Red Swan by P. T. Deutermann (standalone)

One of the most talent yet unheralded authors in the Mystery-Thriller-Suspense genre is P.T. Deutermann. He’s written a great 4-book series featuring Cam Richter, a Sheriff in North Carolina with his two German shepherds you wouldn’t mind having alongside. He’s also written a superbly realistic and engrossing series focused on naval operations during WWII.

I’ve now read all of his 21 novels, and on many occasions, I’ve read the book jacket, and thought, “Umm, I’m not so sure about this one” … and then it turns out to be just as great as its predecessors.

I’ve stopped thinking about it now because every book he writes is superbly interesting, intricate, suspenseful and the words flow smoothly from his pen.

Do yourself a favor. Don’t overlook this fabulous author. He seems to be one of the least known in this genre, but undeservedly so, He’s a terrific author at the top of his game.

You could start with Cat Dancers in the Cam Richter series or Pacific Glory, the first book in his thrilling naval series … or start with Red Swan if you want his latest novel.

“Set in contemporary Washington D.C., Red Swan begins with an ominous phone call from Carson McGill, the Deputy Director of Operations in the CIA, to retired CIA officer Preston Allender. Henry Wallace is dead. A behind-the-scenes operator at the CIA, Wallace was integral to the Agency’s secret war against China’s national intelligence service, which infiltrates government and military offices, major businesses, and systems crucial to our security. Wallace had severely damaged China’s Washington spy ring with a devastating ruse, a so-called ”black swan,” in which a deep-undercover female agent targeted and destroyed a key Chinese official. Now, Wallace’s mysterious death suggests that the CIA itself has been compromised and that China has someone inside the Agency. [Amazon]

“But as Allender quietly investigates, he makes a shocking discovery that will upend the entire American intelligence apparatus. For Wallace’s black swan operation may have been turned against the CIA; a red swan is flying and the question is: who is she, what is her target, and where will she land?”