Al Sullivan, Berkeley detective of Irish and Mexican American heritage, war veteran, has a new case. It is 1944 and a prominent presidential candidate has been murdered in degrading fashion.in a prestigious San Francisco hotel. The investigation evokes a previous tragedy that took place in the same hotel ten years before, the death of a 7 year old child. The deeper the probe, the more suspicion falls on one or more of three society cousins.related to the dead child. The protagonist is a decent man and a good detective but easily duped by “charming” women of all ages. Amy Chua’s work has many twists and turns and supporting characters. Neither of these held my interest as did the extensive history of San Francisco and its people. I look forward to her second novel.

The Golden Gate by Amy Chua is an interesting mix of history and thriller. Set in the Bay area of California in 1944, the novel incorporates three different aspects into the telling of the story. Each of these provides information that is integral as the reader accompanies the lead detective on his quest for answers.

First is the accounting of an incident dating back to 1930, where two young children are playing hide and seek in the Claremont Hotel. Isabella, 6, and Iris, 8, often play at the hotel while their mother plays tennis on the hotel grounds. This time, however, Iris is found dead at the bottom of a hotel laundry chute.

The second aspect is the deposition from March of 1944 of Genevieve Bainbridge, an unreliable narrator, who has been told that one of her granddaughters is a murderer. Her testimony is necessary to clear two of the three women, each of whom may very well have committed the crime. Isabella (the surviving granddaughter from the Claremont incident), Nicole, and Cassie all become suspects and Mrs. Bainbridge is the one person with the knowledge necessary to help close the case.

The third aspect is the story of a crime involving Walter Wilkinson, a presidential candidate staying at the Claremont Hotel in March of 1944. The sound of a gunshot is reported by guests of the hotel and detective Al Sullivan is sent to investigate. He finds Mr. Wilkinson alive, but what happens after that sets off a chain of events that captivates the reader and draws them into the investigation. This story is central to this piece of historical fiction. Every bit of information given in the other two elements of the book will tie into this central plot as detective Al Sullivan sets out to solve the mystery that has been laid out for the reader.

Set during a time in American history between the Great Depression and World War II, the story brings to the forefront the disparity in living conditions between the haves and have nots and the bigotry that leads to racial passing. While sections of this novel read a bit like pages from a history book, the information provided is both interesting and, often, relevant to the story and its setting. This reader found herself drawn into the mystery and was trying to figure out the culprit until the very end.


Thank you to Minotaur Books, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for this ARC. Planned release date is 19 Sept. 2023

I really enjoyed the setting of the Bay Area, it was fun to read about the city in the 40s.

I did not like being jerked around having everyone and their mom (LITERALLY) be a suspect. I understand family trying to protect family, but jeez.

I truly enjoyed this book. The story is fast paced and the answer to “who dunnit” keeps the reader’s interest. Interspersed with the cast of characters living in 1930’s - 1940’s San Francisco is the significant attitude of the times and the racism towards both the Black and Oriental segments of the local population.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley.

With “The Golden Gate,” Yale Law School Professor Amy Chua—best-selling author of a number of non-fiction works (including “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”)—makes her debut as a novelist. She’s written a murder mystery wrapped inside a historical novel that takes place in the San Francisco Bay area mostly during the latter half of World War II. Clearly, Professor Chua has successfully transitioned from non-fiction to fiction.

Someone has just murdered industrialist and Presidential hopeful Walter Wilkinson in his suite at Berkley’s upscale Claremont Hotel. Now, it’s up to Berkley police detective Al Sullivan to discover who did it and bring them to justice. Could it be one of the beautiful, fabulously rich Stafford girls hailing from an old, revered San Francisco family? Or might the murder have something to do with Wilkinson’s apparent paramour, Madame Chiang Kai-shek, wife of the generalissimo battling Mao Tse Tung for the leadership of China? Or might it have been an agent, or agents, of the Japanese empire? Or was it somehow connected to the tragic death of a child some ten years earlier? Theories and false trails abound, rendering the novel somewhat lengthy and complex with many characters to keep straight.

On the positive side, the novel is well-written. The prose is clear and straightforward and engaging. The dialogue is believable and sometimes dramatic. Large sections of the novel are absorbing. The important characters have depth and complexity. Professor Chua is best when describing various aspects of California and Bay Area history. I learned a number of things I never knew. Those interested in the area’s history and development will enjoy her meticulous research.

Also, Professor Chua has included some intriguing elements of supernatural mystery as well as a goodly amount of research concerning police and detective procedures of the times. Fans of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Stephen King, and even Roman Polanski’s film “Chinatown” (which has a similar kind of layered complexity) may find much to enjoy here.

