Trapp's Secret War

Edward Trapp #5

by Brian Callison

The new Edward Trapp adventure - 1943. World War Two. A Russian convoy fights its violent, wreckage-strewn course across the Arctic Circle towards Murmansk. Only one ship survives the coffin ship Charon and her complement of misfits, captained by the buccaneering Edward professional scoundrel, blackguard without merit. The Charon staggers from one sub-zero crisis to the next in the captains pursuit of ignominy and golden cargo, to the enduring embarrassment of the British and United States Navies . . .

Genres: Historical Fiction

220 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2008

About the author

Brian Callison was a British novelist known for his best-selling thrillers and sea stories. Born in Manchester, England in 1934, he was educated at the High School of Dundee, and went to sea at the age of 16 as an apprentice with the Blue Funnel Line, sailing aboard cargo ships between ports in Europe and East Asia. Callison subsequently studied at Dundee College of Art in Scotland, and went into business. His first published novel, A Flock of Ships, appeared in 1970. In 2008 he completed a three-year appointment as a Fellow of The Royal Literary Fund at the University of Dundee, mentoring staff and students in all aspects of practical writing.
Callison died in Dundee on 5 February 2024, at the age of 89.

Reviews

[Duzzlebrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all four of the Captain's previous misadventures, so when this one came out I just had to buy it. The book is funny, as they all are, and the mayhem is the same as ever.

Callison seems to have decided that he can't just have Trapp getting older and older indefinitely, (why not? If anyone could find the Fountain of Youth it would be Trapp) so this book returns to the Second World War. Naturally poor Miller gets suckered into sailing with Trapp - again. The ship this time is just as rotten as all his others, only it's an icebreaker - which is a perfect way to reach a mysterious island in the ice sheet where there may be found buried treasure, according to the barfly in an Irish pub who told Trapp about it. So the merry crew set sail with an Arctic convoy, not for the war effort but in the interest of finding a quite ridiculous amount of gold bullion.

[Dee-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book ... it was not what I expected ... war genere not being the usual type of book that I would read. It was funny, adventurous, shocking and haunting in parts. The only bit that held me back from giving it 5 stars was that the way it was written was abit uncomfortable ... the author was too comfortable with the audience and I dont like people putting words in my mouth.