Shadow Phoenix: A John Phoenix Thriller

by Evan Graver

A kidnapped executive. A trail of radioactive cash. A former CIA operative with nothing to lose.

When John Phoenix is called to Guatemala to help negotiate a high-risk ransom, he uncovers more than a cartel kidnapping. Beneath the surface lies Project Sine Wave—a covert black ops program that funneled weapons into Central America under Agency orders, then vanished into the shadows.

As Phoenix digs deeper, he finds himself entangled in a decades-old CIA conspiracy, hunted by mercenaries, and shadowed by a relentless investigative journalist with secrets of her own. The money is marked. The mission is compromised. And someone at Langley wants him dead.

For fans of espionage thrillers, CIA thrillers, and pulse-pounding action and adventure. This is a high-stakes ride through the dark corridors of American power—a must-read for fans of Jack Carr, Tom Clancy, Mark Greaney, Jack Mars, and the gritty realism of Proof of Life and Sicario.

Shadow Phoenix delivers a brutal, high-stakes look at the covert wars America pretends don’t exist.

406 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 11, 2025

About the author

I'm center-brained and I get bored easily. I worked a lot of jobs in construction, as a security guard, a motorcycle tech (I'm a certified for Honda and Yamaha), as a car technician, a property manager, and in the scuba industry. My favorite job was being an aviation electronics technician (AT) in the US Navy. (I guess my new favorite is writing). After a motorcycle accident left me paralyzed, the Navy said, "You're out of here," and medically retired me.
I moved back to Ohio, got married, had a son, and completed a bachelors in business management. I was always tired of the cold and the snow. It doesn't make it easy to get around when you're in a wheelchair. After years of trying to convince the wife to sell the house and travel, we bought a twenty-five foot toy hauler. I voided the warranty the day we brought it home by taking out one of the bunks and making and installing custom cabinets. Then we spent several winters traveling the Southwest, and eventually sold the house. We lived in the trailer full time for about two years and saw most of the US, except Kansas and Nebraska and New England. We'll get there.
Along the way, I tried my hand at a lot of action sports; skiing, skydiving, bungee jumping, motorcycle racing, ATV riding, and scuba diving. I love to dive, so much that we ended up settling in Hollywood, Florida. I try to dive at least once a week and I'm working on my technical diving certifications. I want to go to three hundred feet.

You can stay in touch with me at evan@evangraver.com, check out www.evangraver.com, or on Facebook, Evan Graver Author.

Reviews

[Marry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again a top story. John Phoenix is getting better and better. This time he has to deal with a kidnapping and getting the victim back is his main responsibility. But as the story unfolds all kind of shady figures keep popping up, a few of them related to his own past in the CIA. Real pageturner, with surprising twist and very innovative ways to mark ransom money. Highly recommended.

[Melissa Bartlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping from the first page. Shadow Phoenix dives into the dark side of covert ops with sharp writing, nonstop tension, and twists that hit hard. John Phoenix is the kind of character you root for, flawed, relentless, and right in the middle of a deadly conspiracy. Perfect for fans of Clancy-style thrillers with a modern edge.

[Paul Morreira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Can’t wait for the next Bowie novel! Time to go after Nightingale!! Couldn’t put it down, John Phoenix is a badass PMC always solving problems and getting the bad guys. And then when the mission is done, he ties up loose ends! Thank goodness for Boz, you almost had me there Evan…