What do you think?
Rate this book
Kellogg and Watt #1
CHASING DRAGONS: An Aviation Thriller
In the aftermath of World War II, recently discharged Army Air Force pilot Duke Kellogg and his fledgling airline find themselves embroiled an adventure involving intrigue and missing treasure. The legend of the Golden Dragons has been debated from bar stools throughout the South Pacific for years, but most believe it to be nothing more than a good yarn. When a mysterious woman enters the Coral Pacific offices and claims to be the fiancée of a missing courier on a secret mission carrying gold to Chiang Kai-Shek, she sets in motion a series of events involving deception, mystery and hair raising exploits. Through it all Duke, his copilot, Edwina Watt and flight mechanic Nick Minetti struggle to uncover the truth and survive while Chasing Dragons.
215 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 28, 2016
46 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
About the author
George Mazzeo
6 books13 followersGeorge Mazzeo spent thirty years as an Air Force Pilot before beginning a second career as an Aviation Science Professor. His interests include reading, writing, all things aviation, outdoor activities, and sports.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Read
August 17, 2020I can't objectively review my own work, but I thought you might be interested in what I was going for when writing it. My idea was to create an action-adventure novel that had the feel of a 1940's serial you might see in a theater before the main attraction...or maybe something you might see on Turner Classic Movies channel. Having spent thirty years as an Air Force pilot and having flown across the South Pacific on numerous occasions, I was always fascinated by the many Islands that played a crucial role in WWII. So, I decided to set the action there. I really enjoyed researching the history, climate and characteristics of the two Islands, Christmas and Canton, where most of the action in Chasing Dragons takes place. I also enjoyed researching the slang/jargon appropriate to the time. You will find that sprinkled throughout the work. If you elect to give this novel a try, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
July 15, 2016
Coming out of the Army Air Force at the end of the Second World War ‘Duke’ Kellogg can’t face returning to his pre-war civilian life so, with a few former AAF comrades, buys two decommissioned transport aircraft and sets up a business flying freight and passengers across the Pacific. But life isn’t easy for the fledgling airline so when an attractive young woman appeals for help in tracing her missing fiancée (missing along with a whole load of gold coins) Kellogg and his colleagues decide to help. Not just because she’s beautiful but because there’s also the chance of a reward.
George Mazzeo demonstrates his expert knowledge of aircraft and flying as we’re taken on an island hopping adventure with Kellogg and his crew. Too much detail will give away too many spoilers but this is an adventure novel so we know nothing will be straightforward. Throw into the mix an ageing aircraft flying over the Pacific, volatile weather, not many places to land along with gold fever then we know what kind of crises our heroes will face.
Chasing Dragons has a strong start and a strong finish; it’s in the middle that the story levels off (a bit like an aircraft reaching cruising altitude) mainly down to the limited number of characters. There are only so many places we can fly to in the Pacific and the crew along with their two passengers don’t interact with many people other than army types waiting for de-mob.
The flying sequences are well written, too much technical detail can drown a story but there’s just enough to give us a feel of being in the cockpit and allow the story to breathe. Chasing Dragons is an engrossing read and our characters are well drawn. In particular I liked Eddie (Edwina) and the idea that women who had grown used to working in a man’s world during the war did not want to be cast off and return to their previous lives.
George Mazzeo demonstrates his expert knowledge of aircraft and flying as we’re taken on an island hopping adventure with Kellogg and his crew. Too much detail will give away too many spoilers but this is an adventure novel so we know nothing will be straightforward. Throw into the mix an ageing aircraft flying over the Pacific, volatile weather, not many places to land along with gold fever then we know what kind of crises our heroes will face.
Chasing Dragons has a strong start and a strong finish; it’s in the middle that the story levels off (a bit like an aircraft reaching cruising altitude) mainly down to the limited number of characters. There are only so many places we can fly to in the Pacific and the crew along with their two passengers don’t interact with many people other than army types waiting for de-mob.