On the less positive side, I found the novel somewhat overlong and sometimes burdened by material that seemed superfluous, or at least condensable. In addition, Professor Chua has intertwined into her story various themes concerning race, gender, wealth, inequality, and unfair discrimination by whites toward non-whites. Today’s progressives may well find themselves nodding their heads in agreement with her observations. Present-day conservatives? Probably “not-so-much.” For me, the return to those themes again and again, at times, made the novel seem more a polemic than an enjoyable entertainment.

Nevertheless, “Golden Gate” is an impressive work that should appeal to readers interested in detective stories, “who-done-its,” and what the Bay Area was like during World War II.

My thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and Professor Chua for providing me with an electronic ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.

This is a exceptionally written debut historical novel that sweeps the reader through the 1940's history of the Bay area , the racial history , The opening of the Golden gate Bridge and a mysterious murder. Thank you to the publisher, Net Galley and the author for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own.

This is so well crafted you feel immersed in the history and plot from cover to cover. From the historical referances to race issues, the Bay area beauty and history and rich characters set the stage for a fantastic story. I enjoyed the suspense of the well crafted sleuth, the richness of descriptions of the Bay area and learning so much about the history that shapes this historic area of California. This is a must read and one of my favorite reads of 2023. Well done to the author. I look forward to further works by this talented author.

Amy Chua's debut as a historical mystery author is an admirable accomplishment. It's the story of the murder of a Presidential candidate and notorious philanderer in 1944, set in the beautiful Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, CA. The police detective investigating the murder wonders if there is a connection with the tragic death of 7-year-old Iris Bainbridge a decade earlier in the same hotel. There are those who believe Iris's spirit haunts the hotel and that she can be heard crying. Her younger sister, Isabella, didn't speak for months after the event, but in 1944 she has become a magazine journalist. The Bainbridges are a prominent Bay Area family, with several young heiresses who become persons of interest in the politician's death.

My favorite parts of the book are the glimpses into the history of California, and particularly San Francisco and the East Bay, even though they sometimes seem to stop the plot in its tracks. As someone who lived in the Bay Area for many years, I learned quite a bit that I didn't know about the history of that area. As for the mysteries, I'm all for a twisty plot, but in this case I felt there were too many twists, not to mention too many characters and subplots, to the point where I didn't really care about the outcome. The subplot about the detective's relationship with his 11-year-old niece is appealing, but I would have liked more depth to make these characters come alive on the page. The author is talented and shows a lot of promise, so I'm hoping her style will mature in her future novels.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

This book was a lot. And not necessarily a lot in a good way. This is a murder mystery set in California during the later years of World War II. This book and it's characters covers a cacophony of social, racial, and political topics. All of which ABSOLUTELY deserve representation, but the massive info-dump in every aspect made this very difficult to enjoy. I appreciate a good, unreliable character, but there were so many characters (reliable and unreliable) and I didn't like anyone, not even Miriam. Despite information overload, the history was very interesting. So interesting, in fact, it detracted from the plot and flow of the novel. I definitely kept whipping my head around trying to solve the crime, which kept me on board. I appreciate all of the effort put into this novel but I cannot say I enjoyed it. I encourage others to give it a try, it's definitely a different side of WWII fiction that desperately needs representation. Perhaps all of these historical facts and side references are more your jam than they are mine.

I received a galley of the Golden Gate in exchange for an honest review. I loved Amy Chua's book Political Tribes, so I was so excited to see she had written a mystery novel. I really enjoyed the mystery aspect enmeshed with the actual history. While the history felt a bit heavy handed at times, overall it did add to the context of the story and characters. Plus, it was a learning experience! One critique would be that I didn't feel like clues were dropped throughout the story so the reader could try to solve or theorize as we went along. Nonetheless, the ending was a good twist and I would definitely recommend this to friends.

The murder of a presidential candidate draws a lot of publicity and theories in the year 1944. Amy Chua invites the reader to take a trip through the 1930s and 40s as America deals with battles overseas and within to solve a murder that appears to be tied to a mystery more than a decade older. But to simplify this story to just a murder mystery would short change it. This is a story of mankind.

Three granddaughters. A strong grandmother. A dead politician. An insane woman. A dead sister. Communists sneaking around. The leader of China’s wife. Hidden Japanese. The rich. The poor. This is only the tip of the iceberg of the cast in this story. It will take a determined San Francisco police detective who has his own secrets as to his ethnic background to dig through generations of prejudice and the current law to discuss the truth. As he does, the reader finds more than just mystery.

