patcheny press

WAGES OF WAR is a Vietnam War story that has never been told. It’s a story about civilians working in a war zone, avoiding the fight but not fighting temptation. Our haunted Hero washes up on these shores in need of work and a fresh start, but in a city teeming with surprises he finds well more than that. He meets corruption at every corner, violence in every shape, debauchery wherever and whenever he chooses, and an unfamiliar civilization that reveals itself in very small doses. The year is 1966, between two Tet holidays: the first is a benign introduction to upper-class Saigon; the second is anything but benign. In the meantime our hero is clever enough to sock away wealth beyond his dreams, but he finds himself woefully under-equipped when that same wealth brings him into the company of those who were there first. And when forces beyond any of their control threaten to to crush Saigon, he watches and waits, and contemplates meeting an end so far from home. Patcheny Press is honored to present this debut novel from Fred Croton, an old Asia hand with a storied career that has naturally pivoted to storytelling.