Mike Belasko writes unflinching thrillers that explore the shadowy intersection of justice, morality, and violence in modern America. His Ghost Protocols series follows Jack Raines, a former Navy SEAL who wages a private war against enemies the system can't—or won't—stop.
With a background that informs his gritty, authentic depictions of military tactics and covert operations, Belasko crafts stories that refuse to look away from hard truths. His novels tackle urgent contemporary crises—from the fentanyl epidemic devastating American communities to human trafficking networks operating in plain sight—through the eyes of a protagonist willing to cross any line to protect the innocent.
The Ghost Protocols series debuted with Ghosts of War, which introduces Jack Raines as he dismantles a drug cartel responsible for his friends' deaths, and continues with Ghosts of Trade, where Jack infiltrates a human trafficking operation that challenges everything he believes about justice and sacrifice. Belasko's work is characterized by meticulous research, complex moral questions, and action sequences that feel brutally real.
His fiction explores what happens when good men are pushed beyond the law's reach, when the cost of doing nothing exceeds the cost of doing terrible things, and when the only path to justice runs through darkness. Belasko doesn't shy away from the psychological toll of violence or the impossible calculations required when saving some means failing others.
When he's not writing, Belasko continues to research the criminal networks and corruption that inspire his fiction, ensuring his thrillers remain grounded in the harsh realities of modern warfare—both foreign and domestic.
"Some chains are invisible. Some wars are fought in shadows. Some ghosts never rest."