5 out of 5 stars: “The story was informative and entertaining. I got a good sense of what the Chinese Revolution was like from 1921 to 1937—...
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Praise
Red Spy in Harbin - An Extraordinary Contribution to the Spy Novel Tradition
This is an extraordinary contribution to the 1920s to 1930s spy genre. It stands alongside some of the classics of the period, but its unusual Chinese setting makes it distinctive.
The descriptions of 1920s Xiamen (Amoy), the Hakka roundhouse communities, Harbin’s Russian quarter, and colonial Shanghai are superbly written and meticulously researched. Yet the narrative does not take long to erupt into extreme violence, tragedy, and human loss following the Nationalist–Communist split of 1927.
The final part of the novel becomes a breathtaking page-turner as Chen infiltrates the White Fascists. The spycraft and the portrayal of the shifting dynamics between Japanese, Chinese, and Soviet communists, nationalists, warlords, and criminal underworld figures in a sleazy, perilous city are of the highest order. The effect is cinematographic, black and white in feel, and thoroughly gripping.
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John Blackwell
Red Spy in Harbin
A masterful blend of history and espionage
This novel is outstanding. The violent events in China in the early 20th century are always present in the reader’s mind, sometimes really shocking. But in between there are fascinating descriptions of everyday Chinese life, with moments of humor, romance, and subplots that bring relief and color.
It reminded me a lot of Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s Sabotaje (the period, the politics, the spycraft). But the main character, Chen Minghe, is more strongly ideological than Lorenzo Falcó in Paris.
I didn’t know before that Harbin in the 1920s and 30s was more Russian than Chinese, and that it even had a Russian Fascist Party, led by the vain and naive Rodzaevsky, who dreamed of recovering the motherland lost in 1917 but at the same time had global ambitions. The book also makes clear why the Japanese wanted Manchuria so much: for oil, food, opium, the railroads, and as a springboard to attack either the USSR or China.
For me, the women in the novel were especially striking. They are strong, intelligent, sometimes mysterious, and they leave a big impression — not only in their relationships with Chen, but also in how they act in the dangerous world of espionage.
The spy scenes are written in the finest tradition, with suspense and authenticity.
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Sergio Saentz
Red Spy in Harbin
Very interesting, informative and enjoyable.
I had read and enjoyed Mark Oulton’s previous book (‘The Dead Microphones’), so I was very much looking forward to reading his latest offering. It didn’t disappoint!
Very detailed, and packed full of historical references, ‘Red Spy in Harbin’ is both informative and an excellent story. At one point I was wondering if this was a novel or a non-fiction treatise! Well, it’s sort of both. It’s an enjoyable and interesting novel, set in a very real and historically accurate background - where the history is necessary to the storytelling and its setting. Highly recommended!
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Steve Howrie