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Patrick D. Joyce
ALLi Author Member
Location: United States of America (the)
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult (YA), Mystery, Other Poetry, Historical Fiction
Skills: Press/Media Interview, Reading/Literary Event, Speaking Engagement/Lecture, Writing Workshop
I write historical thriller novels that combine mystery and suspense with a powerful sense of place.
As the son of a U.S. Foreign Service officer, I grew up in extraordinary places. After early years in Burma (Myanmar), West Germany, and Washington, D.C., I lived in Nicaragua, Cuba, and three times in the Soviet Union. At embassies staffed by diplomats, marines, and spies, I was surrounded by secrets.
In addition to writing books, I’ve been a newspaper reporter, a political science lecturer, and a medical practice manager. I live in Massachusetts, where I can be found haunting coffee shops, taking long walks with my wife, and practicing martial arts.
Patrick D. Joyce's books
Back in the USSR
When Harrison, the son of American diplomats, lands in Moscow at the height of the Cold War, he knows three things.
His passport will keep him safe.
His daydreams will keep him company.
His music will keep him sane.
But everything he knows is about to change.
His father has disappeared. His mother is keeping secrets. And his friend Prudence, the fearless daughter of foreign correspondents, leads him on a wild chase across the city in pursuit of a mysterious stranger.
Suddenly Harrison is on the run from mobsters and spies, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the unlikeliest treasure: a legendary lost recording by The Beatles, a symbol of freedom in a place where rock is banned.
As international tensions threaten to ignite, Harrison holds the key to finding the album that could prevent war. All he needs is a little help from his friends — but he must decide who to trust, what to risk, and how far to go.
If you enjoyed Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series, Elizabeth Wein's Code Name Verity, or Ruta Sepetys's I Must Betray You, you'll love Back in the USSR.
"MASTERFUL ... EXPERTLY PACED ... RIVETING ... 10 OUT OF 10." -The BookLife Prize by Publishers Weekly
"A book about rock 'n' roll and its power to fight suppression, feed the human spirit and kick butt." -Goodreads review
“Read this in two days – couldn’t put it down.” -Goodreads review
"Vividly painted and irresistible … a fun, rich, and sophisticated page-turner … Highly recommended!" -Tim Weed, award-winning author of the young adult adventure Will Poole's Island
"Clever plot twists abound, keeping the reader spellbound up to the colorful and dramatic ending." -Laurel Davis Huber, award-winning author of the historical novel The Velveteen Daughter
"Kept me turning the page to see what happened next, all the while delighting with easter eggs, lyric references and the pure joy that The Beatles bring to the world." -Obadiah Jones, host of Beatles podcast "Gimme Some Truth"
Strawberry Fields
Ambitious young reporters Josie and Laurent arrive in Prague in 1968 to cover a revolution unfolding behind the Iron Curtain. It’s the story of a lifetime. A dream come true.
A dream that’s about to become a nightmare.
Soviet tanks thunder into the city, changing everything. Josie receives a cryptic message from a shrouded stranger on a mist-covered bridge, and soon she and Laurent are propelled onto a collision course with nefarious villains and unstoppable forces, as they rush to uncover a shadowy conspiracy before the city falls.
Strawberry Fields drops you into an adventure you can’t put down, complete with secrets, spies, and — at the heart of it all — the power of rock and roll.
"Vivid setting, richly drawn characters, and a forceful historical context ... Vibrates with authenticity" -The Booklife Prize by Publishers Weekly
"Breathless chases, cryptic clues, a heroine with grit, and a little romance ... A bang-up job of keeping the pages turning and vividly rendering the sights of Prague" -Melissa Joulwan, Strong Sense of Place podcast