RESCUE RUN

In Miller’s sequel novel, American merchant marine Capt. Jake Rogers and his faithful crew of sailors outpace ruthless Nazis on land and sea as they pursue another rescue mission.

When readers first meet Rogers, he's got his hands full evading U-boats that are prowling the cold waters of the North Atlantic during World War II. Few men are better suited to lead a daring rescue mission deep inside occupied Holland than this skilled sea captain, and he proves himself worthy of his international comrades-in-arms’ steadfast devotion. Nazi SS officers and their craven collaborators are holding a Dutch Jewish woman named Miriam Maduro, the love of Rogers’ life, inside occupied Holland’s infamous Oranjehotel prison. In this follow-up to The Hunt for The Peggy C(2022), Miller juxtaposes these two opposing forces wonderfully well through the use of clear, economical prose that manages to convey pathos and high adventure in equal measure. Careful, specific attention to detail, as in descriptions of the clothing worn by the resistance fighters and the German soldiers (“an SS officer’s gray wool cap with white piping around the crown, the Nazi eagle and skull on the front, and a silver bullion chin cord strapped across the shiny black Vulkanfiber visor”) lend a powerful authenticity to the harrowing world that Miller creates. Maduro, whose imprisonment inspires Rogers’ incredible acts of bravery, is no damsel in distress; she’s just as heroic as he is, disguising herself as a Red Cross medico named Hedda ten Boom in a bold attempt to help as many concentration camp prisoners as she possibly can before she’s captured herself. Stark depictions of Miriam’s confinement are harrowing and stand on their own without resorting to sentimentality. When Miriam gets an opportunity to deliver an act of retribution, Miller renders it without moralizing or commentary. Indeed, action never fails to reveal character throughout this brisk thriller.

A fast-paced and immersive wartime adventure yarn.