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Plausibly Deniable
Plausibly Deniable
“Occasionally a few simply honest men are found upon committees. These are useful as adjuncts to give a kind of high moral character to the cause; but the rest of the committee generally think them bores . . . When any peculiarly delicate question arises, it is sometimes important to eliminate one or more of them temporarily from the real committee of management . . . and also of enabling him at any future time to declare truly, if necessary, that he never was present at any meeting at which even a questionable course had been proposed.” —Charles Babbage, 1864
“Who? No idea, never heard of him.” —Spies, mercenaries, operatives, and criminals everywhere
In Plausibly Deniable, we get a peek behind the curtain. We get to see what shouldn’t be seen, to know what they don’t want you to know, and to find out the true story of whodunnit.
Edited by Jamie Ibson, a wide array of established authors and rising stars contribute to this undeniable original anthology, Jody Lynn Nye, Michael Z. Williamson & Jessica Schlenker, Craig Martelle, Jason Cordova & Melissa Olthoff, Jacob Holo & Edie Skye, Kacey Ezell and Nick Steverson, Marisa Wolf, Casey Moores, Jack Clemons, and introducing multiversal man of mystery, Buff Orpington.
They could tell you, but then they’d have to . . . well. You know
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
“Occasionally a few simply honest men are found upon committees. These are useful as adjuncts to give a kind of high moral character to the cause; but the rest of the committee generally think them bores . . . When any peculiarly delicate question arises, it is sometimes important to eliminate one or more of them temporarily from the real committee of management . . . and also of enabling him at any future time to declare truly, if necessary, that he never was present at any meeting at which even a questionable course had been proposed.” —Charles Babbage, 1864
“Who? No idea, never heard of him.” —Spies, mercenaries, operatives, and criminals everywhere
In Plausibly Deniable, we get a peek behind the curtain. We get to see what shouldn’t be seen, to know what they don’t want you to know, and to find out the true story of whodunnit.
Edited by Jamie Ibson, a wide array of established authors and rising stars contribute to this undeniable original anthology, Jody Lynn Nye, Michael Z. Williamson & Jessica Schlenker, Craig Martelle, Jason Cordova & Melissa Olthoff, Jacob Holo & Edie Skye, Kacey Ezell and Nick Steverson, Marisa Wolf, Casey Moores, Jack Clemons, and introducing multiversal man of mystery, Buff Orpington.
They could tell you, but then they’d have to . . . well. You know
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
288 pages, Paperback
Published March 3, 2026
25 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Ibson
48 books12 followersJamie Ibson is a new writer from the frozen wastelands of Canuckistan, where moose, bears, and geese battle for domination among the hockey rinks, igloos, and Tim Hortons.
After joining the Canadian army reserves in high school, he spent half of 2001 in Bosnia as a peacekeeper and came home shortly after 9/11 with a deep sense of foreboding. After graduating college, he landed a job in law enforcement and was posted to the left coast from 2007 to 2021. He retired from law enforcement in early 2021 and moved clear across the country to write full time in the Maritimes.
He published a number of short stories in 2018 and 2019, and his first novel came out in January 2020. He’s pretty much been making it up as he goes along, although he has numerous writer friends who serve as excellent role-models, mentors, and, occasionally, cautionary tales.
His website can be found at ibsonwrites.ca. He is married to the lovely Michelle, and they have cats.
After joining the Canadian army reserves in high school, he spent half of 2001 in Bosnia as a peacekeeper and came home shortly after 9/11 with a deep sense of foreboding. After graduating college, he landed a job in law enforcement and was posted to the left coast from 2007 to 2021. He retired from law enforcement in early 2021 and moved clear across the country to write full time in the Maritimes.
He published a number of short stories in 2018 and 2019, and his first novel came out in January 2020. He’s pretty much been making it up as he goes along, although he has numerous writer friends who serve as excellent role-models, mentors, and, occasionally, cautionary tales.
His website can be found at ibsonwrites.ca. He is married to the lovely Michelle, and they have cats.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 19, 2026
a neat little collection of short stories i found while searching for david drake's fleet anthologies on kin dle, a few months back. theyre all spy and espionage related, nothing worth a content warning, imo. but all enjoyable and forgettable and, most impoprtantly, fun!!!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I would like to thank Baen for an unproofed eARC of Plausibly Deniable, edited by Jamie Ibson, a collection of eleven short stories to be published in early March 2026. A mix of established and rising authors, each story tackles the need for a fall guy, someone that is plausibly deniable, whether it is espionage, military action, criminal capers, and more. Many of Baen’s recent novels are cowritten with a new group of up-and-coming authors that were often previously independently published. Many of the authors are military veterans, maintaining the historical feel of Baen works over the decades. IT does seem to me that these new authors often introduce an element of romance, as the Baen works evolve. I rate the entire collection to be 5 stars, and recommend the book. As with any collection of short stories by various authors, the quality varies somewhat, and since the styles of the authors differ, not every story will appeal to every reader.
