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Looking for a good book series, alt- history or espinoage/true crime.
Posted on 8/29/25 at 10:54 am
Posted on 8/29/25 at 10:54 am
I read a lot of Turtledove and Reacher books. But I've read them all. I'm looking for some books to read on my kindle on upcoming flights and road trips but i haven't got a new book in a long time.
Posted on 9/5/25 at 12:08 am to Napoleon
Fredrick Forsyth books are great.
Posted on 9/10/25 at 8:23 am to Napoleon
quote:
alt- history or espinoage/true crime
My first thought was James Ellroy's series of alt-history/true crime books: American Tabloid (about three law enforcement officers caught up in the JFK assassination, Bay of Pigs, etc.), Black Dahlia (crime fiction of the famous unsolved murder) and L.A. Confidential (you have probably seen the movie).
As for espionage, i always tell everyone to read the Smiley series by LeCarre and the Berlin series by Deighton. I would add The Spy and the Traitor that is sitting on my nightstand because so many on here rated it.
Posted on 9/10/25 at 9:36 am to Napoleon
I recently published a six-story series featuring a Marine Recon Battalion officer:
Richard Chapman, USMC,
These are all short stories, and although there is some continuity between each story, the six stories can be read in any order.
For the benefit of our poster who does not know the difference between creative writing and editing, I can attest that the creative writing was 100% by me, only using AI for editing.
Richard Chapman, USMC,
quote:
The Rick Chapman, USMC, Series
The Rick Chapman series follows a Marine Corps officer through five gripping short stories, showcasing his elite training, linguistic prowess, and high-stakes covert missions.
Book 1: The Making of a Recon Marine
In the mid-1980s, Rick Chapman graduated from the United States Naval Academy, choosing a Marine Corps commission over a Navy commission. He endures grueling training at The Basic School and Infantry Officers Course before earning a coveted spot in the 2nd Force Reconnaissance Battalion. Leveraging his language skills, Chapman is thrust into a covert operation to extract two CIA operatives from Prague. In East Germany, he partners with Monika, a mysterious operative, as they evade suspicious Stasi agents. Chapman navigates deception and unexpected allies to complete the mission.
Book 2: Operation Iron Curtain
In 1989, as Soviet satellite states revolt, U.S. intelligence warns of a potential bloodbath if East Germany’s communist regime collapses violently. Chapman reunites with Monika to neutralize key East German officials poised to order a massacre. When Monika is captured and tortured, Chapman must execute the mission solo, racing against time to complete his mission and save her amidst the chaos of a crumbling regime.
Book 3: Defenders of the Pledge
In 1990, following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, Chapman, fluent in several languages but not Arabic, underwent intensive Arabic training. Posing as a South Yemeni Air Force pilot, he infiltrates Sana’a, North Yemen’s capital, to assess Yemen’s stance in the looming Gulf War. Chapman must convince skeptical Yemeni officers of his false identity while gathering critical intelligence.
Book 4: The Schorfheide Gambit
Major Chapman is deployed to war-torn Somalia disguised as an arms merchant to penetrate the inner circle of Mohamed Farrah Aidid and ascertain his military capability. Just as he has gained the confidence of Aidid's lieutenants, tragedy strikes at home, and he is extracted from this operation. He takes a leave from the Marines to hunt down ex-Stasi agents in the former GDR.
Book 5: Destination Ukraine
During the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Chapman hones his Russian language skills for a daring mission. Tasked with extracting a defecting Russian general and his companion from Russian-occupied Ukraine, Chapman and his team outmaneuver a Wagner Group unit. When the operation spirals into chaos, Chapman must lead his team to safety through hostile territory.
Book 6: Recall to Danger
Retired after a decorated Marine Corps career, Chapman is called back for a mission only he can complete. With little preparation and a team he didn’t select, he leads a HALO insertion into Yemen to rescue three Western hostages. The mission begins to fall apart when a team member kills a hostage and flees into the Yemeni wilderness, forcing Chapman to face betrayal and danger to save the operation.
These are all short stories, and although there is some continuity between each story, the six stories can be read in any order.
For the benefit of our poster who does not know the difference between creative writing and editing, I can attest that the creative writing was 100% by me, only using AI for editing.
Posted on 9/10/25 at 1:30 pm to blueridgeTiger
For espionage....this book right here. It's the only book I brought to work so I could finish reading it. Couldn't put it down and suspenseful AF.

Posted on 9/15/25 at 3:37 pm to Napoleon
An Author I have recently discovered is Mike Lawson. His primary character is a fixer for the Speaker of the House. Good series.
Posted on 9/16/25 at 12:23 am to Napoleon
Doc ford series by randy wayne white. There's probably around 30 books at this point in the series. Easy fun read about doc ford who lives on the florida coast and works a marine biologist for cover but also works as a government agent/special forces member
Posted on 9/16/25 at 7:31 am to Napoleon
quote:
true crime
It goes way back and you might be familiar with it (they did make a TV movie about it that did an okay job, but you really don't get all the little details), but I always recommend In Broad Daylight , by Harry MacLean, for this topic.
It's just a very compelling story. It's very well-written. It's made Skidmore into kind of a legendary little forgotten town in rural Missouri.
Amazon link to the paperback
(ETA: For those who don't know the story - this career criminal - I describe him as sort of a Midwest Manson, he starts committing crime when he starts walking, he bullies the community, ends up with a great lawyer and just never ever seems to spend any significant time in jail. So, he ends up bullying witnesses until they retract or whatever. He's a de facto bigamist, marrying one or both of his wives to keep them from testifying against him in a statutory rape case, lives with both the current and ex-wife and all their kids, all on government assistance, etc. He commits crimes both for profit and engages in senseless, bullying violence. He goes one step too far with the town and they sort of collectively administer justice to him outside the formal bounds of due process.)
This post was edited on 9/16/25 at 7:35 am
Posted on 9/17/25 at 7:25 am to rebelrouser
quote:
The Spy and the Traitor
Incredible book.
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