Elizabeth Wilson Notes Old Shanghai Dodginess Once Again

Last year I noted in a post a few references to old Shanghai in popular culture – Elizabeth Wilson’s War Damage (Serpent’s Tail, 2009) was one examples, a great novel that takes the reader to post-war Hampstead where the Bohemian set are getting started again after six years of fighting the Nazis. One suspect immediately shoots up the “most likely to be guilty of something” list when it is mentioned that he had spent many years before the war in Shanghai, in antiques or something. Clearly someone who needs further investigation. A cracking read.

Now Elizabeth Wilson is back with a new novel and it’s even better – The Girl in Berlin – as well as being a really atmospheric spy thriller set in 1951 amid the scandals of the Burgess and Maclean scandals. And Shanghai gets another mention to cement it’s well deserved reputation!! One rather louche female character from  the upper classes – Reggie – is described as, “…one of those women who somehow acquired lots of husbands. There was a mystery about her first, pre-war one, met in Shanghai.” Oh those dodgy chaps you meet in old Shanghai!