1941 - War looms in the East

OVER MY DEAD BODY! I AM NOT LEAVING! Jane thundered with fury, defying her handler and superior when ordered to flee before the Japanese took Singapore. AB-SO-LUTE-LY BLOODY NOT!! Her first thought was to abscond from the British irregulars - her oath be damned - and join the bush guerrillas.

Jane Woodley

A young local interracial woman, doubts the ballyhoo that Singapore is an impregnable fortress. When the SOE's Orient Mission woos her, she jumps at the chance to do her bit. They train her as a pianist and for behind-the-lines warfare as a resistance fighter. A femme résistante.

The wilful and ravishing beauty evolves into a prized asset, with unique knowledge of British secrets and codes. After British Malaya falls to the Japanese in 1942, months pass without news of her, and her masters presume her dead. Then, a bolt from nowhere. They learn she is alive and active in the resistance. It triggers a desperate mission to remove and place her beyond the reach of the ruthless Kempeitai.

Operation Jaywick

Chance favours the Allies. Operation Jaywick, a raid on ships in Keppel Harbour, is about to begin. The commandos will sail from Australia on a Japanese fishing boat known as the Krait, through 2,000 miles of seas and skies dominated by the enemy. At the last moment, the extraction team latches onto the vessel. Like the Jaywick men, they aim to pierce the isle's defences by paddling folbots.

But ... would Jane forsake her convictions and escape? Will the ill winds of war cast their breath upon her? And will she discover who owns her heart as she fights for survival?

About the story

A WWII women's war adventure with morsels of crime and culture, with love and romance. The saga fiction of a spunky, strong female, along with the vibrant characters of her family and friends, set amid true events in wartime Malaya and its occupation. It ends in a 'Hells Bells!' stunner. A page-turner Asian British period drama.

Reader's review

"Great storyline and informative at the same time. Though a novel, it is also an intriguing historical narrative of the people, food and the war years in Malaya. The ending was most unexpected. Captivating reading!"