Detective Al Sullivan investigates homicides in Berkeley, California. In 1944, A charismatic presidential contender named Walter Wilkinson is killed not just once but twice. Sullivan will take significant risks to solve riddles rooted in California's most sinister past. Sullivan faces off against individuals who possess wealth, sex, and power to solve the crime.

Aside from the murder inquiry stated above, "Golden Gate" delves into the history of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. The court received the majority of the details surrounding the crime from a 62-year-old wealthy and powerful woman who provided an exceptional deposition in the court's endeavor to identify which of her three granddaughters committed the murder.

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing an eARC to me. My review is voluntary, and the opinions are my own. I recommend this book for fans of Amy Chua, murder mysteries, historical mysteries, and historical thrillers.

This riveting historical crime novel feels a bit like Dashiell Hammett or another noir detective writer.
. . . You sense the police corruption
. . . You feel the so ial stratification.
. . . And, you can really visualize the sultry femme fatals who populate the story.

Amy Chua has a gift of bringing her characters tonlife and she has created an alluring detective ( with very few fatal flaws). But, perhaps the most compelling character is the detective’s 13 year-old niece. She is a model for precious heroines in literature and I just couldnt get enough of her.

“The Golden Gate” is the debut novel by author, Amy Chua. Chua has commendations for her non-fiction work, but her foray into fiction is equally deserving. “Gate” is a deep-dive into the broken immigration system that existed in California during the Second World War (not that it has improved much, today) with deep rooted themes of Communism and classism, all set to an engaging plot of intrigue, murder and a police investigation.
It is 1944 and Detective Al Sullivan finds himself on the investigative team for the assassination of presidential candidate, Walter Wilkinson, who was shot dead in his hotel room at the glamorous Claremont hotel. As Sullivan investigates, he finds himself caught in political turmoil when witnesses admit that a young woman was seen leaving Wilkinson’s room late at night. Not just any young woman, however, but a member of the Bainbridge family, and the heiress to their fortune. Sullivan is told by the D.A to silence the investigation and follow the leads that have Sullivan pointing blame at the local Chinese community, to align with the nations’ current biased opinions. When Sullivan discovers that one of the Bainbridge heiresses died on the Claremont grounds when she was a young child, the connections become even more entangled and Sullivan’s doubts only grow as his suspect pool increases.
The story is divided into three parts, and Detective Sullivan narrates the novel entirely. Although there are some segments that are told from the matriarch of the Bainbridge family, through a written deposition, the majority explores Sullivan’s experiences. Sullivan is a unique character in his own right with his own prejudicial experiences and trauma, as a young half-Mexican child and also as an adult who intentionally covers up his nationality to his friends and colleagues. To endear the young detective even more to his readers, Sullivan takes in his mixed-race young niece, after her mother abandons her. If there was a better hero for a novel like this, I have yet to meet him.
Chua takes some time away from the plot to detail the history of San Francisco, both in its architecture and its relationship with immigrants. Not only is this informational, but it provides a background to the characters and to the political setting at the time, which only emphasizes the tension and creativity of Chua’s engaging plot.
“Gate” is based loosely on characters that existed in that location during the War, and Chua outlines these details in the “author’s notes”. There are plenty of characters, and all of them are related through interconnected channels in one way or the other, but they all serve a necessary purpose so if you can keep track of all of the goings-on, “Gate” is sure to delight. This is the debut novel that will be talked about for its poignancy and relevance, and I look forward to anything more Chua has to offer.

After doubts in the first few chapters, I was pleasantly surprised by this debut mystery by famed non-fiction author Amy Chua. Set in Spring 1944, with flashbacks to events in the 30s that have an impact on the investigation that is the focus of the novel, Chua explores layers of social status and life experiences with a multi-faceted philosophical detective leading the way. While there is A LOT going on in this novel, and the history component at times feels a little heavy handed for fiction, I was invested in the plot. At times, it feels like a crazy quilt, but Chua pulls together the pieces and unfolds the mystery in a satisfying manner by the end.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, Netgalley, and the Amy Chua for early access to this book.

Genre: is it a murder mystery? A police procedural? A family drama? Historical fiction? Ghost story?

Theme: is it about secrets? Betrayal? Race? Poverty? Mental illness? Privilege?

Everything but the kitchen sink has been thrown into this story: the Lincoln Highway, building of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Chinese tongs, politics, longshoreman union violence, communist movement, Nob Hill family privilege, expulsion of Mexicans in 1920’s, the Chinese exclusion act, murder, divorce, etc

My brain cells hurt trying to keep it all straight. At times, the easy racism used by so many characters was grating. I get it - the story takes place in 1944, but the casualness of it wasn’t for me. I finished it. I was mildly entertained but also constantly irritated so there’s that.

