Written by a USS Missouri officer, Quarterdeck Justice is a more authentic story of life on board a modernized battleship than any history book. In addition to the gripping story, military enthusiasts will gain real insight into serving in the Navy through the everyday scenes of life on board and descriptions of dramatic action. USS Columbia is about to join Keith Douglass’s USS Thomas Jefferson and William Brinkley’s USS Nathan James in the pantheon of hero ships which, despite being fictional, are still imbued with the spirit of the “real” Navy.
— Ryan Szimanski, curator, Battleship New Jersey Museum & Memorial


In 1989, the newly reactivated battleship USS Columbia is meant to symbolize the rebirth of American naval power. Instead, a routine Sunday watch erupts into disaster when a suspicious civilian boat breaches the ship’s restricted waters, forcing Lieutenant Jay Pearson to make a split-second decision.

Although his actions may have saved the ship and hundreds of lives, Jay soon finds himself accused of misconduct and facing a careerending court-martial. As Navy investigators build their case, troubling inconsistencies emerge: altered records, missing evidence, conflicting testimony, and signs that senior officers may be protecting more than the Navy’s reputation.

With his freedom and honor at stake, Jay must rely on a determined defense counsel willing to challenge the chain of command and expose the truth.

Set aboard a fictional Iowa-class battleship during the final years of the Cold War, Quarterdeck Justice is a naval legal thriller about duty, loyalty, command responsibility, and the cost of doing the right thing.