The Slightest Chance is now available in stores and online – including as an ebook – at all the usual places, such as Better World Books, Alibris, Barnes & Noble, Powells, Books-a-million, QBD Books, Waterstones, Angus & Robertson, Booktopia, Book Depository, Amazon or direct from Hong Kong publisher Blacksmith Books. Listen to an RTHK radio interview or read about the real-life inspirations behind the novel in this interview.
Reviews for The Slightest Chance
“This novel evokes the phenomenal grit and vivacious spirits of men and women like Max and Gwen…The Slightest Chance is romantic, thrilling historical fiction, a great read based on actual facts of war, death, and survival.” Historical Novel Society
The novel has “a rich plot, and the spies form an eclectic and interesting cast…which will keep any fan of historical novels turning the pages. The Slightest Chance is an exciting tale that deserves a global readership.” Hong Kong Arts Council
“The story follows expats and Eurasian, Chinese and Japanese spies and soldiers, pirates and triads in this wartime thriller and love story. An exciting read with authentic insights.” Hong Kong’s Expat Parent magazine
“The Slightest Chance is a fast-paced, edge of your seat, historical thriller. It is a no-holds-barred account of the horrors of war and I was gripped the entire time! Set in Hong Kong at the beginning of the war, Dominic is the Under-Secretary for Chinese Affairs and a weekend warrior volunteer in HK, traveling in disguise to try and gather information for the government. His work is important, yet extremely dangerous. On one of his missions, he meets Gwen, a British nurse living in HK, and they become close. … Gwen is actually based on Gwen Priestwood, the only female to escape from Japanese captivity in Hong Kong.” Passages to the Past
“The Slightest Chance is a fabulous World War 2 era novel… The author definitely did extensive research to write this book. The Slightest Chance is getting four and a half stars from me.” Locks, Hooks and Books
“I’m thinking just how many people there were like Max, Gwen, and Chester out there. All in the hopes of escaping fanatic armies, and finding love and loss together. It must have felt like the End times. I commend Paul on his excellent research, because there is never a moment that you would pull out of the story … a great novel. 5/5” Alalhambra Book Reviews
A Chance Kill (the first in a loose series):
Praise for A Chance Kill
Romance, war and spying – “A Chance Kill, gives you all three between the covers of this fast-paced novel…What is truth and what is a lie? Who does one believe in time of war? Is a friend really the enemy? Or is an enemy really a friend? The ending is really a tour de force. If it does not leave you amazed, maybe nothing will!” Am-Pol Eagle newspaper
“An absorbing tale…will appeal to readers who enjoy mystery thrillers set against a backdrop of the second world war” Historical Novel Society
“Whether Dyta is in Warsaw, Paris, London or Prague she is always an inspiring element in this book. She burns brightly in the darkness that surrounds her” Book Babe
“A ripping good read…one of my favorite books set in the World War II era” Back Porchervations
“A tense and tautly written book, sure to appeal to fans of John Le Carre and Ken Follett” SK Mag
“Based on true events and meticulously researched” South China Morning Post
“Expect an action-packed read, where an old-fashioned love story also ensues” Baccarat magazine
“Ambitious storytelling” that “delves into less well-known chapters of WWII, affording readers both new insight and distinct intrigue” Flashlight Commentary
Page One / South China Morning Post chart March 2015
Based upon my grandmother’s experience, seventeen-year-old Polish catholic Dyta Zając finds herself forced away from wartime Warsaw due to her family’s shadowy connections. Dyta’s time on the run sets her on a path towards confronting the ultimate Nazi.
Half a continent away, an RAF bomber crew embarks upon Britain’s little-known first offensive of the war. In a story of fear versus hope, the unspoken limits of loyalty are exposed and the value of a compromised life is contested. Courtship edges Dyta’s destiny closer to that of members of the RAF crew – and toward the Allies’ most brazen covert operation to strike at the Nazi elite.
But more dangerous than the enemy, however, is the assumption that your enemy’s enemy is your friend…
A flavour from the novel:
The black-uniformed officer ushered Dyta to the open car door. She bent double through the doorway. In doing so, she plucked the capsule from inside the waistband of her skirt and sat down with a cough, her hand politely covering her mouth for a moment. Using her tongue, she carefully moved the pill back from her teeth. She would be strip-searched, beaten, interrogated, tortured and, eventually, killed. The Gestapo man squeezed down next to Dyta, slammed the door and tapped the driver on the shoulder. The car lurched away. Dyta thought over what she had learned and what she had failed to learn: her failures left her no other option.
In researching A Chance Kill, I met with professional historians throughout Europe and learned more about Warsaw before it was flattened, Prague’s nest of wartime conspirators, the ‘James Bond’ gadget workshop within London’s Natural History Museum, and Britain’s little-known first offensive of World War Two.
Please tweet, review and share – and help get A Chance Kill and The Slightest Chance in front of people who would enjoy them.
Many thanks, Paul.
A CHANCE KILL 