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Atticus Gunner was known as the "Hawkman" during WWII. He served under Major Gaperman in Germany in a unit known as the Night Hawks. Gunner's special skills set made him an invaluable addition to the Night Hawks, whose job "was to identify and hunt down escaped Nazis suspected of war atrocities." He was "considered the best hunter in the unit," which earned him his nickname. Since those days, however, Atticus has adopted a more sedate life as a high school administrator, and as the thrilling and page-turning novel The Moonhawker by George A. Fox opens, Gunner lands a plum job assignment in Michigan to be the new assistant principal at Madison West. Things seem to be going well for Atticus, who is divorced and is the father of two daughters-he will be earning a larger salary, and will be able to spend more time with his girls. But then, when he receives a job offer to become the principal of a high school on Washington Island, his career and life takes yet another turn. His past comes back, and it appears that he still might find a need to call upon his considerable skills at hunting down Nazis and bringing them to justice.
When his friend, Principal Bob Thrison, offers Atticus the position as the assistant principal of Madison West High School, Gunner jumps at the offer. Why shouldn't he? He will get the chance to work alongside his friend, he'll be making more money, and have great job security. But, when the attorney who represented Atticus in his divorce proceedings meets with him and out of the blue introduces him to another attorney, William Markup from New York, who presents him with another job offer, it is one that is too tempting to refuse. If he accepts the offer, he will get paid $310,000 and will get, as a further incentive, "a brand-new thirty-two-foot sailing sloop." The name of this $276,000 sloop is-you guessed it-the Moonhawk.. He's given a $5,000 check straight off for expenses. There are a few conditions the attorney attaches to the deal, but it is so tempting to Atticus that he accepts.
Even before Gunner makes it to the island, while sailing the Moonhawk with one of his daughters (Inger), he and his ship are attacked by men who appear in a small boat out of the fog. Atticus manages to chase them off, but they threaten him as they leave, saying: "you better hope we never meet again!" When the men board a nearby ship, the vessel almost rams into the Moonhawk, and Atticus and Inger are fired upon. Is it a simple case of holding a grudge, or do the men have some other motive for wanting to see Atticus dead?
On Washington Island, Atticus and Butch Gorpon (the president of the school board there) join forces to uncover the secrets behind a mysterious series of deaths. What they find is a chilling connection to the Nazis of WWII. From fighting off the men who try to board his ship with an ax handle to getting involved in a barroom brawl with the Cline boys the very first night he's on the island, Atticus proves he can handle himself and that he hasn't lost the edge that earned him his reputation as a top Nazi hunter. There's more than enough action in Fox's novel to satisfy the most discriminating fan of the thriller genre.
Other aspects I really liked about The Moonhawker is the three dimensionality of the characters, and Fox's display of his intimate knowledge of Lake Michigan, Madison, and Washington Island. The characters are vividly described, and Fox's skill as an author makes them come alive for the reader. Michigan, Washington Island, and the Moonhawk become characters in their own right, as well. The relationship Atticus has with his two daughters, Stacie and Inger, is integral to the plot and is interesting in itself. He will do anything he can to protect his daughters and he will stop anyone from harming them.
The Moonhawker by George A. Fox is a page-turning novel filled with twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat. It's a very cinematic and sweeping novel that begs to be made into a movie. I can imagine that the panoramic vistas of Lake Michigan and Washington Island would look fantastic on the Silver Screen. I look forward to reading more from this talented author in the coming years, and I highly recommend this stunning debut novel.
Reviewed by Douglas R. Cobb for http://www.bestsellersworld.com/
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