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GRAY GHOST: An Air America - CIA Thriller
What does the CIA do in 1968 when a pilot from the super-secret airline they spun up, Air America, is shot down and kidnapped in a country we are not supposed to be at war with? The answer can’t possibly be sending in Chase Black, a former Jesuit priest, airline pilot, and now a covert CIA operations officer. Can it?
North Vietnamese Army (NVA) forces, operating unlawfully in Laos located the plane and captured Captain Sam McLean, taking him to a NVA base outside Vientiane. The NVA were competent in lots of areas of warfare, but communications security was not one of them. The CIA followed the operation live in real time and knew the approximate location of Captain Sam McLean. SOG forces were more than willing to do a hostage rescue, but additional intel was needed. Enter Chase Black.
At the time, Black was working out of the Agency’s Manila Station, the largest in the world at the time. It was classic spy vs. spy in a neutral location with agency officers attempting to recruit their counterparts from the Soviet Union, other Eastern Bloc countries, and China. Notionally, the war in Vietnam was the United States trying to stop the spread of communism from North Vietnam to the south and beyond. Practically, it was a proxy war with the USSR and China.
If all you know about Air America is the semi-comedy movie of the same name, you need to fix that.
North Vietnamese Army (NVA) forces, operating unlawfully in Laos located the plane and captured Captain Sam McLean, taking him to a NVA base outside Vientiane. The NVA were competent in lots of areas of warfare, but communications security was not one of them. The CIA followed the operation live in real time and knew the approximate location of Captain Sam McLean. SOG forces were more than willing to do a hostage rescue, but additional intel was needed. Enter Chase Black.
At the time, Black was working out of the Agency’s Manila Station, the largest in the world at the time. It was classic spy vs. spy in a neutral location with agency officers attempting to recruit their counterparts from the Soviet Union, other Eastern Bloc countries, and China. Notionally, the war in Vietnam was the United States trying to stop the spread of communism from North Vietnam to the south and beyond. Practically, it was a proxy war with the USSR and China.
If all you know about Air America is the semi-comedy movie of the same name, you need to fix that.
315 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2026
About the author
F.X. Regan
21 books9 followersF.X. Regan was a police officer in a major metropolitan police department and an FBI special agent and SWAT team member. He retired with more than thirty-three years of law enforcement service and had a storied career working on several high-profile investigations. He retired as the special agent in charge of a large FBI field division and went on to become a Vice President and COO for corporate security at two large companies.
He has written editorials in The Washington Post, Gannett, and The Hill newspapers, and has appeared on America's Most Wanted, NBC's Dateline, and Fox News. He has graduate degrees in Criminology and International Relations, and in addition to writing full-time, he is a licensed Private Investigator.
AREA 51: Project Sapphire and AREA 51: Project Onyx, and AREA 51: Project Lunar Dust are the beginning of a planned series of novellas that involve crime and intrigue at the secret government base known as Area 51.
F.X. Regan has penned two full-length novels featuring dismissed FBI agent turned Private Investigator CJ Hawk that involve murder, conspiracy, and rogue government operations in Washington, D.C. A third novel is in development, and all are inspired by actual events including murders in the Nation's Capital. They are with agents and editors and will be in publication soon.
A third series featuring Fairfax County, Virginia Detective Sergeant Kiki Diaz is in production and the first novella, Rosslyn Station will be out in early fall 2023.
Keep up with all of his work at www.FXRegan.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @FXRegan.
He has written editorials in The Washington Post, Gannett, and The Hill newspapers, and has appeared on America's Most Wanted, NBC's Dateline, and Fox News. He has graduate degrees in Criminology and International Relations, and in addition to writing full-time, he is a licensed Private Investigator.
AREA 51: Project Sapphire and AREA 51: Project Onyx, and AREA 51: Project Lunar Dust are the beginning of a planned series of novellas that involve crime and intrigue at the secret government base known as Area 51.
F.X. Regan has penned two full-length novels featuring dismissed FBI agent turned Private Investigator CJ Hawk that involve murder, conspiracy, and rogue government operations in Washington, D.C. A third novel is in development, and all are inspired by actual events including murders in the Nation's Capital. They are with agents and editors and will be in publication soon.
A third series featuring Fairfax County, Virginia Detective Sergeant Kiki Diaz is in production and the first novella, Rosslyn Station will be out in early fall 2023.
Keep up with all of his work at www.FXRegan.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @FXRegan.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 20, 2026
Since I'm a history buff when it comes to the war in Vietnam, it was a no brainer to read Gray Ghost by F.X. Regan. I was already a fan of his CJ Hawk series and have his Kiki Diaz lined up on my tbr mountain I felt it would be a great read. What can I say it is a great story and a solid five star one at that. 1968, Vietnam war, CIA and Air America all in one story. Told in a way that only a true storyteller can, I love it. I will recommend this to all that will listen to me. It is fast paced and filled with great insight into the conflict just on the other side of the border in Laos. The book is well researched and well written with some great characters created by this author. Now I only hope we will get more stories about Chase Black. Please mr. Regan.
Review of advance copy received from Author
READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books
Dark, gritty and raw, Gray Ghost smothers you in a bear hug of intensity and takes you on a wild, desperate ride through the streets and jungles of southeast Asia to save an American held captive by the enemy. F.X. Regan has delivered a thrilling tale that reads as historical fiction, transporting you into the Vietnam War-era espionage ecosystem where spies operate in the shadows, loyalty is fluid, and nothing is ever quite as it seems.
Not for the faint of heart, Gray Ghost is a gripping, authentic, nerve-shredding and propulsive thriller you won’t soon forget.
Dark, gritty and raw, Gray Ghost smothers you in a bear hug of intensity and takes you on a wild, desperate ride through the streets and jungles of southeast Asia to save an American held captive by the enemy. F.X. Regan has delivered a thrilling tale that reads as historical fiction, transporting you into the Vietnam War-era espionage ecosystem where spies operate in the shadows, loyalty is fluid, and nothing is ever quite as it seems.
Not for the faint of heart, Gray Ghost is a gripping, authentic, nerve-shredding and propulsive thriller you won’t soon forget.
Review of advance copy received from Author
GRAY GHOST blends history and fiction into an action-packed, edge-of-your seat thriller sure to entertain and excite a diverse blend of readers. Fans of Flynn, DeMille, and Baldacci need to read, F. X. Regan.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews