THE
GHOSTS OF
THE PAST
"Frank sees the pattern no one else can — because he's seen it before."
After decades in the shadows, veteran field operative Frank Masters knows the cost of keeping the world safe. But when an off-book mission aboard a cargo ship ends with the wrong man dead, Frank's decision sets off a chain reaction that will echo for years.
Ten years later, sidelined and forgotten, Frank watches a new generation of agents chase glory through screens and satellites — while the real threat grows in the dark. As coordinated terror attacks escalate across continents, Frank sees the pattern no one else can.
To stop a new war, he must confront the ghosts of the old one… and face the shocking truth that his own past mistake may have started it all.
Loyalty
In a world of double agents, who can you trust?
Betrayal
The sharpest knife comes from the closest hand.
Redemption
One last mission to set the record straight.
"The digital age didn't kill spies. It just made them easier to forget."— Frank Masters
About the Author
Michael Cullen
Michael Cullen has been fascinated by spies for as long as he can remember, growing up on a steady diet of Bond and modern thrillers like Bourne. As the world races toward an era shaped by AI, surveillance, and rapidly evolving technology, he found himself wondering how the old-school operatives of classic espionage would survive in this new landscape — a question that inspired The Reluctant Spy and the series that follows.
Working in IT leadership, Michael has travelled extensively across Europe and the United States, experiences that influence the global settings and grounded realism of his writing. His stories blend the romanticism of the old spy world with the hard edges of the modern one, exploring loyalty, identity, and how much a person can change before they’re no longer themselves.
Grounded and straightforward — not unlike Frank Masters himself — Michael’s interests range from travel and aviation to Star Wars cosplay.