If You Don’t Go

Silver Medal Winner, Global Book AwardsA vanished CEO. A return to China. A past and a fortune that won’t stay buried.Alice Zhu hasn’t set foot in China since emigrating as a teenager more than thirty years ago. When her best client (and childhood friend) Deckard Shen suddenly ghosts her, leaving behind a massive unpaid legal bill and unsettling rumors, Alice has no choice but to confront old wounds and return to Shanghai to find him.What begins as a routine business trip quickly spirals into a far more emotional and perilous search for a man who may not wish to be found. Teaming up with the sharp and unpredictable Duan Lili, Alice is pulled into a world of corporate intrigue, personal secrets, political struggles, and even kidnappings. From Shanghai’s tech corridors to Nanjing’s gleaming towers to Sichuan’s remote mountain villages, every clue raises more questions. Is Deckard running from powerful enemies, or his own shadow? Is the rumored cache of bitcoin his salvation, or his undoing?Interwoven with Alice’s search are vivid recollections of their youth in 1980s China, a time of political upheaval, teenage rebellion, and a shared misadventure that nearly ended in disaster. Now, with a crypto fortune on the line and Deckard’s mind under siege, the two friends must reckon with the beliefs that define them—and the truths they can no longer outrun.Perfect for readers who enjoy:Propulsive international thrillers with immersive settingsCharacter-driven stories with psychological depthComplex plots filled with suspense, heart, and unexpected turnsCorporate and political intrigueDual timelines shaped by modern Chinese history