When a submarine sinks during World War II, an American sailor takes it upon himself to look out for the dead men’s families in this novel.

Bob Shields, the narrator’s father, was supposed to be onboard a captured submarine that sank during Navy sea trials in 1943, but he was called away at the last minute. No one survived, and he spent the rest of his life looking out for the wives and children of the 10 men who perished—a combination of virtuous caring and survivor guilt. Over the years—there is much toggling through time—Bob advises the fatherless sons, comforts the mothers, and generally is an exemplary human being. Now, his son, Tom, has come to Port Gloria in the Florida Keys to scatter his father’s ashes in the ocean where the sub sank. But when Tom and the taxi driver get back to the decrepit railway station where he had been dropped off, matters turn very bad indeed. Then Bronzo subjects readers to the mother of all plot twists, which makes the story so topsy-turvy that the audience almost gets two novels for the price of one. The author is a capable writer, but there is often a stiffness and scripted quality to the tale. And Bob is just too straight-shooting and saintly, the perfect Boy Scout. More important, though, are the outrageous plot twists—or, more properly, gimmicks. A cockamamie time-travel theory is invoked—somehow connected to Roswell back in ’47—although readers do get an intriguing discussion about that. Still, it should be noted that Bronzo is so committed to his ending that he relies too much on coincidences. Ultimately, some will react to the author’s manipulations with annoyed disbelief (as President Joe Biden might say, “C’mon man!”) but many readers will find them magical and charming. And there is a final, heartwarming fillip. Bronzo is truly relentless in his surprises.

A captivating, unpredictable tale about a man’s remarkable mission.

A school project uncovers amazing coincidences and sends a teenager on an incredible adventure in this historical novel.

In 1961, Joseph Christopher Carr is a carefree 15-year-old growing up in Sagahawk on Long Island. On his way to school one morning, Joe takes a shortcut through the nearby cemetery and trips on a gravestone. After school, his teacher asks Joe to select three graves and write reports on the people buried in them. One of the graves Joe selects is for Thomas J. Harding, a captain who was lost at sea and presumed drowned in July 1951. Joe’s friend Mary Hurd lives next door to the captain’s widow, and she agrees to work with him on the project. The teens discover that the captain may have been involved in studying extraterrestrial life and that he knew Joe’s father. What started as a research project turns into a race to save humanity as Joe learns that the captain possessed encrypted documents that warn of a missile attack in October 1962. With the help of Mary, his parents, and German engineer Max Werner, Joe embarks on risky plan to warn President John F. Kennedy and avert a disaster. This latest book from Bronzo is a fast-paced historical thriller that deftly blends elements of SF with a coming-of-age tale. Joe is an amiable and well-developed protagonist. A nascent romance between Joe and Mary forms a tender subplot. The story is at its strongest when the author focuses on daily life in Sagahawk. The descriptions of Joe’s work on the family farm, the school, the leisure activities he shares with Mary, and their plans for a life together are appealing and poignant. The narrative is driven by Joe’s project and the secrets he uncovers when investigating Harding’s life. This aspect involves Roswell and possible aliens, and the SF elements of the enjoyable story offer surprising twists and turns.

An engaging, genre-bending tale that delivers SF action and romance.