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Product Description

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.

From Publishers Weekly
A nameless American who lives in Shanghai is recruited by a secret U.S. agency known as HQ to infiltrate a Chinese business conglomerate, the CEO of which may have ties to Chinese intelligence. But as he settles into his life undercover, he comes to learn that nothing is what it seems, and any wrong move could cost him everything. Stephen Bowlby adopts the perfect tone in this audio edition. His dry, laconic delivery of the unidentified hero's tale conveys the world-weariness of a man who has seen it all and, in the retelling of his story, is not surprised by the perfidiousness of the men and women of his past. Bowlby's characters are distinct and he differentiates between each of them subtly, never going over the top into caricature. Fans of McCarry will be as pleased, both with this latest outing and with Bowlby's smooth, professional reading. A Head of Zeus hardcover. (June)
From Booklist
*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
Review

A Barry Award Finalist for Best Thriller

'Thanks to Mr. McCarry's seamless style,
The Shanghai Factor unfolds with compelling speed, propelled by intriguing incidents, well-drawn characters and authentic-ringing spy