HOW DO YOU STOP A WAR YOU CAN'T SEE?
Bear in the Dragon’s Shadow: Where Deception Meets Strategy is a gripping military thriller that plunges readers into the shadows of modern warfare, where intelligence, betrayal, and global ambition collide. (Continue Below)
When Matt Scales, a former elite operator turned clandestine asset, leads a high-risk mission in Ukraine, the objective is clear: capture a notorious Russian war criminal.
But when the operation spirals into chaos and leaves one of his team dead, Scales is left questioning everything, including the so-called death of their target.
As political lines blur and loyalties fracture, a larger, more insidious plot unfolds, one that stretches from the burning battlefields of Eastern Europe to the digital veins pulsing through America’s infrastructure. With Chinese and Russian forces weaving a coordinated act of silent war, the threat isn’t just military, it’s existential.
From covert firefights in Kharkiv to quiet reckonings on the beaches of Santa Barbara, Bear in the Dragon’s Shadow is a heart-pounding blend of tactical realism and psychological depth. Don Patterson delivers a high-stakes narrative where each page tightens the noose and no assumption is safe.
For readers of military thrillers who crave sharp detail, layered characters, and a story that feels all too real, this one’s unmissable.
Read it now, before fiction becomes reality.
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ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Donald E. Patterson is a retired law enforcement executive, SWAT team veteran, and emergency management instructor with over three decades of real-world experience. He led high-risk tactical operations involving active shooters, manhunts, and natural disasters, and has trained crisis leadership teams across the country. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
Patterson draws from his deep background in field operations, strategy, and command-level leadership to write authentic military thrillers, political thrillers, and technothrillers that reflect today’s global threats. His stories explore the modern battlefield where cyberwarfare, espionage, and physical conflict collide.
Bear in the Dragon’s Shadow is his debut novel and the first in the Matt Scales series. When not writing or teaching, he enjoys cruising the Pacific, playing golf, and spending time with his family in California.
DONALD E. PATTERSON
THRILLER AUTHOR OF THE
MATT SCALES SERIES
TESTIMONIALS
HAPPY CUSTOMERS
Patterson has brought Matt Scales to life with his writing of Bear in the Dragon’s Shadow: Where Deception Meets Strategy. His dive into intrigue and deception created a believable scenario and wrapped it in realistic situations and characters. The use of actual equipment and agencies brings the mission to life. There was no wasted space with fluff to fill pages, just continued story development that drags you into Matt's world that makes it a great read.
Dominic Marzano - Fire Battalion Chief (Ret)
An exciting thriller from start to finish. Patterson does an excellent job of weaving suspense, intrigue, and action throughout his first novel. With great detail and storytelling, following protagonist Matt Scales and his team will keep the reader on the edge of their seat. While some may see hints of Jack Carr or Brad Thor, Patterson takes his work to another level. Leaving the reader wanting more and evoking the spirit of the great Tom Clancy.
Eric Rossler 28-year law enforcement deputy and 21-year member of SWAT
Geopolitical threats to America was timely, authentic and hard hitting. Patterson is at home in the shadow world of international espionage and is well versed on our military’s tactical response capabilities. I couldn’t stop page turning as I watched Matt Scales and his crack team of seasoned warriors stay one step ahead of the Russians and Chinese to avert catastrophe. Tom Clancy has left us, and Donald E. Patterson has stepped up to take his place as one of America’s premier authors. I can't wait for his next offering.
K.C. Reinstadler, Author of the Kevin Rhinehardt Mysteries Trilogy.
From the beginning till the end, the "Bear in the Dragon's Shadow" grabs you and keeps you in the midst of modern international warfare. The endstate is realistic, and quite possibly already occurring in real time today! Very thought provoking.
Phil Vernaris, Battalion Chief - CAL FIRE (Ret)
Bear in the Dragon’s Shadow is a fast-paced and action-packed scenario that pulls back the curtain on international stealth and high-level covert operations that are often masked by feigned diplomatic gestures and media-driven détente. This novel reveals the behind-the-scenes tightrope that competing powers navigate - and the time bombs that are regularly defused by steel nerved warriors on covert missions to avert world war and global collapse.
Robin Lindsay , Emergency Manager/Author Gym Rat Rules
Bear in the Dragon’s Shadow wastes no time grabbing your attention and taking you on an action-packed geopolitical adventure, Patterson hit the mark [ten ring] with this cliff hanger novel.
Phil Willis, Sheriff's Lt. (ret)
D. Patterson brings you an exhilarating, yet chilling, page burner where you feel like you are part of Scales’ team trying to prevent a real life global domination possibility! I look forward to more adventures from Matt Scales and team.
Jeff Greene -Law Enforcement Lt. and Aviation Unit Manager