The Man Behind Reed Jackson
Robert Joseph didn't set out to become a thriller writer. He graduated from the University of Iowa, moved back to his hometown, and built a business and a family, the two things that still take up most of his life. Writing came later, and almost by accident.
How SHADOW of DESCENT Started
SHADOW of DESCENT began as an idea Robert couldn't shake, a story about a family torn apart to protect a fortune, and the people who spend their lives trying to put it back together. What started as scenes scribbled down in spare moments turned into a full novel, then a Hugo House bestseller, then a series.
Robert's writing process starts the same way every time: a scene, a character, or a "what if" that won't leave him alone. Most of those short stories never make it into a finished book. The ones that do become the SHADOW series.
Credibility Built One Book at a Time
SHADOW of DESCENT hit Hugo House's bestseller list in its first year. Its follow-up, SHADOW of VENDETTA, expanded the series across three continents and introduced readers to a cast of characters, Reed Jackson, Joseph Johnson, the Tobin family, that reviewers keep comparing to Patterson and Childs. Book three is already underway.
The SHADOW Philosophy
Every location in a SHADOW novel is somewhere Robert has actually been, from Huatulco to Naples to the Aegean coast. He doesn't write postcard settings. He writes the places the way they actually feel to stand in.
His characters are the same way. Reed Jackson isn't a clean hero. He's a good man who's made hard trades to survive, and the SHADOW series doesn't let him off easy for it. Robert believes the best thrillers come from characters who have to live with their choices, not just win at the end.
What Readers Say
"This new author is fantastic! Look out Patterson and Childs, you have competition."
Diane L. Bunker"The character development was spot on, especially with Reed Jackson. I really hope this is a new career path for Robert Joseph."
JennacaBuster"Incredibly well written. I couldn't put it down and now can't stop thinking about the characters."
J KStart With Book One
If you haven't met Reed Jackson yet, SHADOW of DESCENT is where his story starts.
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