I love historical mysteries!!! This murder mystery set in a San Francisco hotel is told in snarky, yet sophisticated manor rarely seen by debut authors. The dual perspectives of Al (the investigator) and the deposition of Genevive kept me hooked and intrigued.

Heads up for fans of historical fiction who also enjoy a mystery. The Golden Gate comes out in September and explores the storied history of Berkeley and San Francisco set against a murder mystery. The level of historical information was a bit much for my mystery-loving mind.

This book was a hard one to get through. The historical aspects of this book were done well, and you can tell that the author did research on that. This book was labeled as thriller and mystery, but it fell short on the thriller aspect and struggled with the mystery aspect. This book is good for people who are interested in the history of 1940s California Bay area but judging this book as a thriller you might not really enjoy it.

A multicultural twist on WWII, with a spellbinding debut that involves the assassination of a presidential candidate in Berkeley, California, in 1944, investigated by mixed race detective Al Sullivan. A must read for histfic mystery/thriller lovers!

"Amy Chua's debut novel, The Golden Gate, is a sweeping, evocative, and compelling historical thriller that paints a vibrant portrait of a California buffeted by the turbulent crosswinds of a world at war and a society about to undergo massive change.

In Berkeley, California, in 1944, Homicide Detective Al Sullivan has just left the swanky Claremont Hotel after a drink in the bar when a presidential candidate is assassinated in one of the rooms upstairs. A rich industrialist with enemies among the anarchist factions on the far left, Walter Wilkinson could have been targeted by any number of groups. But strangely, Sullivan's investigation brings up the specter of another tragedy at the Claremont, ten years earlier: the death of seven-year-old Iris Stafford, a member of the Bainbridge family, one of the wealthiest in all of San Francisco. Some say she haunts the Claremont still.

The many threads of the case keep leading Sullivan back to the three remaining Bainbridge heiresses, now adults: Iris's sister, Isabella, and her cousins Cassie and Nicole. Determined not to let anything distract him from the truth - not the powerful influence of Bainbridges' grandmother, or the political aspirations of Berkeley's district attorney, or the interest of China's First Lady Madame Chiang Kai-Shek in his findings - Sullivan follows his investigation to its devastating conclusion.

Chua's page-turning debut brings to life a historical era rife with turbulent social forces and groundbreaking forensic advances, when race and class defined the very essence of power, sex, and justice, and introduces a fascinating character in Detective Sullivan, a mixed race former Army officer who is still reckoning with his own history."

I can never get enough of San Francisco, especially when it's Historical Fiction with a slice of reality.

It's the spring of 1944 in Berkeley, California and presidential candidate Walter Wilkinson is shot to death in the upscale Claremont Hotel. But as Detective Al Sullivan (of mixed heritage but passing as White) starts to investigate, connections begin to surface between this murder and the death of seven-year-old Iris Stafford ten years ago. But the Bainbridge family, one of the Bay Area's wealthiest and to which Iris belonged, is closing ranks and sending Sullivan on one false trail after another. But when Madame Chiang Kai-Shek (China's First Lady) becomes connected, the whole situation could blow up in Sullivan's face, or worse--be used to further the injustice being perpetrated all around him.

Wow! I want to say that this one felt like an "old police detective novel" without really knowing why or what that really means. It gave me Dragnet or Philip Marlow, hard-boiled vibes, but that more people could relate to (read: not WASPy-male character-driven). There is soooo much historical insight into California history and San Francisco Bay-Area procedural of the 1930's and WWII. But it in no way drags down the plot--rather, it enriches it. The primary voice was realistic and achingly human, but there were multiple points of view including legal documents and interviews. I can't even begin to talk about how the unreliability of some characters and narration drove the plot forward and tangled the web all around my mind and my feelings. It's an insightful story about race and class and sexuality and discrimination and justice and I can't recommend it enough. This was such a great debut that I can't but hope for another!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for my advance electronic version. All opinions expressed are my own.

“The Golden Gate” by Amy Chua ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Historical Fiction Thriller. Location: Berkeley, California, USA. Time: 1944.

Former Army officer Al Sullivan is a Berkeley Homicide Detective. His dad was Mexican and part Jewish. His mom was an “Okie”- a poor white migrant from the Dust Bowl. He may be a wounded veteran, but as a mixed race person in 1940s Berkeley, Al deals with a lot of prejudice. These days we think of Berkeley as an ultra-liberal, accepting city. But in the ‘40s, you couldn’t find a city more color-coded and prejudiced.