The flying sequences are well written, too much technical detail can drown a story but there’s just enough to give us a feel of being in the cockpit and allow the story to breathe. Chasing Dragons is an engrossing read and our characters are well drawn. In particular I liked Eddie (Edwina) and the idea that women who had grown used to working in a man’s world during the war did not want to be cast off and return to their previous lives.
December 12, 2016
Airborne whodunit
A nicely crafted whodunit with the normal twists and turns and characters that are not to be trusted. Since I'm a pilot, loved the flying aspects because there are too few novels with a flying theme. The flying descriptions were pretty damn accurate. Only complaint was the hand wringing at the end about the integrity of the airplane under stress. Dude, it was built by Lockheed! Kelly Johnson's slide rule was involved with that airplane. No way it would let them down. Just saying.
A nicely crafted whodunit with the normal twists and turns and characters that are not to be trusted. Since I'm a pilot, loved the flying aspects because there are too few novels with a flying theme. The flying descriptions were pretty damn accurate. Only complaint was the hand wringing at the end about the integrity of the airplane under stress. Dude, it was built by Lockheed! Kelly Johnson's slide rule was involved with that airplane. No way it would let them down. Just saying.
February 27, 2017
A first rate action adventure set in the Pacific after WWII. The owners of a newly created airline, operating out of Hawaii, find themselves neck deep in the search for a missing military courier and $100,000 of newly minted gold coins. I always enjoy a book with a twist at the end and this one came up a winner.
I have rated this book 4.5 stars.
I obtained this book from Amazon in Kindle format.
I have rated this book 4.5 stars.
I obtained this book from Amazon in Kindle format.
June 10, 2017
Rollicking good hangar tale
While the the lead characters might seem a bit cliche at first, the author does a great job fleshing them out as solid characters. As a pilot, all of the aviation elements fly true and correct but he doesn't let that get in the way of telling a ripping yarn. For those who love Clive Cussler and similar writers of action adventure, you'll really enjoy Chasing Dragons with Duke, Nick and Eddie.
While the the lead characters might seem a bit cliche at first, the author does a great job fleshing them out as solid characters. As a pilot, all of the aviation elements fly true and correct but he doesn't let that get in the way of telling a ripping yarn. For those who love Clive Cussler and similar writers of action adventure, you'll really enjoy Chasing Dragons with Duke, Nick and Eddie.
October 30, 2018
I liked the story line and the characters. It had way too much detail about flying airplanes. Based on what was provided in the book, I should be able to fly or repair these WWII airplanes all by myself! Other than the overwhelming detail the characters and story line seemed true to the period.
Read
April 28, 2020This was a fun story set shortly after WWII. Plenty of intrigue, and adventure in a Tales of the Gold Monkey kind of way. Loved the strong female characters and the setting overall. I'll be looking for more of these stories.
March 21, 2018
Really good action/adventure novel of flying in the South Seas post World War II. Interesting characters and a great story
August 27, 2016
Chasing Dragons is a post-WW2 era romp set around the islands of the South Pacific. Centered around a small, struggling independent airline consisting of two repurposed wartime planes and a plucky crew, the story takes us through the events surrounding the fate of a portion of the fabled Golden Dragons – a specially minted consignment of gold coins – that went missing during the war.
The story started off with some promise, with some fairly stock but entertaining characters by the way of our heroes Duke, Eddie and Nick, as well as damsel in distress Daphne Fairhope. The premise and the setting were interesting, as was the twist on the standard detective agency trope being replaced by the crew of an airplane.
However, it's obvious that the author has a big love for planes and how they operate. After the third or fourth lengthy and in-depth description of the operation of an airplane, I started skipping through these frequent and terminology-laden paragraphs to get to the actual story. Maybe that will appeal to people who enjoy authenticity in their fiction, but it was a bit too much for me.
Towards the latter third of the book the tension that should have been there leaked out of the story much like the oil leaking out of one of the Deuce's engines. I can't pinpoint exactly what it was, maybe because the author hopped around between characters' viewpoints in the same chapter, revealing too much instead of letting the tension build.
