Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Element of Surprise
Element of Surprise
Element of Surprise
Ebook550 pages8 hours

Element of Surprise

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

Travis Kelland was 20 years old when Germany invaded Poland to start World War II. He was also the only son and heir to Sir Charles Kelland, a wealthy and powerful businessman whose vastholdings stretched across many provinces of Canada. Sir Charles was grooming young Travis toeventually take the reins of the Kelland empire. However, Travis had other plans. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy and set forth on a grand adventure to fight the Nazis.

Of course, Travis was in for a rude awakening. He joined the MTB's (Motor Torpedo Boats)squadrons fighting in the Channel and the North Sea and was immediately faced with death and destruction. Yet Travis was a survivor too. After proving himself in combat, he was transferred to the Mediterranean and took command of his own MTB based out of Alexandria, Egypt. In this theatre of operations, his crew fought German and Italians, constantly faced with overwhelming odds and the constant threat of Rommel. One mission took Kelland to Greece to rescue the family of a powerful Greek merchant and Travis fell instantly in love with his daughter Kathryn.

As Travis continued to make a name for himself with the Admiralty, he and his crew became wrapped up in the war's casualties on a much more personal level. In the end, Travis couldn't compete with a dashing Greek officer in the Royal Navy and he lost his dear Kathryn.

It was just a matter of time, however, when dashing and decorated Lt. Commander Kelland rescued a Spanish refugee named Carlota, when the freighter she was traveling on was attacked by a German U-boat. This indeed was a romance that neither war nor the British Empire could prevent. These are the adventures of MTB 545, from 1940 - 1945, spanning the desperate years to the days of victory just after the D-Day invasion. Travis Kelland proves that his adventure-had much more to do with love and respect, than war and destruction.

Element of Surprise, like most of Derek Hart's previous novels, is based around extensive research and filled with interesting and diverse characters. This war at sea, in little tiny wooden boats, was fast and furious, but the men and women who fought against the German onslaught were just everyday citizens. Their hopes and dreams, fears and losses are captured within the pages of Element of Surprise, the first book to the Torpedo Boat Trilogy.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherDerek Hart
Release dateMay 24, 2011
ISBN9781458080301
Element of Surprise
Author

Derek Hart

Derek Hart is the prolific author of 28 action and adventure novels, known for their historical accuracy, while still maintaining a high level of entertainment. Romance is also a vital part of Derek Hart's trademark style and his novels generally appeal to men and women alike. Mr. Hart authored Secret of the Dragon's Eye, his first novel aimed at all age groups, which met with instant success and outstanding reviews. The author has since followed with Secret of the Dragon's Breath, Secret of the Dragon's Claw, Secret of the Dragon's Scales and Secret of the Dragon's Teeth. The final volume of the 6-episode series, Secret of the Dragon's Wings, will be available in November of 2018. He has since started a new series, post-apocalyptic in nature, with Minerva's Shield and Nike's Chariot. The third installment, Apollo's Plague came out in November 2017. Abandoned was published in March 2018 and Game Over premiered in June 2018. List of published books: Secret of the Dragon’s Eye Secret of the Dragon’s Breath Secret of the Dragon’s Claw Secret of the Dragon’s Scales Secret of the Dragon’s Teeth Secret of the Dragon’s Wings Claws of the Raven Danger Cruise Favor for FDR Crooked Cross Factor Tracks of the Predator For Love or Honor Bound Tales of the Yellow Silk Element of Surprise Seas Aflame Ice Flotilla High Altitude Low Opening Tangles of Truth Shadows in Replay Flag of Her Choosing Tidal Trap Dangerous (Poetry) Executive Firepower The CARLA Conspiracy The Wreckchasers Minerva's Shield Nike's Chariot Apollo's Plague Abandoned Game Over Mercury's Wings Before the Dead Walked Books coming soon: The Samuel Clemens Affair Pearl and Topaz By the Moon Darkly Broadmoor Manor Neptune's Trident Operation Sovereign Primary Weapon Saturn's Fire Tails of Thaddeus Enchanted Mesa Eagle Blue Last Guidon Excess Baggage Container Carta Codex Shipwreckers Romeo Tango The 5x5 Gang Desert Salvage

Read more from Derek Hart

Related to Element of Surprise

Titles in the series (3)

