Falling From The Sky

When American B-17 pilot Alex Kent isn’t struggling to survive World War II bombing raids in the skies over Germany he spends time trying to unravel a conundrum with even greater dangers: uncovering the lost legacy of William Kent, his great-grandfather seven generations removed. Alex knows nothing about his ancestor’s life prior to William’s arrival in 1740 colonial Virginia as an eleven-year-old indentured servant although Kent family folklore suggests William might have been the exiled child of an English noble. Over the generations, several Kent family members have tried to confirm that speculation. None succeeded. Some died trying.

When American B-17 pilot Alex Kent isn’t struggling to survive World War II bombing raids in the skies over Germany he spends time trying to unravel a conundrum with even greater dangers: uncovering the lost legacy of William Kent, his great-grandfather seven generations removed. Alex knows nothing about his ancestor’s life prior to William’s arrival in 1740 colonial Virginia as an eleven-year-old indentured servant although Kent family folklore suggests William might have been the exiled child of an English noble. Over the generations, several Kent family members have tried to confirm that speculation. None succeeded. Some died trying. On leave in war torn London from his bombing duties, Alex meets Sarah Perkins, fiancée of the Duke of Wyeford’s only son. Alex and Sarah soon realize they are attracted to one another and she volunteers to help in his pursuit of William’s heritage. When Wyeford becomes aware of Alex’s quest, he understands the American pilot poses a threat to the conspiracy of silence concocted two hundred years earlier to deny young William his legitimate birthright. Exposure of the conspiracy would topple the Wyeford dynasty, stripping the duke of his title and wealth. He vows to take whatever actions are necessary to see that never happens. Danger and tension escalate as Alex’s search barrels toward a shocking conclusion.

Phillip Winberry lives with his wife and their beloved Weimaraner on Whidbey Island Washington in a home overlooking the Puget Sound shipping lanes and the majestic Olympic Mountains. His writing draws on a four-decade-long legal career in both the public and private sector. His first novel, Reno Splits: Mystery on a Nevada Divorce Ranch, received a 2012 indieBRAG Medallion award. He currently is working on a third novel, a mystery set on a small Puget Sound island.