The Preserve (Wendell Lett)
A WWII vet finds himself trapped inside a sinister military experiment in this historical thriller based on true events and sequel to Under False Flags.
Hawaii, 1948. In World War II, Wendell Lett was considered a hero before he became a deserter. Now he’s looking for a cure for his severe combat trauma, and The Preserve seems to be his salvation. Run by military intelligence, the secretive training camp promises relief from the terrors in his mind. Together with tough-minded Hawaiian Kanani Alana, who’s also looking for a new start at The Preserve, Lett begins to feel hopeful.
But soon Lett discovers the chilling, true purpose of his treatment. The Preserve intends to rebuild him into a cold-blooded assassin—whether he’s willing to cooperate or not. His only hope is Alana’s dangerous escape plan. But even if it succeeds, he’ll still have to survive a merciless manhunt through the harsh wilderness of the Big Island.
”Readers will root for Wendell, with his unrelenting demons, as he soldiers on, fighting for his sanity and his life." —Publishers Weekly
”Anderson quickly puts the reader into Lett’s deeply troubled mind, into Alana’s clever ploys, into the terrain and physical challenges. He knows the military, the weapons, and jargon. His prose is often compelling . . . A deep study of what war and greed can do to the survivors.” —Historical Novels Review, Historical Novel Society
”A fast-paced historical thriller that will linger in the mind and memory long after the novel is finished and set back upon the shelf.” —Midwest Book Review
“The Preserve is a first-rate historical thriller. It is fast, dark, and complicated without becoming ridiculous … And Anderson clearly did his research. He salts enough historical fact throughout the book to give it flavor without weighing down the action.” —Rose City Reader
“Gripping and intelligent … with characters I instantly liked.” —Guido Eekhaut, award-winning author of Absinthe and Purgatory
“Highly atmospheric and a great read.” —Ron Lealos, author of Pashtun
“In The Preserve, Steve Anderson once again paints a compelling and page-turning thriller.” —Peter Riva, author of the Pero Baltazar safari thrillers
The Preserve is the second book featuring troubled war veteran Wendell Lett. Lett’s nightmarish experience in WWII is told in my novel Under False Flags.