The Golden Gate

A Novel

By: Amy Chua

Narrated by: Robb Moreira, Suzanne Toren, Tim Campbell

Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee, 2024

Long-listed, Library Journal Best Books of the Year, 2023

"Moreira displays his many years of dramatic training and extensive theatrical experience as he animates characters as diverse as low-life thugs, the upper-class Bainbridge women, and even Madame Chiang Kai-shek. Tim Campbell and Suzanne Toren ably narrate the court deposition sequences. This audiobook is part hard-boiled detective story, part family saga, and wholly good listening!"—AudioFile

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 riveting 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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

©2023 Amy Chua (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“A successful, compelling mash-up of California history, ghost story, family tale, and social commentary.”–Library Journal (starred review)

"A riveting mystery. . . Chua skillfully creates tension around Sullivan’s complex investigation, tempting red herrings, and thoughtful examination of war-time social divisions."–Booklist (starred review)

"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

Thoroughly Enjoyable Noirish Mystery

A terrific debut work of fiction. Historically grounded. Well narrated - the variety of convincing voices Robb Moreira provides is astonishing. Enjoyable and informative closing interview between author and narrator. Strong recommendation.

Too long, convoluted and tiring.

The setting and history was pleasant but beating the horse of how everyone was badly treated during WWII except the evil white male politicians. (Wait didn’t his Mexican dad do him bad too?). I’m not adverse to books that talk about how people were mistreated but cmon this went on and on with him hand wringing the whole time!
Then what kind of book is this? Police procedural? Ghost story? Mental Health? Poor vs rich? Historical fiction? And how many endings did we have to hear before she decided on the real one.
Cmon. Too much
Finally, why wasn’t this obviously healthy young male not fighting in the war? He would definitely have enlisted.

Epic History Mystery

I loved the complexity of this story. The history of the characters and the history of California!

Story lines

San Francisco Bay Area history, author’s mastery of the story line and its sensitivity to history and social issues

Fantastic in every way

I grew up in Berkeley the generation after this so thought it might be interesting. It blew me away. It put so much in perspective. So well researched. Expansive topics. Great character development and an actual tie it together ending. I bought a hard copy for my husband and have urged my friends to read it.

Excellent

It’s an intriguing story full of San Francisco history full of colorful characters from the 40’s. And you really have to work at figuring out who did it, right up until the end.

Narration is sub-par

The narration is really not good. The narrator sounds like an influencer from Orange County rather than a combat wounded soldier from Guadalcanal and police detective.
Beyond that, the promising plot heads downhill quickly when the detective interviews the woman he was having a drink with the night before, and addresses her as 'Miss' over and over again. Makes zero sense and ruined it for me.

I think there were some serious behind the scenes machinations to get this book an Earphone Award from Audiofile magazine. It's not prize-worthy!

Excellent setting!(spoiler free)

This review will be spoiler free so it will be short; since it's a murder mystery, and I won't give any hint away. What I can say is that the setting in noir San Francisco during World War Two is a diverse setting with many fascinating aspects chrime evaluation and how they are used to conclude the mysterious murder. This story also covers the types of discrimination that many races had to endure at that time and the challenges they faced just to get by. The narration is excellently done with the voice actor giving each character a unique tone that gives them their character their own individuality. I highly recommend this book uncovering it's mystery!

A rollicking blend of Agatha Christie and history lesson

The Golden Gate is a terrific whodunnit with delicious twists and turns but also one which offers amazing history lessons. In fact the historical background provided about Northern California in the first half of the 20th century is so fascinating I found myself doing research (well, just Googling) to see where the historical facts ended and the story took over. It was also very well read making it an enjoyable and easy listen.

Convoluted and exhausting

I was excited to read this book because it is set in the neighborhood where I grew up. As a child, I roamed the halls of the Claremont Hotel, and it was fun to read a novel that featured my neighborhood. However, I cannot give this novel a positive review. As a lover of mysteries, I appreciate the craft, and this novel entirely fails in this area. I don’t want to give anything away for people who do want to read it, but by the end of the book, my brain was dizzy with red herrings, plot twists, and convenient “deus ex machina” explanations out of nowhere. By the end, I just wanted it to be over. In addition, I felt that Chua worked way too hard to pack in as much Bay Area history, and as many Berkeley characters as she could. Her characters give non-fiction-style accounts of the racial dynamics of 1940s California that just don’t ring true to these fictional characters. It’s as though Chua thought she had just one chance to tell the history of California and use every mystery novel convention, and this novel was that chance. Blech. Her editors must have really struggled. Very disappointing.