A deft historical novel...and window into a too-often ignored chapter in recent american history.--S. J. Rozan, Edgar award-winning author of Ghost Hero
In December 1941, America reels from the attack on Pearl Harbor. Patriotism and paranoia grip New York as the city frantically mobilizes for war. Nurse Louise Hunter is outraged when the FBI, in a midnight sweep of prominent Japanese residents, arrests her patient's wife. Masako Fumi is an avant-garde artist, a newcomer to the bustling city. The nurse vows to help free Masako.
When the body of Masako's art dealer is discovered in the gallery where he'd been closing down her controversial show, Masako's troubles multiply. Homicide detective Michael McKenna doubts her guilt, but an ambitious G-man schemes to turn the murder and ensuing espionage accusations into a political cause célèbre.
Louise hires a radical lawyer and enlists the help of her journalist roommate. But sensing a career-making story, Cabby Ward sets out to exploit Masako's dilemma for her own gain. Louise and McKenna must defy both racism and ham-fisted government agents to expose the real killer.
About the Author: Joanne Dobson, a former English professor at Fordham University, is the author of the Professor Karen Pelletier mystery series from Doubleday and Poisoned Pen Press. She won an Agatha nomination for QUIETER THAN SLEEP, the first book in the series, the novels have been widely reviewed, including in the NEW YORK TIMES, and in 2001 the adult- readers division of the New York Library Association named her Noted Author of the Year, as the writer whose books they most enjoyed recommending to their patrons.
Beverle Graves Myers lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She practiced psychiatry at a public mental health clinic before making a mid-life career switch to writing. In addition to the Helluva War series, her work includes the Tito Amato Mysteries set in 18th-century Venice and numerous short stories and articles. Visit her website at www.beverlegravesmyers.com.
