Tranquility Denied

Hotshot maritime lawyer Jonathan Brooks may finally be in over his head. He can't find evidence that his client's ship was rammed by a U.S. Navy vessel—evidence he needs to win his trial and help his client escape bankruptcy. But after Jonathan's courtroom tactics expose a Navy captain lying under oath, the case takes a series of shocking turns, dredging up haunting memories of Jonathan's deceased brother. He soon realizes that the trial masks a vastly more sinister plot veiled by the shadowy past of the Cold War. To uncover it, he's forced to risk everything—and everyone—he holds dear. Lives and corporate empires hang in the balance as he embarks on a hunt for the truth, which will lead him through the sultry alleys of New Orleans to remote Scandinavian villages, and deep into Moscow's dark corridors of power.

"A captivating espionage story." —Francis Gary Powers Jr., author of Spy Pilot

"An intriguing tale of power, corruption and hidden truths..." —Crimespree Magazine

"As good as Grisham and Forsyth's best." —Marc Paoletti, author of Scorch

The Serpent's game

You don't stand and wait as Hurricane Katrina barrels down on New Orleans, unless you don't have a choice, and maritime lawyer Jonathan Brooks has none. His career in shambles and duty bound to help a figure from his past locate her missing nephew feared drowned in the Mississippi, Brooks is burdened with responsibility and devoid of options. But Mariya is no friend. The sultry Russian provocateur saved his life a decade ago but not without dragging him into a world of murder, mayhem and deceit. As darkness bleeds into the Crescent City, Brooks' search for the truth behind a body in the river catapults him into an international storm that sweeps into the espionage underworld of Russia, the intelligence centers of Washington, D.C., the politics of North Korea, the waterways of the Panama Canal, the back streets of Havana and the barrios of Caracas, and into the heart of Jonathan's own darkness.

"A solid espionage novel." —Kirkus Reviews

"Frieden keeps the suspense high and the twists coming in this gritty, complex and satisfying thriller." —Jamie Freveletti, author of Robert Ludlum's The Janus Reprisal

The Pyongyang Option

New Orleans attorney Jonathan Brooks is desperate to rebuild his law firm after Hurricane Katrina. Short on clients, he takes the only work he can find: a murky business deal in Ukraine. But after he lands in Kyiv, his client's executive vanishes. Suspecting foul play, Jonathan enlists the help of a U.S. diplomat. But the next day they are brutally ambushed. Injured and racing against the clock, Jonathan embarks on a frantic search for clues through the back alleys of Kyiv to an abandoned town near Chernobyl. Meanwhile, Jonathan's ex-wife Linda, a journalist, lands in North Korea to report on historic nuclear disarmament talks. She begins probing local officials, not realizing that she and Jonathan are both on a collision course with a deadly web of hackers, spies and assassins. To uncover the truth and save them both, Jonathan may have only one option: to go to Pyongyang with as much leverage as possible and try to make it out alive.

"Exhilarating...unpredictable and entertaining." —Kirkus Reviews

"A masterfully-crafted international thriller." —Reader’s Retreat

"Plunges readers into the intriguing depths of...a secretive regime." —Francis Gary Powers Jr., author Spy Pilot

Letter from Istanbul

A seasoned assassin is released from prison and returns to his native Russia. Shortly after, disturbing chatter begins to spread over the dark web: some of the world’s top cyberhackers are disappearing. Meanwhile in New Orleans, hotshot lawyer Jonathan Brooks is battling prosecutors in the city’s most talked-about criminal trial in years. He’s gone all-in to defend his friend and client Cramer Banks, a popular Republican senator and close ally of the President, both of whom are on track for reelection. But one thing stands in Cramer’s way: corruption charges that could send him to jail for a decade. As Jonathan reenters the courtroom, he is summoned by FBI special agents seeking the whereabouts of a former client and computer whiz, Ramiz Kaya, who’d jumped bail years ago. They show him a letter postmarked in Istanbul and demand his help—supposedly for Kaya’s own safety. After digging deeper into the FBI’s cryptic request, Jonathan agrees to find Kaya in Istanbul. But soon after arriving, he’s attacked by unknown killers. As he pursues Kaya’s trail to India, through mysterious tech parks of Bangalore and deep into Mumbai’s criminal underworld, he begins to uncover a shocking, twisted secret that shatters his legal duties and loyalties. A secret about his client Cramer Banks. A secret that also can bring down the entire U.S. presidency. And Jonathan must decide whether the world must know, if he can live long enough to do so.

Midnight in Delhi

The fifth installment of the Jonathan Brooks thriller series will be set in New Delhi, Mumbai, Lima, London and Washington, DC. Check back for details.