James L. Haley is the award-winning author of The Shores of Tripoli and A Darker Sea, as well as numerous books on Native American, Texas, and Western history, and historical and contemporary fiction. His two biographies, Sam Houston (2002) and Wolf- The Lives of Jack London (2010), each won the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America. Passionate Nation- The Epic History of Texas (2006) won the Fehrenbach Award of the Texas Historical Commission. His most recent nonfiction is Captive Paradise- A History of Hawaii (2014).
Haley does a brilliant job of introducing the reader to Hawaii as it existed in the early 19th century. -New York Journal of Books A most ingenious plot and story...Haley evidently knows his way around an archive, salting the meat of his story with savory details of Native Hawaiian society and political rivalries....But what elevates The Devil in Paradise is the equal time and storylines given to Clarity....The result is an adventure story of unusual historical detail and appeal to both-make that all-genders. -Honolulu Magazine Here, Haley combines the style of Patrick O'Brian and James Michener in the highest quality historical fiction. -Historical Novel Society Brimming with Haley's signature delight in nautical detail and suspense, this entertaining tale stokes readers' expectations for more of Putnam's high-sea exploits. -Booklist Haley spins a rousing naval yarn laced with action against slavers, a new breed of pirate, and an enraged sea captain seeking vengeance. An intimate understanding of Hawaiian history recounted through well-drawn, three-dimensional characters enriches his narrative. The Bliven Putnam novels bring a refreshing point of view to naval fiction, with a marked Yankee flavor. -Quarterdeck Magazine