Jigsaw
The Caldwell Series
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Preview of Dan Ryan’s New Novel - Jigsaw Like a child’s puzzle board, the maps, documents and charts spread out before me were the keys to my success. I am Lieutenant LJ Caldwell. I am a lawyer and I work, officially, out of the Judge Advocate’s Office. Unofficially, my time is spent ‘on loan’ to the Office of Naval Counter Intelligence, ONCI. I have been with JAG for a couple of years, joining right after law school. My father and brother were over joyed with my decision to join the US Navy. I came from a long line of Naval Officers, beginning with my grandfather, five star Admiral Jason Caldwell. My father is three star Admiral James Caldwell and my brother is Captain J. Jason Caldwell, commander of the submarine fleet stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. I am the black sheep of the family, because I did not go to Annapolis like both of them. I was valedictorian of William and Mary and first in my law school class at Georgetown. My office was wherever I was sent to work on the most difficult cases. My rank went up and down like a yo-yo. I was undisciplined and unaware of most of the requirements for climbing the ladder of advancement within the US Navy. Because I was a lawyer, I was given a commission to join the investigation division of JAG. Rank meant nothing to me, I thought it was a cumbersome system to start with, an ensign and then shift to lieutenant, and what was all this junior grade and lower division crap? Either you could do the job assigned to you or you couldn’t. The whole family was home for Thanksgiving at Seneca Hill. I wanted to see my grandmother who lived with them, she always understood me, we were two of a kind. When she asked me how I was doing with my appointment at JAG, I told her that I was a brand new LT(jg) or something close to that. I knew I had been given a reduction in rank, but I did not want my brother to know it. My brother overheard our conversation and asked, "What happened Louis? Why were you busted?" "No one hit me. They were upset at how I solved the case given to me, but that has become almost routine lately. I get results which turn into convictions and that is why I love my job." "It is not a job, Louis. You have a career and you come from a long line of US Naval Officers." "No, I did not graduate from Annapolis, therefore, the Navy is not my career. The law is my profession. I can practice it anywhere. Whenever the Navy wants me to quit and get a real job with a much higher salary, they will tell me." I knew my jab about a real job would get to James. "Why do you think naval rules and regulations don’t apply to you, Louis?" "What? Of course, naval regs apply to me, I am in the US Navy." "Then why don’t you follow them?" "I follow them to the letter, otherwise, no convictions!" "That is not what I am talking about. You use the regs against the criminal actions of others in order to prosecute, but you think they don’t apply to you." "Yes, they do. If I committed a crime then the regs would be used to punish me." "Do you see a demotion as a form of punishment?" "No, I see it as a warning to be more careful in pursuit of the bad guys." "Don’t you care what rank you are?" "I am not impressed by titles. My income does not come from the Navy. I sign my check over to the naval widows and orphans fund every month. My income comes from my seat on CI, just like yours does, brother." I would have liked to continue my discussion with my brother, but I was on my way to see my other grandparents who lived in Georgetown. When my Grandpa Schneider heard that I had joined the Navy right out of law school, he said, "Louis, my son, I am so proud of you. The men on both sides of your family have served their time in the Navy. The only exception is your Uncle Tom Schneider, that ungrateful, little shit is going to get himself, or one of his family killed. He lives in Washington without knowing how to defend himself. Come down to the basement and change clothes and I will teach you that to help you through the eight weeks of basic training." We spent several hours that day and I returned the next day with a few questions."I now know how to stop a man’s fist or knife coming near me. How do I take that knife or weapon away from him and kill him with it?" "Louis, Louis. That is not self defense! You are just beginning to learn how to defend yourself, it will take days more with me before you are ready to start your basic training." It was then that I told him what I wanted to do with my JAG career.
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About the Book
Jigsaw: is a continuation of the story begun in Admiral’s Son General’s Daughter. This book describes in vivid detail what may have occurred in the United States Military during the Roosevelt Presidential administration. The narration is by the grandson of a career naval officer, born in Beaufort, South Carolina. He will serve within the Office of Naval Intelligence in the Army Navy Building, Washington D.C. The explosive historical events of 1903 through 1906 are carefully followed. The imagination of the author provides rich characters in powerful settings from the jungles of Central America to the capitals of the European countries just prior to World War I. The many relationship stories between a man scorned and women incapable of love are woven throughout the book when the grandson graduates from law school and interviews with the United States Jag Corps. He is unaware that his father and his Uncle Theodore Roosevelt have decided to tap his knowledge of the law and his photographic memory to become one of this countries most successful counter intelligence officers. Scenes are set carefully with attention to accurate research of the low country of South Carolina as well as our Nation's Capital circa 1903-1906. The second edition of People’s Standard History of the United States written by Edward S. Ellis and published in 1906 by Western Book Syndicate and copyrighted by the Woolfall Company have provided background materials, maps and photographs of the period, and needed information on how the federal government was organized and functioned during this period of history.
About the Author
Dan Ryan is Professor Emeritus, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina. He received his BA and MA degrees from the University of Northern Iowa, and his PhD from Pacific University. In his teaching career, he published sixteen textbooks, fifty-seven journal articles and numerous reports. He has been a frequent invited lecturer in the United States, England, Ireland, and China. His books have been translated into Russian, Polish and Chinese. He is also a member of the Tau Alpha Pi National Honor Society. He is an avid reader and student of American History. He has traveled to forty-seven countries on four continents. He has previously published nine books with Authorhouse and these are now available on WWW.Authorhouse. com. He can also be reached on the internet at WWW.Amazon.Com/author’s page for comments or questions. Review of Dan Ryan’s Work “Starting in May of 2009, Dan Ryan, began his Caldwell Series of novels set in Beaufort, South Carolina. ‘Calm Before the Storm’ was quickly followed by ‘Death before Dishonor’ and ‘Lull After the Storm’. The next year two more novels in the series have been added, ‘Admirals and Generals’ and ‘Admiral’s Son General’s Daughter’. Late in 2010, two more novels were added, ‘Jigsaw’ and ‘Catywampus’. Next years selections are called ‘War of the Nations, The General and Merryweather.’” – Barnes and Nobel Book Club “Two giant novels hit the scene in 2010, ‘Admirals and Generals’ and ‘Admiral’s Son General’s Daughter’. These were close behind the heels of the Caldwell trilogy written in 2009. Dan Ryan has done it again with ‘Jigsaw and Catywampus’. Look for next years additions: War of the Nations, The General, and Merryweather USMC. If you love history you will enjoy reading the Caldwell family experience through three generations.” – Amazon Book Club “Dan Ryan’s latest new novel, ‘Jigsaw'’ was given to each member of the club before our monthly meeting. The discussion after reading the book was lively and divided along national boundaries of North and South. Ryan is a southern writer, but he understands a federal point of view and complications created by the history of our military.” – Lady Rockers Book Club