Absent Without Leave

Wellington, New Zealand. June 1, 1944: With the city reservoirs running out of water, a broken body lying at the bottom of a dam, and the international underwater cables failing, Harry Wilhelm has five days to bring down a group of criminal deserters before the last US Naval transport departs, leaving the country defenseless.

The Allied invasion of Europe is imminent, and the last US troop transport is leaving for Hawaii in five days. But two hundred men are missing, and the military would like some of them back. US Marine Major Harry Wilhelm is asked to track down as many men as he can and offer them a free pass to leave the country without consequences if they're on the docks before the transport leaves.

But while searching for deserters, he discovers a group calling themselves The Wolves, planning to use their expertise to attack the defenseless country from within. New Zealand has a tiny population spread over an area the size of Great Britain, over 100,000 young men fighting overseas, and a recently disbanded Home Guard; Harry Wilhelm needs to find a way to save the country using all the resources he can muster.

A spinoff from The Kate Hardy Adventures, this book is the first in a brand-new series featuring Harry Wilhelm.