A Town Called Alice

by John Alan Norton

In the wind-bitten seaside town of Alice, where beautified streets hide crooked ledgers and whispered threats, ex–FBI contractor John Benton stumbles into a disappearance that won’t stay a beloved art restorer vanishes, a “ghost” walks the tide-slick sands, and an abandoned mansion watches from the cliffs like a sentinel with something to lose. Every clue points to the same forbidden place—a cave only the low tide reveals—and to the powerful men who will do anything to keep its door closed. As rumors harden into danger and allies prove slippery as seaweed, John must turn back, or step into the dark and learn why Alice would rather be pretty than honest. The waves are falling. The door is waiting. What happens when it opens?

270 pages, Paperback

Published April 13, 2025

Reviews

[Katrinalee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty remarkable story. While not specifically about the characters in the story, the historical experiences of WW2 survival in Malaya and post-war enterprise in Australia are based on fact. The story is engaging, sweeping, humorous, tragic, and romantic.

[Karen Yellin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good historic fiction.