Chuck Driskell Books In Order

Publication Order of Gage Hartline Books

Publication Order of Pale Horse Saga Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Chuck Driskell is a former U.S Army paratrooper turned mystery author best known for writing the “Gage Hartline Thriller” series of novels. He spent two and half years as a soldier in Germany and this time would forge many memories that would inspire his future writings.

When his military career came to an end, Driskell would find a job in the advertising business, where he worked for several years before he decided to become an author. He had made a name for himself writing stories with sometimes flawed characters and layered plots.

He usually sets his novel in international locales, where he blends spy, suspense and crime genres to make for some very thrilling stories. He made his writing debut when he published “The Diaries,” the debut novel of the “Gage Hartline” series of novels.

However, it was the second novel titled “To The Lions,” that would make his name. The novel was optioned to be made into film by Solipsist Films.

Driskell was the youngest of five siblings whose love for fiction was borne out of an overactive imagination in childhood and a lack of money. He still remembers his parents taking them all to the public library on Sundays, where he had a lot of fun.

The first book that hooked the interest of the aspiring author was Stephen King’s “The Shining.” After he graduated from high school, he joined the military as he did not have money nor the inspiration for college. For several years, he served at Fort Bragg as a paratrooper and also at Fort Sill.

When he finally left the army, he went back to school to study advertising. After working for several years as an executive, he became the cofounder of B2B Media, Inc, which would become one of the fastest growing companies in the US south.

Chuck Driskell was having a lot of success as an advertising executive even as he engaged in active skydiving. It was from an accident skydiving that he would become ill and had to stay away from any strenuous work including advertising. With nothing to do he decided to pursue his dream of becoming an author.

Chuck Driskell got married in 2003 and even though he felt fulfilled professionally and personally, he always felt something tugging in his mind. Prior to the accident, he had satisfied most of his inner desires. He initially satisfied these desires through the adrenaline provided by military life and later through skydiving.

Once he realized he could do neither of those things, he knew he had to find something else. In 2005, one of his closest friends encouraged him to write. At this time, he never believed he could even write a decent sentence but he got down to it and started chronicling his experiences.

He started with short stories but ultimately found his groove writing long form fiction. Over time he became a master at blending extraordinary situations with flawed characters to make the hybrid suspense/spy novel. Chuck usually employs his passion for traveling to lend genuine texture and background to his writings.

Chuck now writes every day at dawn as his writing is usually better when he has just woken up. Moreover, by writing very early in the morning, he gets to spend time with his wife, son and daughter in the latter part of the day.

“The Diaries” by Chuck Driskell introduces Gage Nils Hartline, a man that is often referred to by only his first name. The former military man has been trying to escape his past for years and to do this, he takes on all manner of lucrative jobs.

In one of these roles he finds a hidden compartment that is full of diaries that had been penned by a teenage girl during the 1930s. What is written in the diaries is explosive and soon attracts the attention of some very dangerous people, who will do anything to get their hands on them.
Gage does his best to ensure the journals remain secret given their contents. But the man they turn to for help is his girlfriend’s brother who happens to be in a lot of debt. They turned to him as he is a bookdealer that would know about such things. The man betrays their trust and lets information about the diaries leak to criminals.

The criminals happen to be the people he owes money to. Once they learn of the diaries the situation rapidly deteriorates. The diaries contain some fascinating information and if found to be true could have had some far reaching consequences.

But what Gage manages to achieve is very satisfying as he deals with the diaries in such a way that he never reveals the secrets, while still managing to use them for the benefit of many people.

Chuck Driskell’s novel “To The Lions” sees former military man Gage embark on a new life. He has been contracted by a gangster named Ernesto Navarro who will pay him whatever he wants if he takes on a very difficult task.

He is to go to Barcelona and live in Berga Prison for thirty days so that he can look after Cesar, the gangster’s son who has been hidden there for his own safety. Driskell accurately describes the horrors of life in the prison that would make almost everyone reject the offer.

Given the large sum of money on offer, Gage takes it up as he believes it will set him up for life. But no sooner does he step in the prison, does he start regretting his decision. What is more galling is that he left behind Justina, a woman he loves and saved just recently all alone.
It is an excellent follow up to the debut filled with turns and twists, action and violence.

“Soldier of Misfortune” by Chuck Driskell is the story of Gage Hartline who is not in a condition to take up a job working to investigate the drug trade inside a Peruvian prison. He has hit a personal low point and wants something to make him forget his troubles.

He has worked in prisons before but never taken a job like this as he has signed a contract to take out a man in cold blood. The target is a ruthless American from Lima named Sonny Calabrase. The man has a reputation for employing elite teams of soldiers that steal drugs from the cartels that are then resold for massive profits.

When Sonny no longer likes any of his soldiers, he usually kills them off in bizarre and creative ways. Gage’s mentor tells him the job is too dangerous and that he should not take it but he does. He believes he is working for the good of the families of the people killed who need vengeance.

But appearances can be deceiving as Gage soon finds himself mired into the undercurrent of greed that underlies the powerful organization that Sonny Calabrese lords over.

One Response to “Chuck Driskell”

1. Janna McKale: 5 months ago

   I have wanted to read another book of yours for quite a while! Are you working on another one? Probably a silly question! Anyway, thinking about you and hope all is well.

   Reply