfully paced thriller while being frustrated with the cultural nuances of the Chinese. It’s not a sympathetic look at business dealings and the corruption of China. It’s a great read. I highly recommend it.
In this novel, the whispering shadows are the guilt, fright, and insecurities caused by the 1966 Chinese Cultural Revolution on the Chinese people. In his Acknowledgments, Sendker writes that he was inspired by life stories told to him from Chinese people. I always enjoy novels that awaken me to the struggles and fears of people of whom I’m not familiar. China is an interesting country, full of complexities and disparities. “Whispering Shadows” provides an insider look at the differing culture of China, along with business dealings that Americans find strange.
I’m truly fond of novels that I gain such insight in an absorbing tale. The main character, Paul Leibovitz is on a self-imposed isolation in Hong Kong due to the death of his young son. A troubled American woman, Elizabeth Owens, asks for his help during a coincidental meeting. Against his innate sense, he agrees to help. The reader feels Paul’s struggles to keep independent of society as he becomes unwittingly involved in a murder.
Beyond learning more about China, this is a superb thriller. The reader gets to read a masterfully paced thriller while being frustrated with the cultural nuances of the Chinese. It’s not a sympathetic look at business dealings and the corruption of China. It’s a great read. I highly recommend it.
May 3, 2021
Praradus patį brangiausią žmogų, visais būdais stengėsi neįsileisti į savo gyvenimą nieko naujo, kad tik neišblėstų prisiminimai. Skaudūs išgyvenimai, rizika, pagalba kitiems, bei vilties šviesulys.
🖋️ Gyvenimas tęsiasi. Jis nekentė tų žodžių. Jie įkūnijo neapsakomą neteisybę ir siaubingą, bjaurų mirties banalumą.
🖋️ Prisiminimai apgaulingi. Prisiminimai išdyla. Prisiminimai išgaruoja. Naujų įspūdžių, naujų vietų, kvapų, garsų sluoksnis nusėda ant senųjų, ir šie pamažu netenka ryškumo, nebedaro poveikio, pasimšta.
🖋️ Užmiršti reikštų išduoti.
🖋️ ...apdairiai elgėsi su žodžiais ir judesiais. Du žmonės, kurie žino, kokia trapi kiekviena laimė.
🖋️ Esi laisvas, jeigu moki nusiraminti ir atsilaikyti prieš baimes ir vidinius demonus.
🖋️ Sielvarto veidų tiek, kiek yra žmonių.. Tuo jis panašus į meilę.
🖋️ Atkaklumas reiškia pergalę.
🖋️ Tyla netinka žmonėms, kurie trokšta neprisiminti.
🖋️ Viena taure per daug, ir draugai virs priešais.
🖋️ Žmonės įsivaizduoja, kas galėtų atsitikti, ir išsigąsta. Vadinasi, tie, kurie neturi vaizduotės, negali bijoti.
🖋️ Nieko nejausti iš pradžių atrodo kaip palengvėjimas, bet ilgainiui darosi baisiau už bet bet kokį skausmą.
🖋️ Gyvenimas tęsiasi. Jis nekentė tų žodžių. Jie įkūnijo neapsakomą neteisybę ir siaubingą, bjaurų mirties banalumą.
🖋️ Prisiminimai apgaulingi. Prisiminimai išdyla. Prisiminimai išgaruoja. Naujų įspūdžių, naujų vietų, kvapų, garsų sluoksnis nusėda ant senųjų, ir šie pamažu netenka ryškumo, nebedaro poveikio, pasimšta.
🖋️ Užmiršti reikštų išduoti.
🖋️ ...apdairiai elgėsi su žodžiais ir judesiais. Du žmonės, kurie žino, kokia trapi kiekviena laimė.
🖋️ Esi laisvas, jeigu moki nusiraminti ir atsilaikyti prieš baimes ir vidinius demonus.
🖋️ Sielvarto veidų tiek, kiek yra žmonių.. Tuo jis panašus į meilę.
🖋️ Atkaklumas reiškia pergalę.
🖋️ Tyla netinka žmonėms, kurie trokšta neprisiminti.
🖋️ Viena taure per daug, ir draugai virs priešais.
🖋️ Žmonės įsivaizduoja, kas galėtų atsitikti, ir išsigąsta. Vadinasi, tie, kurie neturi vaizduotės, negali bijoti.
🖋️ Nieko nejausti iš pradžių atrodo kaip palengvėjimas, bet ilgainiui darosi baisiau už bet bet kokį skausmą.
May 4, 2015
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for allowing me access to this advance reader copy.
I loved Jan-Philipp Sendker’s “The Art of Hearing Heartbeats,” so I was very eager to read this. It’s definitely a bit different from “Heartbeats.” It’s a blend of a love story, a tale of loss and healing and a crime thriller set in modern-day Hong Kong and China.
