162 ratings | 9 reviews | avg rating:4.07

Jeff’s Year In Books

Jeff’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Jeff’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Jeff Shear’s Followers (10)

Jeff’s Bookshelves

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Jeff’s Friends (141)

Tina Tamman

738 books | 148 friends

Feliks

3,550 books | 321 friends

Samantha

2,372 books | 379 friends

Lori Lansens

5 books | 516 friends

Tim Weed

835 books | 755 friends

Rick Weinberg

488 books | 79 friends

Thomas Matthews

106 books | 2,091 friends

L.R.W. Lee

832 books | 4,956 friends

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Jeff Shear

Goodreads Author

Born

in Philadelphia, The United States

November 23

Website

http://www.jeffshearbooks.com

Twitter

jeff_shear

Genre

Thriller, Suspense, Historical Fiction

Influences

John le Carre, Raymond Chandler, Robert Baer, Dexter Filkins, David H ...more

Member Since

May 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/writingpubliclygmailcom

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Jeff Shear is the author of The Keys to the Kingdom, which was an investigation into a weapons deal between the US and Japan (the FSX), published by Doubleday. He’s been a Fellow at The Center for Public Integrity, in Washington, where he contributed to the book The Buying of the Congress, published by Avon. Before that he served as staff correspondent for National Journal, covering fiscal policy, with regular venues at the White House, Congress and Treasury. His magazine writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, The Los Angeles Times Magazine, Rolling Stone and other national publications. He writes TV narrations for the National Geographic Channel, Discovery, and The History Channel. Currently, he's working on the Jack ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

Hello Jeff. I'm asking this question of several writers, some friends, some strangers.... Do you self-define success? Or does the culture define it for you? How do you integrate your internal idea of success with the external consensus, and operate accordingly? Thanks.

Jeff Shear Sorry for taking so long to reply. I've been on hiatus. Your questions are good ones that a lot of writers jiggle with. Look for my actual answer a li…moreSorry for taking so long to reply. I've been on hiatus. Your questions are good ones that a lot of writers jiggle with. Look for my actual answer a little further down in this reply. So, please read on.

I've been composing fiction on a daily basis for the last five years. As I saw the field marching in. It's tough. There are exceptions. If for instance, you come from the Iowa Writers Workshop (or any prestige MFA program)and have a professor who is excited about your work and your attitude, you'll get a chat with agents and publishers. You're the writer they want.

The other pro is someone who pounds the slicks and keeps the clips. That takes a lot of time. But editors and agents are on the lookout for those people. Think: Stephen King. (Maybe a British accent helps, dunno.)

I'm not that guy.

I came from journalism and, while agents knew me, no serious agent would stroll me down Broadway. Fifteen percent of a $25 K contract isn't worth the effort (to an agent who's capable of conjuring a $25 K deal for an out-of-the-gate unknown).

Circumstance is not a measure of success.

To keep my story simple, I wanted to write a novel because fiction was the only way I saw of telling the truth. (That's a laugh line.) I had to turn to fiction to tell the story I saw.

The only obvious and reasonable alternative for me --without an MFA or a reputation in my field, etc.-- was Indie publishing.

This is where ecstasy comes in, not the chemical kind, but the kind that makes sitting down to write special...

Special for me was the wild freedom I felt at not having to please anyone or write x number of words. What a joy --no monkey-editor on my back. But by itself, was that success? Not yet.

Success didn't come until I rewrote the last chapter of my second book. It was in that moment, when I saw the story demand a proper resolution, that I lit up.

And so I went back to what was my third book and tore it apart. I poured everything I learned in the last chapter of my second book into the re-write.

Which brings me to your question. What is success? This. I know I've written a solid book. I'm sure my copyeditor will kick me around, but she can't touch the fact I've got humans for characters and a story to tell. No one can take that confidence from me. Do I think I can do it again? Yes.

And there's your answer: if you work with dedication long enough to recognize the best in yourself as a writer, you feel it. Feelings are like memories; you can't take that away.

What other people say, no longer matters -- love it or leave it; the important thing is that I DID it. Now I've got to sell the sonuvabitch. That's got to be easier than writing, and I can't fail there because I've got my books and my pitch and the delight I feel in my work that I want to share with others. (less)

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I'm intrigued by your main character, Jackson Guild. He's a smart guy who seems to get in a lot of trouble. What is your process for developing a character like this?

