What do you think?
Rate this book
Decker's Dilemma
Subic Bay, Philippines. The navy’s Cold War outpost in the western Pacific. The USS Harvey. A bastion of American sea power in the Far East. But Elliott Decker doesn’t give a hoot about all that. He’s been on board ship a year, relishing the laid-back lifestyle of the tropical locale. It’s not just a job, it’s a dream assignment. That is, until a shipmate, Michael Kippen, falls overboard one night and disappears into the South China Sea.
The navy rules the death an accident. Decker becomes skeptical when his friend, Vega Magpantay, a rookie with the Olongapo City police, tells him about the Philippine black market for American navy goods. But her hands are tied: the local cops lack jurisdiction over the U.S. military base and her chauvinistic boss doesn’t let her do real police work. Undeterred and with a knack for getting others to do his dirty work, Decker and his wingman, Hack Wilson, undertake the snooping.
Suspects are plenty among Harvey crewmembers and an attempt on Decker’s life ups the ante. Guided by Vega, the sailors uncover evidence that takes them across the naval base, through the backstreets of Olongapo, and into the heart of Manila, rife with the People Power Revolution to overthrow Ferdinand Marcos. When another murder tosses the sailors into ever more dangerous waters, it’s up to Decker to find the answers and fast.
The navy rules the death an accident. Decker becomes skeptical when his friend, Vega Magpantay, a rookie with the Olongapo City police, tells him about the Philippine black market for American navy goods. But her hands are tied: the local cops lack jurisdiction over the U.S. military base and her chauvinistic boss doesn’t let her do real police work. Undeterred and with a knack for getting others to do his dirty work, Decker and his wingman, Hack Wilson, undertake the snooping.
Suspects are plenty among Harvey crewmembers and an attempt on Decker’s life ups the ante. Guided by Vega, the sailors uncover evidence that takes them across the naval base, through the backstreets of Olongapo, and into the heart of Manila, rife with the People Power Revolution to overthrow Ferdinand Marcos. When another murder tosses the sailors into ever more dangerous waters, it’s up to Decker to find the answers and fast.
326 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2015
1 person is currently reading
311 people want to read
About the author
Jack Ambraw
1 book10 followersJack Ambraw is the pen name of Eric Ward, a native of the small town of Newton, Illinois. He served eight years in the U.S. Navy, including a two-year assignment on board the USS Sterett at Subic Bay, Philippines, the setting for his debut novel. His day job is Vice President for Public Programs at the Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering & Technology, an independent research library in Kansas City. He is also a doctoral student in an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in history and English literature at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and is a graduate of Hawaii Pacific University and the University of Hawaii. He and his wife Lynn live in the Northland of Kansas City, Missouri, where he is at work on Yamashita's Gold, a second Subic Bay Mystery featuring Decker and friends.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 1, 2016
Excellent, evocative, fast-paced! This book takes you right onto the ship and then into the heart of the mysterious tangle of death and intrigue. Decker is a master sleuth, old-school awesome!
July 10, 2015
I had access to a review copy of this book.
This was a curious beast. I liked much about the book, though it does not follow to a T elements I expect in the mystery genre. In other words, I could put it down, but kept coming back to it. Some of the high points;
- As a fan of military fiction I enjoyed the reference to life aboard a navy ship.
- As a European-American with Filipino friends I was glad to see a book set in a locale that doesn't get much play.
- I appreciated the banter and frank references to how men navigate relationship concerns (especially in the military?). This rang true.
I would have liked to have seen more description of the Philippines itself. Yes, the book was set there. However, the setting is unique enough that more about the colors and landscape, the size and types of the buildings, might have let us feel more solidly that we were there with the characters. In that vein, more reminders along the way of the main characters' physical traits might have brought the story to life.
At a couple points I felt like the characters didn't ask obvious questions. For instance, early on they discussed expensive military parts going missing. Inquiring minds want to know what types - even if I've never heard of those parts...it would lend some realism.
It was a stretch to imagine our heroes having a front-row seat to the departure of Marcos and his wife from the nation. Still, it was interesting to "be there" for something I've certainly heard of, given my age.
