Rating: 
Summary: Four hundred pages of unrelenting tension....
Review: I was totally caught up in "The Master of Rain." For hundreds of pages I shared with the young hero the confusion of literally not knowing what was going on, who if anyone could be trusted. I've read the publishers' reviews Amazon has posted, and know that they criticize the book for flawed/hackneyed writing in spots and for a failure to capture Shanghai's atmosphere in any detail. But for me, Tom Bradby did a fantastic job of capturing the atmosphere of the EXPATRIATE's Shanghai, quite a different matter, and sustaining an almost unbearable tension to the very last paragraph. This is one gripping book!!
Rating:
Summary: a gripping, haunting and compelling read
Review: Reading "The Master of Rain" is a bit like immersing yourself in a really good and gripping black and white American noir flick from the '40s. The ingredients are all there: a prostitute is found brutally murdered, and the young policeman (Richard Field, fresh off the boat from Yorkshire) assigned to this his first major murder case, is determined to prove himself and to discover who perpetrated this heinous crime, no matter what. But then there is the complication of the murdered woman's beautiful neighbour (Natasha Medvedev), with whom Field finds himself perilously drawn to, and who has her own share of painful and dangerous secrets to hide...Field soon finds himself trying to navigate through waters he doesn't quite understand. To begin, the police department (a multinational concern) is split up into two rival departments -- Special Branch that deals mainly with the communist threat, and the Criminal Division which deals with all other types of crime, like murder, theft, etc -- that are at odds with each other. Neither division quite trusts the other, and each suspects the other of consorting with the local crime lord, Lu Huang. Field has been assigned to Special Branch, but finds himself seconded to the Criminal Branch for the duration of this investigation into the murder of Lena Orlov. The ritualistic and savage manner with which the murder was carried out suggests that the murderer has struck before, and that he will strike again. In the face of public apathy (after all the victim was only another Russian prostitute), Field soon finds that his only allies to solving this murder happen to be the two detectives he's currently working with, Caprisi and Chen. But the more they investigate, the more evidence they uncover of corruption and criminal activity. No one seems above board. Alone in a land whose politics and culture he doesn't quite understand, and finding himself being constantly advised by everyone to trust no one, and to be careful of what his actions will wrought, Field soon finds himself even beginning to doubt both Caprisi and Chen. As one character in the book states, people come to Shanghai to either escape their past, or else to enrich themselves. Can Field afford to trust his partners? And will they be able to apprehend Lena Orlov's murderer before he strikes again? Or will this crime, like so many others, be swept under the rug of political expediency? And what of Natasha? Is she as ignorant as she claims of Lena's comings and goings? Or is she hiding something? With his own share of personal demons that he has to contend with, Field is nevertheless determined to discover who this serial killer is, and to put an end to his reign of terror. This is definitely the mystery novel of the year (so far anyway). What a fantastically engrossing read! While the novel does unfold in a rather slow and circular manner, Tom Bradby had done an excellent job of steeping "The Master of Rain" with ambiance and atmosphere, that reading every single word so that I got every nuance, seemed terribly important. I thought that the authour had done a really good job of bringing Shanghai of the 1920s -- the sights and sounds as well as the political, social and economic realities -- to life. I also thought that Bradby had done a wonderful job of depicting and bringing to life all the characters in this novel -- esp the torn and tormented Fields. All in all, "The Master of Rain" is a rich and haunting novel not to be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: Editorial Assistant Needed
Review: Shanghai in the year 1926 was, no doubt, a place of intrigue, filled to overflow with White Russian refugees from the recent Bolshevik Revolution. But in this book there was something rather superficial about the author's description of these refugees, and also about the city itself. Readers need more than the author has provided. I was put off by careless editing too. Reference to a zipper on a man's fly in 1926 was anachronistic. Although pantented in 1917, the zipper was not applied to clothing (except for galoshes) until the late 1930's, and at first only for children's clothing to help them dress themselves more easily. And the dialogue too often smacked of American slang not in use until Post World War II.