View More

Related ebooks

Action & Adventure Fiction For You

View More

Related articles

Related categories

Reviews for Element of Surprise

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5

1 rating0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Element of Surprise - Derek Hart

    cbook_preview_excerpt.html}Y#GUGdZLMQHɅɌn2̬J \`'}OUJOI 3"pEMſwv,ma}bï+lכo^>C?-|h°?u}5UiL]럼6u*pGrw/ùOX_/^ zR+nJGq |>>x^cׇ]ħ}.0fUҸQ&C4 ˶M}Ƕ176TVm7Պ\.K*,IqVF۟n`[XuoB1ñ+:&.n{q&Nw abMcUÀ CGT:A$6cw$wySz 8pdž*TqF1iahV\YaOlԷ/R6MSi`C{ǻl)AP*D8 b7}3C=tE8TM- 9tm>GXX`@#|?$?Wti@v@|ʔcjDlŪݦrGzq9y?_0f'Fs1$MGO"盭HVq%R5׃uϷAdǮ}TК(wNmpވbm$w\O!QP 1?rEQOhW2#R˟qxg]۝X?oۑMQtBU7׷xQS8șзz~86b~/ꏲ|?v#|% G^N#WIG[OؑY. h䪿U(Gzr/E(Esu{ !E43ǮĦ<,Y=O1n8c&\KC&Vx4DJzT,9B}ԣcQxyu'&n(54壣IG9XOz E+/ {.;0,CW"X<$,|l۩cFuDe#ȕ36 Ǹ~~Q~+nk;$W ES!?ghj>vqh3ųCjhs͔Aan/B+6Zm8E?uWSlWNCXotEEYR#>!` z14b[W,Ѱ~#bIOYlx5 M=m'= *״e3rt_1uY;Aٶ4I$vXn_axAu0ej*hzvb {)YcWˡH:&r 8VLº3!RB%LlA"]UW@ ]'af; ('qB5OC (%K^\0 ]{\ٲ/XS+y9 8jQ :@F .}ɱ(8TKJ*C`e&(21Q/:{DH@mr&r\Rlr|~Q@S؎t.Gѿ:zb׿|#rkw:qH*(:\V(#)~[l~|Y,\b'WdϾ8"n=U#,c+ý?|U7k"kT`,1qЏELqRmţh+pݛr@da]gM"]Z5R8S0GHy~{`ZDZX.cSr n= x9m\G쓸ۧۻ^ eϠVcj* fHEFO S3y10fr[6"=>v.^%'XNvkYӻC0/=ɿ  g }ؤKM+SX|U!/Sc,6ڢj"-= Vn̞=5U߄:-QbcFł|E69Ӻ&ei)*ӐN|ڞyN4b qPf`08ۄU"5 e 9cH!/=PrUWq6SK'Z*VǯhZɳhH;?Mt(In1!e>UX02"lպض:uآ8|2x'+ӧ>ah1NJ~қucX|\76Y3n=7P,; o~#$ʊ|#%0Rq"`P~{$q7U}g3-9fJjҌ&GqE[zDg~?}>ºQg_`=~.9:Np yb V΢"z6tFw8F`/}gUy-(K`\ 2˰Qn#ʽ48Kc6%DJLQ.ZpJ*e;~};w@^f( j_IF/2 ~^rqC1aj9A::=5XewST xʷշQ9%p&4ׅB&}G߀8 Y=WR(R5Z"%c1ǥ c(u E a9G:6I6/GA{Q)(r"1X69,B)SFV! !_Jʘ=]yTIFh]X߶N8ָ~ER0 u{ΝYHʁ/5.c/mkR4P#X77}fޥ﫵*}/4"BZu{d}* 򏜷ƞ9PNYI2݄jy A⸉iMCQӧ My%01MFvSTCѪˁdy.D)'ȏX{a2йDW*H76;QsZQ\ɿ Yؘz q_H6hh,  @^TX#Ik!\_ #.ȩ-YVx*V_Z]<)NEͩFC_hI5@uzX—YUt/?&]MtS76[7P䧔JvQJ-078  QC=| 'PEjW! %H }3<-ug9"WU $D5~s3{E#}?Wn nOC @zG{J( *_rZbhpYlĦDO8QmPQ*l$jͰQ0"r1 w dfTki9uajR5ۚ6vxNzg[ltwLs0 <,7 ,4IcD$ Pu*eK,8ԑ18d˻kׇô^He( .b"Vu&, H׿|c6kiVOWB72az#~Z5t(l|ƴY=ߊyR}aEY.