Shadow for Hire
1. Wages of Death
Everything has its price…even death.
For Leopold and his friends, a group known as The Shadow, assassination, theft, and espionage are nothing personal: they are just part of the job. Their skills go to the highest bidder no matter the assignment, making The Shadow the most notorious collection of criminals in the realm.
As long as the money is good, they never ask questions. However, as the jobs get personal, Leopold’s walls against his reservations begin to buckle. “Anything for the money” is The Shadow’s motto and their leader’s favorite saying, but how long can money continue to pay off their consciences?
Join the Shadow in an episodic journey of danger and adventure as they struggle between money and morality, asking the question: Is it worth gaining the world at the cost of your soul?
1.5 Missing Pieces
SPOILER WARNING for the first two chapters of Wages of Death
Taking place between chapter 2 and chapter 3 of Wages of Death, Missing Pieces explores The Shadow’s professional jobs. With the motto “Anything for the money,” theft, murder, insurrection, and more are all fair game. Dive into a brand-new collection of four thrilling short stories!
Coming 2026!
2. Out of the Shadows
SPOILER WARNING for Wages of Death
The truth shall set you free.
So the old adage goes, but The Shadow knows that some truth may be incriminating. Thanks to their friendship with the Lady Maria, a new chapter in their life has blossomed, taking them in a fresh direction from their career of crime. But while newfound friendships have begun to pull them from the shadows, they have not absolved them of their previous crimes. In the eyes of many, they are quickly turning into heroes, but in the eyes of the law, once a criminal, always a criminal.
Compounding the issue, one of their number is not so keen on the new path their lives have taken. Ever looking for the profit in actions, Daniel is quick to point out that being a hero doesn’t pay as much as their previous life. Besides, it is only a matter of time until Lady Maria, Baron Dietrich, and the rest of their allies discover their dark secret, and then the cost will be high indeed. As internal and external forces thrust wedges into The Shadow and tear its members apart, the ever-present question remains: How many good deeds must a man do to atone for a life of sin?
2.5 Broken Shadows
SPOILER WARNING for Wages of Death, Missing Pieces, and Out of the Shadows
Two years separate the events of Out of the Shadows and In the Service of the King. What happened in that intervening time? You can find out in Broken Shadows. Three novellas, each focusing on one of the main characters, document the events leading to the first chapter of the final installment of the Shadow for Hire series.
3. In the Service of the King
SPOILER WARNING for Wages of Death, Missing Pieces, and Out of the Shadows
Evil prospers when good men do nothing.
Daniel is back, and he’s after the king’s head. Maria is all that stands between the wizard and his prey. Midas yearns to protect the innocent, but The Shadow was banished on pain of death, and going up against Daniel would cost him everything. He needs Leopold and Raven to stand a chance of stopping the wizard, but he hasn’t seen them in two years.
In the wake of Daniel’s treachery, The Shadow scattered. Leopold found the perfect place to hide from the world, a snowy retreat cold enough to numb the wounds inflicted by those closest to him. Raven’s shame at her part in the betrayal drove her to disappear, unable to face her friends.
The Shadow must find a way to reconcile their differences. United is the only way to make one final stand. If they must die, they would do so in the service of the king.
Coming 2026!
Leopold
The youngest member of The Shadow, Leopold is known as Leo to his friends. His small size and skills learned from years of surviving as an orphan on the streets make him nearly invisible when he wants to be. These traits make him ideal as the group’s designated sneaker. His primary duties involve infiltrations and covert assassinations.
Some novel form of amnesia has wiped away memories of his formative years, making his past a mystery. His earliest memories include Midas who he met on the streets of a port town. Leo had been caught pickpocketing the purse of a rich kid whose friends proceeded to demonstrate why robbery above his station was a bad idea. Midas rescued him from the beating and the two have been inseparable since, referring to each other as brothers. They were recruited into The Shadow together some time later.
Raven
Raven is possibly the smartest individual in The Shadow and plans many of their jobs. Due to her strategic mind, the group’s leader, Daniel, has been tutoring her on how to negotiate and secure jobs. Her preference is to let the others do the fighting, but she is also quite capable of defending herself if the need arises.
Raven was recruited by Daniel prior to bringing Leo and Midas into the group. As such, the circumstances by which she was recruited are unknown to the brothers. The only clues to her past are a series of brutal scars disfiguring the right side of her face.
Raven likes the brothers, but Daniel constantly warns her against becoming too close; friendships are weaknesses in their line of work. She is greatly indebted to Daniel and feels obligated to follow his advice.
Midas
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Go Behind-the-Scenes
Ready for exclusive content? Discover in depth information about the characters. Explore the exciting locations of the world of The Shadow. Parse through the pictures of the series. Dive into behind-the-scenes information including alternate drafts of scenes, cover art development, and more. You never know what you’ll find when you enter the archives of The Shadow.
Image from Mikhail Nilov via pexels.com
What are Readers Saying?
Below is a curated (i.e. cherry picked) list of excerpts from reviews of the Shadow for Hire series. Don’t they make my books look great? That’s because I’m obviously not going to put things on my website that make me look bad. If you want to see what everyone is saying (the good, the bad, and the ugly), you can check out reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.