Robert J. Mrazek

One of the great untold stories of World War II finally comes to light in this thrilling account of Torpedo Squadron Eight and their heroic efforts in helping an outmatched U.S. fleet win critical victories at Midway and Guadalcanal.

Thirty-five American men -- many flying outmoded aircraft -- changed the course of the war, going on to become the war's most decorated naval air squadron, while suffering the heaviest losses in U.S. naval aviation history.

Mrazek paints moving portraits of the men in the squadron, and exposes a shocking cover-up that cost many lives. Filled with thrilling scenes of battle, betrayal, and sacrifice, A Dawn Like Thunder is destined to become a classic in the literature of World War II.
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I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes.

What an incredible story!

I previously read Angels of the Pacific, which is a historical fiction novel set in World War II Philippines, and was so fascinated by it. That book (plus the fact that I’m half Filipino and had grandparents who lived through this) made me want to learn more about WWII Philippines, so I just had to read this nonfiction account.

It is so evident how well researched this book was. The book features one of the most comprehensive bibliographies I’ve ever seen (it even includes unpublished works). Not only does the book follow Florence Finch, but it also touches upon other prominent figures such as General Douglas MacArthur, Carl Engelhart, and Kiyoshi Osawa, which added context and an overview of the world Florence was living in.

Florence was such a remarkable woman. I’m in awe of all things she did and how she persevered through so much pain and suffering. I’m so glad her story has finally been told.

As a warning, the second half of the book is a bit brutal to read. It does not hold back when describing the harsh conditions of the Japanese occupation, including descriptions of torture.

Overall, I highly recommend this book if you’re looking to learn more about this amazing woman or WWII Philippines.… (mehr)

A truly fascinating and enriching account of the role played by the bomber pilots in the Battle of Midway and subsequent campaigns in Guadalcanal; which ultimately influenced the outcome of the war in the Far East. It is sobering to think that the survival odds in that particular raid on Midway was something like 1 in 15, and yet the pilots and crew would continually throw themselves into battle with the utmost of courage and disregard for their own persons.

The tale of Midway is a classic - a combination of dogged tenacity, strategy, and blind, pure luck would tip the balance of the war when it could have easily gone the other way. This book masterfully retells it satisfyingly from the perspective of the pilots, but also provides an overarching perspective which shows the effects of their their contributions as well.… (mehr)

The Dark Circle by Robert J. Mrazek is a highly recommended thriller and the second installment of the Jake Cantrell series.

Jake Cantrell, ex-army officer, loses his job as a campus security guard when a campus event leads to Jake having to defend himself against two football players high on an opioid distributed at the event. He is fired for using excessive force, but quickly finds another job. Lauren Kennsiton, editor of the Groton Journal, hires him to find missing college student Deborah Chapman. Deborah is a gifted young jazz vocalist who suddenly disappeared. Jake's investigation turns into a whole lot more than finding a missing person.

This is a very dark and disturbing thriller. There is one scene very early in the novel that almost had me decline to finish reading it for a review. I hope it was removed from the final version. There was no reason for it to be included and it needs to be noted that women read thrillers too, not just men. What kept me reading was Bug, the eighteen-year-old wolf hound Jake saved in Afghanistan. Jake is very loving to Bug and so I decided to continue. It did get better.

While the tone of the narrative continued to be very dark, Jake's actions and investigation are seriously dedicated to discovering what is going on. The plot becomes increasingly complicated as Jake uncovers more information and clues leading to more and more disturbing facts. Jake's determination to uncover everything is commendable, which sort of made up for the earlier scene. This can be read as a stand-alone novel. I have not read Dead Man's Bridge, the first in the series, and didn't feel as if I missed anything. Events in Jake's past are shared as needed in the plot.

The Dark Circle is a novel that requires you to suspend disbelief as Jake is almost super-human in his ability to handle all sorts of abuse and violence and keep going while trying to track down perpetrators and clues. It is well-written and readers will end up hoping Jake succeeds in all the very risky missions he undertakes to find the answers and uncover the nefarious deeds and actions going on. The final denouement is satisfying, but there are some questions/plot points left unanswered.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.
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