Mark van der Merwe

The Mark van der Merwe Files

 Psychological Thriller | Espionage | Paranormal Suspense

Beneath the surface of ordinary South African It Manager, Mark van der Merwe walks the knife-edge between truth and deception, memory and madness, faith and fear. Mark finds himself pulled into cyber security investigations that are never what they seem, tangled in conspiracies, ancient secrets, ghostly whispers, and enemies who wear the masks of friends.

As the body count rises and reality begins to fracture, Mark must battle not only the dark forces around him, but also the shadows within. This gripping five-book series dives deep into the murky waters of human psychology, spiritual warfare, and the devastating consequences of secrets long buried.

Book 1 - Emma and the Ghost

Emma and the Ghost is a suspense thriller centered around Mark and Emma, a South African couple in their early thirties, they lead an ordinary life in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their lives take a harrowing turn after Emma, a lawyer, disappears without a trace following her company’s year-end function. Initially, the police suspect Mark, adding strain to his already crumbling marriage. Mark finds himself at a crossroads, haunted by his wife's mysterious disappearance and searching for a fresh start to escape the memories. 

Book 2 - Jackals and Wolves

Jackals and Wolves follows Mark, a mid-level IT manager who relocates to Kodiak, Alaska, for a fresh start, only to find himself entangled in a high-stakes cyberwar. When a notorious Russian hacker group, the Wolves, targets Mark’s new company, he joins forces with the enigmatic Jackal, a brilliant hacker known for his ruthless tactics, and Alyssa, a skilled cyber security auditor with her own tragic past. As the Wolves’ attacks escalate, the threat turns physical, culminating in a suspense-filled standoff at a remote data center. Amid Alaskan wilderness, loyalty and survival are tested, revealing hidden motives and alliances in a world where tech and danger collide. 

Book 3 - Shadow of the Dragon

 Mark van der Merwe, a talented IT manager from South Africa, thought he had left the chaos behind when he settled into his new life in Kodiak, Alaska. But when Northern Crypto, a multinational cryptocurrency company, becomes the target of a relentless cyberattack, Mark’s expertise is called upon once again. Traveling to Tokyo, he finds himself in the heart of a dangerous conflict between cutting-edge technology and ruthless organized crime. 

Book 4 - Shadow of Fiction

When South African author Braam Pretorius learns from the Mayor of Kodiak, Alaska, that some of the characters and events in his suspense novels are startlingly real, his world turns upside down. From the rugged forests of Kodiak to the high-stakes corridors of the NSA, Braam is pulled into a web of intrigue that blends fiction with reality in ways he never imagined. 

Book 5 - Veil of Deception

In the shadow of Alaska’s desolate wilderness, where thick mists obscure the truth, Kodiak Space Port becomes the epicenter of mystery, conspiracy, and danger. When Mark van der Merwe, newly appointed at the Kodiak Space Port, teams up with Alaska State Trooper Lilly O’Connell to investigate a series of strange phenomena, they uncover whispers of drones, thick fog, and unexplainable lights in the sky. Locals speculate about aliens, foreign espionage, and a new breed of technology, claims that are brushed off as fiction.

Why Readers Love It: 

• Riveting psychological twists and suspense
• Deep spiritual undertones and layered characters
• A mix of mystery, action, and metaphysical questions
• Feels like The Da Vinci Code met Ghost Whisperer