==#`TdzMڥ0DUqtf.NB9K."&{ΐ1VĀS`"LxiUl$@;c8?3_hp(Զ:*gm ӷZ(ex<|!hG\SIDLP{$Iek*E;;R_1n."mg_I: bo\d > Y rT.Zhitq7\>x*!p,NA$\iKmz!m!Q! u}V ̾>]Ka T _ĘvT'JN#.ďxHD⚩,nmuIןS5 2Z1X}C)CAjGч#6 cC~qe)Csf*)DwU5>GKu#r^H?l0e H;Wt )t/nmNUSfQc̨ՀQjDH*o/BJRsfgETT{ 1CFTAV$ ymAf7-oF@%Q9( !aҼj#q!)A ҐWJgr*7`G *TٽWҕ:h"Ia>o'S ܈! „N}0L d|@s9bf,qsa<͠q%&vP`jϾ]2k4dqd $e鄣 j!z1ྪGԼ NՕwP e^ ܠ>k> +/43zu.+C P  ratM\VϚ5QE(㒐pTA#YNN1HQO#$( ɘ]Lfk9^SjC*`903im2E3ZcӲ%bպf$9x{`߯bQҋ)s8/(AϠ_RcӇ :Y(1FAG~ӴB$ɵPB ]r{$Z9'v1]Kcn\H8Z(_AB/."fg[-ƽ[Y!$0S%Ve>\t+E5%y$:="݋秦ndVaF!ncNLVi2O뉈m&i? f2oxzlbvCQ~ 411#Sj1U@pQs>&,)Eg/LiY4}s0Z_EpydqzB_Ȥ}^ʤBgMU jM]WEXJ$Q˜#eHwXnθ93ij tؚ'lV"rڵ!G@Fs0r7>_4\RtV5W$ZDj͎%yʹ1rZԲSBsY$bFL&(MZIDYȸpvhBϝhfYӭH [Mj'D6aDwo.knȠT;0j t3CBV4~E{.W߈EE)WZD&q;zTʙ]/zA<ʫ2Q],Ǔ\0<(+LMǎKHFF#Ov E`. Pw`#N<҇ijlo++0VDnĊjҔ8-:[G5mԁ7ǤAY%mwHR]j!qFt!Pxfsw O 1"AnBY؂GXyͩT5+Uelt k8=d V?3 Kի+dj\2wo\l59Cڔo@G;0PS p2 52?oC. E+pq:}/sV19S- @ Fj1Kɞ1`iz=^w<ֻ4iWZOp˷+9"^aZ[ch;P p9i bNYH ȜQ͆Q>0hBpԶ~=\_P"Af Gʍʨ 5>!&>5)ӗ/eZˈݾaa%K^Mߩ|"?ȤF.I֖"BS,FS)_{L7ncnI)oIYNgq\(g" u>l-VVZ:P AwX54U%°TZZ9Uܲ#ڨI5}utDtGkg[鳸pdtMAHW&Dy^D\û/,+fx Z ]mSQew9ˑc(}&FEcuļܩ0Q)) ;"ҠCgw]<: ϱƭrAkB،c"؏XC3x^`\q@-nȩrē/*x6HhyM= <#K[jt}*ꊑfWr@hKxM'bŨ[8EH;o2*=1.>9+ nZ -1EۑBDF=CcG|KB.R%zIl snw֞X @k/MZ;õwZwYdP4b$xGk.gY˞\$R ]~O@[~n8?˪[{+E~uLx +lľl{G21{7kYQ(ђJAMcE9Pi6Tm)+?eC {ė_,-z,M% f3bl>w#HKm {ǐKrq#oPdzpʅ֬pe>CphMw.zĖ&Ajʊ^s9#e C88sIr뚖M`{e7Gm;]Frj%\k~`3`RzVYƋ[f^ׅ+$:=a!= *092U_Emh^g׵-YPN G|orf ‘5lUg[L#^!Vj}@4e@05V=}f/V p~z,0;҇ZemPw6OOVz& 4G/p=bnfeҵZ21':.rE˹łǀMkuiߦUU4 Rsn6B'v*zb_.{Mhs' KǏ }ҹLY3fXTX7Y[K_&Ȭ܃t*pu!9!)(OF9n,Y=y~(gXc9vhu,Q妞Yt"f={9)xefo <"r;AD^$B,QƬlR7ˇ ׯ7KvZrHA,V4hͳh1g C*-25S0k9}0RC6򶵪;lnw1-~Gc[!]gﻅn,\é5WE80|uLT ≲r/"(OQT6&%)žhc wŠR \VP sNnX~]cNӭG'}xÜDROudj;R:$ӼD$,!!;O"~8t[liyP4/2ƎtX ۟Yg M`U gZ t/+n/!D1ݤG!] aJ%ٌ4 ;S"ԛZ`]>՞գI5o?N '^iT5|qe,2,;v:F:>ȹ""H okZ .lhQq5|0{S np%x-k!uqkT3W:_a1=V4.hk{;z$Y4\ 6ӯF&; >AN}˭Im'O;l^pJ(M\fhk::^EYc!1i Ռc ldYA mpAE?ip09 ǂt5y׹H"U@j8| 1\SJF?