ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
If you loved the upstairs/downstairs approach in Bridgerton S4, part 1, let me turn you onto another historical that’ll give you a view into the lives of employer and staff in old Shanghai. The Fourth Princess by Janie Chang is set in 1911 Shanghai and tells the story of Lisan, a young woman who was orphaned and taken in by Master Liu, a bachelor in an old, well connected Shanghai family. As the book says, “she was not quite family and not exactly a servant.” Feeling like she’s got limited options as she comes of age, Lisan opts to take a job as a live-in secretary to American Caroline Stanton who has just moved into Lennox Manor with her husband.
Blackmail, secret identities, bad business deals, and murder are all being absorbed by the drafty, creaking gothic mansion. While it takes a little bit to really get chugging up the exposition side of the track, once you get to the top and can see all the players, The Fourth Princess sends you on a real rollercoaster ride.
While other gothics I’ve read in the last year lose sight of the house and just rely on vibes, Chang keeps Lennox Manor at the center. It’s creepy and atmospheric and suffocating in the best way. The secrets within start to peel away like old wallpaper for Lisan and the rot underneath…whew!! While the primary action surrounds Lisan and her employer, we also get a good view into how house staff view their employers and this haunted old house they’re working in.
I’d love to see it adapted for TV/film.
Get The Fourth Princess on Bookshop.org | Kobo | The Ripped Bodice | Apple Books | Amazon
I fell in love with Janie Chang’s historical fiction through The Phoenix Crown, co-authored with Kate Quinn. If you’re interested in more 2026 fiction by Asian and Pacific Islander authors, check out the titles I featured at the beginning of the year.