Rating:
Summary: Editorial Assistant Needed
Review: Shanghai in the year 1926 was, no doubt, a place of intrigue, filled to overflow with White Russian refugees from the recent Bolshevik Revolution. But in this book there was something rather superficial about the author's description of these refugees, and also about the city itself. Readers need more than the author has provided. I was put off by careless editing too. Reference to a zipper on a man's fly in 1926 was anachronistic. Although pantented in 1917, the zipper was not applied to clothing (except for galoshes) until the late 1930's, and at first only for children's clothing to help them dress themselves more easily. And the dialogue too often smacked of American slang not in use until Post World War II.
Rating: 
Summary: Worthy
Review: There are a lot of mediocre mysteries out there and "Master of Rain" isn't one of them. I loved the atmosphere and even the book cover looks cool. Bradby isn't in the same league as Eric Ambler or Alan Furst but give him time and he may get there. I enjoyed "Master of Rain" enough to want to read his latest, "White Russian".
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Summary: See the Movie...
Review: This book would probably make a much better movie than it did a book. In my opinion, Bradby could use a better editor.
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Summary: Enjoyed the book, hated the editing.
Review: This is a moody, atmospheric novel which I found very entertaining. My main complaint was the use of such contemporary words as "macho" and "anal" which would pop up and shatter the spell of the book. I also didn't quite understand Natasha's almost instant attraction to Field, nor his instant love of her. Some of the other characters were a bit confusing, also. But-it was still an enjoyable read. I've ordered the "White Russian" and hope it's as good.
Rating:
Summary: Copious research leads to a superior historical mystery
Review: Tom Bradby is the author of two previous thrillers in Great Britain. Ironically, his first book published in the US is actually a bold sweeping historical mystery most noted for it's dead on detail of Shanghai in 1926.
Richard Field is a young Englishman, recently trained police officer, who is working in Shanghai in the pre-Communist days. Shanghai is a city of contrasts with a French section, an International section and the Chinese section. Each have their own authority in policing their regions. Field works in the International Settlement with his English speaking colleagues. In his first case, he finds himself investigating the brutal stabbing of a Russian prostitute. It seems she was the property of a local crime lord, Lu Huang. Field wants to work the case but he meets resistance along the way. Most would rather not go up against Lu and his umbrella of fear. Field, therefore, faces much difficulty. To complicate matters, he falls in love with another of Lu's Russian women, Natasha Medvedev. This, of course, places him directly into the path of Lu's wrath. Danger abounds as Field tries to solve the crime and very possibly save the woman he loves.
Tom Bradby has done copious research in his attempt to bring to life the exotic locale of Shanghai in the year 1926. A detailed map is found in the inside cover of the book thereby setting out the sheer depth that the author will use to tell his story. Characters, both the elegant and the poor are carefully crafted and frequently enter and exit the complex stage as Field goes about his investigation. As is so often the case in these epic detail rich historical novels, pacing suffers as a result. Yet, the exotic locale, the fine writing and the superior characterizations make up for the leisurely pace. THE MASTER OF THE RAIN is well worth the readers full attention.
Rating:
Summary: Mystery at its best!
Review: What a page turner! Very much reminded me of the excitement present in Caleb Carr's work. This book abounds with all of the ingredients that make up a good murder mystery: politics, greed, and sex. Set in Shanghai during the 20's, Bradby brings the reader on a journey of intrigue and fast paced drama. You will walk away with a keen sense of the social climate of China before it fell to Communism but you will not quite understand how you got it, for the message is subtle. Bradby does not drown you with pages of detail but gently weaves it through out the story.
Not knowing much of China myself, I felt a weird sense of sympathy for the country and could almost see the purpose that communism served there. Through his diverse characters, you will obtain insight into the impact of foreigners on the country, the division of classes within its borders, the skin trade, drug smuggling, and the brutality inherent in organized crime.
A brilliant book! A history lesson on a subject rarely talked about with the bonus of a solid mystery. A little slow in starting out but stick with it, once it takes off it is worth it.
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