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Book 1 of the DCC series atop some of my favorite thrillers. Also shown, some (probably) unlicensed merch including fan favorite Uzi Jesus. Couldn’t help sliding SotF in the stack. Dungeon Crawler Carl (the books and series) wears a lot of costumes. Underneath all of them, it beats like a thriller. On paper, Matt Dinniman's series is hard to shelve. It's LitRPG, with stat screens and loot boxes. It's dark comedy, starring a man in his boxers and a talking cat in a tiara. It'

On October 5, 1962, a low-budget British spy movie called Dr. No premiered in London. The world got its first look at Sean Connery's Bond on screen, and the spy genre has never quite been the same. Fans mark the date as James Bond Day, and it deserves more than a nod. It deserves an honest conversation about what Ian Fleming actually built, and what the rest of us have been doing in the shadow of it ever since. I write spy fiction. So today I'm going to say the quiet part out

The antagonists in Shadows of the Fathers believe they're doing the right thing. That turned out to be harder to write than any of the book's action sequences, and it's one thing I spent the most time getting right. The cardboard cartel villain problem Espionage and cartel thrillers have a well-worn shortcut: the antagonist exists to be defeated. He's cruel because cruelty reads as menacing, ambitious because ambition justifies the plot, and largely interchangeable with the a

I’m going to do something authors probably aren’t supposed to do and admit that I am not sure how this is going to turn out. Shadows of the Fathers comes out October 20, which means I’m officially inside the final month before publication. Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared some of the more interesting parts of getting here, including sending early copies into the world, creating the TOP SECRET packages, working with artists, and watching something that lived on my computer

A sneak peak of some of what’s inside the TOP SECRET packages headed out this week. Over the past few months, I have sent quite a few advance copies of Shadows of the Fathers into the wild. Some readers received digital copies, others received print ARCs or the audiobook, and a few received the early Amazon author copies with the giant stripe across the cover making it abundantly clear that they were not for resale. Those early readers, some of which are included here, have b

Limited edition signed bookplate options for Shadows of the Fathers available soon through select bookstores Designing the cover for Shadows of the Fathers was an involved process. Ultimately, a book cover must align with its genre so it can immediately communicate to potential readers what they are in for. While I could not be happier with the final cover created by Patrick Kang, the alternate designs and runners-up were simply too much fun to cast aside. So now they have ne

When you think of a political thriller, you probably picture a ticking clock, a shadowy conspiracy, or a lone operator moving through the dark. You think of plot. But as a writer, when I sit down at my laptop , I don’t just think about the plot. I think about the rhythm. A great story isn't a flat line of continuous explosions; it’s a composition. It relies on tempo, cadence, and timing. If a book moves at a breakneck speed from page one to page three hundred, the reader suff

Our Monday morning hike at the base of Mount Crested Butte There is something magical about walking into a local bookshop after a long day of hiking and exploring mountain towns. Each store has its own soul and is tied to the community around it. This past week, my wife, our two Chihuahuas, and I set out on a trip through Glenwood Springs, Aspen, and Crested Butte and experienced the magic of some Colorado's independent bookstore scene firsthand. If you’re looking for your ne

Shadows of the Fathers by Crowley Clark book cover

I spent some time with Mike Martini of No Limits: The Thriller Podcast a few weeks ago to discuss my debut espionage thriller, SHADOWS OF THE FATHERS. In this spoiler-free chat, we discuss several things related to the book. Some highlights include the meaning behind the title, some core themes, and the thought process behind crafting main character Hunter Long. I outline a few real-world things happening in Mexico right now between the cartels and China, and how involved Rus

(you may not have heard of yet) Now that we’re over halfway through the year, I wanted to share some of my favorite reads in crime, espionage, and action-adventure in 2026 so far. In no particular order, here are four books you should check out! The Peacock and the Sparrow (2023) by I.S. Berry I was late picking up this gripping, twisty, cerebral, and immersive literary espionage thriller set during the Arab Spring in Bahrain. Shane Collins, a world-weary, alcohol-loving CIA

The geopolitical scene along the U.S. southern border is shifting fast. Mexico has moved from being a local law enforcement focus to a major stage for global power competition. For a long time, the relationship was seen mostly through the lens of the drug war and migration. Now, the breakdown of old-school criminal groups is clashing with the strategic moves of countries like Russia and China. This mix turns the neighborhood into a frontline for foreign influence. With simila

850K+ fireworks lit up the sky during the massive display in Washington, D.C. on July 4th, 2026. The fireworks lighting the night sky for the 250th anniversary of the United States represent more than just a historical milestone. They serve as a brilliant reminder of a fragile reality: liberty is never self-sustaining. It is bought, defended, and preserved by those who operate in the spaces between the headlines, standing watch against threats that evolve just as rapidly as t

A depiction of Hunter Long in his windowless office at CIA headquarters. Where we end up in life depends heavily on where we start. This is not just a poetic phrase; it is a measurable reality. While modern culture celebrates the idea of the "self-made individual," both sociology and psychology show that we are deeply bound by our origins. The blueprint of our lives is often drawn long before we are born, dictated by the accomplishments, failures, and expectations of our pare

Always fascinated by how the (mostly) subconscious forces of the human psyche drive behavior, I spent extra time developing my characters when writing my spy thriller, Shadows of the Fathers. A great thriller protagonist is an active, highly competent individual driven by urgent personal stakes, and whose ability to improvise under extreme pressure directly forces the plot forward. While heroes possess specialized skills that give them a fighting chance, they are balanced by

The allure of a great espionage or crime novel rarely lies in the logistics of the plot alone. While the intricate tradecraft, the ticking-clock tension, and the high-stakes betrayals keep us turning pages, the true gravity of these stories rests within the psychological architecture of the characters. As readers and writers drawn to dark, modern fiction, we instinctively look to the shadows because they reveal who a human being becomes when the safety net of civilized societ

Why do people betray their countries or people they love? If you write, read, or study espionage, this is a foundational question. In the world of intelligence, understanding human vulnerability is key to analyzing motives for treason or recruitment vectors. To categorize these human flaws, intelligence agencies use frameworks. Today, we are diving into the two most famous frameworks in the tradecraft lexicon: the classic MICE model and its modern, expanded successor, RASCLS.

What recent headlines reveal about cartel tech and Langley's ground operations The Situation: Ripped From the Headlines If you think all modern espionage thrillers stretch the truth, look at the front-page news from this month. In May 2026, explosive investigative reports sent shockwaves through Washington and Mexico City, revealing that the CIA has drastically escalated a clandestine, highly lethal war targeting top-tier cartel networks deep inside Mexican territory. The pub

Beyond the Page: My Week at ThrillerFest 2026 As someone who has attended more than his fair share of corporate events at high-end hotels, walking into ThrillerFest feels less like a corporate conference and more like stepping into the nerve center of the genre. I came as a lifelong thriller fan, as an author looking to sharpen my craft, and to network. The conference delivered on all three. Connecting with the Masters The fan in me appreciated the accessibility of the giants