The Lethal Shore
The Lethal Shore (working title) is the possible first book in the Eden Pond Series.
At present, it is a work-in-progress.
Overview
In February 1942, a fisherman finds a blood-soaked coat on an isolated Oregon beach not far from a secret U.S. Army defense project. But there’s no sign of its owner, Harry Pond, who had neither means nor reason to visit that beach. With war nerves wound tight in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, some locals think he fell prey to—or fell in with—collaborators laying the groundwork for Japanese incursions of the American mainland. The U.S. Army captain in charge of the investigation seems more interested in protecting his defense project than learning what happened to Harry.
Eden Pond, Harry’s twin sister, fears the worst. Childhood polio had left him with a chip on his shoulder and a desperate need to prove himself, no matter the consequences. She’s also worried about Harry’s best friend, Jonah Shibuya. The grandson of Japanese immigrants, he’s been in hiding for weeks as pressure ramps up on the government to address the “problem” of the west coast Japanese population.
With the official investigation going nowhere and Eden faced with growing hostility over her own fraught history with Jonah, she sets out to learn what happened to her missing brother and his friend. In the process, she risks the wrath of Army officials, a civilian militia with grand visions of repelling invasion, and an anxious community still coming to grips with life in a nation at war.
Chronology
The events of the novel take place in February and March 1942, with the denouement in May. The Lethal Shore is followed by "The Railroad Job" and Murder at the Shipyard.
Historical Note
In the early months of 1942, residents of the Oregon Coast formed a number of citizen militias out of fear of a Japanese invasion of the mainland. U.S. military presence was minimal, though a small unit posted at Oceanside, Oregon was involved in building a radar station. Both of these historic elements figure prominently in the story.
Characters
- Eden Pond
- Merton Pond
- Harry Pond
- Paul Berenger
- Jonah Shibuya
- Tillie Larkin
- Damian Nesmith
- Clifford Stern
- Stewart Arnold
- Ignacio Mirtillo, M.D.
- Fred Turley
- Arf Walker
- Val Getty
- Una Rapp
- Lillian Zweifel
- Nanette Howard
- Quenelle Sisters
- Ragin' Ratto