Bill Rapp began his adult life as an academic historian on modern Europe but quickly decided that he needed a career that was a little less sedentary. So, he spent the next 38 years working at the Central intelligence Agency as an analyst, diplomat, and senior executive. But he never lost his love of literature, especially mysteries and spy thrillers, and started writing fiction as an escape from the pressures of a life in intelligence around twenty years ago. In the Cold War Thriller series, Bill combines his background and experience as a historian and intelligence officer to bring an element of authenticity and insight that places the suspense of espionage in the political and policy context where it belongs. Bill also has a three-book private detective series set outside Chicago, where he grew up, as well as a thriller set against the backdrop of the fall of the Berlin Wall, an event he experienced during his assignment to the city.