The year is 1919, the Great War is over, and the roaring Twenties are right around the corner. But John Griffin, an American who fought alongside the British in WWI, is a broken man. The horrors Griffin saw on the battlefield have made him question the ideals of justice and loyalty he once held so dear. The last thing Griffin wants to do is return to France. But he gets a job offer he can’t refuse — a wealthy New York businessman wants Griffin to find his missing daughter, Patricia, and son-in-law, Gavin, who have gone AWOL during their European honeymoon. Griffin can’t resist the chance to rescue a damsel in distress. But he’s also a sucker for femme fatales, in this case, Gavin’s sister, Sarah, who, along with her brother, wants to foil the Paris peace talks and reignite the war with Germany. Griffin, joined by fellow soldier Mitchell, sets out to protect the peace talks by blowing up the enemy’s weapons store. But nothing is that simple, and Griffin and Mitchell find themselves contending with lies, assassins, and a bevy of beautiful-but-dangerous dames.

Author Alexander C. Juden’s RED TIGER HUNTING is a hard-boiled noir reminiscent of Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, and Jim Thompson. The difference is that Griffin and Mitchell aren’t private eyes solving a murder but battle-hardened soldiers trying to stop a world war. They’re trained to kill and rack up an impressive body count as the mystery of the story unfolds. But the book is also a fast-paced action thriller that still finds moments to contemplate deeper topics, like the political machines and businesses that profit from war and the terrible price of taking another human’s life. Griffin and Mitchell make a great crime-fighting duo who, like “Starsky and Hutch,” Watson and Holmes, or Joe R. Lansdale’s Hap and Leonard, have an unbreakable friendship that is the backbone of this novel. These guys know how to handle weapons and face down danger. They understand the horrors of war firsthand and will stop at nothing to prevent another global conflict.

Juden includes real historical figures in RED TIGER HUNTING. Walt Disney and jazz drummer Eugene “Jacques” Bullard assist Griffin and Mitchell, which helps ground the story in its post-WWI setting. This is Paris in flux, a city trying to recuperate from a recent war yet fearful the fighting isn’t over. It isn’t. The specter of WWII hangs over Griffin and Mitchell’s quest. Knowing the peace they sacrificed so much to obtain will only last a decade or so adds an unspoken layer of tragedy to this story. Juden pulls off a cheerful ending, but the future isn’t bright for Griffin, Mitchell, or anyone else in Europe.

In RED TIGER HUNTING, author Alexander C. Juden has crafted a slick, action-packed page-turner that still finds time to ruminate on deeper questions of justice, nationalism, and the nature of war.

~Rob Errera for IndieReader