Aloha to Laura Griffin and SCORCHED

On this date in in 1944, the US Navy's 3rd and 7th Fleets engaged the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.  It was the largest naval battle of WWII and possibly the largest naval battle in history.  From Wikipedia,

The Battle of Leyte Gulf is also notable as the first battle in which Japanese aircraft carried out organized kamikaze attacks. Also worth noting is the fact that Japan at this battle had fewer aircraft than the Allied Forces had sea vessels, a clear demonstration of the difference in power of the two sides at this point of the war.

The Imperial Japanese Navy sustained heavy damages and retreated home.   

From Wikipedia, "The crew of Zuikaku salute as the flag is lowered,
and she ceases to be the flagship of the Imperial Japanese Navy."

In Laura Griffins' new thriller, SCORCHED, she delivers a different kind of battle in the Philippines:

Kelsey Quinn set out to trace a murder victim. Now she may become one.

The dead don’t speak, but Kelsey knows their secrets. As a forensic anthropologist at the Delphi Center crime lab, Kelsey makes it her mission to identify bodies using no more than shards of bone, and her find at a remote Philippines dig hints at a sinister story. When Kelsey’s search for answers puts her at the scene of her exfiancé’s murder, only one man can help her. The same man who broke her heart just months before, and who is also a prime suspect. Faced with an ultimatum— Kelsey or his job—Gage Brewer did the only thing a Navy SEAL could . . . but that doesn’t mean he stopped wanting Kelsey. Now Kelsey is running for her life and Gage is her last line of defense. As the threats escalate, Kelsey realizes this conspiracy goes deeper and higher than they could have guessed. With the clock ticking down on a madman’s plot, the slightest misstep will have unthinkable consequences. . . .

Philippines (Wikipedia)

Elf at The Reading Addict reviewed SCORCHED on her blog at this link.   I am giving away a print copy of SCORCHED to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about forensic science - does it interest you?

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, October 27, 10 pm in Hawaii.   I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 28,

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Laura and her books, check out her website at lauragriffin.com.   

Laura has a connection with the Philippines, which she discussed with SOS Aloha at this link.   

And you can find Kelsey's fellow forensic anthropologists here on Hickam AFB at the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command.  When bones are found, they are airlifted to Hickam, received with honors, and identified if possible.   Hawaii Five O featured the JPAC mission in MEA MAKAMEA (October 10, 2011) at this link and this link.