Coastwatcher

No training could have prepared Frank for a dangerous coastwatching mission against the Japanese in this WWII novel by David Hill, winner of the 2021 Prime Minister’s Award for Fiction

A tense, exciting war adventure inspired by the coastwatchers of Operation Pacific, from award-winning YA author David Hill.

‘It’s not going to be a cushy job, young Benson. You’re on your own. Japs will be looking for you. Far as they’re concerned, you’re spies. And when a spy gets captured, remember …’

It’s 1943, and 19-year-old radio operator Frank Benson is shipped out to an enemy-occupied island in the Solomons with two other soldiers. Their mission is to spy on the Japanese.

In dense jungle they meet a Solomon Islander who says he has information that will shatter Japanese defences. But he could be working for the enemy. What if it’s a trap to get them killed?

No training could have prepared Frank for this decision. Their lives - and Operation Pacific - depend on his next move.