The Last Sunrise

Opening in 1948, The Last Sunrise tells the story of Lee Crane, a American pilot who is marking time by flying transport all over south-east Asia. Still haunted by events that transpired during the war, Lee is accosted by ghosts from his past and drawn into a dangerous scheme. We are then drawn back to 1941, when Lee was first in Burma being trained as a fighter pilot and awaiting his transfer to China to fly as one of the famous Flying Tigers. He falls in love with an exotic woman who is destined to haunt him, as she disappears when the Japanese overrun Burma.

I was totally captured by all aspects of this story, both the 1948 and 1941 plot-lines were full of action and adventure. Best of all, I loved all the different characters in this show more book, you never knew who was a friend, who was an enemy, and often they turned out to be both. Lee Crane made the perfect foil for the various underhanded people that cross his path. The Last Sunrise brought to mind an old Humphrey Bogart movie, with co-stars Peter Lorrie and Sydney Greenstreet, lots of double crosses, secret agents and a million in gold bullion to keep things interesting.

Robert Ryan specializes in stories set during the turbulence of war and this one was excellent. Well researched, with plenty of high flying action, a real page turner. I will be looking forward to my next read by this author. show less

'The Last Sunrise' is set in South East Asia between 1941 and 1948 and centres around an American pilot, Lee Crane. Crane had been rejected as a fighter pilot by the USAAF because he was too tall so instead went to Burma en-route to China to join the Flying Tigers, a volunteer American air force assembled to aid the Chinese in their fight against the Japanese, under Colonel Chennault. Whilst training in Burma he meets an Anglo-Indian widow, Kitten Mahindra, and they start a romantic affair.

When the Japanese attack Pearl Harbour and invades Burma, the Flying Tigers are absorbed into the regular USAAF. However, Crane falls out with Chennault and is transferred from flying fighters to flying cargo planes transporting goods, personnel, show more mail and gold to fund the Chinese war effort between India and China over the towering Himalayas, 'the hump'.

In 1948 Crane is now based in Singapore and is still ferrying cargo around South East Asia if the price is right but his wartime experiences still haunt him. When a woman from his past unexpectedly turns up he is forced to confront memories of a shared secret.

The narrative shuttles between 1941, 1943/44 and 1948, and draws on real historical events. Yet despite the changes in the timeline, this is a straightforward tale of wartime adventure and romance.

Whilst the flying scenes are well written and the overall story is reasonably engaging peppered with various action sequences I felt it lacked drama and any real surprises. Crane, as the principled but naive pilot, is well drawn but the minor characters (the femme fatale, the scheming spies, the resourceful but straight-laced young operative etc) failed to really sparkle.

Overall I found this a pleasant, quick and easy read, but not as good as others that I've read by the same author. show less