This book is about people, culture, and the soul. The story takes long drives through the lives of the Asian population in America during World War II and how they had to live through strong prejudices and fight a society that turned against them. It detours through the Mexican culture, the poor workers who are usually ignored, and those who demanded rights for workers and are considered dangerous Communists. It looks into the darkness of a society and of individuals as they battle their greed, lust, and mental health. This is not simply a murder mystery story.

Looking for a read that will keep your book club talking? This is the book you have to choose. Reading one chapter will give you an evening’s worth of discussions. I honestly have no idea how you can just read this book and create a quick summary. It is too deep and thought-provoking to limit its desription to just a few sentences. Even a succinct review is impossible. This is a book for the ages that should become a classic. It should be a must read for anyone who wants a book that does more than tell a light-hearted story. I don’t usually read books more than once, but this is one I could read over and over.

Oh, and to the mystery in the story…. A great one. I could not figure out the truth of who did it, why, and how. Another score for the author.

Received this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
I liked the book, the story is told by Al a San Francisco detective . It takes place in 1944 and it felt like a film noir. Dark, mysterious, and at times quirky. The plot is good, and the story moves along and keeps you engaged. Found a couple of grammatical errors. Thought at times way to many twists and turns. By the time I was finished, and with out spoilers, I am still not convinced of the ending. Evidence pointing in too many directions, back and forth between several plot lines
I did some research regarding plate tectonics as it is mentioned a couple of times, and I am not convinced it was known in the 40's to have it included in the story. While the theory was first in print in 1915, it was not a conclusion, and not widely know until the 1960.
I really wanted to give 5 stars, but I think a bit of editing and corrections will make it more solid five star read.
I think a sequel is coming...

historical-novel, historical-figures, historical-research, history-and-culture, historical-setting, WW2, crime-thriller, mystery, murder-investigation, murder, family-dynamics, famous-persons, fanatics, due-diligence, law-enforcement, forensics, wealthy, multicultural, multigenerational, class-consciousness, riveting, psychiatry, cultural-differences, cultural-exploration, cultural-heritage*****

I am a history geek and love mysteries, so this was the perfect book for me.
Take an inspired fictional murder mystery and wrap it all around and about with historical research on everything San Francisco and California, and you have this terrific read. There is even a brief history of the development of forensics in the San Francisco police.
The publisher's blurb was a great hook for me, so I won't recount that nor do the spoiler thing despite the multiplicity of excellent threads in this well woven tale.
I hope that the author will continue with Detective Sullivan and his love of the Bay Area.
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This book is American historical fiction set in San Francisco during the early 1940s. This is a very good book although I thought there were too many subplots and as a result too many characters to keep track of in my mind. I think the author could have stayed with the murder theme and not expounded so much on the differences between the San Francisco rich and poor, the Japanese internment, along with other subjects, and still had a good book. The book is well written and there were several historical things mentioned I was not aware of happening at that time. The main character is a very likable man who was determined to solve a murder. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this first book of fiction from this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This mystery story is set in San Francisco during WWII, and the historical elements included are staggering in depth and detail. I found the characters engaging and the dialogue mostly realistic enough to keep me wanting to know what happens next. The protagonist, Al, has quite a lot going on with his mixed race background and family issues, but the author’s portrayal of him makes him feel like a real person instead of some clichéd hero. The plot is loosely based on some authentic events, as are several of the characters and moves at a decent pace. Definitely recommend this one!

I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed reading a book as much as I did this one. It is a mystery, thriller is a stretch, wrapped up in a historical fiction. The opening pages really grab your interest and with each new page you are trying to figure out how Iris’s death fits into the rest of the story. The historical aspects are well researched and woven nicely into the story, and I found that I was learning new facts about old topics. The issues of racism, poverty and wealth are the backdrop of the story and are presented in a matter of fact way, and not preachy that makes you feel it is being forced. It feels as though the author gathered so much information and then figured out how to wrap them up in a book that would be readable by a broad audience.

Al was a good narrator and reminded me of Philip Marlowe, I could definitely see this book being adapted for a movie. Some of the time spent chasing after the Bainbridge girls felt like filler and didn’t seem to add much to the overall conclusion, but was a great use of the “red herring” which is required in every good mystery. There were so many potential murderers it was hard to pick just one. Ultimately the rationale for how the body was found makes sense for only one character but that isn’t apparent until the very end.

Overall this is a great book and while I hate to use this term, I couldn’t put it down.

All opinions are my own and not influenced by the electronic ARC I received from the publisher St. Martin’s Press, through NetGalley.

