Overview
A New Yorker Best Book of 2025
“Terrific . . . John le Carré meets Evelyn Waugh.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Set in San Francisco and the Asian Pacific during the outbreak of the Second World War, a darkly comic novel of intrigue, adventure, and the perils of self-invention from the author of The Torqued Man.
In 1939, boys’ adventure writer Richard Halifax vanishes in the Pacific while sailing from Hong Kong to San Francisco as part of the World’s Fair festivities.
Hildegard Rauch, an émigré painter and the daughter of Germany’s greatest living writer in exile, finds her twin brother in a coma after an attempted suicide, leaving behind a mysterious note that sends her searching for the truth about her brother’s relationship with Richard Halifax and the dangerous secret he entrusted to the writer before his voyage.
Simon Faulk, a British intelligence officer hunting Nazi spies in California, learns of the arrival of a mysterious American agent from across the Pacific, part of a joint German-Japanese operation.
Told in the alternating voices of these three characters whose fates intersect, World Pacific is a madcap, quixotic tale that explores the many forms of shipwreck, exile, betrayal, and the stories we tell ourselves in the fight to stay afloat.
While major retailers like Amazon may carry World Pacific (A Novel), we specialize in bulk book sales and offer personalized service from our friendly, book-smart team based in Portland, Oregon. We’re proud to offer a Price Match Guarantee and a streamlined ordering experience from people who truly care.
We’re trusted by over 75,000 customers, many of whom return time and again. Want proof? Just check out our 25,000+ customer reviews—real feedback from people who love how we do business.
Prefer to talk to a real person? Our Book Specialists are here Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST and ready to help with your bulk order of World Pacific (A Novel).