When bombs fall on Pearl Harbor, the trajectory of Faye Baxter’s Midwestern life takes an unexpected detour. Her fiancé Steve Connor enlists in the Army, and Faye follows him to California for a spur-of-the-moment wedding just days before he ships out. 

Eager to contribute to the war effort, Faye joins the workforce in San Francisco, a city awash with jobs, handsome soldiers, cheap cocktails, and nefarious secrets. When she is recruited to serve as a courier for a government intelligence agency, the assignment leads her into a web of misogyny, deception, and espionage. 

 Will she learn to trust her instincts, value her own opinions, and raise her voice against injustice? Or are the risks too great?

PRE-PUBLICATION BUZZ FOR UNEXPECTED DETOUR . . .

“Lynn Marie Jackson's UNEXPECTED DETOUR will dazzle readers with its authenticity and candor. This satisfying World War II tale explores the cost of war to a generation of patriotic young American men and women, who stood in harm's way on the heels of the attack at Pearl Harbor. It also reveals the depth of their patriotism, the threat posed by subversives who sought to undermine the war effort, the fragility of the human spirit, and the sobering reality that death notices could be served at anyone's front door.

UNEXPECTED DETOUR is a worthy addition to the credible but limited collection of World War II homefront novels. Highly recommend!”  

 Laura Taylor, Six-Time Romantic Times Award Winner

“Lynn Marie Jackson’s detail-rich WWII novel about a young woman’s decision to change the direction of her life and join the war effort places its readers smack dab in the middle of post Pearl Harbor paranoia. The racial prejudice that ensued reflected the moral dilemma Americans faced: to remain vigilant against an enemy threat from within while not turning their backs on loyal immigrants who had made the Unites States their home. We didn’t always get it right, but there were a few strong women, like Faye Baxter Conner, who did.

Unexpected Detour reminds us that the heroes of World War II included not only those who suffered and died on the battlefield, but also the millions of men and women back home whose efforts contributed to a victorious outcome.”

 Anna Wilcoxson, Author of Secrets and Promises, The Story of an Italian American Family

“I read Unexpected Detour in three days because I couldn't put it down. This novel is especially remarkable because it stands out in quite a large field of recent books about women in wartime. A thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish, UNEXPECTED DETOUR is well-researched and beautifully written, and it reveals the rarely told story of WWII from the home front, through the eyes and heart of a young woman whose husband leaves for the war just after their wedding. The book immerses the reader in WWII-era San Francisco with lush descriptions, authentic language, and specific detail. Readers will root for the lovable heroine, Faye Baxter, both the girl-next-door and a gutsy dame, as she embraces the detour in her life as an independent career woman. In her new home of San Francisco, Faye and her friends celebrate shared triumphs and losses amidst a tapestry of 1940s fashion, music, food, and romance. The author deftly weaves in the more sobering aspects of a world at war, exploring the fears of reluctant soldiers and the loss of fallen heroes, wartime espionage, and racial prejudice.”

Laura C. Rader, Author of Hatfield 1677