Overall, the story is lightly entertaining and enjoyable – although I probably wouldn't classify it as a thriller – but hit a few hurdles for me.
The story started off with some promise, with some fairly stock but entertaining characters by the way of our heroes Duke, Eddie and Nick, as well as damsel in distress Daphne Fairhope. The premise and the setting were interesting, as was the twist on the standard detective agency trope being replaced by the crew of an airplane.
However, it's obvious that the author has a big love for planes and how they operate. After the third or fourth lengthy and in-depth description of the operation of an airplane, I started skipping through these frequent and terminology-laden paragraphs to get to the actual story. Maybe that will appeal to people who enjoy authenticity in their fiction, but it was a bit too much for me.
Towards the latter third of the book the tension that should have been there leaked out of the story much like the oil leaking out of one of the Deuce's engines. I can't pinpoint exactly what it was, maybe because the author hopped around between characters' viewpoints in the same chapter, revealing too much instead of letting the tension build.
Overall, the story is lightly entertaining and enjoyable – although I probably wouldn't classify it as a thriller – but hit a few hurdles for me.
July 29, 2016
If Tom Clancy wrote a serial thriller in the 40's, this might have been it.
Chasing Dragons is a mash up of styles that wind up into a thriller in paradise. The thriller side of the story is, by design, standard Saturday matinee fare. Ordinary characters find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. Danger will find them. The characters are well developed with warm, familiar personalities. The legend of the golden dragons brings a mysterious element into the story. Meanwhile, quite a bit of the narrative brings us to fully researched technical details as one might find in a Tom Clancy novel. The author brings us to detailed knowledge of flying that only experienced pilots may know. While most of us would experience the story as passengers, this novel brings us to the front of the plane in the pilot's cockpit, and much of the narrative comes from that viewpoint. The style of a Saturday afternoon matinee brings with it some of the expected cliché, which can be off-putting at first. Phrases like "no funny business" are trying unless you take them with a grain of salt that is intended. The pacing of the story accelerates nicely, and we are brought face to face with perilous danger in a tropical paradise. This is a vintage styled story that will entertain most readers no matter what their favorite genre. I was fortunate to be given a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Chasing Dragons is a mash up of styles that wind up into a thriller in paradise. The thriller side of the story is, by design, standard Saturday matinee fare. Ordinary characters find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. Danger will find them. The characters are well developed with warm, familiar personalities. The legend of the golden dragons brings a mysterious element into the story. Meanwhile, quite a bit of the narrative brings us to fully researched technical details as one might find in a Tom Clancy novel. The author brings us to detailed knowledge of flying that only experienced pilots may know. While most of us would experience the story as passengers, this novel brings us to the front of the plane in the pilot's cockpit, and much of the narrative comes from that viewpoint. The style of a Saturday afternoon matinee brings with it some of the expected cliché, which can be off-putting at first. Phrases like "no funny business" are trying unless you take them with a grain of salt that is intended. The pacing of the story accelerates nicely, and we are brought face to face with perilous danger in a tropical paradise. This is a vintage styled story that will entertain most readers no matter what their favorite genre. I was fortunate to be given a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
January 2, 2024
This novel is a good, old fashioned adventure story. In 1946, some World War II veterans in the South Pacific have started an airline that transports cargo and passengers between islands. They have acquired a couple of surplus army cargo planes to start up their airline. As they struggle to keep their new company solvent a unique opportunity comes to there attention. They are approached by some one claiming to have new and useful information to solve (and or acquire) some gold coins the U.S. Government minted for China’s leader during World War II, Chiang Kai Shek. In 1944, as the gold coins were being routed through the South Pacific Islands to China by air, an OSS officer assigned to guard the shipment disappeared as did some $100,000 worth of the gold coins. Neither the coins or the OSS officer has ever turned up again. Our intrepid pilot heroes, Duke Kellogg and Edwina “Eddie” Watt agree to transport the woman and her private detective companion as they run down the new leads they claim to have. The adventure takes them into danger as they fly into thunderstorms as well as encountering deceit, betrayal and double crosses from the gold hunters. Interesting, believable characters are in this story. The plot with the lost treasure seems very realistic. An enjoyable read for anyone who enjoys treasure hunting adventures.
