Ed Teja is a
versatile guy. In his own words, he has been a magazine writer and editor in
several countries. He lived for years as a Caribbean boat bum and blues
musician. He is a member of The Short Mystery Fiction Society, was a finalist
for the Shamus Award for short PI fiction in 2025, and his stories appear
frequently in magazines and anthologies.
His newest
book is an appealing historical crime thriller with an unusual setting. Most
World War II thrillers focus on the European front although the very good Secret
War of Julia Child by Diana Chambers (2024) looks at Child’s work for the
OSS in China, India, and Ceylon. Teja sets his story in 1943 Vietnam, where the
collaborationist Vichy French government co-managed with Japan, which had
overrun Southeast Asia by spring 1942.
Cole Miller joined
the small OSS office in Saigon about a year ago. Their assignment is to
destabilize Japan’s hold on the region wherever and however they can while
going through the motions of a shipping business. Miller is delivering arms to
a group of Vietnamese insurgents in the jungle when the book opens. The
Japanese ambushed them, killing a number of the rebels and leaving Miller to
wonder who had betrayed them. When he returns to Saigon, his boss Major Fred
Olson tells him via a note left at his hotel to meet him at their usual café.
When Miller reports as scheduled, a group of snipers sprays the cafe with
bullets and Olson’s body is found among the victims. It’s clear to
investigators that Olson was dead before the café shooting. A local member of
the Vichy France government who dislikes Miller pushes the police to arrest
him. Miller has two jobs, to find who actually did kill Olson and to identify
the traitor who is feeding information about OSS activities to the Japanese.
While the
plot is straightforward enough, the setting is anything but. Vietnam with its
significant natural resources was a valuable asset to both sides of the war,
creating a complex political tug-of-war over a small nation about the size of
New Mexico. Vietnam was a French colony before the war and the French intended
to maintain its control after the war ended. In the meantime Japan had asserted
dominion over the entire region. The Free French were also present, trying to
dislodge the Vichy collaborationists. The Allies had established a presence via
U.S. and Great Britain intelligence groups, working to undermine the Japanese.
Behind the scenes Ho Chi Minh had established the Communist party in Vietnam,
tapping into the great desire of the Vietnamese people for freedom from
external rule. In short the country was seething with political tensions and
barely contained hostility, creating a powder keg with a very short fuse.
I found the
time and the place as described fascinating. The Vietnamese people were
hard-working, resourceful, and far more intelligent than invading forces
believed. It is easy to see why and how the armed conflict in the country
during the 1950s and 1960s broke out. Miller is a credible character with
series potential; it will be interesting to see if Teja brings him back.
Readers who
enjoy modern historical crime fiction, especially World War II and espionage
fans, will want to add this book to their TBR stacks. Recommended.
·
Publisher: Float Street Press
·
Publication date: September 1, 2026
·
Language: English
·
Print length: 318 pages
·
ISBN-13: 979-8994688823
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4ctfqrH
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2026
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night
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