1942

November 3, 2008
U.S. Army captain and intelligence officer Jake Novacek leads the charge against Japanese forces in the latest historical thriller from Conroy (1945
), a speculative narrative in which the Imperial Army attacks and occupies the Hawaiian Islands. Soon after the invasion, Jake is secretly sent to the Big Island to ensure the safety of Comdr. Joe Rochefort, a code breaker who is instrumental in U.S. efforts to take back Hawaii. Jake leaves behind a budding friendship with Alexa Sanderson, a Pearl Harbor widow and pacifist, who, during the occupation, is chosen to be the mistress of Col. Shigenori Omori, leader of the Japanese secret police. As the U.S. Navy plans a counterattack led by physically compromised President Roosevelt, Jake and Alexa struggle to stay alive. Multiple passages devoted to military strategy distract from the far more effective action sequences, especially Jake's guerrilla actions in occupied Hawaii. The book ends up an engaging alternative history lesson, but its many harrowing scenes of torture and brutality border on the distasteful; fans of Tom Clancy and Agent Jack Bauer should find a lot to like here.