When we Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishguro

From the book cover: The story is straightforward. It's telling remarkable. Christopher's voice is controlled, detailed and detached, its precision unsurprising in someone who has devoted his life to the examination of details and the rigors of objective thought. But within the layers of his narrative is slowly revealed when he can't or won't see: that his memory, despite what he wants to believe, is not unaffected by his childhood tragedies.

When we Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro was an interesting look into Shanghai in the 1930s. Christopher Banks, whose parents vanish when he is a child living in Shanghai, is taken to London where he becomes a detective of sorts. He later returns to Shanghai to solve the mystery/find his parents. At the time (1937)  conflicts raged between the Japanese and Chinese with the European settlements caught in the middle. I found many parts in the book confusing, and I didn't sense an urgency for Christopher to solve this mystery, but this would make a good book club read and plenty of discussion topics surrounding Shanghai at that time.