1st 5-Star Amazon Review of “Ghosts of the Empire” by Justin Sheedy

SHEEDY’S LATEST NOVEL TRIUMPHS!
Review by Author Marc Stevens.
‘Ghosts of the Empire’ is the latest WW2 novel from Australian author Justin Sheedy, the follow-on to ‘Nor the Years Condemn’. The second book of a proposed trilogy is neither prequel nor sequel; rather the story takes place concurrently with the first, and actually briefly shares one or two of the characters.

Once again, Sheedy succeeds mightily in getting the reader quickly invested in the story, whose proponent is a young Australian pilot, Mick O’Regan. Growing up in working class Sydney, our hero enlists in the Royal Australian Air Force, desperately hoping (like all young men of the day) to become a Spitfire pilot. He gets his wish, joining the elite group of flyers whose simple job is to kill or be killed. A sad fate that becomes too many of his friends and allies.

The background research necessary to write this story well (and Sheedy has indeed written it very well) is evident at the turn of every page. But where the author triumphs, once again, is in drawing the reader so deeply into the emotional lives of his characters that one cannot wait to turn the page. As a reader, you CARE about these brave aircrew and their families. And there is no shortage of pulling at heartstrings on the family front. Letters between combat ace Mick and his 6-year-old sister back in Australia do a credible job of ripping at your guts.

In addition to his marvellous characters, Sheedy is also showing himself to be a master of plot. Unexpected twists and turns keep the reader awake and begging for more. Yes, you will cheer for the good guys and sneer at the villains, but you will also come to learn that the innocent victims of war are never on just one side or the other.

Justin Sheedy is rapidly becoming that to which every author aspires: a novelist with serious talent.
Full Blog Post here... http://crackernight.com/2013/12/09/1s...