Quieting the Storm

by Alexander C. Juden

"I sat on the couch with my forearms on my knees and my fingers interlaced and considered the meaning of what I'd discovered in the steamer trunk. The trunk had traveled with me from France. I'd seen the stevedores in Cherbourg carry it up the gangway to be stowed in the hold of the SS Lapland. When I'd opened it, I had expected the smell of the Cosmoline grease protecting the layered weapons packed inside. I had not expected the smell of perfume. It was slight and didn't belong in a chest full of weapons, but then neither did the body. Beneath the packing blanket and on top of the paper and grease-wrapped gun parts was the corpse of a young woman."



John Griffin, a disfigured and disturbed veteran of the Great War, has returned to New York City to rescue his unlikely friend, Patricia Kingsbury, from her estranged father, Harry Armistan. However, his mission to save Patricia is immediately derailed by the sinister appearance of the body of a young woman in his steamer trunk. Convinced the girl's death is somehow connected to Patricia and her father, Griffin seeks the girl's killer. He soon finds himself wanted by the police and hunted by unknown assassins. When Patricia disappears, Griffin embarks upon a violent quest to find her. His search brings him from Wall Street to Long Island and beyond. He is forced to confront his own dark nature, and, ultimately, evils that are beyond even his imagining. 

504 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 21, 2025

Reviews

[Divina Zape · Rating 5 out of 5]

In post-World War I New York, disfigured veteran John Griffin finds himself embroiled in a dangerous game of deception, espionage, and personal vengeance. His mission to rescue Patricia Kingsbury from her ruthless father, Harry Armistan, is disrupted when a young woman's body is discovered in his trunk, linking him to a sinister web of corruption and murder. Wanted by police and hunted by unseen enemies, Griffin's quest to find Patricia leads him from Wall Street’s opulence to Long Island’s dark corners. As he confronts his own haunted past and the evil lurking beyond his understanding, he must unravel the truth before it destroys them all. Fans of The Shadow of the Wind and The Alienist will be captivated by this gripping historical thriller. I loved the characters, the prose, and the action.

[Ruffina Os · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Quieting the Storm by Alexander C. Juden, an ex soldier turned investigator is out on a mission to save her friend, Patricia Kingsbury from her estranged father. But everything changes when he discovers the body of a girl in the trunk of his car. He must find out who killed her. But then the police go after him and other violent criminals. It is not long before Patricia goes missing as well. Follow this intrepid fighter as he refuses to give up, using his street smarts, deception, and even violence to get to the bottom of the truth and in a world that is merciless and that is filled with powerful enemies.