Charles Clement

CHARLES CLEMENT is a former foreign correspondent in Asia who enjoyed many memorable adventures in Shanghai—including several lively evenings in the Seamen’s Club, a long-faded remnant of The Shanghai Club that only boasts but a small section of the once noteworthy Long Bar. Clement’s interests include film noir, coffee, and Shelties.

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This work represents a combination of my interests: the Art Deco age, my favorite mainland city (Shanghai), Chinese culture, history, and whodunits. When I was a reporter in Shanghai, I was fascinated to hear from people, such as World War II veterans, who had known the city prior to 1949 and could still find their way around town. Although the names had changed, most streets and buildings remained intact despite the passage of many decades.

I became intrigued with the notion of using historical research to recreate Shanghai as it existed in 1929—so someone who lived there then could travel back in time to re-experience that era. The photos throughout reinforce descriptions in the book. For instance, when I describe a character wearing a wooden cangue round his neck, you see what that punishment was really like.

Other aspects stem from my experiences as a journalist in Asia. (A friend shared childhood stories about growing up in the French Concession.)

I’m also enormously interested in the rich Chinese culture and enjoyed weaving in Taoist beliefs into the character of a hardened gangster.