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 turnA young unnamed spy is living in Shanghai in order to observe and absorb the culture and language so as to aid a shadowy US 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 HQs enemiesSoon 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 GuoanbuSoon the spy finds that HQ isnt 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 hes 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 EastWest balance of power.
