1942.

The Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor.

The Germans are sinking ships off the American coast.

Now, mysterious ships have been seen off shore at night. Mr. Green, the school's principal, has disappeared under unexplained circumstances.

As the citizens of Gander's Cove collect scrap metal to aid the war effort, they are unaware of the new menace threatening their security...German Spies!

Bristol Petersen Gander and his Crime Stoppers Club must discover the spy's identity and mission before it is too late for Gander's Cove and...America!

First in the Gander's Cove mystery series.

One

We never locked our doors. In Gander’s Cove everyone knew everybody. Fear was unknown. Then the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor--and the United States jumped into the war! Our way of life changed overnight.

The Germans, Japanese allies, sneaked across the ocean and sunk the USS Jacob Jones--sunk it down the coast at Cape May, not far from where I live. Before pieces of that ship had sunk to the ocean floor, tongues started wagging. Rumors popped up--rumors of “spy planes” and “war ships” all bent on sneaking into the Cove and blowing us to smithereens.

I did what any man with Gander’s blood flowing through his veins would do. I swore

on my grandfather’s statue that I’d protect the people of the Cove. I formed the Crime Stoppers Club and became a Special Agent- -Codename CS-1, AKA (also know as) Bristol Petersen Gander. Two others took the Crime Stopper Oath: Henry Maloney--CS-2, AKA Lookout Man and Flannery Banes--CS- 3, AKA Logbook Keeper.

Today, when the Crime Stoppers got to school, the halls buzzed with the latest rumors. The principal, Mr. Green, was missing! And there was a rumor of a spy ship!

We Crime Stoppers separated to see what we could learn. When I trotted passed the first grade classroom, Sam squirmed out of his seat and ran into the hall.

“Spy ship’s at the Point!” he said.

Before he had time to pull his father’s compass from his pocket and tell me which way north was, I answered, “Not now, Sam. I’m on the job.” I kept walking, but Sam latched onto my shadow. When the bell rang, I stopped and knelt to Sam’s eye level. “Crime Stoppers will get them before they get us,” I promised.

He did what I called the Sam-lip-roll-nod--he rolled his bottom lip over his upper and nodded. Then we both went to our classrooms.

By the time the lunch bell rang, my mind was made up. As the students marched to the cafeteria, I marched out the door.

I walked down Cove Road feeling like Special Agent Dick Tracy walking his beat, looking for a snitch. I wanted answers--answers for the most dangerous problem--answers about the spy ship--answers only the fishermen could give. Mr. Green would have to wait.

“The idea of patriotic kids trying to outwit German spies is a wonderful idea. You made it even better by your use of (what was then) a secret weapon, chaff, which distorted enemy radar screens. As a military officer, I applaud that plot; it’s a beauty!” – Charles Entwistle, author of The Promise, a children’s historical novel of the Civil War, published by Hickory Tales Publishing, Bowling Green, Kentucky.