Paul Leibovitz lives a life of self-imposed exile on Lamma Island in Hong Kong. His only son, Justin, died three years ago of leukemia and his wife has divorced him. He lives simply and quietly, keeping his contact with other people to a bare minimum to preserve the memory of his son. Every year, he hikes to the top of a local mountain in a solitary pilgrimage to honor his son who used to accompany him. On this particular year, he makes incidental contact with an American woman, Elizabeth Owen, who is in distress. It turns out her adult son, Michael, has gone missing while in China on business and she begs Paul to assist her and her husband in locating him. Reluctantly, Paul agrees to help. He asks his old friend Zhang, a detective with the Hong Kong police force, to help. As they investigate, secrets and corruption come to light and both Paul and Zhang have to confront their own inner demons.
This book employs the alternating narrator device. I didn’t love it here – while it allows the reader to gain additional perspective from the main characters’ point of view, it can make for a choppy reading experience – especially in this case where there were at least six narrators. I especially enjoyed Paul and Zhang’s narration and was a little irritated when one of the other narrators “interrupted.”
The book provides some interesting insight into the political, business and economic landscape in modern Hong Kong and China, and some lovely local color. The parts of the book dealing with food and cooking qualify as full-on “food porn.” There are some touching and emotional moments, too, as Paul slowly comes out of his shell and comes to grips with the loss of his son, especially at the end in a letter he pens to his lost son.
This is apparently the first in a trilogy – I will definitely look forward to the next installation and getting to know Paul and Zhang a little better.
I loved Jan-Philipp Sendker’s “The Art of Hearing Heartbeats,” so I was very eager to read this. It’s definitely a bit different from “Heartbeats.” It’s a blend of a love story, a tale of loss and healing and a crime thriller set in modern-day Hong Kong and China.
Paul Leibovitz lives a life of self-imposed exile on Lamma Island in Hong Kong. His only son, Justin, died three years ago of leukemia and his wife has divorced him. He lives simply and quietly, keeping his contact with other people to a bare minimum to preserve the memory of his son. Every year, he hikes to the top of a local mountain in a solitary pilgrimage to honor his son who used to accompany him. On this particular year, he makes incidental contact with an American woman, Elizabeth Owen, who is in distress. It turns out her adult son, Michael, has gone missing while in China on business and she begs Paul to assist her and her husband in locating him. Reluctantly, Paul agrees to help. He asks his old friend Zhang, a detective with the Hong Kong police force, to help. As they investigate, secrets and corruption come to light and both Paul and Zhang have to confront their own inner demons.
This book employs the alternating narrator device. I didn’t love it here – while it allows the reader to gain additional perspective from the main characters’ point of view, it can make for a choppy reading experience – especially in this case where there were at least six narrators. I especially enjoyed Paul and Zhang’s narration and was a little irritated when one of the other narrators “interrupted.”
The book provides some interesting insight into the political, business and economic landscape in modern Hong Kong and China, and some lovely local color. The parts of the book dealing with food and cooking qualify as full-on “food porn.” There are some touching and emotional moments, too, as Paul slowly comes out of his shell and comes to grips with the loss of his son, especially at the end in a letter he pens to his lost son.
This is apparently the first in a trilogy – I will definitely look forward to the next installation and getting to know Paul and Zhang a little better.
October 21, 2020
Un giallo particolare, con un'indagine compiuta da Paul Leibovitz, un americano che vive sull'isola di Lamma, nella parte meridionale di Hong Kong, dopo la morte del piccolo Justin, affetto da leucemia. Paul non è mai riuscito a superare la morte di Justin e dopo la separazione dalla moglie, non è più riuscito a costruirsi una relazione stabile. L'unico affetto su cui può fare affidamento è quello del suo amico David Zhang, un poliziotto buddhista, e di sua moglie. E di Christine Wu, che però lui cerca di allontanare in ogni modo, non essendo pronto a provare qualsiasi genere di emozione.
Paul conosce casualmente Elizabeth Owen, una donna americana che, vista la sua conoscenza sia del cinese mandarino che del cantonese, gli chiede di aiutarla a ritrovare il figlio trentenne, che sembra essere scomparso nel nulla. Paul allora arriva fino a Shenzhen per chiedere una mano al suo amico commissario della squadra omicidi, e grazie a lui viene a sapere del ritrovamento di un cadavere che potrebbe essere proprio Michael Owen.
Le indagini parlano di una Cina corrotta, affascinata dal sogno americano pur non essendo ancora uscita dalla dittatura, un sogno che ciascuno sembra cercare di realizzare un po' come gli pare, mors tua, vita mea, in cui i deboli pagano un prezzo altissimo per poter sopravvivere. Paul e David Zhang si troveranno davanti un muro di gomma quando cercheranno di indagare al di là dei canali ufficiali, che vogliono impedire un incidente diplomatico.
Il colpevole è evidente praticamente fin dalla sua apparizione nel libro, ma non conta; quello che mi ha convinta di più è stata l'atmosfera malinconica e disincantata di un paese quasi allo sbando. E poi la figura di Paul, che si trova coinvolto nelle indagini suo malgrado e nonostante la promessa fatta a Christine, che gli ha chiesto di non mettersi inutilmente in pericolo.
