Discover the Thrilling New Adventure by Author Martin C. Petersen
City of Lost Souls
Martin Petersen, a retired senior CIA executive and expert on Chinese history, brings 1930s Shanghai to life in his debut novel, City of Lost Souls. Drawing from decades of experience as a top CIA Sinologist, Petersen crafts a gripping detective story set against the backdrop of a city on the brink of chaos.
When private investigator Jack Ford is hired to find a missing British expatriate, he plunges into Shanghai’s vibrant yet dangerous world—where Chinese patriots, Japanese operatives, and ruthless gangsters clash. Petersen’s unparalleled knowledge of Shanghai’s history and culture shines through, delivering a richly detailed mystery filled with intrigue, action, and unforgettable characters.
Through Jack’s journey, City of Lost Souls captures the essence of a city of contradictions—opulence and squalor, freedom and corruption, beauty and brutality. Petersen’s storytelling immerses readers in a world both long gone and eerily familiar, exploring themes of survival, redemption, and the enduring human spirit.
Praise for City of Lost Souls
The Cipher Brief
★★★★★
“One of the best books of 2024“
“Petersen’s debut novel is a masterful addition to the genre of historical mysteries, offering a captivating exploration of pre-revolutionary Shanghai. With its detailed world-building, gripping plot, and nuanced characters, City of Lost Souls is both a thrilling mystery and a poignant reflection on the era’s cultural tensions and human stories.”
China Underground
★★★★★
“Martin Petersen’s City of Lost Souls vividly captures 1930s Shanghai, painting a rich and immersive portrait of the city’s vibrant history. With its intricate narrative and deeply human characters, the novel invites readers into a world of intrigue and cultural complexity, making it a must-read for fans of historical fiction.”
Amazon Reviews
★★★★★
Earnshaw Books
★★★★★
“We ended the year on a high. November saw the release of The Friendship Store, A Memoir of 1970s China by Andy Kirkpatrick, after which our very own former CIA senior executive CIA Martin Petersen presented his noir crime fiction and our BEST SELLER OF 2024 City of Lost Souls.”
Weina Dai Randel, WSJ bestselling author of The Last Rose of Shanghai
★★★★★
“Retired CIA executive Petersen has masterfully crafted a compelling work of fiction that brings the past to life. Set in 1932 Shanghai, City of Lost Souls follows the perilous life of an American detective—an orphan and a loner—who embarks on a new mission just as the Japanese military launches its first major attack on the city. A testament to the author’s extensive research, the novel is packed with authentic historical details and nonstop action and features many well-known figures who called Shanghai home during this turbulent era. Fast-paced, powerful, City of Lost Souls is for readers who enjoy both detective stories and historical fiction, especially those set in the vibrant, volatile world of old Shanghai”
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Martin C. Petersen
Author
Martin's Story
Martin Petersen is a distinguished China expert and retired senior executive with the CIA, where he specialized in Asian and national security issues. His debut novel, City of Lost Souls, is a richly detailed mystery set in 1930s Shanghai—a pivotal era when the city stood at the crossroads of global intrigue. A lifelong scholar of Chinese history, Petersen holds a Master of Arts in Asian Studies with a focus on modern China. His deep fascination with Shanghai’s vibrant past is evident in his extensive personal collection of over 600 books, maps, and artifacts dedicated to the city.
Blending meticulous historical research with compelling fiction, City of Lost Souls transports readers to a world of political intrigue, cultural complexity, and human resilience. Petersen resides in the Texas Hill Country, where he continues to explore his passion for Shanghai’s history, expand his unique collection, and enjoy the occasional Bombay Gin martini.
“City of Lost Souls tells a great detective story evocative of the
rich American tradition of noir fiction, forever linked in the
popular imagination with Raymond Chandler and Humphrey
Bogart. But in this case the setting is 1930s China and the
protagonist is Jack Ford, cynical and dogged, and following his
own code in a world gone mad. Tapping four decades as a top
CIA Sinologist, Petersen draws the reader into the fantastical
cruelties and beauties that was interwar Shanghai. Readers will
never be able to visit that time and place, now lost forever. But a
glimpse is possible through reading this book.”
—Dennis Wilder, former Director for China on the U.S. National Security Council
City of Lost Souls, published by Earnshaw Books, is a gripping historical mystery set in 1930s Shanghai. Private detective Jack Ford’s search for a missing man pulls him into a world of intrigue, gangsters, and political tension. Martin Petersen’s debut novel masterfully captures the city’s vibrant past in a thrilling noir-style tale.
Upcoming Readings & Events
February 22nd, 2025
Barnes & Noble at The Forum
8262 Agora Parkway
Selma, TX
Book Signing
6pm
April 4th, 2025
Tattered Cover Aspen Grove
7301 S Santa Fe Dr #240
Littleton, CO
Book Signing
1pm