Payne Harrison Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Payne Harrison is a NY Times bestselling American writer of mystery, techno-thriller, military, and espionage stories. He has penned several mind-blowing standalone books and is particularly famous for writing novels such as Black Cipher, The Thunder of Erebus, Eurostorm, Storming Intrepid, Longitude Lost, and Forbidden Summit. Payne’s work has been labeled as well researched and expertly written by the New York Times. Even the Publisher’s Weekly has called his works as a masterpiece. Payne’s novel, Thunder of Erebus, was selected as the main novel by The Military Book Club. Author Payne is a native of Texas. Before going on to pursue a career in the field of novel writing, he served in the United States Army.

Payne is also a former reporter, having worked for a local newspaper agency. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in the subject of political science from the University of Texas A&M. Payne has also studied at Southern Methodist University and earned an MBA. As of today, he resides in Dallas, Texas along with his family. The journey of author Payne in becoming a bestselling author and getting recognized by the New York Times began in the late 1980s, when he sent a copy of his novel Storming Intrepid to a publishing house based in New York. He has sent it unsolicited and without taking the help of any literary agent.

The book was immediately accepted by the publishing house and offered Payne a multi-book contract. This deal with a leading publishing company gave Payne the chance to appear on the Today TV show. This exposure and popularity led to the skyrocketing sales of Storming Intrepid. Following this, a paperback auction of the book was also organized and it also found many buyers. Author Payne laughs out loud saying that he realized it only later that he was not supposed to do it that way and approaching a publishing company through an agent is what most of the authors followed. However, many believe that Payne was destined to achieve popularity in this way and so it happened accordingly. For many years, Payne pursued a dual career and worked as a forensic litigation consultant and a novelist. He jokes about it this also by saying that the two career fields have forced him to use both the hemispheres of his brain. Though it felt painful at times, it was rewarding overall.

Payne is an avid reader of military history, sci-fi action, and signals intelligence. He believes that there is a lot of scope in these areas and wherever possible, he doesn’t hesitate to cross borders in linking the two genres in his books. Initially, starting as a member of the Cadet Corps at Texas A&M, Payne went on to spend a couple of years in Germany, working on the post of a public affairs officer on the staff of a brigadier general. Payne believes it was a great time and it is difficult to explain to those who have not lived it personally. He made close friendships and attended numerous cocktail parties. The duty seemed tough to him, but he says that he would do it again for his country. After his military duty came to an end, Payne focused his attention on establishing himself as an author. His novels reached out to a large number of readers in all parts of the world and helped him earn vast popularity. He continued to achieve success with his later books as well and went on to become a prominent author. Currently, Payne is at work on his next novel and is expected to release it soon after its completion.

A wonderful novel written by author Payne Harrison is entitled ‘Black Cipher’. It was released by the Crown publication in 1994. This book features the central character in the role of Faisal Shaikh and has set the story in several locations such as Japan, Gloucestershire, Australia, and Belfast. The story opens by mentioning that the British government has hidden a spy machine in a hyper-secret signals intelligence and code-breaking enclave located in the quiet town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. This enclave is called the Government Communication Headquarters and is known to house a small army of linguists, code-breakers, and eavesdroppers, who work to keep the defense of the country intact. Inside this high-tech fortress resides a man of great mystery, elan, and urbanity called Faisal Shaikh.

Faisal is believed to have legendary powers in the section of cryptanalysis. Whenever an extraordinarily encrypted message passes through his desk, his code-breaking skills are set into motion. Faisal calls upon all his intuition and knowledge to unlock the secret and help to safeguard the country. His extraordinary skills and abilities cast him as a man with too much knowledge. A powerful and mysterious clique sitting at the highest post in the British government keeps a close watch on the activities of Faisal Shaikh. Later, a series of possibly unbreakable messages come to his notice that is called Black Cipher. To decode it, Faisal embarks on a global journey, from Australia to Japan, and from Belfast to Fort Meade. The only hope for Faisal lies in tearing away the mask that conceals an invisible, menacing government that lurks within the Westminster halls before his luck and time run out.

Another popular book penned by Payne is known as ‘Eurostorm’. It was published by the Variance Publishing, LLC in 2010. This novel begins by depicting that a bullet train bound for Paris from London and passing through the English Channel carries a security car. Inside the security car lies a sealed vault that carries a secret substance. This substance is believed to be so lethal that only a few trustworthy people within the government of Her Majesty are aware of its existence and transportation. But, as the train comes out of the English Channel, the Scotland Yard set their eyes on the train after they receive intel that an evil force is looking to create havoc by hijacking a valuable cargo inside the train. If the evil succeeds in getting his hands on the lethal substance, the entire world will be set the course of a huge change and it will prove too costly to mankind. To prevent this, the British government sends its best agents, who are tasked with keeping the cargo safe, ensuring its safe transportation and getting rid of anyone who tries to snatch it.