Blood and Circuits by Jacob Holo and Eddie Skye is part of their Sol Blazers universe, although not as spicy as their standalone work might be. Focus is on Aiko, a shared hive mind, distributed through numerous bodies, as she reunites with a distant sister. Subject matter deals with trafficking.
Bag Man, Jack Clemons. The daughter of a wealthy and powerful executive has been kidnapped by a violent street gang, desperate to stay relevant. Drake and his team race against the clock to rescue the young woman.
Backup Plans by Jason Cordova & Melissa Olthoff is part of their Bronze Legion universe. [The first book in the series, To Tread Obsidian Shores is highly recommended.] This story focuses on the Intelligence branch of the Survey Corps, which has not previously been written about. You’ll have a hard time not tripping over different spies in this tale of intrigue, as the IB works to prevent dangerous technology falling into the wrong hands.
One Last Chance, Jody Lynn Nye. This is the tale of a promising young Space Force pilot who apparently turns against his government to force a conflict with another world that the politicians do not want, and the conflicts in causes within the Space Force, particularly for his former girlfriend.
The Hunted becomes the Hunted becomes the Hunter by Craig Martelle. This was an author that I was not previously aware of. In this story of disparate wealth, there are protected enclaves, and dangerous wilderness outside. The protagonist is a guide to wealthy individuals that want to go out to hunt, who ends up entangled in corporate intrigue.
When it Counts, by Marisa Wolf [all three of the Feral Ladies have made it into this collection!] A tale of Space Fleet Intelligence, and focuses on the use of pattern recognition skills as a tool of espionage.
Off Duty [a Blood and Armor short story] by Casey Moores. This is a series that I am not familiar with. A war that takes place in a future earth, involving Turkey, Syria and the Kurds. A general is terminated by an “unknown” party, just before his own government arrives to arrest him.
No Extradition by Kacey Ezell & Nick Steverson. A covert action against a southern cartel goes bad due to back stabbing within the team. Olivia is left to avenge her killed teammates, despite oversights decision to abort the mission. She is able to negotiate with a third party in hiding, to accomplish her mission.
Supplies Party by Michael Z. Williamson & Jessica Schlenker. This story stresses the impact of logistics on the successful operation of battle, and the many workarounds necessary to keep a military force in the field. The ingenuity of the operators makes for a very enjoyable read.
Buff Orpington Crosses the Finish Line by “Buff Orpington”. A fun read!
Blood and Circuits by Jacob Holo and Eddie Skye is part of their Sol Blazers universe, although not as spicy as their standalone work might be. Focus is on Aiko, a shared hive mind, distributed through numerous bodies, as she reunites with a distant sister. Subject matter deals with trafficking.
Bag Man, Jack Clemons. The daughter of a wealthy and powerful executive has been kidnapped by a violent street gang, desperate to stay relevant. Drake and his team race against the clock to rescue the young woman.
Backup Plans by Jason Cordova & Melissa Olthoff is part of their Bronze Legion universe. [The first book in the series, To Tread Obsidian Shores is highly recommended.] This story focuses on the Intelligence branch of the Survey Corps, which has not previously been written about. You’ll have a hard time not tripping over different spies in this tale of intrigue, as the IB works to prevent dangerous technology falling into the wrong hands.
One Last Chance, Jody Lynn Nye. This is the tale of a promising young Space Force pilot who apparently turns against his government to force a conflict with another world that the politicians do not want, and the conflicts in causes within the Space Force, particularly for his former girlfriend.
The Hunted becomes the Hunted becomes the Hunter by Craig Martelle. This was an author that I was not previously aware of. In this story of disparate wealth, there are protected enclaves, and dangerous wilderness outside. The protagonist is a guide to wealthy individuals that want to go out to hunt, who ends up entangled in corporate intrigue.
When it Counts, by Marisa Wolf [all three of the Feral Ladies have made it into this collection!] A tale of Space Fleet Intelligence, and focuses on the use of pattern recognition skills as a tool of espionage.
Off Duty [a Blood and Armor short story] by Casey Moores. This is a series that I am not familiar with. A war that takes place in a future earth, involving Turkey, Syria and the Kurds. A general is terminated by an “unknown” party, just before his own government arrives to arrest him.
No Extradition by Kacey Ezell & Nick Steverson. A covert action against a southern cartel goes bad due to back stabbing within the team. Olivia is left to avenge her killed teammates, despite oversights decision to abort the mission. She is able to negotiate with a third party in hiding, to accomplish her mission.
Supplies Party by Michael Z. Williamson & Jessica Schlenker. This story stresses the impact of logistics on the successful operation of battle, and the many workarounds necessary to keep a military force in the field. The ingenuity of the operators makes for a very enjoyable read.
Buff Orpington Crosses the Finish Line by “Buff Orpington”. A fun read!
March 13, 2026
Many great stories
All of them about brave people doing outrageous things to help their nations and escaping detection. I hope to see these authors again.
All of them about brave people doing outrageous things to help their nations and escaping detection. I hope to see these authors again.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews