Red Sky in Morning

Max Allan Collins's second mainstream novel under the Patrick Culhane byline, Red Sky in Morning, is a marked improvement over the first, Black Hats. Once again the action takes place in the past, but this time all the characters are fictitious, with only mentions of famous personalities -- and a much closer connection to the author's own past. Ensign Peter Maxwell has had it easy during his stint in the U.S. Navy, spending his days heading the chorus and spending his nights with his pretty wife, but there's a war going on around him, and damned if he doesn't want to be part of it. So, the newly promoted Lieutenant Maxwell and his best friends -- known collectively as the Fantail Four, a vocal quartet best known for their Ink Spots impression -- sign up for duty aboard the U.S.S. Liberty Hill Victory, an ammunition ship with an all-"colored" crew and an openly racist captain. (Liberty Hill is Maxwell's hometown, and he sees this as an omen.) Slowly, the Four realize they've put themselves into a potentially life-threatening situation -- a point the nearby Port Chicago disaster drives home -- but they decide to do what they can to make it work, including teaching the mostly illiterate crew how to read (especially the "no smoking" signs posted next to the explosives). But when the white X.O. (executive officer) and then a black crewmember are murdered, Maxwell is promoted to the post, then relieved of his duties to investigate the crime. He makes his first executive decision by choosing another black crewmember (and fellow jazz enthusiast), Seaman Ulysses Grant Washington -- known as "Sarge" from his years as a Chicago homicide detective -- to accompany him on interrogations, and to essentially run the investigation. The murder mystery is well plotted and satisfyingly solved, but the real appeal of Red Sky in Morning lies in the characters' relationships and in how Culhane/Collins shows them realistically, not shying away from popular conceptions (and epithets) of the era. This way, we are offered a complete portrait of a time and place that is likely not very familiar even to World War II aficionados. Red Sky in Morning was inspired by stories Collins's father (the book is dedicated to him) told him of his own time in the Navy, making this his most personal book yet. The author states that the book is mostly fictional, but that several details are lifted from those reminiscences. The rest came from Collins's imagination and his usual exhaustive research of the setting and period. He and co-author/research associate Matthew V. Clemens (see My Lolita Complex) plotted the story together, much like they did for Collins's CSI novels, and Culhane/Collins once again showcases his inimitable skill at making a time period come alive. I for one am glad that Max Allan Collins, Sr., shared his experiences with his son, so that he could in turn share them with us.

Life aboard a Navy ship in the South Pacific during World War II was never a picnic but for the men of the Liberty Hill Victory, it is ten times more dangerous. Their newly launched ship carries tons of live ammunition intended for the fighting U.S. forces going toe to toe with Japanese troops along a string of tiny islands none of the crew had ever heard of before Pearl Harbor. And if their cargo of bombs and bullets wasn't enough of a threat to their survival, the Liberty Hill Victory also has the dubious distinction of being one of the first integrated ships to sail into harm's way. Set in 1943, RED SKY IN MORNING, follows young ensign Peter Maxwell, a choir director form Iowa, who signs on to the newly christened ship along with four buddies unaware that ninety percent of the crew are black. No sooner is this discovered than Maxwell and his pals meet the skipper, Captain Egan, a bigoted seadog who despises snot-nosed college boys as much as blacks. Save for the five officers and four petty officers, the entire crew is made up of mostly illiterate young negroes eager to defend a country that considers them second-class citizens. While abhorring the senseless ignorance of racism, Maxwell is afraid that with the added nature of their cargo, those tensions will create a recipe for disaster. Fortunately one of the black seamen is a former Chicago Police Detective named Ulysses Grant Washington, Sarge to his friends. Both he and Maxwell are musicians and share a passion for jazz. It is this bond that brings them together and becomes the foundation upon which Maxwell and his friends hope to create an atmosphere of cooperation and teamwork that will keep the Liberty Hill Victory on an even and steady course. Things are going well until they encounter a fierce ocean storm and are separated from their convoy escort and left vulnerable in hostile waters. Then the body of one of the white officers is discovered in the ship's bowels, his throat slashed. Captain Egan orders Maxwell to investigate and find the killer, convinced it is one of the crew. Realizing he is in way over his head, the young Lieutenant (jg), persuades Sarge to take over the investigation as he is the only man on board with any real experience in such grisly matters. Inadvertently two begin stirring up racial tensions anew as old feelings of mistrust rise to the surface amongst passionate accusations and denials. And while they methodically set about unraveling their murder mystery, the Liberty Hill Victory is spotted by enemy fighter planes and is soon under attack. As Jap zeroes descend on them with claws of hot lead, any single hit capable of igniting their floating powder keg, a killer roams the decks ready to strike again to protect his identity. Max Allan Collins, writing as Patrick Culhane, expertly weaves history, social mores and a gripping mystery into a suspenseful story that never lets up. His characters truly evoke a different time and place when patriot

When the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, Miller's Grove, Iowa resident Peter Maxwell tells his beloved wife Kay he enlisting. She encourages him to join and he signs up with the US Navy. He is sent on to the USS Liberty Hill, along with his friends Rosetti, Driscoll, and Connor; the vessel carries armaments throughout the Pacific, and is crewed mostly by blacks with the few whites being officers for the most part. The ship has all sorts of issues with horrific weather and kamikaze attacks, but the worst is the tension between the two races; and is made worst by the captain. Maxwell becomes a close friend with black former Chicago cop Ulysses "Sarge" Grant Washington. When someone kills a white Ivy League grad and a gay black seaman, Maxwell and Washington agree to investigate hoping to uncover the murderer before someone else dies. This is an engaging historical tale which cannot decide between being a WWII thriller or mystery. The story line uses hyperbolic stereotypes (at times overkill as we got the point) to lay out the 1940s military structure and relationships, but turns into a investigation led by the experienced police detective and supported by the former high school Iowan quarterback. The story line is at its best when the focus is on the on board interactions in limited space between individuals and groups at sea; many of which are dysfunctional fueled by bias and misunderstanding. The murder mystery feels unnecessary and too standardized subtracting from the overall theme of racism due to skin color or religion on board a US Navy WW II vessel. Harriet Klausner

A WWII amuunitions ship after the Chicago Port incident, an all black crew with four white officers and a bigot for a captain is the cast for this great story. Mr. Culhane tells a topical story with all the racial tensions attendent with the situation and then adds the murder of one of the white officers into the mix. The story brings to life the segregation of the WWII Navy and adds a great who done it in the middle with all of its twists and turns. The friendship between one of the officers and a member of the crew helps to bring to light both the naivete and predjudice attendant in racial discussions. Highly recommend this book. I could not put it down and read it in one sitting. Patrick Culhane does not disappoint in his latest book. This is probably one of his best books yet.