Richard Barnes Talks About Luzon

Richard Whitten Barnes is a native Chicagoan, graduating as a chemist from Michigan State University. He is now retired from a career in international chemical sales and marketing, which has taken him all over the world. Barnes is a veteran of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division and an avid sailor. He lives in Lake Wylie, S.C., but spends summers with his wife Marg and dog Sparty at their cottage on St. Joseph Island, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron. Barnes is the author of The FAIRCLOTH REACTION, The CORYDON SNOW, BRINK, and BAD MEDICINE. LUZON is his second historical novel set in WWII and has just published from Wings Press this month. America has broken Japan’s “Purple” code, and a captured U.S. Navy officer knows it. Someone has to make sure the Japanese don’t find out. It’s 1941, and Riza Manceda, a beautiful American intelligence officer, needs someone to impersonate a Japanese officer for a dangerous mission to her homeland of the Philippines. Her search uncovers the ideal man in Daniel Suhiro, a first generation Nisei with perfect credentials for the job…but maybe not so perfect. The mission is to prevent the Japanese from discovering the Allies have broken their “unbreakable” Purple code. This secret could shorten – or lengthen – the war by years, and is known by an officer captured in Luzon. Riza and Daniel train to either rescue the officer or, if necessary, assassinate him. The compelling story of their harrowing venture meticulously comes to life as the pair becomes drawn closer to each other and then thrown headlong into incredible peril. Richard Whitten Barnes is meticulous in getting the historical details of the WWII years right. "Luzon" is sprinkled freely with nonfictional characters saying and doing things relevant to the times.