The Sea Witch

This collection of two novellas and one short story from bestseller Coonts (Flight of the Intruder) will delight anyone who relishes tales of brave men facing deadly odds in the sky. Set in the South Pacific during WWII, the title novella features a nameless ensign who must learn his new job fast after joining a squadron of PBY Catalinas, seaplanes that fly risky night missions against Japanese ships. In “The 17th Day,” so named because the average life expectancy of a British aviator in WWI was 17 days, a Canadian pilot in the Royal Flying Corps survives death time after time aloft, all in a single day. In the second novella, Al-Jihad, set in the present, an ex-Marine, against his better judgment, agrees to go after some terrorists in the middle of the Sahara. Like all the other heroes in these stories, he winds up fighting for his life. The author’s preface will resonate with aviation buffs. Agent: Deborah C. Grosvenor, Kneerim & Williams Literary Agency. (May)