City of Devils

“In City of Devils, Mr. French burrows into the unsavory side of the metropolis, focusing on the less photogenic elements of the age: drugs, guns, gangs, gambling and graft. In contrast to the sort of hazy nostalgia that elides many sordid tales of old Shanghai, “City of Devils” casts a sharp, clear light on the shady characters who—no less than their legitimate counterparts—played a role in creating Shanghai’s now-mythic golden age.”—Maura Cunningham, Wall Street Journal

"City of Devils is classified as “literary non-fiction," which basically means that it’s a well-told, well-written historical narrative. Set in a nearly lawless Shanghai in the 1930s, the book follows two self-made men (“Lucky Jack” Riley, the slots king of Shanghai, and “Dapper Joe” Farren, the ringleader of a series of nightclubs) as they rise, then fall, in a true-crime noir set in a debauched city on the eve of its own downfall."—James Tarmy, Bloomberg

“City of Devils is more than just Jack and Joe’s stories. It’s the story of old Shanghai. It’s the story of racial and class divides. It’s the story of a city between world wars and the fall of the “Paris of the Orient” during the second."—Criminal Element

“In addition to this suspenseful yarn, the author paints a striking portrait of a Shanghai on the eve of Japanese occupation . . . A Casablanca without heroes and just the thing for those who like their crime stories the darkest shade of noir.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“In French’s wonderfully atmospheric portrait, Shanghai is a tapestry of grungy dive bars, swanky nightspots, drunken soldiers, brazen showgirls, Chinese gangsters, corrupt cops, and schemers like “Evil Evelyn,” a madam who enticed wealthy wives with gigolos and blackmailed them with the resulting photos…. French’s two-fisted prose…makes this deep noir history unforgettable.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review