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This novel will keep you in

a perpetual state of suspense

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Sue Rushford

Military Writers Society of America

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While World War II brews, Jake Rogers captains the Peggy C, a merchant steamer ship, picking up and delivering cargo throughout the Atlantic. The cargo is often illegal, and sometimes even dangerous, but on this trip, unbeknownst to his crew, Rogers upped the ante even more.
 

 

With the help of Obasi, his Nigerian Igbo sidekick/bodyguard/friend, they sneak a family of Dutch Jews out of Amsterdam, right under the noses of the Nazis. The plan to transport Miriam and her family to Gibraltar goes awry. Although they normally fight the sea, an occasional dangerous “customer,” and pirates, this time German U-boats have become the biggest threat.

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John Winn Miller’s, The Hunt for the Peggy C: A World War II Maritime Thriller is not the typical World War ll naval story of torpedoes, sinking submarines, errant friendly fire, ruses, and betrayal. Yet they are nonetheless in the midst of a war zone. Miller artfully squeezes in a love story and unexpected witty humor. There are magnificent depictions of Jewish ceremonies, and “normal” life for the refugees.

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Meanwhile, catastrophe after catastrophe perpetuate the cat and mouse game between Rogers and Oberleutnant Viktor Brauer, the captain of a German U-boat. The situation is far from a game, however, with deadly twists and turns. You’ll be on the edge of your seat, reading as fast as you can, to find out the fate from the U-boat’s boomeranging torpedo—the epitome of irony.

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I highly recommend The Hunt for the Peggy C, even for those who would not normally read naval fiction. Cover to cover, the book will keep you in a perpetual state of suspense. There is no time to guess what will happen next—you’ll be too busy biting your nails and crossing your fingers.