Description:
1918. American troops have joined the Great War in Europe, but German saboteurs have brought the war to the streets of New York City. Craig von Bell is more than a spy; he is what his superiors term a "destroying agent" - an agent trained to disrupt, damage or destroy American warships, supply ships, munitions warehouses, and any and all material and supplies heading to Europe to be used by those fighting for victory over Germany. In an open city with a trusting, unsuspecting population, von Bell has immense freedom of movement to fulfill his mission. His weapons of choice are simple explosives and the raging infernos that follow. His weapon of choice is arson. Federal, state and city law enforcement officials are convinced that no German agents are operating in New York City, that they were all swept up and jailed or deported after the round-up operations that were conducted shortly after America declared war against Germany. They all refuse to admit that the wave of arson fires plaguing the city's waterfront and warehouses could be anything but random, typical acts of criminal arson for profit or pleasure.All except Wes Casey, one of the FDNY's few arson investigators, Casey knows the arson is not random; he knows that the fires are not for profit or pleasure; he knows the fires are the work of a German saboteur who will eventually strike terror into the hearts and souls of the people of New York City. Now all Wes has to do is find the terrorist. With a wonderful appreciation of New York City's history and with meticulous attention to the details of actual firegrounds, Paul Hashagen's THE TWELFTH HOUR is a novel of the past that touches our present in very, very important ways.Paul Hashagen began fighting fires in 1976, and recently retired from the FDNY after twenty-five years of service, with twenty of them in Rescue Company 1. Paul has written several books on the history of the fire service.