My thanks to Katie Holt and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. I was excited to read this but was disappointed as I started it. It moved in so many different directions that it seemed disjointed. I didn’t finish it unfortunately.

Is their such a genre as historical mystery? If so The Golden Gate would fit it perfectly. This is an engrossing mystery as Detective Al Sullivan solves the murder of Walter Wilkinson. Along the way there is much information about racism, passing as white, Japanese internment camps and the geographic area of San Francisco. I might add that this is so incorporated into the story that it no way detracts from the plot. This is author Amy Chua's first foray into fiction and hopefully will not be her last.
#TheGoldnGate#NetGalley#MinotaurBooks

I don't typically read thrillers, but I absolutely loved this one! Wonderfully paced, Sullivan keeps the reader guessing all the while delving into pertinent political issues. An author to look out for!

Amy Chua's The Golden Gate was wonderfully written. Chua intertwined so many different storylines and details masterfully. I felt like there was a plot for everyone! There's a murder mystery and detective investigative work. There's an uncle struggling with what to do with his niece when his sister is deep in her drug addiction. There's a wealthy family. There's a family in poverty. There are deposition transcripts and trial action. There are immigrants doing their best to thrive in a system built to put them at a disadvantage. There's historical drama around the racist practices of Japanese confinement camps during WW2. There's imagery of opening day on the Golden Gate Bridge. This book has it all!


Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

The more she learned about the ‘30s-and-’40s era of her California-based novel, "The Golden Gate," author Amy Chua tells us in an afterword, the more she was struck by the "stark parallels" between America today and the Bay Area in the time of the Great Depression and World War II. Bigotry was rampant and shameless back then, as now, she notes, and the poor, also like now, starved on the streets while the rich spent like there was no tomorrow – plus ca change, as the French say.
But more than being very much relevant to our own times, her book is a meticulously crafted recreation of a particular time and place, where there really was a Claremont Hotel, which features prominently enough in her novel to be almost a character in its own right. And the house where Chua’s parents resided, she tells us in the afterword, was also lived in for a time, as in the novel, by the First Lady of China, Madame Chiang Kai-shek, who for whatever reason was in the Berkeley area in the '30s, when she was rumored to have had an affair with presidential contender Wendell Wilkie, whose initials match those of a prominent figure in Chua's novel, Walter Wilkinson. And, furthering the parallels, Wilkinson is depicted as a presidential contender who also is said to have had an affair with the Chinese Madame.
But the parallels end there, with the fictional Wilkinson, unlike the real-life Wilkie, being killed at the Claremont in a shooting which the responding detective learns is apparently tied to the death of a small girl who fell down a laundry chute at the Claremont some years before and whose ghost is even said to still be haunting the hotel.
An intriguing setup, to be sure, which certainly kept me reading, even though mysteries aren’t usually my cup of tea. Not that I can’t get as caught up in a good mystery as much as the next person, I cut my reading teeth, after all, on Sherlock Holmes and the Hardy Boys, but I’ve come over the years to be put off by the artifice or contrivance of mysteries, with Chua's novel being no exception. For instance, the actual murder of Wilkinson follows an earlier incident just hours before at the hotel when someone seemingly attempted to shoot him but missed, with the bullet ending up in the wall. Even so, a very-much-alive Wilkinson tells the responding detective that he's been murdered, something which actually comes to pass a short time later, when the detective is called back to the scene to find Wilkinson very much dead this time, with his pants pulled down and his mouth stuffed with sundry items.
An engrossing mystery, as I say, even if I found the solution somewhat unsatisfying and even, as with so many other mysteries I’ve read, somewhat confusing. I’m still scratching my head, for instance, as to exactly why Wilkinson says what he does after the first shooting incident, and the explanation for those objects stuffed in his mouth seemed unsatisfying and even something of a red herring.
Still, even with the novel's implausibilities in the way of most mysteries, the book was engrossing enough to keep me reading, even if I found myself more intrigued with the non-mystery aspects of the novel, including a particularly fascinating section for me on California's sequoias, about which I learned they shed needles onto their branches to such an extent that whole ecosystems are created hundreds of feet off the ground. Plus there's fascinating detail in the book about the Mexican Repatriation as well as the internment of American Japanese, both of which were more interesting to me than the actual mystery.
Still, as I've said, the gumshoe element held my attention well enough, especially with its depiction of an endearing relationship between the cop and his young niece, who has been fobbed off on him by his irresponsible half-sister and has him ruminating on the responsibility of one person for another – the sort of psychological probing I’d have liked to have seen more of. But there’s still a good deal about the relationship, which, along with the book's central mystery and historical detail, made for a compelling read.