Ma aiutare Elizabeth Owen a fare luce sulla morte di Michael serve a Paul per elaborare il lutto per Justin, ritornare alla vita facendo qualcosa di utile, senza nascondere verità scomode.
Il testo è scorrevole, anche se a volte un po' ridondante, con alcune scene viste e riviste da diversi punti di vista. Credo che completerò la trilogia, anche se questo romanzo mi ha turbata parecchio, quindi devo aspettare di trovare un periodo in cui la lettura non mi affligga psicologicamente.
Paul conosce casualmente Elizabeth Owen, una donna americana che, vista la sua conoscenza sia del cinese mandarino che del cantonese, gli chiede di aiutarla a ritrovare il figlio trentenne, che sembra essere scomparso nel nulla. Paul allora arriva fino a Shenzhen per chiedere una mano al suo amico commissario della squadra omicidi, e grazie a lui viene a sapere del ritrovamento di un cadavere che potrebbe essere proprio Michael Owen.
Le indagini parlano di una Cina corrotta, affascinata dal sogno americano pur non essendo ancora uscita dalla dittatura, un sogno che ciascuno sembra cercare di realizzare un po' come gli pare, mors tua, vita mea, in cui i deboli pagano un prezzo altissimo per poter sopravvivere. Paul e David Zhang si troveranno davanti un muro di gomma quando cercheranno di indagare al di là dei canali ufficiali, che vogliono impedire un incidente diplomatico.
Il colpevole è evidente praticamente fin dalla sua apparizione nel libro, ma non conta; quello che mi ha convinta di più è stata l'atmosfera malinconica e disincantata di un paese quasi allo sbando. E poi la figura di Paul, che si trova coinvolto nelle indagini suo malgrado e nonostante la promessa fatta a Christine, che gli ha chiesto di non mettersi inutilmente in pericolo.
Ma aiutare Elizabeth Owen a fare luce sulla morte di Michael serve a Paul per elaborare il lutto per Justin, ritornare alla vita facendo qualcosa di utile, senza nascondere verità scomode.
Il testo è scorrevole, anche se a volte un po' ridondante, con alcune scene viste e riviste da diversi punti di vista. Credo che completerò la trilogia, anche se questo romanzo mi ha turbata parecchio, quindi devo aspettare di trovare un periodo in cui la lettura non mi affligga psicologicamente.
April 15, 2015
When we reviewed the international bestseller, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, by Jan-Phillipp Sendker three years ago, I wrote that rarely had a novel touched me the way that one did and that’s still true. What’s also true is that now, having read Jan-Phillipp’s new novel, Whispering Shadows, I can say with no hesitation that he’s one of the most gifted storytellers out there. Whispering Shadows is a quite different novel from The Art of Hearing Heartbeats yet it also has the same depth of emotion and the same multi-layered feel to it. Whispering Shadows can be read on the surface as a cross-cultural crime thriller yet it also contains profound statements about relationships, life, and death. It’s Book #1 in a new trilogy, which pleases me no end. Read the rest of my review at http://popcornreads.com/?p=8319.
January 23, 2016
I received a copy of Whispering Shadows from Atria Books presented on Goodreads.
"In contrast, he noticed, the stillness that reigned in this house did him no good. It spread through him and pushed all thoughts of the case of Michael Owen, of Mei or Paul to one side, and made space for memories that he did not want to engage with. Stillness, thought Zhang, is not good for people who want to forget."
I was drawn into this book full-on from page one. The writing style of Jan-Philipp Sendker is rich in descriptors of time, place, and character. You are being engaged into the prose not only with your stimulated mind, but also with the stimulation of the senses. Your heart takes in the heaviness of a father's loss. Your eyes have envisioned the China of the Cultural Revolution and the China of the present. Your olfactory nerves seem to inhale the headiness of the steam rising from the hot pot dishes. And throughout the book, your spirit is on a quest alongside Paul and Zhang to bring justice to a situation wrought with loopholes and entanglements that wind their way from the clutches of the past and into the present living moments.
That stillness that is quoted from Zhang is relatable to our own lives. A common thread that is weaved throughout the story is each character's refusal to deal head-to-head with the pains of the past. The stillness forces us to revisit the heaviness inflicted upon our souls. These "Whispering Shadows" are brought into the light by Jan-Philipp Sendker's stellar ability to capture the angst of the human spirit. He blends these elements of fine characterization, twisting plot situations, and a more than satisfying ending into an exceptional read.
I highly recommend Whispering Shadows and look forward to future offerings by this very talented writer.
"In contrast, he noticed, the stillness that reigned in this house did him no good. It spread through him and pushed all thoughts of the case of Michael Owen, of Mei or Paul to one side, and made space for memories that he did not want to engage with. Stillness, thought Zhang, is not good for people who want to forget."
