The Shanghai Moon

 

By S. J. Rozan

Shortly before the start of World War II, Rosalie Gilder and her younger brother Paul have left Europe and have fled to Shanghai, China, which was one of the few countries in the world that was willing to accept Jewish refugees. While on board the ship to China, Rosalie met a Chinese man, Chen Kai-rong. They struck up a friendship and a few years after arriving in China, she and Chen were married. To commemorate their union, they had a brooch made that combined a jade disk from the Chen family and diamonds from the Gilder family which came to be called the Shanghai Moon.

The Chens and the Gilders all suffered during the war and during the unsettled times after the Communist takeover of China. Rosalie died in China but her brother Paul eventually moved to the United States, as did Rosalie and Kai-rong's son, Chen Lao-li. During the years of turmoil, the brooch disappeared and rumors of its beauty and value have grown over the passing decades.

Lydia Chin is a private detective who lives in the New York City area. A friend, Joel Pilarsky, asks her to help a woman from Germany locate the relatives of the Gilder family, all of whom, except for Rosalie and Paul, died by the hands of the Nazis. A box of jewels was recently discovered in Shanghai, valued at several thousand dollars that belonged to Rosalie and Paul Gilder, and the woman, Alice Fairchild, wants to reunite these jewels with Gilder relatives. The box of jewels does not contain the Shanghai Moon which has been missing since Rosalie died in China. The newly found box of jewels were stolen by a Chinese official who is believed to had come to New York City to sell them. However, Lydia has barely begun her investigation when Joel is murdered. And it seems to be for more than just the Gilder jewelry, as rumors of the Shanghai Moon are once again popping up. Lydia decides to continue her investigation despite being fired by Alice Fairchild. Lydia has become intrigued by the Shanghai Moon and she is also set on finding the person who murdered her friend.

This was an OK read, although a bit slow. Much of it centers around the Gilders and the Chens in China in the 1940s. Some of the story is presented in the form of Rosalie's letters. Peoples letters in stories is one the things I most dislike reading. I just find them tedious. 

The Lydia Chin detective series is a new one to me but is rather extensive. This book would probably be more interesting to those who are familiar with the series.

Here is a review by Kirkus Reviews.