July 5, 2016
This is at heart a story about flying and none the worse for that. All the best parts revolve around the Deuce, the plane flown by our protagonists, as they make their way across the Pacific Ocean on an adventure that is not entirely in keeping with what they were expecting.
Right from the very start of the book, the author uses his own flying experience to deliver what are sometimes quite detailed descriptions of the practical aspects of flying a plane in an easy-going and engaging manner. I can well imagine other, less skilled writers would end up doing this in such a way as to leave the reader feeling they were reading a flight manual, but not this author, who manages to pull you in to the whole experience without being overwhelmed by technical jargon.
Importantly, I found the lead characters engaging and believable, with just enough background and sense of what motivates them to build and maintain that relationship between me and them. Part of what helps here is that we are fed extra little morsels as the story progresses, which keeps building up our interest in the characters.
If I'm being picky, I would say it takes a bit too long for the main storyline to start to play out, but that is pretty small beer in what is otherwise a very enjoyable read.
Right from the very start of the book, the author uses his own flying experience to deliver what are sometimes quite detailed descriptions of the practical aspects of flying a plane in an easy-going and engaging manner. I can well imagine other, less skilled writers would end up doing this in such a way as to leave the reader feeling they were reading a flight manual, but not this author, who manages to pull you in to the whole experience without being overwhelmed by technical jargon.
Importantly, I found the lead characters engaging and believable, with just enough background and sense of what motivates them to build and maintain that relationship between me and them. Part of what helps here is that we are fed extra little morsels as the story progresses, which keeps building up our interest in the characters.
If I'm being picky, I would say it takes a bit too long for the main storyline to start to play out, but that is pretty small beer in what is otherwise a very enjoyable read.
February 7, 2017
I enjoyed this book, and the "old fashioned" language. The detailed description of the plane and the intricacies of flying got to be a bit much for me at times, but I can see where flight enthusiasts would like that!
September 21, 2016
Duke Kellogg and his competent crew take you on a literal and figurative ride throughout the South Pacific. Dealing with shady characters and the elements of Mother Nature, this tale will keep you entertained wire to wire. Whether an expert or novice on the intricacies of aviation, you'll be glad you read this book.
July 17, 2016
Perfect summer read. Enough twists and turns to keep you guessing as well as learning a heck of a lot about flying!
No question this author is an old flyboy.
Terrific use of terms many of us haven't heard in decades! Now where can I go to get some SOS????
No question this author is an old flyboy.
Terrific use of terms many of us haven't heard in decades! Now where can I go to get some SOS????
September 1, 2016
Well, this was a real page turner of a historic action novel complete with insight into what it must have been like to fly long distance airplanes in the middle part of the century before satellite navigation, accurate weather forecasting, and reliable communication. Hard to put down.
November 21, 2023
Overall a decent story, with plenty of plot twists. I found the female co-pilot Eddie Watt an interesting character. And it seems a bad guy(girl) got away with the goods for a possible future encounter. I may pursue it, if given an opportunity.
July 17, 2016
Good sumer read---
Keeps your interest going---more tails of the South Pacific---A little history of World war two and some of the war birds.
Keeps your interest going---more tails of the South Pacific---A little history of World war two and some of the war birds.
October 10, 2016
I enjoyed the story. The setting was different, and the aviation details seemed educational and realistic.
November 10, 2016
Adventure in the south Pacific
Loved it. A fast moving story that plays like the old Saturday serials Hopefully it's the start of a series
Loved it. A fast moving story that plays like the old Saturday serials Hopefully it's the start of a series
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews