Recently, I really enjoyed J.E. Macdonnell’s novel THE BUFFER, part of a long series by him about naval warfare during World War II which follows an ensemble cast of officers and sailors in the Australian navy. I plan to go back to the beginning of the series and catch up, but in the meantime, the just-released novel DECISION is a direct sequel to THE BUFFER, so I picked it up next.
The tragic storyline begun in THE BUFFER comes to a conclusion fairly early on in DECISION, which focuses on Captain Peter Bentley, the captain of the destroyer Wind Rode and the commander of a flotilla of destroyers. That storyline places Bentley in the position where he has to make a difficult decision, a theme that continues throughout this book. Allied forces are invading the Japanese-held island of Truk, and Wind Rode is part of the fleet charged with protecting the invading forces and keeping enemy submarines at bay as the troop ships and supply ships converge on the island.
There’s a lot of strategy and tactics in this book, but of course, Macdonnell provides plenty of human drama, too, as well as a mixture of victory and losses for the Australians. Peter Bentley is a fine protagonist, and First Lieutenant Robert Randall and Chief Bosun’s Mate William “Hooky” Walker are on hand to provide support. (Hooky is a great character, and I’m hoping some of the other books will feature him more.)
Macdonnell’s fast-paced, straight-ahead prose isn’t flashy, but he’s a great storyteller and keeps me flipping the digital pages. I thoroughly enjoyed DECISION, and I’m excited that there are a bunch more books in this series to keep me entertained. You can find this one on Amazon and on all the other platforms, as well.
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