All told, a fun book. I feel warmth for the team of heroes. Here's another good side - its team approach (just like the military), rather than the lone hero with one sidekick. I am somewhat curious to see what develops around relationship lines regarding an incipient love triangle.
Good first effort in a mystery series, especially for its unique setting - in the US Navy, in the Philippines, during the '80's - none of which are overdone in print.
This was a curious beast. I liked much about the book, though it does not follow to a T elements I expect in the mystery genre. In other words, I could put it down, but kept coming back to it. Some of the high points;
- As a fan of military fiction I enjoyed the reference to life aboard a navy ship.
- As a European-American with Filipino friends I was glad to see a book set in a locale that doesn't get much play.
- I appreciated the banter and frank references to how men navigate relationship concerns (especially in the military?). This rang true.
I would have liked to have seen more description of the Philippines itself. Yes, the book was set there. However, the setting is unique enough that more about the colors and landscape, the size and types of the buildings, might have let us feel more solidly that we were there with the characters. In that vein, more reminders along the way of the main characters' physical traits might have brought the story to life.
At a couple points I felt like the characters didn't ask obvious questions. For instance, early on they discussed expensive military parts going missing. Inquiring minds want to know what types - even if I've never heard of those parts...it would lend some realism.
It was a stretch to imagine our heroes having a front-row seat to the departure of Marcos and his wife from the nation. Still, it was interesting to "be there" for something I've certainly heard of, given my age.
All told, a fun book. I feel warmth for the team of heroes. Here's another good side - its team approach (just like the military), rather than the lone hero with one sidekick. I am somewhat curious to see what develops around relationship lines regarding an incipient love triangle.
Good first effort in a mystery series, especially for its unique setting - in the US Navy, in the Philippines, during the '80's - none of which are overdone in print.
January 11, 2024
A humorous, interesting indie mystery.
March 25, 2018
In another life, Jack Ambraw had another name and a different career. In this other life, he was a sailor and his duty station was at the gigantic naval station at Subic Bay in the Republic of The Philippines. Right outside the main gate of this massive complex was the town of Olongapo, where this book is set.
During that other life, at roughly the same time, I was also stationed at Subic Bay. So I vouch for the details, locations and social events described and, to that end, for Jack.
That doesn't do a lot of good for most readers, as the uninitiated won't enjoy the nostalgia. But anyone who was there will immediately be engaged, because there are some very deep memories connected to this place. That makes for a very limited, but very loyal audience. I don't know how the author feels, but I would be okay with that.
As for the work itself, it's a pretty good detective yarn. I would wager Jack Ambraw's skill as a writer will improve with each effort. There's that thing there that you get with some authors; the ones who are able to capture your attention and keep you turning pages. I know these are the early days of Jack Ambraw's venture into authorship, but he's already displaying that thing.
I wasn't thrilled with a few things, but they were easy to overlook because I was being a bit of a stickler about the military aspects within the story. Overall, it's an average book, but if you're of the salty variety and have done any time on Magasaysay, you're going to be nodding and smiling.
During that other life, at roughly the same time, I was also stationed at Subic Bay. So I vouch for the details, locations and social events described and, to that end, for Jack.
That doesn't do a lot of good for most readers, as the uninitiated won't enjoy the nostalgia. But anyone who was there will immediately be engaged, because there are some very deep memories connected to this place. That makes for a very limited, but very loyal audience. I don't know how the author feels, but I would be okay with that.
As for the work itself, it's a pretty good detective yarn. I would wager Jack Ambraw's skill as a writer will improve with each effort. There's that thing there that you get with some authors; the ones who are able to capture your attention and keep you turning pages. I know these are the early days of Jack Ambraw's venture into authorship, but he's already displaying that thing.
I wasn't thrilled with a few things, but they were easy to overlook because I was being a bit of a stickler about the military aspects within the story. Overall, it's an average book, but if you're of the salty variety and have done any time on Magasaysay, you're going to be nodding and smiling.
July 13, 2016
I read this book because I was travelling to Subic Bay for business (haven't made it yet). I wanted to read something to get a feel for the area. It was a pretty vanilla story. Not a page turner. I learned a few terms and customs so it was educational in that sense. But as a story, kind of blah. I did not like the ending because it left a key question unanswered, although I guess we are to assume.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews