Cole Williams Series

This debut thriller by a US Coast Guard aviator will take you onto a cutter fighting drug runners at sea—and into the terrifying world of modern-day pirates. Lt. Junior Grade Cole Williams has always been at home on the sea, racing sailboats and crewing yachts during his time as a cadet at the United States Coast Guard Academy. But when he reports aboard a cutter patrolling the Caribbean, he can’t seem to please the command, and his attempts to do the right thing always seem to land him in hot water. At the end of a cruise on which he serves admirably during open-ocean rescues and in hot pursuit of drug runners, Cole is unceremoniously kicked out of the Coast Guard for what the command deems reckless behavior and a bad attitude. Dejected and disillusioned, he decides to go rogue—and make a few unsanctioned runs for the smugglers he’s already spent so much time chasing. Navigating devious and dangerous twists and turns, Cole shifts from modern-day pirate to criminal fugitive. Ultimately, he’ll be forced to choose between staying on the wrong side of the law or taking a deadly risk for the Joint Task Force charged with stemming the flow of illegal narcotics. While seldom in the headlines, the southern border of the United States has been a battleground for years, and the men and women of the US Coast Guard have fought tirelessly to keep lethal substances off the nation’s streets. In his debut novel, author Brian Boland shares a story born from more than a decade of experience fighting the war on drugs.

Living an idyllic life in the Normandy region of France, former Coast Guard officer and reformed drug smuggler Cole Williams wants nothing more than to put his turbulent past behind him. The lure of open seas still calls, but he’s content to work at a bakery and spend quality time with the love of his life and a baby daughter they both adore.  And then Cole’s sordid smuggling transgressions suddenly surface like a marauding submarine. He’s snatched back into a dark world where oceans are simply avenues for criminal enterprise. Blackmailed with threats of prison or worse, Cole is forced to join a small international team working to prevent the infiltration of terrorists into America. The plan is to plant him among smuggling rings running drugs, weapons, human beings, and any other lucrative cargo by sea into the U.S. via the Gulf of Mexico. Ensconced as a mole among brutal criminal bands, Cole must navigate dangerous waters to uncover a deadly plot that threatens thousands of innocents in his homeland. Cole Williams may not survive his return to sea, but he has no choice. To survive, he will have to swim with killer sharks or be eaten by them. Boland tells a thrilling tale...and he knows how to keep a reader turning the pages. --Timothy J. Lockhart, Virginian-Pilot

Former Coast Guard officer Cole Williams is taking a big mental and emotional break. He’s hoping some time with an old buddy in the winter wilds of Newfoundland will calm the conflicts he’s feeling after a lifetime of running fast boats throughout the Caribbean on both sides of a brutal drug war. There is a lot for him to think about as he wanders through the fog and salty air of a remote seaside town. Cole is contemplating mistakes, misdeeds, and loss, trying hard to isolate himself from it all—but that can’t last. Before long, he’s up to his eyeballs in a dangerous plot involving drugs and guns that his old friend has discovered. Like it or not, Cole Williams must get back in a deadly game, operating as he always does in that little sliver of darkness between good and evil. Boland tells a thrilling tale...and he knows how to keep a reader turning the pages. —Timothy J. Lockhart, Virginian-Pilot The novel is a fast read and a view of a life and experience not known to many Americans. Cole’s story could be used to set up a series of books about him, certainly centered on the little known battles faced by the Coast Guard in protecting our southern border. —Paul Lane, Palm Beach Boland spins a story born from more than a decade of his own experience fighting the war on drugs. —The Norwich Record I recommend it for anyone who wants an adventure with a likable rogue (despite his faults) who is in it for the thrills, only to discover that underneath it all, he actually has a conscience. Great story. —Ian Wood, Novellum

Anthology containing: Caribbean's Keeper: This debut thriller by a US Coast Guard aviator will take you onto a cutter fighting drug runners at sea—and into the terrifying world of modern-day pirates. Lt. Junior Grade Cole Williams has always been at home on the sea, racing sailboats and crewing yachts during his time as a cadet at the United States Coast Guard Academy. But when he reports aboard a cutter patrolling the Caribbean, he can’t seem to please the command, and his attempts to do the right thing always seem to land him in hot water. At the end of a cruise on which he serves admirably during open-ocean rescues and in hot pursuit of drug runners, Cole is unceremoniously kicked out of the Coast Guard for what the command deems reckless behavior and a bad attitude. Dejected and disillusioned, he decides to go rogue—and make a few unsanctioned runs for the smugglers he’s already spent so much time chasing. Navigating devious and dangerous twists and turns, Cole shifts from modern-day pirate to criminal fugitive. Ultimately, he’ll be forced to choose between staying on the wrong side of the law or taking a deadly risk for the Joint Task Force charged with stemming the flow of illegal narcotics. While seldom in the headlines, the southern border of the United States has been a battleground for years, and the men and women of the US Coast Guard have fought tirelessly to keep lethal substances off the nation’s streets. In his debut novel, author Brian Boland shares a story born from more than a decade of experience fighting the war on drugs. Graves in the Sand: Living an idyllic life in the Normandy region of France, former Coast Guard officer and reformed drug smuggler Cole Williams wants nothing more than to put his turbulent past behind him. The lure of open seas still calls, but he’s content to work at a bakery and spend quality time with the love of his life and a baby daughter they both adore. And then Cole’s sordid smuggling transgressions suddenly surface like a marauding submarine. He’s snatched back into a dark world where oceans are simply avenues for criminal enterprise. Blackmailed with threats of prison or worse, Cole is forced to join a small international team working to prevent the infiltration of terrorists into America. The plan is to plant him among smuggling rings running drugs, weapons, human beings, and any other lucrative cargo by sea into the U.S. via the Gulf of Mexico. Ensconced as a mole among brutal criminal bands, Cole must navigate dangerous waters to uncover a deadly plot that threatens thousands of innocents in his homeland. Cole Williams may not survive his return to sea, but he has no choice. To survive, he will have to swim with killer sharks or be eaten by them. Boland tells a thrilling tale...and he knows how to keep a reader turning the pages. --Timothy J. Lockhart, Virginian-Pilot