Breath of the Adamastor. Ardis Lowney, #1

No one is safe from the currents that war stirs. Nothing is entirely as it seems. In time of war, secrets abound. Eager to continue her turtle research despite the war, Canadian biologist Ardis Lowney agrees to extraordinary conditions that take her to Lisbon and to Portugal's southern coast. Carlos' interest in Fatima masks the real reason the Church wants him in the wolfram-rich north. And Xisco earns extra money with the men from the village by collecting rocks for mysterious foreigners.
Set against a historically accurate portrayal of Portugal during the war, Breath of the Adamastor is a sweeping tale of intrigue and unlikely friendships. As the characters realize their own culpability in the events that unfold, their personal torments embody the turmoil of a country precariously balanced on the brink. Paleczny paints a sympathetic and beautifully detailed portrait of humanity, its impossible choices, and its search for meaning and redemption in a world seemingly bereft of either.
The story challenges the myth of neutrality and explores the true cost to innocents who reluctantly or unwittingly become swept up in the winds of war.