It’s 1944 and Al has just left the swanky Claremont hotel bar when Walter Wilkinson, former presidential candidate, is assassinated there. As Al investigates, he finds links to another death at the Claremont: the 1930 death of 7-year-old Iris Stafford-a member of the wealthy Bainbridge family. There are 3 Bainbridge heiresses left: Iris’ sister Isabella (Issy) Stafford, and twin cousins Cassie and Nicole. Al follows his investigation despite the powerful influence of the Bainbridges’ grandmother, the Berkeley district attorney’s political aspirations, and Chinese first lady Madame Chiang Kai-Shek’s interest in the case.

Author Chua has written a fascinating tale of a racially and socially complicated time in California history. Her writing brings the character of Al alive as he works through the roadblocks to his investigation. For background, she gives us Mrs Bainbridge’s memories of her children and grandchildren’s privileged yet unhappy lives. She’s done a great deal of research, and grounds her story by adding in historical details such as the forced “repatriations“ of Mexicans to give jobs to white workers, the infamous Japanese internment, and the impact of capitalism on ethnic and immigrant groups.

You may think you know the outcome, but Chua throws twist after twist into the plot, so you might just be surprised. I changed my mind about the killer’s identity several times, and that’s a sign of a really clever plot! It’s 5 stars from me 🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur, NetGalley, and Amy Chua for this early ecopy!

My thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur for allowing me to review this arc and to the special invitation I received to review this.

This was a good, well written book, but I think there were too many details crammed in the story that lost me a bit. I wish there was one focus and not jumping between Mrs Bainbridge s testimony, the death of the child, Wainwright s murder, and the Chinese and Japanese plot points. Too much but not a bad book.

This book was "OK".......the setting time/place is interesting, but I felt the plot was a bit convoluted and relied more on history than originality.

The Golden Gate is a debut historical mystery that at times reads like a hard boiled crime novel and at others like a ghost story and at others like a family drama.
A former presidential candidate, a hard core capitalist, is killed at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, California in 1944. His murder is investigated by Al Sullivan. The crime seems to hark back to another death in the hotel - one from ten years earlier of a seven year old girl, Iris, one of a pair of twins of the wealthy Bainbridge family.
I loved the writing style. At times brusque, reminiscent of Dashiell Hammett, but Chua also has the ability to throw in intriguing historical facts without disrupting the flow of the story. Chua’s writing has a trait of dark, snarky humor with a vein of realism. “You can’t trust newspapers, but there’s one subject they’re good at - hate. First they whip it up, then they report on it.”
The story alternates between Al’s investigation, the deposition of Mrs. Genevieve Bainbridge, the girl’s grandmother, and Iris’s visits to her sister, Issy, during different time periods. It works to keep the reader off balance, trying to see how everything will come together. And it did work. Right up until the end, and then, it’s one unbelievable plot point after another. <spoiler> Genevieve being given the cassock by the monks really ruined the ending for me. </spoiler> Still I, awarding this four stars as it was so good up until the last 5% of the story.
Chua has obviously done her research. I’m a gal who loves to learn something when I read. I’m always pleasantly surprised when that occurs in a mystery. The Author’s Note spells out the stories (events, people) that the book is loosely based on. Chua crams a lot of social issues into the story - passing, bigotry, child labor, social, monetary and racial divisions. I thought this worked well. But people looking for just an entertaining mystery may find it all a bit too much.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

First and foremost, thank you to Minotaur Books for providing me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly this book was a miss for me. I never could get into the story. It was a bit too discombobulated for me and didn’t hold my interest. I didn’t like any of the characters, and found them rather annoying. I did enjoy the historical elements that were woven in, I just wish the story would have given me more.

I did ultimately DNF this book and will not be leaving review outside of netgalley.

I would pick up another book by this author in the future.

[arc review]
Thank you to Minotaur Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Golden Gate releases September 19, 2023

This debut is a historical murder mystery set in San Francisco, interspersed with multiple pov’s, mixed media through deposition transcripts, and dual timelines (1930 + 1944).

In 1930, we’re told of the death of a young girl named Iris who fell down a laundry chute, from the lens of her sister Issy who at the time was hiding in an armoire in the same hotel.
It’s said that Iris haunts this hotel to this day, but is that true?

