In David R Leng's New Thriller Knights Of The Golden Circle, A Real Civil War Secret Society Becomes A Warning For Today

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Knights Of The Golden Circle by David R Leng
NEW YORK, NY - Aug. 18, 2026 - What if the Civil War never truly ended, and no one realized America was being led into surrender?

That is the provocation at the heart of Echoes of Fortune: Knights of the Golden Circle, the new historical conspiracy thriller from award-winning author David R Leng, releasing August 18, 2026, from White Publishing. The premise is drawn from real history, and it is meant to unsettle. A defeated cause does not always die. Sometimes it learns. The Knights of the Golden Circle understood that frightened people will trade their freedom for the promise of safety, and that a war you cannot win on a battlefield can still be won quietly, through the institutions and the leaders people already trust. Dramatized as fiction, Leng's premise is that the same tactic is running again now, and most of us are helping it along without realizing it.

When Professor Jack Sullivan is asked to break a cipher dating back to the final days of the Civil War, he expects it to point to a few relics, maybe a cache of old Confederate coins. Instead, he uncovers evidence of a secret that Jefferson Davis died trying to protect, a discovery powerful enough to threaten the future of the United States.

Joined by his fiancee, Smithsonian curator Emma Wilson, his best friend and former Navy SEAL Steve Johnson, and Homeland cyber analyst Priya Patel, Jack sets out to follow the cipher. What starts as a search turns into a deadly race spanning Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Mexico, and the mountains of Arkansas. As the investigation unfolds, they discover that the legendary Knights of the Golden Circle were never truly defeated. For more than 160 years they have quietly embedded themselves in the machinery of American power, waiting for the perfect moment to shape the nation's future from within.

As cartel violence intensifies, cyberattacks target America's infrastructure, and political ambitions collide with carefully orchestrated chaos, Jack realizes the greatest danger isn't buried in history, it has been patiently unfolding in plain sight. With only four days before a devastating plan reaches its conclusion, he must uncover the truth before the people he loves become its final victims.

"I set out to write a thriller," Leng says, "and the more I dug into the past and the tactics of the Knights, the more I realized it was something older and more devious than most people know, and that these tactics are still at work today. Fear has always been the easiest way to get people to give something up. The Knights understood that. So has everyone who used it after them."

BestThrillers.com calls it "A must-read conspiracy thriller built on one jaw-dropping idea: the Confederacy's heirs are waging a new battle for America... Move Knights of the Golden Circle to the top of your reading queue."

Kirkus Reviews describes it as "One part Jack Reacher, one part Indiana Jones... an impressively entertaining action thriller," earning the book its coveted "GET IT" Pick.

Praised for its combination of historical mystery and contemporary suspense, BookLife by Publishers Weekly calls the novel, "The high-stakes, of-the-moment, infiltrated-America suspense simply does not let up." Literary Titan adds, "Leng lets history press against the present, sometimes like a warning and sometimes like a buried fuse."

Perfect for readers who enjoy the historical intrigue of Steve Berry, the adventure of Clive Cussler, and modern conspiracy thrillers filled with twists and authentic historical detail, Echoes of Fortune: Knights of the Golden Circle stands alone as an entry point into the acclaimed Echoes of Fortune series while rewarding longtime fans with another unforgettable adventure.

About the Author

David R Leng is the award-winning author of the Echoes of Fortune historical conspiracy thriller series. His work has earned three PenCraft Awards, including Thriller of the Year and back-to-back Best Thriller honors, two Literary Titan Gold Awards, and a Kirkus Reviews "GET IT" Pick.

A lifelong resident of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Leng draws inspiration from the battlefields, rivers, and forgotten legends that surround his home. His passion for American history, exploration, and unsolved mysteries fuels the richly researched adventures that have become the hallmark of the Echoes of Fortune series. When he is not writing, he enjoys scuba diving, boating, woodworking, and spending time with his wife and family.

Story Angles for Editors and Producers

David R Leng is available to discuss any of the following:

* The real Knights of the Golden Circle: how much of the novel comes straight from the historical record
* Fear as a political weapon, then and now: what a nineteenth-century secret society reveals about this moment, without picking a side
* Liberty for safety: Benjamin Franklin's famous warning, and whether the country ever listened
* The missing Confederate gold: the real legends the series is built on
* The double life: a risk-management executive who writes award-winning conspiracy thrillers at night
* Local roots: Southwestern Pennsylvania history, and Leng's August 15 talk to the Council of the Alleghenies in Cumberland, Maryland

Media Contact

David R Leng

Email: david@davidlengauthor.com

Phone: 724-307-5364

Available for interviews by phone, video, or email.

For More Information

Website: http://davidlengauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565831724919

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16090499.David_R_Leng

Echoes of Fortune: Knights of the Golden Circle is available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H46XN5CG

Book Details

Echoes of Fortune: Knights of the Golden Circle

By David R Leng

Publisher: White Publishing

Release Date: August 18, 2026

ISBN: 9798183583670

Genre: Historical Thriller, Conspiracy Thriller, Political Thriller, Action Thriller

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City: New York
State: NY
Country: United States
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