Series: Foul Lady Fortune Book 1
Genre: Historical Fiction
Length: 528 pages
Audiobook Length: 16 hours
First Published: 2022
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Rachael’s Review
In a spinoff of her bestseller These Violent Delights, Chloe Gong returns to 1930s Shanghai with a tale of dueling spies. After an experiment makes her ageless and immortal, Rosalind Chang becomes a spy for her country hoping to redeem her traitorous past. When the Japanese are suspected of a series of murders, Rosalind must go undercover posing as the wife of another spy to investigate a series of murders.
Though promoted as a spinoff series, Foul Lady Fortune is actually just the third book in the These Violent Delights series. Gong toned down the supernatural vibes of the series in favor of a spy novel, at least until the ending. To me, the story didn’t stand out, lacking the vibrancy of the original. However, I imagine fans of the series will find it an enjoyable read.
Publisher’s Description
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends comes the first book in a captivating new duology following an ill-matched pair of spies posing as a married couple to investigate a series of brutal murders in 1930s Shanghai.
It’s 1931 in Shanghai, and the stage is set for a new decade of intrigue.
Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging—and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption for her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country.
Code name: Fortune.
But when the Japanese Imperial Army begins its invasion march, Rosalind’s mission pivots. A series of murders is causing unrest in Shanghai, and the Japanese are under suspicion. Rosalind’s new orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind the terror plot before more of her people are killed.
To reduce suspicion, however, she must pose as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and though Rosalind finds Orion’s cavalier attitude and playboy demeanor infuriating, she is willing to work with him for the greater good. But Orion has an agenda of his own, and Rosalind has secrets that she wants to keep buried. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined.
About Chloe Gong
Chloe Gong is the author of These Violent Delights, Our Violent Ends, Immortal Longings, and the Foul Lady Fortune series. She is an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania. She was born in Shanghai, raised in Auckland, New Zealand, and currently lives in Philadelphia. Visit the author’s website →