Excerpt from Two O'Clock, Eastern Wartime by John Dunning, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

Summary |  Excerpt |  Reviews |  Readalikes |  Genres & Themes |  Author Bio

Two O'Clock, Eastern Wartime by John Dunning

Two O'Clock, Eastern Wartime

A Novel

by John Dunning
  • Critics' Consensus (4):
  • Readers' Rating (3):
  • First Published:
  • Jan 1, 2001, 480 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Jan 2002, 480 pages
  • Rate this book

About this Book

Print Excerpt


"The guard says he'll give me six months, unless I've got the money for the fine. That seems to be automatic for a first offense. If I volunteer to go to the work camp he'll cut my time in half."

"What are you talking about, a chain gang?"

"They don't call it that and they don't chain you together. I get the feeling it's not official and maybe that's why we get to choose. The word comes back to the prisoners through the guards — if you work, they'll cut your time; if you don't, you go to jail and serve it all."

"Man, that stinks. Goddamn judge is probably getting paid off."

"Maybe so, but I'm going to take it. I'll use it in a book."

Kendall didn't say anything but again Dulaney felt a strain in the room between them. He couldn't put his finger on it, what it was about Kendall that had bothered him from the start. He thought there was a lie somewhere, that some part of Kendall's old life had been omitted or fabricated, and Kendall couldn't lie without turning away. Kendall had been an accomplished radio actor who could live a dozen lies a week on the air, but in real life he was like Dulaney: he couldn't lie to a friend.

"What's the matter with you, Marty? Something's been eating you since the day we met."

The deputy's voice cut across the room. "You boys about done?"

"Give us one more minute," Dulaney said.

He leaned over, and softly, so the guard wouldn't hear, said, "Are you in trouble with the law?"

"Hell no. I've never even been inside a jail before today. Christ, why would you even think of something like that?"

"I've been around enough men on the lam to know another one when I see him. Something's been on your mind, right from the start."

Kendall shook his head, a slight movement, barely perceptible. "That doesn't make any sense. How could I be running from the law and still trying to get back into radio?"

Dulaney waited but Kendall did not enlighten him. The guard made a time's-up motion with his hands. Dulaney said, "Look, I'd appreciate it if you'd check me out of that hotel. Pick up my papers and my notes. There's a half-finished story I'm working on: make sure you get that. Put it in a box and stash it in the trunk of the car."

"Consider it done."

"You've been a good friend, Marty. Even if I'm not always sure I know you."

"Let's go, boys," the deputy said.

But then at the last moment Kendall said, "Just one more thing. Do you know a woman named Holly Carnahan?"

Dulaney tensed. "Yes, I know Holly."

"There's a letter for you at the hotel. It just came today. It's three months old."

"Go back to the hotel right now," Dulaney said. "Open it and read it, then come here tomorrow and tell me what it says."

Copyright © 2001 by John Dunning

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket
Broken Country (Reese's Book Club)
by Clare Leslie Hall
A love triangle reveals deadly secrets in this thriller for fans of The Paper Palace and Where the Crawdads Sing.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Angelica
    by Molly Beer

    A women-centric view of revolution through the life of Angelica Schuyler Church, Alexander Hamilton's influential sister-in-law.

  • Book Jacket

    The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant
    by Liza Tully

    A great detective's young assistant yearns for glory, but first they have learn to get along in this delightful feel good mystery.

  • Book Jacket

    The Whyte Python World Tour
    by Travis Kennedy

    Rikki Thunder, drummer for '80s metal band Whyte Python, is on the verge of fame, love—and a spy mission he didn’t expect.

  • Book Jacket

    The Original
    by Nell Stevens

    In a grand English country house in 1899, an aspiring art forger must unravel whether the man claiming to be her long-lost cousin is an impostor.

Win This Book
Win These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas

"[An] atmospheric tale of unexpected hope." —Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author

Enter

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

E H L the B

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.