by Sara Vladic
First published 2026
The East Coast of the United States becomes a secret battleground in 1942. As German submarines lurk just offshore, hunting merchant ships and threatening American soil, an unlikely network of defenders emerges. Civilian pilots, local fishermen, and even New York City crime bosses join forces to track and report enemy vessels. With no formal military training, these volunteers transform themselves into a critical early warning system, risking everything to protect their homeland from invasion. Their makeshift surveillance becomes the thin line between national security and potential catastrophe. Some will fly dangerous reconnaissance missions. Others will use their underground connections to gather intelligence. All understand that the war is no longer an ocean away—it has arrived on American shores.
Genres: historical-fiction, military-fiction, adventure, thriller, action, world-war-ii
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unlikely-heroes
Setting: United States
Period: 1942, Cold War
624 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow