Before Pearl Harbor, the island was already at war. Hawaii, 1940. Paradise has teeth. When engineer Kana Hale returns home to Oahu, he expects sun, surf, and a slow reconnection with the life he left behind. But a cryptic favor from an old friend plunges him into a deadly game of espionage, betrayal, and wartime secrets. A stolen notebook holds dangerous information—and everyone wants it. Framed for murder and hunted by the FBI, Kana's only hope lies with Alani, the woman he loved and lost. But trusting her again may be his biggest gamble yet. As foreign spies circle, old loyalties fray, and the island teeters on the edge of war, Kana must face the darkness lurking beneath Hawaii’s postcard-perfect surface. Taut, atmospheric, and richly evocative, Sunrise on the Evil and the Good is a noir-soaked historical thriller that explores the costs of patriotism, identity, and love at the dawn of global conflict. Hey there, I'm Tim Hassall—a lifelong reader and student of literature, with formal training from the University of Delaware and Rutgers. Mysteries, history, thrillers—these have always been my companions, and now they've inspired the creation of Sunrise on the Evil and the Good , the first installment in my Kana Hale series. This story began as a research journey. I spent years delving into pre-World War II Hawaii, determined to resurrect a world that feels both distant and immediate—icy tropical paradises, forbidden secrets, and a society teetering on the edge of war. I wanted to transport readers to a time and place that's foreign—and yet, hauntingly familiar today.  Before falling in love with the past, I fell in love with writing about it—I taught writing for years and authored four books on the craft. Now, I've turned my attention to storytelling itself: weaving history, danger, and moral complexity into atmospheric thrillers. I split my time between the Jersey Cape and Philadelphia, always thinking of Hawaii... and what lies beneath the surface.  I hope you'll join Kana on his journey—and maybe uncover a bit of wonder along the way. As war brews across the Pacific, Kana Hale returns to his native Hawaii seeking peace-and instead walks into a storm.A dying man hands him a cryptic notebook. Hours later, Kana is wanted for murder, hunted by the FBI, and shadowed by forces he doesn't understand. To survive, he must navigate a paradise riddled with secrets and betrayal, where foreign agents lurk and loyalties shift like sand.His only hope lies with Alani, the woman he once loved and left. But trusting her again may be as dangerous as the enemies closing in.From smoky back alleys to high-level conspiracies, Sunrise on the Evil and the Good is a taut, evocative thriller that explores how ordinary people get pulled into the gears of history-sometimes by choice, more often by chance. Hawaii, 1940. A paradise poised for war. A man caught in the middle. When irreverent engineer Kana Hale returns home to Oahu, he's hoping for quiet mornings and second chances. Instead, a dying man's cryptic request drags him into a storm of secrets that stretches from the backstreets of Honolulu to the shadowy edges of global conflict. Soon, Kana is being hunted—for a murder he didn't commit, and a notebook he doesn't understand. Japanese spies want him silenced. The FBI wants him behind bars. And the only person who might help him— Alani , the woman he once loved—has her own reasons to stay far away. But as the island simmers with unrest, and every friendly face may be a mask, Kana must risk everything to uncover the truth. The closer he gets, the more he realizes: this isn't just about clearing his name. It's about surviving a paradise that's turning inside out—and stopping a betrayal that could change the course of history. Atmospheric and gripping, Sunrise on the Evil and the Good pulls readers into a lush, volatile world where nothing is what it seems, and no one walks away clean. Tim Hassall is a writer and educator with a deep passion for narrative craft and historical storytelling. He holds a master's degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Rutgers University, and a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Delaware. Over the course of his academic and teaching career, he authored three books on writing instruction and one on SAT preparation, all grounded in the belief that clarity, structure, and emotional resonance are the foundation of great writing. With Sunrise on the Evil and the Good , Hassall brings those principles to fiction, blending immersive historical detail with the pacing of a literary thriller. The novel explores pre-war Hawaii through the eyes of a conflicted protagonist navigating espionage, identity, and betrayal on the eve of Pearl Harbor. Rather than focus on historical figures or military leaders, Hassall centers his narrative on ordinary people swept up in extraordinary times—people whose moral choices echo into history. Tim lives with his fami