I was drawn into this book full-on from page one. The writing style of Jan-Philipp Sendker is rich in descriptors of time, place, and character. You are being engaged into the prose not only with your stimulated mind, but also with the stimulation of the senses. Your heart takes in the heaviness of a father's loss. Your eyes have envisioned the China of the Cultural Revolution and the China of the present. Your olfactory nerves seem to inhale the headiness of the steam rising from the hot pot dishes. And throughout the book, your spirit is on a quest alongside Paul and Zhang to bring justice to a situation wrought with loopholes and entanglements that wind their way from the clutches of the past and into the present living moments.
That stillness that is quoted from Zhang is relatable to our own lives. A common thread that is weaved throughout the story is each character's refusal to deal head-to-head with the pains of the past. The stillness forces us to revisit the heaviness inflicted upon our souls. These "Whispering Shadows" are brought into the light by Jan-Philipp Sendker's stellar ability to capture the angst of the human spirit. He blends these elements of fine characterization, twisting plot situations, and a more than satisfying ending into an exceptional read.
I highly recommend Whispering Shadows and look forward to future offerings by this very talented writer.
May 5, 2018
I wanted to read Whispering Shadows as I read enjoyed The Art Of Hearing Heartbeats.
The Whispering Shadows is the first in a suspenseful new trilogy. The story has equal parts crime thriller, romance and view of China's Cultural Revolution, this novel is at heart, a story about the burden of survival. It packs a punch.
The gripping story of Whispering Shadows follows a retired expat journalist in contemporary China who tries to crack a murder case as he battle his own personal demons.
Paul Leibovitz was once an ambitious advisor, a dedicated father, and a loving husband. But after living for nearly thirty years in Hong Kong, personal tragedy strikes Paul's marriage. Paul and his wife Meredith thought that they had both failed as parents as they had not been able to shield their son Justin from Leukemia, leaving Paul's and Meredith marriage falling apart.
When Paul meets an American distressed woman Elizabeth and her husband Richard Owen They want Paul to help them find their son who has disappeared. As the investigation delve deeper into the mystery, they begin to uncover some dark secrets at the heart of Hong Kong.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy to review.
The Whispering Shadows is the first in a suspenseful new trilogy. The story has equal parts crime thriller, romance and view of China's Cultural Revolution, this novel is at heart, a story about the burden of survival. It packs a punch.
The gripping story of Whispering Shadows follows a retired expat journalist in contemporary China who tries to crack a murder case as he battle his own personal demons.
Paul Leibovitz was once an ambitious advisor, a dedicated father, and a loving husband. But after living for nearly thirty years in Hong Kong, personal tragedy strikes Paul's marriage. Paul and his wife Meredith thought that they had both failed as parents as they had not been able to shield their son Justin from Leukemia, leaving Paul's and Meredith marriage falling apart.
When Paul meets an American distressed woman Elizabeth and her husband Richard Owen They want Paul to help them find their son who has disappeared. As the investigation delve deeper into the mystery, they begin to uncover some dark secrets at the heart of Hong Kong.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy to review.
July 28, 2015
Couldn't actually finish. The characters are not engaging, but they are interesting. The problem is the history and politics that abound. After slogging through dozens of really boring pages, I read the character saying that he had only a passing interest in it. Well that was it for me. Whatever passing interest I had, passed.
February 24, 2024
Spannender Roman über Trauer, Liebe und Vertrauen. Das Buch hat mir einen kleinen Einblick in die Geschichte von China gegeben und es wurden traditionelle Rezepte detailliert beschrieben.
July 4, 2017
2.5 stjerner.
Fin bok, men veldig flat spenningskurve. Ganske forutsigbar. Får ikke inntrykk av at forfatteren er veldig bevandret innen krim-sjangeren.
Fin bok, men veldig flat spenningskurve. Ganske forutsigbar. Får ikke inntrykk av at forfatteren er veldig bevandret innen krim-sjangeren.
April 15, 2015
A special thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
WHISPERING SHADOWS by Jan-Philipp Sendker, is a multi-layered extraordinary story of universal human emotions of loss, love, betrayal, and trust.
A gripping suspense story of a retired journalist in contemporary China attempting to crack a murder case, as he battles his own demons and loss of his son. A mix of a love story and crime mystery thriller, a captivating tale of a man’s desperation and search for redemption, in a land where secrets from the past threaten to destroy the future.
From Hong Kong and China, to exotic Lamma Island -- to the homeless. A unique character, Paul Leibovitz has lived in Hong Kong for thirty years until personal tragedy hit, and his life began to unravel and fall part piece by piece.
After the death of Paul and Meredith son, Justin dies of leukemia, Paul withdraws and buys a house on Lamma, an island- a ferry ride from Hong Kong. Living in isolation on an exotic island he meets an American woman whose son has gone missing and she wants him to help her solve the mystery behind the disappearance and into the underworld. Since Justin's death, he has not associated with hardly anyone except Christine, a Hong Kong–based single mother, and Zhang, a homicide detective in Shenzhen.
