Bill Rapp began his professional life as an academic historian of Modern Europe. He received his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, his M.A. from the University of Toronto, and his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. After a short stint teaching at Iowa State University, Bill left for a less sedentary career at the Central intelligence Agency. He spent the next thirty-five years as an analyst, diplomat, and senior executive at the CIA; after his retirement Bill continued his service as a consultant and trainer with the Agency. His Cold War spy series draws on his experiences in both those careers. He has also written a stand-alone thriller-Berlin Breakdown-set during the fall of the Wall, which he experienced first-hand during his assignment there--and a three-book private detective series set outside Chicago, where he lives with wife, their older daughter, and their two dogs.