Susan Merton is a rather unlikely heroine--originally a vain, cold-blooded, jealous, man-stealing hussy, she morphs into a top-notch secret agent for the wartime army. Initially she works as a hospital dietician, but her real job seems to be looking for a rich husband. She's cold, shrewd, calculating, unscrupulous: "a beauty on top, and a snake underneath" (Susan Merton--Nurse, p. 14), according to the man who eventually marries her--qualities that turn out to serve her rather well in the game of espionage.

Patriotism and Propaganda in Girls' Series: Fictional Nurses of World War II All about World War II nurses in girls' series books, from Susan Merton to Nancy Naylor to Ann Bartlett. Click here to read more!

Susan's nursing assignments are often just a cover for her more clandestine activities for Uncle Sam, which take her all over the world, from the Caribbean to the Middle East to the Russian front. She's uncanny in her keen ability to uncover perfidy and unmask saboteurs, and few of her adversaries can believe that the pretty little blond nurse with the tannish eyes is really quite a formidable foe.

Susan Merton--Nurse, 1941
Susan Merton, beautiful and clever, is determined to entrap a young doctor to wed--so what if he's already married? Susan does her best to drive a wedge between husband and wife, but her machinations are foiled by Dr. Tam McDuff, who loves Susan despite her faults.

Dr. Tam and Nurse Merton, 1941

Nurse Merton--Army Spy, 1942
Wounded soldiers who receive transfusions are dying--and the military suspects chicanery at the blood bank. Susan plays a dangerous game when she is asked to investigate how the blood supply is being tainted, and by whom.

Louise Logan also wrote under the name Gloria Goddard.

Susan Merton--First Lieutenant, 1942
Now engaged, both Tam and Susan enlist in the medical corps, and both are headed for Australia--but on different ships. When Tam's ship is torpedoed, Susan joins the rescue operation.

Nurse Merton in the Caribbean, 1943
Susan is transferred to Curaçao, to work in the prison ward at a navy base, and learns that Nazi subs are stealthily operating in Caribbean waters. With the help of a courageous civilian woman, Susan pinpoints the location of the submarine base.

Nurse Merton, Desert Captive, 1943
While waiting to be reunited with Tam at a base in North Africa, Susan saves the life of a wounded tribal leader, who later repays the favor when Susan is captured and imprisoned by the Nazis.

Nurse Merton, Washington Assignment, 1943

Susan Merton on the Home Front, 1944
Masquerading as a WAC captain, Susan is working as an ordnance inspector in a stateside tank factory plagued by "accidents"--and discovers a ring of Nazi agents plotting deadly sabotage.

Cherry Ames, War Nurse: Fiction Meets Reality Explore an in-depth account of Cherry Ames's experiences as a nurse during wartime. Click here to read more!

Nurse Merton in the Pacific, 1944
Susan searches for escaped prisoners of the Japanese, and becomes a captive herself, but brilliantly manages to convince the Japanese that she is a German agent and their ally.

Nurse Merton on the Russian Front, 1945
Susan and Tam are reunited in Russia, where Susan nurses German prisoners--and keeps an ear open for details of a Nazi plot. Helped by a young Russian freedom fighter named Tania, Susan seeks the man behind the plot.

Nurse Merton Comes Home, 1946

Susan Merton, Civilian, 1946
Motherhood has changed Susan--she's completely wrapped up in her baby son and his needs. But when her adopted daughter, Tania, falls in love, Susan manages to look beyond her baby to investigate and resolve a dangerous situation.

Susan Merton's Daughter, 1947
Tania's romantic problems take center stage, as Susan tries to help the determined young girl decide if she and her fiance are really in love with each other.

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