It’s Autumn, 1943, and fighter pilot Jox McNabb is back in command of No. 333 Squadron, the Black Pigs.
On the ground, the Salerno landings are bogged down and the enemy’s ‘miracle weapons’ are taking a terrible toll.
Allied over-confidence is exposed, as one disaster follows the next in a land which appears perfectly designed for defence.
Facing appalling weather, roaring rapids and always overlooked by towering mountains, the Allies make slow progress.
The Volturno, the Rapido, Anzio and Monte Cassino all lie ahead of them and are names writ large in the bloody annals of military history.
Jox and the Black Pigs are sent right to the heart of the action, but can they help turn the tide of war? Will the bloody impasse at Monte Cassino break?
Or is something even more sinister hiding in the darkness, waiting to strike?
The Rapids and the Alley by Patrick Larsimont is published on 22 December, 2025. It’s the sixth book in his Jox McNabb series.