Jeff Shear Hi Bonnie, thanks for writing. This book started out as a non-fiction investigation into the workings of a Wall Street warlord. I was disabused of the…moreHi Bonnie, thanks for writing. This book started out as a non-fiction investigation into the workings of a Wall Street warlord. I was disabused of the idea that I could finish the work in a single lifetime. :-) So I turned to fiction. The plan was for a group of fictitious Congressional aides and public information officers (PIO), who met regularly for drinks on Capitol Hill, to follow his money trail. But the number of characters became awkward, hard to herd. Because the amounts of money involved in the Warlords story was large enough to influence foreign policy, I focused on the PIO for Senate Foreign Relations. I named him Jackson Guild after a late friend. To give him depth, I created a backstory of his early career as a reporter, where he witnessed -- and possibly participated in -- the ambush and murder of British artillery spotters. The guilt and PTSD from the event destroyed his life and left him a functioning alcoholic. It did not erase his inborn impetus to root out evil. And that's how I came up with Jackson. I'm glad you asked. It may me think.(less)

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Combine Editions
Jeff Shear’s books

Average rating: 3.82 · 79 ratings · 17 reviews · 18 distinct works

	Accidental Spy: Jackson Guild #1 3.65 avg rating — 37 ratings — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Jackson Guild Thrillers Vol 1-3 really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 17 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Final Report (The Jackson Guild Books Book 3) 4.14 avg rating — 7 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Six-Degree Conspiracy (The Jackson Guild Saga) 4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2012 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Near Miss (Jackson Guild Books Book 2) 3.60 avg rating — 5 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Keys to the Kingdom really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1994 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Black Mesa the Final Report, Who do you Trust really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Betrayal at Black Mesa: Part One (A Jackson Guild Book) 3.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2015	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Accidental Spy: A Jackson Guild Book liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Kuleshov Conspiracy (The Jackson Guild Saga) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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6 posts
Jeff Shear's Blog

Black Mesa the Final Report

ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2009, terrorists decapitate the government with an atomic bomb. Washington is destroyed. America's weapons labs quickly identify the attacker and instantly bury their findings.

A SURVIVOR, an investigator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jackson Guild, flies west to the high mesas of New Mexico to dig into the coverup. His companions? The scars of war, and a trail of whi Read more of this blog post »

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Published on August 29, 2017 07:29 • Tags: espionage, series, spy

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Jeff is Currently Reading

Jeff Shear is currently reading

Creation Lake

by Rachel Kushner (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jul 20, 2025 11:04PM

Jeff Shear is currently reading

Behind The Gates 1 (Collapse of America #1)

by Bobby Akart (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Feb 21, 2025 10:39PM

Jeff Shear is currently reading

Cleopatra: A Life

by Stacy Schiff (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jul 29, 2017 05:13AM

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Jeff’s Recent Updates

Jeff Shear is now friends with Rick Weinberg
Nov 17, 2025 07:44PM · like
Jeff Shear is currently reading Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 20, 2025 11:04PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jeff Shear finished reading Escape and Evasion by Christopher Wakling	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 12, 2025 01:13PM · like
Jeff Shear is currently reading Behind The Gates 1 (Collapse of America #1) by Bobby Akart (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 21, 2025 10:39PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Behind The Gates 1 by Bobby Akart. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Behind The Gates 1 by Bobby Akart <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jeff Shear rated a book liked it Aftermath 1 (Nuclear War #1) by Bobby Akart (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 21, 2025 06:17PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Aftermath 1 by Bobby Akart. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Aftermath 1 by Bobby Akart <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Jeff Shear (?)

“There was an easier solution to the security breach. He could kill us all. An explosion at a bomb factory would tidy up the problems of a trial drawn out by national security motions. There would be no pleas, no losing, no settlement. If this place blew, no one would ever know about Wahi Pandi, Gadwhal or the Gissar heliport. None of it. The secret would be safe.”
― Jeff Shear, The Trinity Conspiracy: Part One - Betrayal at Black Mesa

tags: bomb, spy, terror, trap, treason

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“I preyed on this sort of thing, discontentment, a clash of passions among the rivals, and the zealots. Open sores opened secrets. That’s how I roll.”
Jackson Guild, The Trinity Conspiracy, Betrayal at Black Mesa”
― Jeff Shear, The Trinity Conspiracy: Part One - Betrayal at Black Mesa

tags: deceptions, irony, noir, spy

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“Of course, to be truly 'surveillance free' required unpredictability or its cousin, spontaneity.”
― Jeff Shear, The Trinity Conspiracy: Part One - Betrayal at Black Mesa

tags: noir-style, privacy, private-investigator, surveillance

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Jeff’s Quotes

“Without magic, there is no art. Without art, there is no idealism. Without idealism, there is no integrity. Without integrity, there is nothing but production.”
― Raymond Chandler

tags: art

239 likes

“I was as hollow and empty as the spaces between stars.”
― Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye

tags: poetic-prose

348 likes

“From 30 feet away she looked like a lot of class. From 10 feet away she looked like something made up to be seen from 30 feet away.”
― Raymond Chandler, The High Window

tags: hard-boiled

417 likes

“Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. ”
― Raymond Chandler

495 likes

“I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun. I put them on and went out of the room.”
― Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely

312 likes

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