Synopses & Reviews
It's 1943, World War II is well under way, and Ensign Peter Maxwell is enjoying easy days in San Diego as base choir director and warm nights with his new bride, Kay. But there's a war out there waiting to be fought, and Pete wants to be part of it.
When a request comes up for officers on an ammo ship (prophetically named after Pete's Iowa hometown, Liberty Hill), newly promoted Lieutenant Maxwell and the rest of his vocal quartet, the Fantail Four, volunteer. The duty they pull is dangerous even for wartime: the young officers find themselves in charge of a ship of largely untrained African American sailors who hail from big-city ghettoes, Dixie farms, and all ports in between.
As the racially tense Liberty Hill Victory pulls into San Francisco's Port Chicago, the crew witnesses a horrific explosion that paints the sky red. In the wake of a mutiny by the port's surviving black sailors, protesting unsafe conditions, the Liberty Hill must step in to load ammo. This difficult task is made nearly impossible for the Fantail Four by a racist captain who would love to see the "colored" crew and his "college boy" officers fail. But when Lieutenant Maxwell finds an ally in seaman "Sarge" Washington, a former cop from the Black Belt of Chicago, the deadly job gets done, if not without incident. . . .
They then sail into two violent storms—a literal typhoon that could put them on the ocean's floor if their cargo doesn't blow them to hell and gone first, and a figurative one when a white officer is found brutally murdered in Shaft Alley, the very bottom of the ship where the drive shaft turns the propeller. And in the midst of a vast ocean and a wider war, a farm boy from Iowa and a tough cop from the ghetto must combine forces to stop a vengeful murderer who threatens to ignite their floating powder keg.
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“A compelling and shameful piece of American history...gripping...(a) glimpse into a largely unknown period and a segment of the Greatest Generation that deserved more respect then and still does.” Associated Press
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“No one can twist through a maze with the intensity and suspense of Max Allan Collins. A classic.” Clive Cussler, praise for CARNAL HOURS
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“Collins masterfully blends fact and fiction into a compelling tale that transcends the historical thriller.” Jeffrey Deaver
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“Simply open the book. The pages turn themselves. A fine novel by a fine writer.” John Lutz, author of The Night Watcher
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“Nobody writes about war era crime in Chicago as well as Collins... A delight for fans...and newcomers.” Chicago Sun-Times
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“This remarkable piece of sustained storytelling is the best of the trilogy.” Ellery Queen
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“The ride on this road just gets better and better...and wilder!” Mickey Spillane
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“Smooth and imaginative.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“[P]lenty of blazing .45 action.” Kirkus Reviews
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“[F]ast-moving.” Washington Post
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“[C]ompelling mix of history, bloodshed and retribution...Readers will eat it up and beg for more.” Publishers Weekly
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“A worthy followup to Road to Perdition--tangy, authentic, and exciting.” Leonard Maltin
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“A unique private eye series with a believable, enduring hard-boiled hero.” Los Angeles Times, praise for ANGEL IN BLACK
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“A serious social chronicle. . . . Its also serious fun.” New York Times Book Review, praise for MILLION DOLLAR WOUND
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“A novel of the Lindbergh kidnapping by the master of ‘true-crime fiction. Dont miss it!” Publishers Weekly, praise for STOLEN AWAY
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“Collins effortlessly weaves his historical material into a fast-moving narrative.” Booklist
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“An explosive, action-packed blockbuster…destined to rank right up there with “The Godfather” series when all is said and done.” Detroit Free Press
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“Collins is in a class by himself...a page-turner of a story...a fitting sequel to Road to Perdition.” S.J. Rozan, author of Absent Friends
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“Collins is a consumate storyteller.” Booklist
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“Collins fills his story with period detail, juicy mob stories and characters, but the best part...is its heart Chicago Sun-Times
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“Fast, breezy fun. [C]leverly concocted!” New York Times, praise for CARNAL HOURS
Synopsis
A young naval ensign must unmask a killer on board an ammunitions ship in this intriguing novel of suspense, set during World War II, from the acclaimed author of "Black Hats."
About the Author
Patrick Culhane is the pseudonym of acclaimed author Max Allan Collins, who has been dubbed "Mystery's Renaissance Man." His New York Times bestsellers include his graphic novel Road to Perdition, basis of the Academy Award-winning film, and the movie novels Saving Private Ryan and American Gangster.