Rik Thistle

The author, Rik Thistle, has written nine fiction novels and three children's books.

The first three fiction novels written in 2015-2017 are the Jihadi Series (Jihadi Red Death, Jihadi Black Widow, Jihadi White Christmas) about a bio-terrorism event where Iran develops a hybrid virus combining the flu virus with ebola capable of killing most of the humans on Earth, but the Iranian scientist uses a gene-splicing technique to take out a gene specific to the Persian people, intending to decimate the unbelievers and establish a Caliphate. As two CIA agents rush to find the virus source, the Iranians send out ten agents of their own with special briefcases to unleash the virus and fulfill their deadly mission.

In 2018, Rik wrote a science fiction novel titled The Portal about two alien civilizations fighting on Earth for control of Earth's most valuable resource: saltwater. One species is malevolent, wanting to wipe out humanity and repopulate the planet, and the other is benevolent, wanting to save humans and the Earth.

In 2019-2020, he wrote three middle-grade children's books in the Four Brothers Adventure series: The Mystery of the Blue Pearl, The Golden Nugget Mystery, and The Munson House Mystery. Four brothers in the Pacific Northwest have multiple adventures, capture the bad guys, and are rewarded for their heroic acts. Both are published by Red Barn Publishing.

In 2021, West Point Deep Cover was published. It is based on the true story of a West Point cadet recruited by the CIA to serve as a deep-cover spy within the Russian military. Over 18 years, the cadet rises through the ranks of the Russian military to become the youngest Lt. Colonel until his true identity is revealed. This historical fiction novel was written using the notes written by Jim Miller about his life in the CIA, before his death in July 2021.

In 2022, Rik wrote America Lost. It is a dystopian novel set in 2044 when a corrupt central Government rules the United States using iBot (AI robots) technology, and a new President has just been elected with surprising results.

In 2023, he wrote The Coco Adventures (Kuza and the Queen), a picture book/storybook for early readers (ages 8-12). A 10-year-old girl has multiple adventures after she is struck by lightning in her backyard and reduced to the size of an ant. She meets Kuza, a brown ant who saves her from danger in this strange land, and Coco meets the Queen and helps the brown ants fight in a war against the dreaded red ants. Will Coco make it back to her family? The book contains over 100 images developed by the author using Artificial Intelligence software specifically for this story.

In 2024, The Shadows We Chase was published. It's a psychological thriller set in San Diego. Clare London is an ex-FBI Special Agent who is equally beautiful as she is troubled. Her difficult childhood drove her to earn an advanced degree in clinical psychology, not only to understand her past but also to help others. Clare meets and marries Stuart MacArthur, and they move to San Diego for her new job with the San Diego Police Department as a part-time detective, but a local serial killer becomes her obsession. The Shadows We Chase is a psychological thriller that explores the depths of human darkness, the thin line between good and evil, and the consequences of one woman’s journey to catch a killer.

In 2025, Major League Dreams was published - set in rural Michigan in the mid-1960s, when life was simpler and less chaotic, Major League Dreams follows the lives of two inseparable twelve-year-old boys, Hank and Richie, as they navigate the hardships of growing up in a world that seems determined to hold them back.

In 2025, The American Cabal was published. Rik Thistle presents a gripping story of a secret organization that has influenced U.S. policy for 250 years, driven by money and power. These nine men and women of the Cabal have had partial control of the presidency and Congress since the 1950s. Those presidents who could not be controlled were eliminated. The election of Donald J. Trump for a second term was problematic. In August 2028, they execute a plan to gain full control of the White House and install one of their own as President. The American Cabal is a gripping, high-velocity thriller that tears through the heart of modern America—where fiction becomes prophecy, power is the ultimate weapon, and truth is the most dangerous secret of all.

The fourth of the Four Brothers Adventure series will be published soon. Watch for The Great Train Adventure.

Rik lives in San Diego with his wife and his imaginary golden retriever, Hannah. When not writing, he enjoys hitting the golf links, reading fiction, watching sports of all kinds, and traveling to exotic locales. Once a month, he plays high-stakes Texas Holdem poker with the fictional characters Mitch Rapp, Alex Cross, Jack Reacher, and Will Robie...