+Ws:!jjk>-ZVu%xp[Ha+fsRz؜YPɆv'3C*I#Qa}D5苽CV?ˋX`X.X*EEIxfQ^+u98! ?820$xy5 @o@~BVV*Z[Sk䥞]2͎65W{ãb0x<lS{Lsnb'kDkPU@C}.eڔbjm3>, htʼnh)+6Jg(bGcMiQeA:98H괚eܤfwf-0c;1W{Rz@k=y2]xZ=^ƒvf.=N#fǯc@rؘog 54(gW4K^|1.{AZEf)M.v즙_pbNN9R4He8iv Q F;CV@äm\yťm^Vˎ?@o.nQ?-j[,2K)>~ [!B!N Dq?9%,wT,J99K&b^vX]L>V :4e-gOĄF[{X"+SŮ#G:/X3˛~::sY>תe$̀h,Ӝ8Zy?Қf˙'J,^4iڒ%ǜG (S; ֽmQ^]-;/4#\= }Vq뽖OZ5Y$+L9G  rL5)*`rOu7-HKST.ӝP89`̵bU|y9Y)mpa,?Fh͈sJ wF%J0=+&iRxF]lƚDMAd!Lf}l߉d˴p! 4,qruoW^0Rɫu(FoS{:r?rz\Yi},Ꭼnƍ¹J ~ V)*Z>)ąX.k76'uK/;n~"4l D>8ǘ23k)QP#|7z%aXXYPuȴgzY*u-{3P1z*ּȕ4k`f&&`oΚJ ꥂ72\Gk~8hFk@fBWOWOX hL13Iѱ$P HmLYvX;V[ _t;%YzL[r{*F'xx-=z [}γCTN'3c~>t!1 Lmm5ߟ?^N"*4קK4x| 3ve6\m]>tF:~ir>bu7NG`zQuKXBŔ˨,S^+5⃽JsNT/^܆G hU޲U~B}  uUz.߱wL)Y-zOZ#A_x&!OMY[#Fo0G6CY"hq~_ " S|>FB"rW* 'Sȟi\-cJ1Zw1Ҷ&[]be8ΫkP54B 3àC'1ciqABR@$YcO?E_8gja1ck7򛩑/YCR=;EɲLi 8^taWHM-Q7b gxpA80Pͽ׌#=M-)nNYHoN7]h@a5_+1.|+&/~l׺ơ1mT4U[^PBA9JŎ!ӿo⨙_X`G7"@ӫTK|1+BR^U*@1t%,3d33Dd0jXQs0ja{{|r"b|N}\t{xn~'" \B?1$Ձ?R(aTpՋ%:cM3|N@E[igc7֘l0_xylx}ks F;0`&xRF~MF"h:z0] ks̲Z&,~w2TIEsqrߺ9[ϒlzc=),B*VItS+ΑɕeJuvCJU~ݮ3O1nh~UQ:1n@bB2si.kDb,0oDu; M~?Ye;E֪!IJb}E},MvZ{4߱rl>!*a^m/NvwKmp0NqRfꆅqVqԺ8)?⥓lsu{W-ЮXba herYxZPq@ PLm}?kC)%S6x_V'?Z,y 'vkĊu$ҽZ=G-8~1:QbdPw{Ӊe|gCaEW^}%(ۜYsS\,9=aB|6/%o;5.ƿ=d%Q4SX]&֋@bkXbvSm=]͞}lH[_E݌"Ζe\/ڊ2ux/ZrV0z SF Q iQ b?6@BoxާE%e^[?_>-M f:d K*ȒC[DQQk[FNZ1 h<tk,I>eړ( q^8d-%t;W,=# -mZKwIң"P{gf(..M&4f5vmW ߆s_)̍f7jd_"@2UUø>]6{:9D`,hޫ$7Fbמf+:\_elm~%Zt=4b <.kZu+_1=xPG5{!ku8GWn JyAae\K*7U)/DHk9f26iUY0ctD{;ioAS-Vv(.ʞ4HH^Rp1X *Yeꨅ#g}\;8>A\wG]|kP{~_{/wiYWo@sFd.Ր+ҍnF[ nZ;vM0f0P ^ֲvщ!XeOV9vvA43ˊX Ba]^﩮TXAQvA_tFy|n[pvxzYl!zi) ){c^\p;@ƌlEB%{StN[/y%8H zfx:[yQc~-Uqj.(xͧ /񉋞oR p2hE'+7ZO}k|ܑsVuu+ǎ1ni8zQLGn R򲞜0Hpf=|Cw ++妐Ү~#kN z#3)d-q!:tWnʍ  Xa4-?iŻɪmv94.` qf4dp#Hag xZl=wӂ훱K0W,V
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1