A Review: “Great storyline and informative at the same time. Though a novel, it is also an intriguing historical narrative of the people, food and the war years in Malaya. The ending was most unexpected. Captivating reading!”

1941 - War looms in the East and the stakes are high.

The British portray Singapore as a fortress, but a young local woman of mixed British and Asian ancestry mistrusts the propaganda and takes a personal and courageous stand against the impending menace.

Britain’s SOE Orient Mission recruits Jane Woodley and trains her in military intelligence and for irregular warfare as a résistante and saboteur.

The ravishing beauty adopts the codename Kancil and evolves into a valuable asset, with unique knowledge of British secrets.

When British Malaya falls to the Japanese in 1942, Kancil stays behind enemy lines as a guerrilla. Without knowledge of her whereabouts, the SOE presumes her dead.

Later, they learn that Kancil is alive in Singapore, triggering a desperate mission to extract her from the island and place her beyond the reach of the ruthless Japanese Kempeitai.

Chance favours the Allies. They are on the eve of launching Operation Jaywick, a raid on ships in Singapore harbour. The commandos will sail from Australia on a former Japanese fishing boat known as the Krait and cross 2,000 miles of enemy-controlled seas and skies.

At the 11th hour, they tether the extraction team onto the Krait. Their mission - Operation Pelandok. And like the men on Jaywick, they will penetrate Singapore’s inner defences by paddling folbots.

But do the Japanese present the only danger to Jane? Will she face other perils?

It is a spellbinding tale of a woman’s resolve and courage, and her love of country and of those she holds dear, in the milieu of a horrific occupation. On whom will the ill winds of war cast its breath upon? And will Jane discover who owns her heart as she fights in a war of survival?