'The Devil of Nanking' by Mo Hayder is a haunting and thought-provoking novel that delves into the atrocities of the Nanjing Massacre in 1937. The story follows Grey, an English woman obsessed with uncovering the truth about the massacre, and Shi Chongming, a Chinese professor who holds a key piece of evidence. As Grey navigates through Tokyo, she finds herself entangled in a dangerous mission involving an old Yakuza boss and a mysterious Chinese folk remedy. The narrative weaves together themes of history, war, love, and mental health, culminating in a gripping and heart-wrenching tale that explores the depths of human darkness and redemption.
The writing style of 'The Devil of Nanking' is described as beautifully written, deeply disturbing, and meticulously paced. The author, Mo Hayder, skillfully blends elements of crime fiction, mystery, and horror, creating a narrative that leaves a lasting impact on the reader. The characters, including the protagonist Grey, the Chinese professor, and the menacing Yakuza boss, are vividly portrayed, each with their own dark secrets that contribute to the overall atmosphere of tension and suspense.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book contains graphic depictions of violence, trauma, and themes surrounding the Nanking Massacre, which are potentially triggering.
From The Publisher:
Taut, gritty, sexy, and harrowing, The Devil of Nanking is an incomparable literary thriller set in one of the world's most fascinating cities-Tokyo-from an internationally best-selling author.
Internationally best-selling author Mo Hayder's two previous novels have won her a reputation for harrowing, haunting, and pitch-perfect thriller writing. Taut, gritty, and sexy, her new novel, The Devil of Nanking-already a finalist for Britain's Dagger Award-takes the reader on an electrifying literary ride from the decadent hostess bars and palatial apartments of yakuza kingpins in Tokyo, to deep inside the secret history of one of the twentieth century's deadliest, most shameful events-the Nanking massacre.
Grey has a lot to prove and even more to hide. A young Englishwoman obsessed with a past she cannot understand, she comes to Tokyo seeking a rare piece of film footage that has been lost for decades, showing a specific horrifying incident during the notorious 1937 Nanking Massacre. Some say the film never existed. Only one man can help Grey. A survivor of the massacre, he is now a visiting professor at the university of Todai in Tokyo. Immersed in his textbooks and wary of strangers, he will at first have nothing to do with her.
When Grey accepts a job as a hostess in an upscale nightclub catering to Japanese businessmen and wealthy yakuza, she meets a certain gangster who may be the key to her quest-an old man in a wheelchair surrounded by a terrifying entourage, rumored to rely on a mysterious elixir for his continued health. As the professor pressures Grey to find out more about the elixir, Grey's housemate, a handsome, laconic American dilettante, becomes unnervingly fascinated with her and the troubling past that she has kept concealed from everyone else. Grey is faced with the serious dangers of charming her way into a circle of gangsters, master manipulators, and possible murderers. It's a devil's bargain-but who, really, is the Devil of Nanking?
With the redolent atmosphere of an Ian Rankin and the spine-chilling characters of a Thomas Harris, The Devil of Nanking is a tour de force that confirms Mo Hayder as one of the literary thriller's most accomplished, terrifying, and thoroughly entertaining rising stars.
Ratings (7)
Incredible (2) | |
Loved It (2) | |
Liked It (1) | |
It Was OK (2) |
Reader Stats (14):
Read It (7) | |
Want To Read (4) | |
Not Interested (3) |
What can you read after
The Devil of Nanking?
About the Author:
Mo Hayder's jobs included filmmaker, Tokyo nightclub hostess, and English language teacher in Asia. She was also the author of Birdman; The Treatment; The Devil of Nanking, winner of the Elle Magazine crime fiction prize; Pig Island, shortlisted for the Barry Award for Best British Crime Novel; Ritual, shortlisted both for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award and for the coveted Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award; Skin; and Gone; as well as the winner of the 2011 Crime Writers' Association Dagger in the Library award for outstanding body of work. She passed away in 2021 at the age of 59.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.
