Vice Squad 1942 by Robert Dunn

About the book

It's the first few months of World War II, and Long Beach, California has been invaded by our own servicemen. Youngsters from small towns and large cities spend their days splashing in the surf and lounging in the sun along the town's wide sandy beach. Friendly local girls are not hard to find. When the sun goes down these fun-seekers head for the enormous lighted jukebox they call the Pike. High-speed rides provide thrills, shooting galleries test their skill, and tattoo parlors give them a night to remember. Screams emerge from girls and boys descending the terrifying first slope of the roller coaster out on the Fun-Zone Pier. Couples swing dance to big-band music at the Majestic Ballroom, or slow dance around the tiny dance floors of the cocktail lounges. Songs like, There Will Never Be Another You, take on a deeper meaning. For many men, this will be their last few days stateside before going overseas to fight the enemy in the South Pacific.

Spirits are high - time is short - booze and women are available - trouble is inevitable.

Acting Sergeant, Jim Tong, and his ten-man vice squad, have the assignment of controlling these men, while at the same time sending them back to their ships free from scrapes and bruises, or even worse, an affliction that might disable them if they happen to romance the wrong young lady.

A frequent and professionally indiscreet visitor to the Pike, Maxine Wells, falls in love with a young sailor, Sam Harris. He ships out to Oahu, then boards the USS Yorktowne to fight in the Battle of Midway Island. During the conflict, Sam's ship is sunk, leaving Maxine waiting for work from the War Department concerning his fate. When he wakes up from a coma, in Tripler Hospital in Oahu, he immediately calls and relieves the mind of his frantic lover. Not only is he alive, but he's coming home.

Several sub-plots revolve around the adventures as well as the misadventures of the vice-cops. Romances blossom between the single squad-men and the ladies who work at various jobs along the Pike. The police officer's favorite hangouts, other than the squad room, are Goldie's Restaurant and the Blue Emerald Bar.

The story ends on New Year's Eve, as the squad quells a riot at one of the larger saloons, then battles to maintain order among the throngs of people who are ringing in the new year at the Pike. This chapter also sets the stage for the next book of the series, Vice Squad 1943.

Other Dunn Works...
A description of: "Flawed From Inception"
A description of: "A Killing In The Market"