"Richter's War: Case of the Japanese Alien" integrates elements of racism, government, war, and human nature amidst action, suspense, humor, Nazis, and an alien named Haruki.
In this sci-fi thriller short story, a World War II battle engulfs Los Angeles, and sweeps a hard-boiled detective into dangerous and out-of-this-world action and intrigue.
Originally published as part of an anthology by Geminid Press, LLC, under the title, Well, Haruki, Looks Like It's Just You and Me, Kid, this short story features a hard-boiled Los Angeles detective of German heritage, Karol Eugen Richter, aka Geno Richter. Geno's used to taking down Nazis for the War Department, but during one late night in February 1942, circumstances sweep him into unexpected wartime action involving something much more than the typical Nazi conspirators.
Case of the Japanese Alien draws on the mystique of hard-boiled detectives and the strangeness of the rumored enemy attack and anti-aircraft artillery barrage known as "The Great Los Angeles Air Raid" in late February 1942. The story integrates elements of racism, government, war, and human nature amidst action, suspense, humor, Nazis, and an alien named Haruki.
Geno Richter's a tough hero--He must be tough in order to take on Nazi spies and an apparent alien invasion of Los Angeles. But he's also tough enough to take a stand against the U.S. Government's internment of people of Japanese ancestry during World War II. This dreadful episode is a key ingredient of Case of the Japanese Alien, and Geno rises to the occasion in his own special way...
You can say the Richter's War series is Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade meets Lovecraft's Cthulhu with an air of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The X-Files. At times, it is eerie and foreboding like The Hound of the Baskervilles and at other times the stories feel like a supernatural thriller by Anthony M. Strong. Richter's War is full of action and adventure, history, mystery, and suspense, all whipped up by the supernatural aspirations of villainous Nazis.
As a bonus, enjoy an excerpt from War Torrent, Book I of the author's science fiction adventure series, The Outworlds. In Torrent, and throughout the rest of The Outworlds series, unlikely heroes will be called upon to join extraordinary and mysterious struggles. Their sometimes-reluctant choices put them on a collision course with destiny and reveal unimaginable truths. Their survival will mean confronting personal flaws and doubts, and forging unexpected fates as inspiring new champions in the eternal battle against evil.
Review
Five Stars! Geno Richter is a marvelous noir hero... Richter's War: Case of the Japanese Alien is most highly recommended. -Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite Five Stars! I really liked the main character, Geno. The action of the story was great, the characters were good, and the dialogue was spot on for the time period. -Paul Johnson for Readers' Favorite
From the Author
This short story has inspired me to write a RICHTER'S WAR series of tales, so look for more of Geno Richter's mysterious cases down the road.
Thanks for giving RICHTER'S WAR: Case of the Japanese Alien and the excerpt from War Torrent a read. I hope you enjoy them! As always, may truth be mighty and prevail. -Daniel P. Douglas, March 2016
From the Inside Flap
When a World War II battle engulfs Los Angeles, a hard-boiled detective is swept up in the action, and into dangerous and out-of-this-world intrigue.
From the Back Cover
Case of the Japanese Alien draws on the mystique of hard-boiled detectives and the strangeness of the rumored enemy attack and anti-aircraft artillery barrage known as "The Great Los Angeles Air Raid" in late February 1942. The story integrates elements of themes related to racism, government, war, society, and human nature amidst action, suspense, humor, Nazis, and an alien named Haruki.
Geno Richter's a tough hero--He must be tough in order to take on Nazi spies and an apparent alien invasion of Los Angeles. But he's also tough enough to take a stand against the U.S. Government's internment of people of Japanese ancestry during World War II. This dreadful episode is a key ingredient of Case of the Japanese Alien, and Geno rises to the occasion in his own special way...
About the Author Daniel P. Douglas is the pen name for identical twins Phillip and Paul Garver. Phillip is a U.S. Army veteran who also served as a senior analyst in the U.S. intelligence community and currently works for the federal government. Paul's career includes over 30 years in the museum profession. He has worked for cultural and historic sites in California and Virginia, as well as for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Phillip and Paul enjoy writing pulse-pounding, edge-of-your seat science fiction, conspiracy, mystery, suspense, and thriller stories and screenplays. Their characters are often ordinary people who tread upon a collision course with destiny, where survival means confronting personal flaws and fighting for good in the eternal battle against evil. They explore this theme in a number of published works. Their first novel, "Truth Insurrected: The Saint Mary Project," centers on a decades-old government cover-up of contact with extraterrestrial life. "The Outworlds" series is comprised of adventure stories set in the early twenty-fourth century at the fringe of human civilization. Their "Richter's War" series blends sci-fi with hard-boiled intrigue in Los Angeles during World War II. Born and raised in Southern California, Phillip moved to Arizona to attend college, and Paul moved to Virginia to further pursue his museum career. Both have travelled extensively across the United States and around the world. They now reside in New Mexico with their families and many pets.
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