Under the bricks, cement, high rises, real estate development, airports, and all the new exploding development, there is evil, power, greed, and corruption. From misappropriation of official funds, tax evasion and murder---“Behind every great fortune lies a great crime.” Could you leave your shadow behind if you only walked fast enough?
He wonders about the people who lived here thirty years ago. In the last thirty years, despite all the advances in medical science, children die. People are consumed by feelings of guilt or sink into self-pity, unable to bear the emptiness or refused to let their children die. Life must go on.
The under story is the police detective recalling his life during the Cultural Revolution and how his life intersects with the powerful Chinese businessman deeply involved in the murder investigation. The face of this country had changed with complexities beyond comprehension.
An absorbing mystery of the old versus the new -- A chilling account taking you to the darkest places, the fears, the anxieties and the struggles, to the most exotic and riches, for an almost mesmerizing adventure, keeping you glued to the pages.
Rich in vivid exquisite settings, nature, culture, emotion, and well developed compelling characters, we learn about each character's complex past and their shared need to find redemption, as they search for the son.
Sendker does an outstanding job in creating the backdrop, as you imagine yourself there; he is in tune with the Eastern philosophies, and cultures, bringing passion, vibrancy, and authenticity to this well-written novel.
An engrossing book, and a heart-wrenching portrayal of the Cultural Revolution’s devastating effects —strongly recommend to lovers of history, literature, politics, cultural, romance, and mystery. An ideal choice for book clubs and group discussions.
Can’t wait to read “The Art of Hearing Heartbeats", as have heard nothing but rave reviews. Looking forward to the next in Sendker's intriguing trilogy!
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Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
WHISPERING SHADOWS by Jan-Philipp Sendker, is a multi-layered extraordinary story of universal human emotions of loss, love, betrayal, and trust.
A gripping suspense story of a retired journalist in contemporary China attempting to crack a murder case, as he battles his own demons and loss of his son. A mix of a love story and crime mystery thriller, a captivating tale of a man’s desperation and search for redemption, in a land where secrets from the past threaten to destroy the future.
From Hong Kong and China, to exotic Lamma Island -- to the homeless. A unique character, Paul Leibovitz has lived in Hong Kong for thirty years until personal tragedy hit, and his life began to unravel and fall part piece by piece.
After the death of Paul and Meredith son, Justin dies of leukemia, Paul withdraws and buys a house on Lamma, an island- a ferry ride from Hong Kong. Living in isolation on an exotic island he meets an American woman whose son has gone missing and she wants him to help her solve the mystery behind the disappearance and into the underworld. Since Justin's death, he has not associated with hardly anyone except Christine, a Hong Kong–based single mother, and Zhang, a homicide detective in Shenzhen.
Under the bricks, cement, high rises, real estate development, airports, and all the new exploding development, there is evil, power, greed, and corruption. From misappropriation of official funds, tax evasion and murder---“Behind every great fortune lies a great crime.” Could you leave your shadow behind if you only walked fast enough?
He wonders about the people who lived here thirty years ago. In the last thirty years, despite all the advances in medical science, children die. People are consumed by feelings of guilt or sink into self-pity, unable to bear the emptiness or refused to let their children die. Life must go on.
The under story is the police detective recalling his life during the Cultural Revolution and how his life intersects with the powerful Chinese businessman deeply involved in the murder investigation. The face of this country had changed with complexities beyond comprehension.
An absorbing mystery of the old versus the new -- A chilling account taking you to the darkest places, the fears, the anxieties and the struggles, to the most exotic and riches, for an almost mesmerizing adventure, keeping you glued to the pages.
Rich in vivid exquisite settings, nature, culture, emotion, and well developed compelling characters, we learn about each character's complex past and their shared need to find redemption, as they search for the son.
Sendker does an outstanding job in creating the backdrop, as you imagine yourself there; he is in tune with the Eastern philosophies, and cultures, bringing passion, vibrancy, and authenticity to this well-written novel.
An engrossing book, and a heart-wrenching portrayal of the Cultural Revolution’s devastating effects —strongly recommend to lovers of history, literature, politics, cultural, romance, and mystery. An ideal choice for book clubs and group discussions.
Can’t wait to read “The Art of Hearing Heartbeats", as have heard nothing but rave reviews. Looking forward to the next in Sendker's intriguing trilogy!
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Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
October 16, 2019
This book, the first I've read by the author, had a lot of potential, as well as a lot of praise for what reviewers saw as an evocative insider’s view of an exotic society. Sendker's prose is smooth, compellingly paced, and contemplative, sometimes thought-provoking. He demonstrates an imaginative understanding of politics and relationships, the meat and bones of many a great thriller. So what went so wrong here?
The narrator seems out of place in his own story, so much that it makes me question the author’s place handling this material. The protagonist stumbles into the story a little too coincidentally, and keeps the plot plodding along with an involvement that’s a little too implausible. Along the way he garnishes a lackluster plot with hearty splashes of racist stereotypes, which seems to be one of the main purposes of his existence as a character.
