United States – September 9, 2026 – OFF THE GRID, the latest novel from award-winning author and Emmy-winning creative professional Gene Piotrowsky, takes readers deep into the Florida Keys during the tense years before the United States entered World War II.
Set two years before the attack on Pearl Harbor, OFF THE GRID follows Frank Smith, a World War I veteran, journalist, sailor, and boat builder whose attempt to escape the uncertainty of the Great Depression draws him into a dangerous world of espionage.
After returning home from World War I to Irvington-on-the-Hudson, New York, Frank completes college and begins a career as a newspaper writer. When the Great Depression forces the newspaper out of business, he returns to his family’s boat-building business, but Frank knows he is searching for something more.
In 1940, at age 40, he makes a life-changing decision. Frank leaves New York aboard his boat and sails toward the Florida Keys, intending to explore the islands and live independently, “off the grid.”
His plans change when he visits his former commanding officer, Colonel Johnson, who is now serving in Army intelligence. Johnson recruits Frank as an unofficial agent and gives him a dangerous assignment: uncover and eliminate German espionage operations in the Florida Keys before America is drawn into the war.
Using the cover of a freelance writer collecting the stories of World War I veterans living and working throughout the Keys, Frank begins gathering information. What starts with conversations, observations, and suspicious encounters soon develops into a complex investigation involving German-speaking laborers, covert operatives, submarine activity, and a growing Nazi intelligence network.
Literary Titan awarded OFF THE GRID a five-star review and praised the novel as a “broad, detail-rich adventure about an ordinary-looking man quietly fighting a hidden war.”
The review also highlights Piotrowsky’s vivid use of the Florida Keys as more than a backdrop. Sailing routes, reefs, mangrove passages, isolated anchorages, local communities, Morse code communications, and the lingering effects of the devastating 1935 Labor Day hurricane give the story a strong sense of authenticity and place.
Frank Smith stands apart from the traditional fictional spy. Rather than relying on glamour or bravado, he approaches espionage as a careful problem solver. His experience as a journalist allows him to ask questions without immediately creating suspicion, while his sailing expertise, boat-building knowledge, military background, and command of German make him uniquely suited for the assignment.
As his investigation intensifies, Frank moves from quietly collecting intelligence to conducting underwater surveillance and carrying out increasingly dangerous operations against enemy agents. At the same time, his relationships with veterans and residents of the Keys give the story a personal dimension, making the threat to the community feel immediate and real.
Combining historical fiction, military suspense, maritime adventure, and regional history, OFF THE GRID offers readers a distinctive look at the shadow war taking place before America officially entered World War II.
Order “OFF THE GRID” through Barnes & Noble and join Frank Smith as he navigates the Florida Keys while quietly fighting a war most Americans do not yet know has begun.
About the Author
Gene Piotrowsky began his multifaceted creative career as a graphic designer in New York City. After working with several companies, he founded his own graphic design agency and television production company. His clients have included Fortune Magazine, New York Magazine, Grolier Publishing, Howell Book House, and Bantam Books.
His career expanded into film and television production and post-production. Piotrowsky received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Title Sequences for the PBS Visions Series feature film The Gardener’s Son. He later earned an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children’s Programming for the CBS Festival of Lively Arts production A Special Day in The Year of The Child.
Piotrowsky began writing and publishing books in 2012. His early work included nonfiction books inspired by his travels and scuba diving throughout the Caribbean, two children’s books, and two semi-autobiographical books about his professional and personal experiences in New York City.
He later turned to fiction with the crime thriller Forgery by Deception, followed by the family drama Everything We Have to Hold. His third novel, OFF THE GRID, has received a five-star review from Literary Titan.
Media ContactCompany Name: Literary TitanContact Person: Gene PiotrowskyEmail: Send EmailCountry: United StatesWebsite: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/search?attributes.contributorId=18803633
