In a world where brilliance comes in a pill, death is the price of truth. Blake Barrett, master of deception, is back in his most pulse-pounding mission yet. Still impersonating notorious assassin Gordon Slade after killing him, Barrett plunges into a labyrinth of pharmaceutical horror where a miracle drug called Genius promises to unlock human potential … but hides a terrifying secret. As whistleblowing doctors vanish without a trace, Barrett races against time to uncover a conspiracy that goes far beyond profit. With each disappeared scientist, the stakes skyrocket. It's not just about enhanced minds anymore - it's about global domination. Driven by his handler's personal tragedy and haunted by the unsolved mystery of the Marghah Six, Barrett peels back layers of deceit, each more shocking than the last. At the center of it all looms the shadow of a man whose ambitions may hold the key to unimaginable carnage. From clandestine labs to high-stakes chases across continents, Barrett must outgun, outthink, and outmaneuver an enemy always one step ahead. As the body count rises and the truth becomes deadlier than fiction, he's forced to push his own enhanced abilities to the limit. The Shadow Protocol is an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Brace yourself for a story where every pill could be your last, every ally could be an enemy, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance of one man's relentless pursuit of justice. Fans of David Baldacci, Brad Taylor, Vince Flynn, and Lee Child are sure to enjoy this exciting new thriller from award-winning and bestselling author R.J. Patterson. What other readers are ★★★★★ "Reminiscent of the original Bourne books by Robert Ludlum, but with a sprinkling of the relationship of David Baldacci's King and Maxwell.” ★★★★★ “R.J. Patterson is up there with Baldacci.” ★★★★★ “First Strike delivers excitement, intrigue and action from the first page to the last.” ★★★★★ “This story was imaginative, but certainly came across as realistic.” ★★★★★ “This is a first rate action thriller!” ★★★★★ “If you are looking for some adrenalin packed action, don’t think twice, just grab a copy and start reading, you won’t be sorry.” ★★★★★ “A well crafted page turner.” ★★★★★ “Brady hawk is the next Jack Reacher!” ★★★★★ “Another great book by R.J. Patterson! I liked that way he makes his characters so real.” ★★★★★ “This book is in the vein of Brad Thor and Vince Flynn with a bit of Ian Flemming.” ★★★★★ “R.J. Patterson's short chapters and fast moving plot render this novel impossible to put down.”
Author
*** Signup for my newsletter and receive a free copy of The Warren Omissions, the first book in my James Flynn thriller series, by visiting http://eepurl.com/bZwpdf *** THE FIRST SIGNS that I might like writing—and that I might be slightly competitive—appeared when my year two (or first grade) teacher, Mrs. Holland, asked my class to write and illustrate our day. Mine read like this: “The Red team beat the Blue team, 1 to nil. And I won.” The next 47 entries covered my exploits on the soccer pitch while growing up in Ipswich, England. In South Carolina as a teenager, my dad told me that I could get paid to watch sports provided I could write about it. Sounded easy enough and by the time I was 16, I landed a job at my town’s daily newspaper and had a column on Major League Baseball players from our area. I also covered my first riot there at a sporting event—and it’s safe to say I was smitten with journalism. After graduating from one of the best journalism schools in the country, I took a job as a sports editor in South Georgia and learned firsthand about the passion of high school sports in rural America. I thought I knew before, but I didn’t. This was another world. I also had the opportunity to cover major sporting events like the Olympic Games, the World Series, the Super Bowl, and the Final Four. It was a thrill! But nothing was as thrilling to me as uncovering the truth in investigative assignments. I once broke a story about a prominent southern football team’s NCAA violation—and found out the violating coach had committed suicide only a few months earlier. The story won a national writing award and stoked my desire to write about these issues. It made me realize that the sports world was just another fantastic backdrop for drama. After writing non-fiction books with athletes, for athletes, and ghost writing for many others, I decided to enter the world of fiction writing. It had been something I wanted to do but never found the time. So, I made the time—and had a blast in the process. I’m not out to become the next Faulkner or Hemingway—I’m just out to tell a good story. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them!
