Burke, Richard Barbary Freight

A wildly improbable espionage tale set early in the War. In Burke’s story, a series of American freighters have mysteriously disappeared from Allied North Atlantic convoys only to reappear later in the Pacific Ocean as German commerce raiders. “The enemy was using some method subtler and even more successful than the submarine” according to the novel’s book jacket blurb (that “method” was a Nazi siren reeking sex appeal and treachery, in equal doses!). Burke’s protagonist, ship’s officer Bill Mason, is in New York City when the sea raider news breaks and he has just 15 hours before his own vessel is due to sail in convoy. He’s convinced that he can solve the mystery of the missing freighters, though he must do so before sailing for North Africa. Aiding him is love interest Ann Dexter, “as pretty and quick-witted a girl as you could want for a heroine.” Though the novel starts off with a superb, atmospheric description of the New York waterfront during wartime it soon moves into the realm of pulp fiction, with Burke’s stalwart American heroes (and heroine) fighting off nefarious Nazis and Nazi sympathizers.