When a Nazi saboteur engineers the sinking of the superliner "Normandie" just before World War II, naval architect Steven Gates investigates the ruins and penetrates the agent's insidious plans for even greater destruction.
This is a thriller with a spy, a romance and fascinating details about ships. It is set mostly in New York City during the early days of the American entry into World War II. It even includes details about the patrolling that took place to try to keep men and supplies heading from the U.S. to Europe during the war. Scott is a superb storyteller.
A little more convoluted than Scott's 1978 work The Shipkiller, The Man Who Loved The Normandie is, as they say, a two-fisted tale. It's based on the fate of the actual ship Normandie, but with a lot of guesswork, derring-do and (as the cover so subtly suggests) Nazis. Not going to exercise your brain hugely, but it's perfect when you're looking for a wham-bam encounter.