Paul, a retired German-American living in Hong Kong, has dropped everything in his life to grieve his deceased son. He’s just about too bereft to do anything in realtime except string along a lovelorn local woman. Luckily a transformative diversion falls into his lap but it’s never quite clear why the plot needs him, beyond the thirst for a White Savior trope that Sendker embeds in his characters. By uncanny coincidence Paul meets a pair of compatriot strangers embroiled in a mystery, who despite being wealthy and business-savvy, desperately need help from Paul and only Paul. Paul’s best friend happens to be a police detective, the only policeman who is interested in pursuing the case but who also appreciates Paul's amateur interest. Paul springs into action as a novice detective whose efforts are aided by his whiteness which gains him unquestioned entrance to elite spaces. We follow Paul as he confronts a series of wily Chinese with demands of accountability to the Truth. Uniquely virtuous, his own only acknowledged flaw is guardedness in romance. Luckily his lover can draw on reserves of wisdom and besottedness to patiently help him thaw his heart, and his best friend isn’t afraid to blur some lines and do the dirty work of solving the mystery.
The Chinese women in this novel are sexual and romantic accessories, fascinated by the hirsuteness of white men, in addition to finding them astonishingly tender, a quality apparently lacking among Chinese men. The Chinese men are obsessed with ancient proverbs and power hierarchies, and blithely uninterested in their nation’s artifacts and landscapes, which have unique appeal for more aesthetically sensitive Westerners. A sprinkling of other foreign characters present themselves to voice harder-edged racist attitudes that noble Paul can’t express. By contrast Paul is universally admired by the rest of the characters, even his adversaries. Yawn.
Ultimately the best thing about Paul is that he kept me so busy cringing I almost didn’t notice the weakness of the mystery. Besides the contrivance and lack of movement outside of the linear investigation, the final twists are given enough foreshadowing and post-examination that they’re robbed of suspense.
Having picked this up as an international thriller junkie, it left a sour taste in my mouth that Sendker, whose life trajectory mirrors his protagonist’s in having spent years in China, represents the Chinese as one-dimensional caricatures. To me this story was really carried by Zhang, the detective who cracks the mystery and also has the most shaded contrast between virtue and fallibility; it’s worth wondering why Sendker didn’t or wouldn’t choose him for a protagonist.
The narrator seems out of place in his own story, so much that it makes me question the author’s place handling this material. The protagonist stumbles into the story a little too coincidentally, and keeps the plot plodding along with an involvement that’s a little too implausible. Along the way he garnishes a lackluster plot with hearty splashes of racist stereotypes, which seems to be one of the main purposes of his existence as a character.
Paul, a retired German-American living in Hong Kong, has dropped everything in his life to grieve his deceased son. He’s just about too bereft to do anything in realtime except string along a lovelorn local woman. Luckily a transformative diversion falls into his lap but it’s never quite clear why the plot needs him, beyond the thirst for a White Savior trope that Sendker embeds in his characters. By uncanny coincidence Paul meets a pair of compatriot strangers embroiled in a mystery, who despite being wealthy and business-savvy, desperately need help from Paul and only Paul. Paul’s best friend happens to be a police detective, the only policeman who is interested in pursuing the case but who also appreciates Paul's amateur interest. Paul springs into action as a novice detective whose efforts are aided by his whiteness which gains him unquestioned entrance to elite spaces. We follow Paul as he confronts a series of wily Chinese with demands of accountability to the Truth. Uniquely virtuous, his own only acknowledged flaw is guardedness in romance. Luckily his lover can draw on reserves of wisdom and besottedness to patiently help him thaw his heart, and his best friend isn’t afraid to blur some lines and do the dirty work of solving the mystery.
The Chinese women in this novel are sexual and romantic accessories, fascinated by the hirsuteness of white men, in addition to finding them astonishingly tender, a quality apparently lacking among Chinese men. The Chinese men are obsessed with ancient proverbs and power hierarchies, and blithely uninterested in their nation’s artifacts and landscapes, which have unique appeal for more aesthetically sensitive Westerners. A sprinkling of other foreign characters present themselves to voice harder-edged racist attitudes that noble Paul can’t express. By contrast Paul is universally admired by the rest of the characters, even his adversaries. Yawn.
Ultimately the best thing about Paul is that he kept me so busy cringing I almost didn’t notice the weakness of the mystery. Besides the contrivance and lack of movement outside of the linear investigation, the final twists are given enough foreshadowing and post-examination that they’re robbed of suspense.
Having picked this up as an international thriller junkie, it left a sour taste in my mouth that Sendker, whose life trajectory mirrors his protagonist’s in having spent years in China, represents the Chinese as one-dimensional caricatures. To me this story was really carried by Zhang, the detective who cracks the mystery and also has the most shaded contrast between virtue and fallibility; it’s worth wondering why Sendker didn’t or wouldn’t choose him for a protagonist.
March 1, 2015
Absolutely love Jan Philipp Sendker. Loved The Art of Hearing Heartbeats and A Well Tempered Heart. His writing is like no one else's. This is a very different kind of book for him. Predictable but still enjoyable!
