Philip Shelby Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Covert-One Books

Philip Shelby is a renowned author and screenwriter in America. He has written a number of bestsellers including Last Rights, Days of Drums and The Gatekeeper but is most widely recognized for his book “Cassandra Compact” which is the second novel in the Covert One series and is co-authored by Robert Ludlum. Philip also wrote the screenplay for the famous movie “Mechanic Resurrection” starring Jason Statham. Although the movie wasn’t received too greatly by critics, it grossed over $125 million worldwide. Philip continues his writing work while living in Los Angeles, California.

Philip uses a gripping storyline with twists and turns to keep the readers engaged in the story. His thriller novel, “Days of Drums” has been hailed by many critics as a masterpiece. The story opens with an amateur Secret Service agent landing a great job in Washington. While the top protection job seems to be an indication towards a successful career for Holland Tylo, her life turns into a nightmare as Senator Westbourne is murdered gruesomely during her watch. Soon, Holland is isolated as she is reprimanded by her seniors and is left devastated after the death of senator. As Tylo tries to put her life back on track and clear her name, she is posed by questions such as “Did someone set her up?” “Is the next target set for President?”. Finding answers might result in her getting attacked by a number of entities.
As the story progresses forward, Holland makes the discovery that senator Westbourne’s death was merely the starting of a colossal plot and holds a key to reveal it. She must fight against all odds and even hide from people whom she highly trusted as she tries to save a computer disc which consists of the secret plans. One of the worst killers in the history of Secret Service is after her and she’s stuck in a deep web without knowing whether she is the hunter or being hunted by someone else. Without anyone to trust, the heroine battles against betrayals and enemies with jaw dropping twists and adventure at each turn of the story.

The novel “Last Rights” starts with the kidnapping and murder of a CID investigator as she presses inquiries relating to the accidental death of General North. The General was on his way to become the next Vice President of the country which leads to a number of suspicions. The story progresses forward with an intriguing plot as officer Rachel Collins tries uncovering a deep plot which could pose risk to the security of the nation.

“The Gatekeeper” is available in various editions and has gone through a number of changes over the years. The story of this novel revolves around Hollis Fremont, who is a resourceful and keen woman with courage to battle constantly against situations which threaten her with violence and death. She is an innocent woman who is somehow stuck between affairs with high stakes and is being stalked by an assassin who is commonly known as “the handyman”.
While working at the American embassy located in Paris, Hollis is duped into accompanying a man whom she believes to be a common criminal on the request of her boyfriend and superior Paul McGann. The criminal she is transporting to America for incarceration in a country club prison is in fact “the Handyman” who is currently on a freelance mission. On reaching the Kennedy Airport, the criminal runs away leaving Hollis to fall under the protective wing led by Sam Crawford belonging to a mysterious group known as Omega. On her course, to track down the handyman, Hollis learns unbelievable truths relating to her father’s death and Omega’s relation to her family and the Handyman. Soon Hollis learns that she cannot trust the police or even her lover whom she has known for a while. Forced to rely on her own intelligence and instincts, Hollis carries on her fight with a sense of dogged determination in hopes to free her life from misery. The book follows a fast pace and keeps the readers hooked till the last page with an intriguing plot.

Philip Shelby has also been widely appreciated for his conspiracy novel “By Dawn’s Early Light” featuring around the unobservable Chinese. Beautiful and unlucky Sloane Ryder had been sitting at her desk when a piece of mail reached her. Due to her prompt intelligence, she quickly notices something with an unwary eye which could result in drastic consequences for her. The young finance analyst suddenly turns into a walking junk bond leaving Sloane a valueless person at her workplace where she was respected highly before. Also, she now has someone stalking her but she doesn’t have a clue about the stalker’s identity.
Slowly, Sloane finds her running deep into the White House with events involving the most trusted members of President Claudia Ballantine. Travelling speedily through the corridors of power, she comes across various interesting characters such as Dodge French, who is an old friend of the president or a Machiavellian China wonk without hesitation for performing treason when the goal is patriotic enough. Due to numerous convoluted reasons, he’s taken the decision to adhere to some secret protocols for the country’s best interests including those which ensure Taiwan’s return to mainland China and anyone who gets in his way must face his wrath. There’s also a murderous Handyman in the story who is considered to be amongst the top four assassins present in on the globe. Handyman can be dispatched anytime by his master as soon as the need arises adding a different shade to the phrase “French Leave” through Dodge French.
During the story, Sloane is focused on understanding the various unfriendly forces while her career hangs in shreds. She starts falling into depression but is finally given a break when she is selected to be a part of an elite task force specializing in counterintelligence by Lee Porter who looks like Morgan Freeman. During the journey, as Sloane fights against the plans of Dodge French, China and the Handyman, she discovers true love in the form of a charming hunk who works as a homicide detective. Filled with lively characters and brilliant settings, this book is loved by a large number of fans and critics.