the trilogy continues
THE BEST POLITICAL SPY THRILLER OF 2024
Defector in Paradise is the second novel in the Owen Roberts’ trilogy. It just happens to be an election year, and a Russian agent is a step away from making it to the White House. Tragic circumstances force Owen to team up with a cagey Soviet defector to expose one of the Cold War’s last and biggest secrets: the identity of a high-level mole operating within the US government.
This is not the same officer we read about in The Clandestine Education of Owen Roberts. It is twenty years later, and Owen is no longer the young, idealistic man he once was. He wants to be, but his secret life in the world of espionage is beginning to wear on him. His career is going nowhere, and once again, he finds himself fighting against a formidable enemy who forces him to question his own moral code.
As Owen walks down a path of death and destruction, he realizes that he has become the last man standing between the mole and the White House. But in this stirring sequel, Defector in Paradise is more than just a spy thriller. It is a novel about the unimaginable manipulation of American politics, and the actions of those who refuse to believe truths they cannot accept. Owen Roberts teaches us that while the truth can set you free, sometimes it is better just not to know. The truth, after all, is the most dangerous weapon of all.
REVIEWS FROM HIS DEBUT NOVEL
“Snyder’s intelligence background offers the kind of insight other authors in the genre simply guess at…Hopefully, this is the first of many from Richard Snyder.”
— Apple Reviews
“Insights and surprises occur with every chapter, some of them subtle, others, more like a round house out of nowhere. ”
— Apple Reviews
“The story was engaging and alluring, filled with twists and turns. It gives insight into the life of a spy and the difficult decisions he must make to serve his country.”
— Amazon Reviews
About RICHARD
Richard Snyder is a former intelligence officer and a new author of espionage fiction. The Clandestine Education of Owen Roberts was his debut novel.
The author knew from an early age that he was destined to become an intelligence officer. Let’s just say that it was part of the family business. But what he didn’t learn, until years later, was the moral and emotional chaos involved in a life of clandestinity, and the remarkable storytelling culture that often comes from those who walk across the dark stage. Both attributes are hallmarks of his writing. As Owen Roberts tells us in the author’s first novel, “The best thing about being a spy is listening to the stories of other spies.”
Defector in Paradise is the author’s second novel in the Owen Roberts’ trilogy. In this sequel, Owen becomes the last man standing between between a Russian agent and his deadly path to the White House. At its heart, Defector in Paradise is a political spy thriller about the unimaginable manipulation of American politics and the actions of those who refuse to believe truths they cannot accept.
Richard Snyder is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and a dedicated reader of fine spy fiction. He travels extensively and enjoys landscape photography, and is an avid fan of our national parks. He and his wife live in Florida, and have a son who is a successful advertising executive living in the Netherlands. His novels feature the unpredictability and moral chaos of intelligence operations.
We all know what it is like to come across a new author with a potentially interesting novel, but hold back from getting it because we’re not sure we want to invest the time reading the work of an unknown writer.
And that’s a fair concern – we’re all busy – and no one wants to read a book that wasn’t quite what they expected or were looking for. So, the author has included an excerpt from his novel for readers to get a better sense of his writing style and an introduction to the main characters and plot.
The excerpt below includes the first two chapters of The Clandestine Education of Owen Roberts. From the very beginning, the reader is introduced to the singular insights that the author brings to the genre of espionage fiction.
Download the free excerpt by clicking on the link below:
CHAPTERS 1 & 2
COMING SOON
Defector in Paradise is the second novel of the Owen Roberts’ trilogy and is now available. The novel is a political spy thriller involving Owen Roberts and his pursuit of a Russian mole scheming his way to the presidency of the United States. It is a perfect read for an election year.
The third novel of Richard Snyder's trilogy is currently under concept development and will be entitled Red Lines. Set in the near future, the novel follows Owen Roberts' involvement in an intelligence crisis as the US government contemplates an invasion of Iran to prevent its development of a nuclear bomb. In both novels, Owen Roberts discovers that the truth is never what you think it is.