August 15, 2016
The storywriting seemed a bit conventional at first but that was a great voyage in too familiar China.
Makes you really want to live on Lamma away from it all! Great book: I'm going for the #2 Drachenspiele
Makes you really want to live on Lamma away from it all! Great book: I'm going for the #2 Drachenspiele
January 25, 2023
Beautifully written. An American expat in Hong Kong is in self-imposed exile after losing his 8-year-old son to leukemia. After divorcing his wife, who can't share his grief, he lives in a rural area away from downtown Hong Kong and spends his days walking for hours and talking to no one. By chance, he runs into an American woman, whose 30-year-old son is missing from his job in Shenzhen. The woman and her husband ask for his help.
The protagonist's grief in losing his son is palpable and lays a melancholy foundation for the missing person investigation. Wondered about the time period of this story, which has to be late 90s?
The protagonist's grief in losing his son is palpable and lays a melancholy foundation for the missing person investigation. Wondered about the time period of this story, which has to be late 90s?
June 8, 2022
Tolimieji rytai, gražios vietos, įdomus mastymas, su daug kiniškų posakių. Pradžia būvo nuobodoka, bet vėliau jau sudomino. Apie kantrią meilę, ir tiesos suvokimą, ar tikrai mūms reikia viską žinoti? Ar tiesos žinojimas nuramina? Skaitant lėtai ir ramiai, visus atsakymus galima rasti.
Ir dar labai erzino, netaisyklingas žodžių perkėlimas į kitą eilutę. Be jokių skiemenų, o taip kaip tilpo. 🙈
Ir dar labai erzino, netaisyklingas žodžių perkėlimas į kitą eilutę. Be jokių skiemenų, o taip kaip tilpo. 🙈
March 29, 2017
Betyg: 4,5 / 5
Intressant, spännande, känslosam och så fint språk.
Intressant, spännande, känslosam och så fint språk.
January 8, 2019
Endlich habe ich es fertig gelesen... es war eigentlich ganz gut und teil 2 werde ich sicher auch noch lesen 📖
March 18, 2017
It's a very long time since I read a book so quickly. I thought I was going to struggle with it, as the beginning is terribly sad, about the death of a child. But I knew it was a crime thriller, so I raced through that bit. Once I got to the investigation, I found it to be a tense page-turner. All the bits about the Chinese Cultural Revolution were interesting, too. It's the first one of a trilogy, and the second one is available. I'm buying it right now on Kindle, as I can't wait to read it.
Thanks for this book, Kathy!
Thanks for this book, Kathy!
October 29, 2017
DNF!!!!!!!
November 9, 2017
Vakkert og lærerikt skrevet om sorg og tap. Spennende lesing om Kinas kulturrevolusjon og dens følger.
March 9, 2015
“Whispering Shadows” by Jan-Philipp Sendker, published by Atria Books.
Category – Mystery/Thriller Publication Date – April 14, 2015
Like most of us, the main characters in this book have something hidden in their background that causes both internal and external strife. Strife, which will play a significant role in their lives, both good and bad. The novel takes place in China and uses the changes in Chinese culture, especially between the mainland and Hong Kong, to show how these changes effect the perspective of not only the foreigner doing business with the Chinese, but how the Chinese have adopted the idea of capitalization. It also portrays a country seeped in corruption in business and government.
Paul Leibovitz is facing the loss of his young son and divorce and removes himself from society. It seems he has only one friend, Zhang, a Chinese detective. Zhang has been battling his own demons that go back to when he was a member of the Red Guard under Mao. A young American businessman is found murdered and Zhang begins to question how his compatriots are handling the case. It seems to cut and dry, especially when a factory worker, under duress, admits to the murder. Zhang asks Paul to become involved in the case by questioning the young man’s father and mother. Paul discovers that the confessed murderer has an iron clad alibi and looks into the business transactions of the young man. He begins to believe that the murder may be tied to these transactions and the monetary and political greed associated with the Chinese government.
This is the first book in a trilogy and is an excellent read for those looking for a good mystery tied to the cultural changes within China. There is some minor language and sexual content but overall the book is a thinking man’s mystery.
Category – Mystery/Thriller Publication Date – April 14, 2015
Like most of us, the main characters in this book have something hidden in their background that causes both internal and external strife. Strife, which will play a significant role in their lives, both good and bad. The novel takes place in China and uses the changes in Chinese culture, especially between the mainland and Hong Kong, to show how these changes effect the perspective of not only the foreigner doing business with the Chinese, but how the Chinese have adopted the idea of capitalization. It also portrays a country seeped in corruption in business and government.
