Cleveland County author publishes historical fiction murder / mystery novel
- Chuck Thompson
- Dec 27, 2025
- 3 min read
Staff Reports | The Shelby Independent, press release
SHELBY / WILMINGTON, N.C. – A murder, a mysterious woman, a young private detective back from the Pacific Front, a newspaper reporter with a strong southern drawl – What do all these characters have in common? They’re part of a new novel written by J. Charles Thompson, set in 1944 Wilmington, N.C. during the height of spying, espionage and intrigue during World War II.
Available for a brief time on Kindle Unlimited (you can read it for free if a member), ‘The Spy and the Lady of the Night’ is a private detective noir story, inspired by the likes of both the movie (1941) and the book (1930) ‘The Maltese Falcon,’ the ‘Malone Series’ by early female writer Craig Rice, who wrote a detective series that was later turned into a radio crime drama show in the late 1940’s and movies that followed; and also the movie China Town (1974), starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.
What sets 'The Spy and The Lady of the Night' apart from the books and movies it was inspired from is this story has just a touch of modernism, with more action and humor than the stories that served as the inspirations. It also takes place in north Carolina, which should appeal to local readers who enjoy a good plot twist and crime / suspense story, Thompson said.
(Spy novel continued below local sponsors)
“A lot of people nowadays don’t realize the significance North Carolina played in the war effort,” noted Thompson. “There was a prisoner of war camp for German soldiers that were captured in North Africa in Wilmington, and these prisoners were allowed to leave the camp during the day for work release, to make up for the workforce shortage during World War II. In my research I found that a lot of strange things happened in Wilmington during the war.”
Thompson said there were numerous amounts of suspicious activities happening along the Carolina coast during that period. Federal law enforcement agencies, military special agents and foreign adversaries were actively working against one another in Wilmington, and keeping eyes on everyone else.
Wilmington even dealt with German U-boats (submarines) lurking off the coast that sunk several merchant ships during the war. Reportedly, one fired on Carolina Beach, but it was never proven, just eye-witness accounts.
This novel takes the history of Wilmington during World War II and creates a fictional fantasy story about what if the Germans actually did bombard Wilmington from their U-Boats during the war. It's an intriguing story of how a fictional utility company, and other unexpected conspirators work together for control of electric power services and land rights in the Wilmington area and all across the Carolina Coast.
“It’s a port city, as it is today,” explain Thompson. “But back then the shipyard was building hundreds of vessels vital to the war effort. People poured in the region looking for work, whether it was to work for the shipyard, or the businesses in town, real estate and even a few unsavory characters looking to get rich or make their mark – Wilmington was the ‘Casablanca of America’ during the war, in a way. It really was an exciting place to be during that time.”
He continued, “I thought it would make a fun and suspenseful story, with it being a local North Carolina fictional crime, murder, mystery and suspense type novel that people in North Carolina can say, ‘Hey I know where that is – or, I know that little beach town!’ and honestly it’ll be fun for anyone to read, no matter where they are from. It’s for anyone that enjoys a good mystery with a little bit of action and attraction between the character of the private detective and his client, the mysterious woman.”
Thompson noted that 'The Spy and the Lady of the Night' is the first novel in a series about his main character, Private Detective John Greer, each one being a new murder mystery or other crime to solve.
“I have outlines for 18 more books in this series,” he said. “This is a fun genre to write, and I hope people enjoy reading this exciting story as much as I did writing it.”
THE SPY AND THE LADY OF THE NIGHT is available for purchase as an eBook, hardcover and paperback; it is currently available on Kindle Unlimited to read for free for members, only for a limited time. Exclusively available at Amazon.com. Use the link here to learn more and read the novel.
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