Robert L. Tecklenburg
Fiction: Historical, Military/War, Spy/Espionage
In September of 1945, the Allies accept the surrender of Emperor
Hirohito, ending World War II. However, the mainland region of Indochina remains
in turmoil, with the British temporarily charged with maintaining order in the south,
while Chinese nationalists occupy the north. The Japanese army is not disarmed
and still controls much of the region. The French maintain their presence, hoping
to take back their ‘Annamese’ colony after two years of direct Japanese rule, but
Vietnamese nationalists are fighting for independence.
Major Charles Stanek has spent most of the last two years running
clandestine operations in Eastern Europe to rescue downed American and British
pilots from the Germans. He’s ready for his freedom from the military. However,
General William Donovan, head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), sends
him to Indochina to investigate the mysterious death of an American lieutenant colonel
gunned down in Saigon by Vietnamese nationalists who had agreed to respect
American neutrality. Additionally, Charlie must discover why thousands of
dollars in uncut diamonds were found on the man, and if the gems played a role
in his death.
Charlie’s investigation takes him down Saigon’s backstreets and north to
the Central Highlands and beyond. An officer in the Japanese police force heading
the murder investigation soon proves to be an indispensable ally. Beautiful and
mysterious Madame Thieu guides him through Vietnam’s complex politics, but he’s
not sure he can trust her.
When Charlie is kidnapped by Russian agents and whisked away to a Hanoi
prison, he is tortured for information about an agent code-named Rasputin, embedded
in the Soviet army and spying for America. The Russians believe Charlie is his
handler, sent to Indochina to extract the deep-cover spy. With assistance from a
defecting KGB agent Charlie knew in Eastern Europe, the two battle their way
out of Hanoi.
The danger mounts as Charlie continues his investigation, and soon he suspects
intrigue and secret truths at the highest level threaten his safe return to the
States. All he wants is to assume the quiet life of a civilian, but others seem
to have a different plan for him...
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