Meet Jack
The Background
Jack MacTavish is an American novelist, retired U.S. Army colonel, and social media creator known for high-stakes adventure, espionage, and a distinctly old-school approach to storytelling.
Drawing on more than 36 years of military service, his fiction blends real-world experience with fast-paced storytelling, dark humor, and a sense of adventure. His career included service with airborne, aviation, and special operations units, as well as a brief period supporting the Intelligence Community, with work taking him across Afghanistan, Korea, Haiti, Central and South America, and the Middle East.
Beyond the page, Jack has built a growing social media community through Jack MacTavish Adventures, where he creates content around books, travel, classic films, military history, watches, gear, and the enduring appeal of a life well lived.
His novels and digital content share the same philosophy: good stories, interesting places, capable people—and adventure is never far away.
The Books
TALES FROM THE CARIBBEAN
Espionage • Dark Humor • Caribbean Adventure
Coming November 10, 2026
Cold drinks. Beautiful women. Old spies. Bad decisions. Ian Fleming would approve.
Jake McAdams is finished with the CIA. The last of the Cold Warriors disagree.
After more than twenty years stealing secrets, running guns, and doing the dirty work of American intelligence, Jake is heading south for warm water, cold beer, and absolutely no responsibility. Then a battered canvas duffel resurfaces, carrying secrets from the darkest days of the Cold War, and some very old spies have other plans.
Good Time Jake just wants another drink.
“Entertaining, accurate, and funny as hell. One of the best intelligence tales I’ve read in a long time.” —Ric Prado, CIA Counterterrorist Center (Ret.)
✍️ Order a signed first edition, shipped direct from Jack.
The Books
ROYAL DIAMONDS
Action-Adventure • Espionage • Treasure Hunt
Royal Diamonds is Jack MacTavish’s debut action-adventure novel—an atmospheric, high-stakes treasure hunt that spans Charleston and the Caribbean, where family rivalries, hidden history, and obsession collide.
Built on authentic experience and written with cinematic momentum, Royal Diamonds blends adventure, espionage, romance, and danger into a modern thriller with classic soul.
🎧 Listen to the audiobook on Audible, narrated by Tucker Smith.
✍️ Order a signed copy, shipped direct from Jack. Order here
The Books
HOTEL DE CUBA
Summer 2027
Espionage • Dark Humor • Caribbean Adventure
Jake McAdams is back.
In Hotel de Cuba, the retired CIA case officer is trying—once again—to disappear into the Caribbean. But when Hollywood, the CIA, and the Mafia converge on a newly reopened Havana, Jake finds himself pulled into a dangerous collision of old loyalties, new money, and unfinished business.
Some places are harder to escape than others.
Answer the call.
MacTavish lives in North Carolina, where he balances writing with family life and a deep love of travel, hunting and fishing, music, photography, and service. A dedicated watch enthusiast, he shares the world behind his stories through the Jack MacTavish Adventures brand on social media—connecting with readers through books, gear, places, and the everyday pursuit of adventure.
He is a proud advocate for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and veteran causes, and a committed supporter of fellow authors and creators, especially those from the military and intelligence communities.
His fiction is infused with authenticity drawn from firsthand experience—and from a life shaped by curiosity, discipline, and a relentless appetite for the next horizon.
The world behind the stories.
“A Fast, Fun, Expertly Crafted Ride.”
Jack Stewart, USA Today best-selling author of "Riptide"
“What a fabulous ride! International politics, secrets, treasure, and mysterious family history collide in this sea-faring, action-packed adventure. The first in what I hope will be many Jake Stede novels, Royal Diamonds is everything you want in a thriller.”
-Tosca Lee, NYT bestselling author of "The Line Between"
A swashbuckling modern thriller, Royal Diamonds blends history, espionage, and high-seas adventure into a non-stop thrill ride.
Ryan Steck, Real Book Spy & author of Ted Bell's Warmonger