Paul Leibovitz is facing the loss of his young son and divorce and removes himself from society. It seems he has only one friend, Zhang, a Chinese detective. Zhang has been battling his own demons that go back to when he was a member of the Red Guard under Mao. A young American businessman is found murdered and Zhang begins to question how his compatriots are handling the case. It seems to cut and dry, especially when a factory worker, under duress, admits to the murder. Zhang asks Paul to become involved in the case by questioning the young man’s father and mother. Paul discovers that the confessed murderer has an iron clad alibi and looks into the business transactions of the young man. He begins to believe that the murder may be tied to these transactions and the monetary and political greed associated with the Chinese government.
This is the first book in a trilogy and is an excellent read for those looking for a good mystery tied to the cultural changes within China. There is some minor language and sexual content but overall the book is a thinking man’s mystery.
July 10, 2015
Interesting mystery novel that also provides some insight into the current (and potentially long term) ramifications for China (culture, economy, development, etc.) of the violence carried out during the Cultural Revolution at the human level. For example: "In a very short time, buildings hundreds of years old that had borne witness to the past had disappeared in those cities [Chengdu, Chongqing, Shanghai, Wuhun]. Razed to the ground as though they had never existed [especially their historic quarters in their city centers, where everything has been razed to the ground and a forest of high rise buildings put up in their place]. At times like these, it seemed to him that this untrammeled building frenzy and the incredible rate of change were a desperate attempt to flee from history, and the new high-rise buildings, roads, highways, airports and factories were not so much signs of progress as giant memorials to the desire to forget. As if you could brick up memories. As if you could cement them all away and plaster over them. As if you could leave your shadow beind if you only walked fast enough." Fairly fast read.
March 21, 2021
I won my copy of Whispering Shadows quite a while ago in a Goodreads giveaway, and am sorry now that I waited so long to read it! It's a mystery set in China that also illustrates the residual mistrust that pervades Chinese society as a result of the Cultural Revolution. It started a little slowly for me, and I found that once I was able to read longer selections at one sitting the story was more engaging. The main character, Paul, is an American citizen who has lived in China for some thirty years. A chance meeting with another America couple draws him into a mystery when they ask his help in finding their adult son, who has suddenly gone missing. As Paul and his longtime friend Zhang, a police investigator, begin to look into the young man's disappearance, they encounter pressure to back off and begin to understand that powerful figures do not want the truth to come out. Whispering Shadows in the first book in a series that so far includes two more titles: The Language of Solitude and The Far Side of the Night.
February 7, 2018
My wife and mother-in-law loved this book. I am giving it three stars because of several reasons. One, I am hard pressed to understand how Paul gets roped into a murder investigation after a five minute conversation at a diner on top of a mountain. Secondly, this whole book goes to great lengths to establish that Tang is a super powerful man, above law enforcement, but all of a sudden after one phone call, he is impisoned and all is well. Third of all, since the death of his son, Paul lives the life of a hermit with next to zero interactions with others. Then, a few days into this elaborate murder investigation, he goes toe to toe in a face off with Tang, each challenging the other with their wit, wisdom and cleverness. That is entertaining but hardly realistic for a man living in near solitude for so long. It just didn't all work so well for me.
July 7, 2015
The first 50 pages of this are a major downer-man loses child to cancer and withdraws from the world and you wonder why are you reading this. However, I'd read Sendker's first two books and knew what a good storyteller he is and how adept he is at drawing the reader into his world. And it happened again. It's got family secrets, guilt, and these elements are not only unique to the main character, Paul. Paul finds redemption once he emerges from his hermetic shell and there's a bit of a thriller aspect as we have an amateur taking on a skilled, power broker in China. Wondering if Sendker will be persona non grata in China with this book exposing imaginary "tragic" events during the Cultural Revolution.
January 6, 2015
This was quite different from Sendker's The Art of Hearing Heartbeats and its sequel, but the writing and pace were still perfect. The characters were very special, almost magical, as Sendker's characters tend to be. The story, part love story and murder mystery, is very interesting and moves well. It is set in Hong Kong and China and the reader is given some bonus history about the Cultural Revolution. I read this book in two days so I definitely recommend it.
I really enjoyed this book and thank the publisher for the opportunity to read it early.
I really enjoyed this book and thank the publisher for the opportunity to read it early.
June 23, 2015
Whispering Shadows by Jan-Philipp Sendker
Part love story, part crime thriller. Paul Liebovitz’s young son dies tragically from leukemia and it throws his life into turmoil. Having lived in Hong Kong for thirty years he buys a house on Lamma, an island just a ferry boat ride from Hong Kong, where he has become a recluse. He has associated with almost no one except Christine, a Hong Kong–based single mother, and Zhang, a homicide detective in Shenzhen. Zhang also broken and is confronting the demons of his past. Enjoyed learning about the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
Part love story, part crime thriller. Paul Liebovitz’s young son dies tragically from leukemia and it throws his life into turmoil. Having lived in Hong Kong for thirty years he buys a house on Lamma, an island just a ferry boat ride from Hong Kong, where he has become a recluse. He has associated with almost no one except Christine, a Hong Kong–based single mother, and Zhang, a homicide detective in Shenzhen. Zhang also broken and is confronting the demons of his past. Enjoyed learning about the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
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