“When We Were Orphans” is set in the 1930s and is told by Christopher Banks. Born and raised in Shanghai until the age of nine – when, within a few weeks of each other, both his parents disappeared – Banks then moved to England, to be raised by an aunt. Now grown up and based in London, Christopher is based in London and working as a high profile and very successful private detective. His celebrity has eased his way into fashionable London society, though some – such as Sarah Hemmings – are initially a little resistant to his appeal. Fashionable society, however, isn’t Christopher’s main concen : although it’s been many years since his parents disappeared, the case is still (apparently) open and unsolved. Christopher has taken it upon himself to complete the investigation – “When We Were Orphans” sees him not only move forward with the case, but also look back on his childhood memories of Shanghai. Obviously, his parents feature prominently in these memories – but his friendship with a Japanese boy called Akira was also very important to him. As the book goes on, however, it becomes clear – though unfortunately not to Banks himself – just how unreliable his memories are. Ultimately, the investigation leads to his return to Shanghai – where he hopes to close the case. The trouble, of course, is that while his investigation may uncover the truth, the truth may not be quite what he is expecting…

While I wouldn’t say “When We Were Orphans” is entirely flawless, the flaws are only very few and far between. The details on how Christopher conducted his investigation were a little scant – but, as the book wasn’t written as a thriller, that’s pretty easy to brush off. The style of writing was also occasionally a little formal – there’s a few chaps and fellows here and there, what ho. However, given that the story was being told by a Cambridge graduate in the 1930s…somehow, to me, the language added a touch of authenticity. There were one or two questions left unanswered – particularly in relation to Akira. (I’d have given anything to find out what happened to him after Christopher left Shanghai). Overall, though, I’d absolutely recommend this book – very readable, and one that I just couldn’t put down.