In 1944, through the perspective of a male detective, we work through the brutal murders of a presidential candidate and a Chinese woman — one of which happened at the same hotel as previously mentioned.
Are these two murders connected to each other? Who is the leading suspect? What does this have to do with the Bainbridge girls from 1930?

While the murder mysteries were very compelling, I found that this was bogged down with too much history and backstory, which I think can be attributed to Chua’s background as a non-fiction writer.
I’d be interested in seeing how Chua’s voice in fiction evolves from here!

I can definitely see this adapting really well to be a limited noir timepiece tv series.

cw: mentions suicide attempt, graphic murder, animal butchering, child labour, mentions rape and other graphic situations, cheating

From Shelf Awareness PRO, July 25 2023:

The Golden Gate transports readers back to 1940s San Francisco in a well-plotted and clever whodunit that pits a tough-guy murder detective against one of the city's wealthiest families. It's a story that sheds light on the many ways that race and class play into the history of the West Coast town and the United States judicial system writ large.

Detective Al Sullivan is enjoying a drink with a pretty girl at the upscale Claremont Hotel when he's told there's been a murder upstairs in one of the guest rooms. The victim proves to be none other than a much-maligned presidential candidate with a laundry list of enemies in town. One of the suspects turns out to be the girl Sullivan had been out on the town with that same evening, also a member of the Bainbridge family, part of San Francisco's elite. As clues lead Sullivan to believe that the murder of the politician is connected to the unexplained death of one of the young Bainbridge daughters a decade earlier, he finds himself caught up in a murky, tangled investigation full of twists and turns that keep him--and readers--guessing to the very end.

Amy Chua (Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother), best known for her nonfiction, brings a keen eye for historical detail to her debut novel, filling The Golden Gate with trivia about San Francisco's growth as a port and then a bustling well-to-do city, as rife with elements of racism and classism as elsewhere in the U.S. Within this historical context, Chua expertly draws in elements of classic noir fiction: a tough-guy detective with a soft spot for loved ones and beautiful women; a femme fatale (or in this case, three of them); and a conclusion that, while not neat or pat or even happy, is satisfying in its explanation of what had seemed inexplicable. Sullivan makes the perfect moody protagonist for this kind of whodunit mystery, set in the equally moody and appropriate setting of a stunning U.S. city known for its incredible fog: "I put my collar up, pulled my hat brim down, and set off through the drizzle, wondering how much I'd been played in the last seventy-two hours and by how many different women." Weaving elements of family drama and long-held secrets, political whims and machinations, international relations, race, class, and power with the history of San Francisco and well-loved noir tropes, The Golden Gate is a stunning debut novel. --Kerry McHugh, freelance reviewer

Shelf Talker: A well-plotted and clever whodunit from the author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother pits a tough-guy murder detective against one of San Francisco's wealthiest families.

The Golden Gate plot revolves around the murder of a high- profile politician in his hotel room at The Claremont Hotel in San Francisco and the wealthy families involved in the plot. We get to read about the elite San Fran and the downside San Fran: the wealthy who live above the city on Nob Hill and the poor who do their bidding. The story takes place in the 1940’s amidst the shameful era of Japanese internment. The issues of racism, poverty and wealth are portrayed in such a way that it really feels like they’re factual and not made up.

I loved the character of Al Sullivan, the wily homicide detective in charge of the case. He’s kind of like the typical”gumshoe” detective and very determined to get to the bottom of the murder. Al narrates the story and it was a pleasure to read. Almost like Dragnet on TV, eons ago.

This book is a mystery as well as a historical fiction. I learned so much about San Francisco and its history reading this book. The historical aspects are well researched and Chua weaves them well into the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Golden Gate and I hope Amy Chua brings us more adventures of Al Sullivan and his niece.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for my ARC. Highly recommend this book!

This debut novel had my attention from the start! It has been awhile since I have read a true detective novel and this book reminded me how wonderful they can be. The murder takes place in the upscale Claremont hotel in the 1940s and all kinds of connections unfold with a socialite family. The detective slowly unravels the story with some twists here and there. The socialite's matriarch writes letters/statements to the police and we slowly get to see these throughout the book. We get a shocking conclusion in the end.

The detective in the story is a likeable character with an interesting backstory. He helps take care of his 11 year old niece who is headed down a risky path. It adds a nice dynamic to the story.

The author spreads out California history and social changes throughout the book. It made the book stand out for me. I loved reading all the different cultural history and hardship throughout the book. We got a history lesson without knowing we were getting one. This book will stay with me for some time and I highly recommend it. Thank you Netgalley for this wonderful read.