Is The Silent Cardinal a sequel to The Hubley Case?

Yes, it has many of the same characters and takes place two years after The Hubley Case. But while it would logically make sense to read The Hubley Case first, you certainly don’t have to. The Silent Cardinal was written to be standalone, meaning you could read it first and still enjoy the story.

Is it also set in Chicago?

Yes. As in The Hubley Case, the story toggles between a few different locations, but home base is The Windy City.

Why did you decide to write a sequel?

It actually started with the fans. I got a lot of notes from people asking me if they’d see these characters again, specifically Ben Siebert, Tom Fedorak and Nikki Benton. Originally my next novel wasn’t going to be a sequel, but I got enough inquiries that it inspired me to think about what these characters might be up to and what that story might look like.

Was it hard to write a sequel?

Harder than I imagined. At first I thought it’d be easier because much of the characters’ backgrounds had already been developed. But finding the balance between making The Silent Cardinal independent of The Hubley Case while also not regurgitating much of what was in The Hubley Case was challenging for me. I wanted those who’d read The Hubley Case to get more insight to the characters they already liked while also introducing those characters to new readers in a meaningful way. I imagine that’s a common goal for writers who have a series…and I credit them – it’s a lot harder than it looks.

Anything you’re willing to share about the book?

It focuses on Ben Siebert being caught between the biggest rock and toughest hard place many of us could imagine. As I wrote it, I wanted the reader to picture being put in that spot and empathizing with Ben’s situation. I think the way he reacts is something many people will relate to, but overall none of us would want to be in Ben’s shoes…

How did you come up with the premise?

One thing is very clear about Ben: he doesn’t want to be involved in international espionage or domestic terrorism. He’s not employed by the CIA, FBI, or military and he doesn’t want to be. So, the premise was based on what the situation would have to look like in order for him to get involved.

In The Hubley Case, Siebert was all over the map with regards to FBI and CIA jurisdiction. Can we expect more of the same in The Silent Cardinal?

Yes, in fact a bit more. In this story not only is there collaboration between the FBI and CIA, but when things turn very personal for Ben, he goes renegade for a while. This further blurs the lines because as the FBI tries to locate him, he is still in contact with his trusted CIA source to stop the threat.

That seems like a lot of moving parts. Is it realistic?

It is on several fronts. First, whenever there have been legitimate terrorist threats to the USA, different members of the intelligence community have come together to solve the problem and reach out to individuals who can help. Next, the concept of an individual (e.g. a special ops person, data specialist, etc.) being both an asset and a liability at the same time is hardly novel. Often times it’s that shade of grey that keeps people intrigued. And finally, when someone’s child is at risk, you can’t predict how he or she will react. What Siebert does is – I imagine – what many fathers in his place would say they’d do if they were him, but it also lends itself to healthy debate. Was he justified? Does he have the right? These are difficult questions to answer when you’re not in that spot, but part of the goal of the book is to make people wonder what would I do?

What was your favorite part about writing The Silent Cardinal?

Reengaging with Ben Siebert. The more I thought about how he’d react to the situations that come his way, the more I respected him as a father and a person. I found myself rooting for him. He’s far from perfect and his decisions are questionable, but his motives are pure.

Do you have any regrets with this book?

I wouldn’t call them regrets, but there are definitely things I would’ve done differently. This book was finished right before the Coronavirus pandemic. If I knew then what I knew now, you might’ve already seen it released. That said, no one has a crystal ball and the pandemic is obviously much bigger than a book’s publication date.

Lot of crazy twists and turns in this one?

You’ll have to read it to find out, but I’d love to know your opinion once you do!

Can you tell me one interesting thing you learned while writing this book?

I always learn and lot when I write, and that’s part of the fun. But if I had to pick one thing this time around, I’d say learning about some of the latest surveillance equipment out there. It’s downright amazing what technology can do these days.

Anything you can share about how the book was written, when, etc.?

Sure. My writing hours are between 4:30 and 6:30 every morning and editing late at night. Every word was written at my home desk just like my last book. In fact, the only difference with this one was that unfortunately my best friend (our old Labrador Retriever) wasn’t sitting next to me as I wrote.

Why on earth do you write so early?

In part because I’m a morning person; in part because I’m very diligent about not crossing over between writing time and day job time. Given those two, there isn’t much choice.

What are you working on now?

My next book…more details to come soon! Thanks for asking.