The Golden Gate

Reviews / Votes

Historical detective noir at its best. A vividly intoxicating story weaves the political landscape of post-war California together with the mystery and humanity of a notoriously tragic upper class family. A multi-layered read with something to say. Intelligent, surprising and satisfying. I can't believe this is a debut! -- Janice Hallett An epic, devastating, majestic mystery. The Golden Gate is clever, richly imagined and outright thrilling. -- Chris Whitaker Brimful of plot, packed with intriguing characters ... a riveting homage to American crime noir. * Daily Mail * All the elements I love in a mystery: A tough-guy homicide detective, an entrancing femme fatale, family secrets, a fabulous building in a beautiful city in a great time period, a touch of Agatha Christie, and a soupcon of Dashiell Hammett. And Amy Chua's terrific writing provides the icing. -- Lisa See An intriguing mystery * Sunday Times * An atmospheric page-turner * Prima * A tour de force of a novel. Brilliantly detailed, unflinching and supercharged with colour and character. Bravo -- Elizabeth Buchan A sharp, stylish and fascinating mystery novel that brings to life the grit, glamour and complexity of 1940s America -- Anna Mazzola A richly satisfying historical mystery that draws on its setting for more than mere atmosphere * Publishers Weekly * A sumptuous, rollercoaster of a read. Beautifully and intricately plotted, it reads like James Ellroy decided to channel Raymond Chandler and set a story in golden age San Francisco. I whizzed through it in two days and didn't want it to end. -- Simon Toyne A vividly recreated setting and period ... the tough, laconic, tender voice of Chua's protagonist is entirely convincing ... a telling portrait of the divisions between rich and poor, white and non-white ... I'll look forward to whatever Amy Chua writes next. -- Nicholas Clee, BookBrunch Satisfyingly twisty, highly educational and lots of fun * Kirkus, starred review * A riveting mystery ... Chua skilfully creates tension * Booklist * A successful, compelling mashup of California history, ghost story, family drama and social commentary * Library Journal * Rich and satisfying ... an entertaining read * Seattle Times * A tough guy with room for gentleness... Detective Al Sullivan and his crew are a joy, introducing us to a Bay Area that is both intimately familiar and surprisingly new. -- Laurie R. King