Tom Burkhalter (https://thomasburkhalter.com) is the author of six novels. Shoestring’s End was published in 2020 and is the sixth novel in his No Merciful War series. It is the 85th book I completed reading in 2023.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence and mature language, I categorize this novel as R.

The novel begins in late 1942 on the island of New Guinea. The Japanese still have a strong base at Rabaul on the island of New Britain. With that position, they can strike across a large swath of the Pacific.

While the plot touches on many, there are three primary characters. Jimmy Ardana is a pilot with the 35th Fighter Group. The unit mostly flies P-39D Airacobras but has begun the transition to P-38 Lightnings. Jimmy has already qualified as an Ace. Danny Evans pilots a B-17E with the 43rd Bomb Group. Another significant character is Tommy Bell, who has transferred to flying the A-20 Havoc. He is not as well-liked and is more the cocky loaner.

The story tells of their missions and air combat experiences. They all fly out of the same area. The plot weaves around these pilots and their crews as each experiences the war in the Pacific in their own way.

I enjoyed the 10 hours I spent reading this 422-page WWII-era historical fiction novel. While this novel is fiction, it paints a good picture of front-line air combat in the Pacific. I had the chance to also read Everything We Had. It is one of the earlier novels in his No Merciful War series. Both novels have been good WWII fiction. The cover art is monochrome and dull, but that is consistent with photos of the era. I give this novel a rating of 4.2 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

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Having read the first in this series I was eager to get my hands another instalment of this compelling account of the aerial campaign in the south west pacific. All the positive features I admired in book 1 are present in generous measure in Shoestring’s End: careful attention to the historical parameters of this little known, but fiercely contested campaign; excellent and compelling accounts of the mix of tedium and terror that were standard fare for many pilots and aircrew in the Second World War; and a developing narrative that helps the reader to get to know the characters that are central to this story.
Whilst the books can be read and enjoyed on a standalone basis the enjoyment is likely to be enhanced by reading them sequentially. Strongly recommended.