I thought it would take time to find another adventure I would enjoy as much as The Hurricane, but the excitement of The Gaunt Woman by Edmund Gilligan surpassed my expectations. It takes place in the icy waters of the Grand Banks and in a tiny coastal village of Newfoundland. It was made into a terrific film called Sealed Cargo with Dana Andrews and Claude Rains, and I thought I knew the story. Gilligan has created great characters and pitted them against each other in a battle of wits - the situations intense, and the whole story 'thrilling' in the true sense of the word.
Patrick Bannon is the Captain of the Daniel Webster, a halibuting schooner sailing out of Gloucester to fish north of the Grand Banks. One of his crew is Conrad, an able Dane whose ship was taken down by a German U-Boat; another is Holger, who says he is a Dane as well, though is less forthcoming. In a fog storm, they glimpse a masted Danish ship named the Gaunt Woman, and afterwards when a dory floats towards them shot full of holes with three dead men aboard, they realize the ship has been attacked by the Germans and go to her rescue. The only person alive on the ship is the captain, and they help bring the vessel into Trabo on the Avalon peninsula for repairs.
Bannon soon finds out there is more than Rum cargo in the Gaunt Woman and enlists the villagers, his crew, and strapping Margaret Maclean to foil the plans of the Germans supply line which deliver torpedoes and mines to nearby U-boats! Several tricks are employed to conceal the plans of sabotage, U-boat signals and mine deployments thwarted, hand-to-hand combat in the night, and a final thrilling attack to destroy the approaching U-boats and the Gaunt Woman herself.
Gilligan was from Gloucester and served on a submarine chaser off the coast of Newfoundland - he brings the tension of sea warfare to life and the lingo is authentic. There is even time for romance with Margaret, although they both know the high cost of the intrigue they are involved with. She is no lass, but a strong and capable ally in the fight. This is not a tale of wartime strategy, but a dangerous fight against Nazi marauders by the desperate men living it. He puts you right alongside Bannon as he constructs a deadly trap, chasing the Germans to their fiery doom.
It might seem like I recommend all the books I read (it's unusual to find a book I hate!) but because it was so satisfying, original in concept and told with thrilling execution I give it my highest rating. I found it completely entertaining and would read it again. Worth seeking out for adventure lovers!
It can also be found in a free eBook format from Archive.org.
1942 / Hardcover / 307 pages
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