The Moonhawker

by George A. Fox

Overview

It is June of 1976 when Atticus Gunner pulls up in front of West High School, parks in a visitor parking space, and walks into the building—ready to begin his foray into school administration as the new assistant principal. He has no idea that in just a few hours, his life will change forever.

Later that day, during an unexpected meeting with his divorce attorney, Gunner—a former member of a top-secret operations unit—finds that his unique experience of identifying and hunting down escaped Nazis suspected of war atrocities is once again in high demand. After an anonymous philanthropic organization makes him a job offer he cannot refuse, he and his two young daughters very shortly find themselves on a thirty-two-foot sloop headed for an island in northern Lake Michigan. Directed to head a school of only one hundred students, it is not long before Gunner realizes he has embarked on a dangerous adventure.

In this riveting thriller filled with unexpected twists and turns, one man is inadvertently propelled on an unforgettable journey through intrigue, romance, and murder. In the process, he’ll discover more about himself than he ever imagined.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781462046508
Publisher:	iUniverse, Incorporated
Publication date:	10/20/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	864 KB

About the Author

George Fox spent thirty years as a public school teacher, principal, and school superintendent in Wisconsin. Now retired, he is thrilled to finally share a manuscript he began many years ago during his stint as a school administrator for a small island community. Today, Fox lives along the shore of Lake Michigan. This is his debut novel.

Read an Excerpt

It was after 1:00 AM when Atticus decided it was time to bring the boat about and make his first tack back towards the southwest. Although the wind seemed to have eased up considerably and the worst of the storm had moved off to the northeast, there was still an occasional flash of lightening and the rumble of thunder. His misery now was confined to the steady downpour of rain and the cold spray that came whipping up over the cabin roof at regular intervals.

Pulling himself back up into the cockpit seat, Atticus began to watch for the right moment. The seven foot seas were steep and close together. Every once in a while he would encounter a wave considerably higher than the rest. He wanted to make sure he didn't get hit by one of those in the middle of negotiating a turn. He didn't have to wait long before a strong fifteen footer came rolling up out of the darkness. Holding his course steady, the Moonhawk took the wave off the starboard bow just like she had done a thousand times before. Throwing spray back over the windward side of the cabin as the bow sliced through the crest, she raised her stern and slid down the backside into the trough on her way up the next.

Atticus decided he would make his move in two more waves. The boat negotiated the second wave and dropped down again on her way to the third. As the next wave rose up, Atticus swung the tiller to the left turning the boat into the wind. The Moonhawk took the wave head on throwing spray out to both sides as she busted on through. With her nose in the air she climbed up over the wave, and then fell off as the wave mass swept beneath her hull. With the sail slack and the boat's forward momentum all but gone, the next wave rose up as though it had come out of nowhere. It was a rogue; far bigger than the rest, but Atticus was committed and there was nothing he could do. Unable to raise her bow fast enough, the sloop drove deep into the crest sending a deluge of green water back over the entire boat. Careening up over the top of the cabin the icy cold water swept Atticus off his feet crashing him hard against the stern rail, then it pushed on just as quickly as it came and disappeared into the empty darkness.

Stunned and totally drenched, it took a second for Atticus to reseat himself and get his bearings. When he finally did he was amazed to realize the boat had finished her turn and was just beginning to run to the southwest. After readjusting the sail with trembling hands he sat motionless watching the last of the water drain from the scuppers. The endless procession of waves continued, each giving a loud hiss as they rolled beneath the hull and off into the darkness. Looking down at his safety line, Atticus yanked it to make sure it was still secure. A cold shiver went down his spine as he thought about how close he had just come to being swept overboard.

Editorial Reviews

Winner of the coveted Kirkus Star
When ever-resilient, stubborn Atticus Gunner teams up with Butch Gorpon to uncover the mystery behind the deaths in an island community, the duo discovers that something far greater is in the works.

Atticus Gunner is offered $310,000 in addition to a 32-foot sailing sloop, the Moonhawk, as compensation for assuming the role of school administrator and police officer on Washington Island. On his way to the island, he encounters a boat full of drunkards, who later try to shoot at the Moonhawk. From his arrival on the island, Atticus has his hands full. In fact, his first full day culminates in a barroom brawl with the Cline boys, an event that foreshadows the no-nonsense attitude that Gunner will enforce throughout the story. The potential sabotage of his boat and his meeting with local psychic, Cynthia, who anoints him the warrior that will fight off the darkness, put an intriguing twist in the plot. Perhaps the book's most compelling element is the author's ability to weave character relationships, especially the budding friendship between Atticus and Butch, the school board president. Nevertheless, Atticus' relationship with his two daughters, Stacie and Inger, is beautifully portrayed, particularly the scenes on the Moonhawk where readers realize that Atticus is an individual of substance—he will not let anyone harm his family or friends. As the deaths of several island boys confirm, those that harm Atticus' family or friends will face retribution. The novel shines with engaging dialogue, seamless transitions and kinetic plot development, making the story flow smoothly. When seemingly ordinary individuals start dying in extraordinary ways, Gunner puts everything aside and dives into the situation. This attitude, despite placing him in far too many precarious situations, will undoubtedly endear him to readers. With reckless abandon, and his administrative duties in jeopardy, Gunner teams with the FBI and CIA in an attempt to reveal the true identity of the island's so-called "good guys." Gunner fails to realize, however, that he may have taken on more than he can handle; with a history of bloodshed, the assassins are coming for Atticus full force. Unfortunately for them, that makes little difference to Atticus.

Fox fuses tantalizing action, adventure and memorable characters with nearly three decades of real-life experience to deliver an addictive page-turner with blistering intensity.

Kirkus Reviews