2023BestBookAwardsWinnerinHistorysponsoredbyAmericanBookFest2023ForewordINDIESFinalistinHistoryInMurderinManchuria,ScottD.SeligmanexploresanunsolvedmurdersetamidthechaosthatreignedinChinaintherun-uptoWorldWarII.Thestoryunfoldsagainstthebackdropofathree-countrystruggleforcontrolofManchuria--anareasomecalledChina’s“WildEast“--andanexplosivemixtureofnationalities,religions,andideologies.SemyonKasp矇,ayoungJewishmusician,iskidnapped,tortured,andultimatelymurderedbydisaffected,antisemiticWhiteRussians,secretlyactingontheordersofJapanesemilitaryoverlordswhocovethisfather’swealth.Whenlocalauthoritiesdeliberatelyslow-walkthesearchforthekidnappers,ayoungFrenchdiplomattakesoverandlauncheshisowninvestigation.Partcold-casethrillerandpartsocialhistory,thetrue,tragicsagaofKasp矇istoldinthecontextofthelarger,improbablestoryofthelivesofthetwentythousandJewswhocalledHarbinhomeatthebeginningofthetwentiethcentury.ScottD.Seligmanrecountstheeventsthatledtotheirarrivalandtheirhastyexodus--andsolvesacrimethathaspuzzledhistoriansfordecades.
