About the Shadow Series
A sapphic noir set in World War II.
New York City, 1943. The war rages across the Atlantic, and Kathryn Hammond is stuck stateside. To the patrons of the nightclub where she sings, she is a glamorous, untouchable femme fatale on the arm of a ruthless tycoon. In truth she is an agent of the Office of Strategic Services, trapped in a dead-end assignment and running out of patience.
Then Jenny Ryan walks in. A young reporter chasing the truth behind her father’s murder, Jenny is exactly the kind of complication a spy cannot afford. What begins as a mission to get close to her becomes something neither woman planned for, and something neither can walk away from.
Across four novels, the Shadow series follows Kathryn and Jenny from the smoke-filled clubs of wartime Manhattan to OSS headquarters, to the training grounds that will send them overseas, and finally to Paris in 1944. It's a story about espionage, secrets, and the cost of loyalty. Above all, it is a slow-burn love story between two women who have every reason not to trust each other, and every reason to try.
If you love 1940s noir films, WWII spy thrillers, and historical lesbian romance with real stakes, this series was written for you.
The Books
In the Shadow of the Past (Book 1)
She fell for the wrong woman, and now it’s going to cost her.
Reporter Jenny Ryan sets out to take down the tycoon she believes murdered her father, and falls instead for his alluring mistress, undercover OSS agent Kathryn Hammond. The first book in the series is a slow-burn seduction wrapped in a noir-inspired tale of love and redemption.
In the Shadow of Love (Book 2)
She was prepared to lose her life. She was not prepared to lose her heart.
Jenny’s encounter with a sultry nightclub singer has led her to a secret job at the OSS, while Kathryn, convinced she doesn’t deserve happiness, will do anything to keep Jenny safe, including staying away. When ghosts from her past emerge and Jenny arrives at headquarters as a new recruit, every one of Kathryn’s fears comes true.
In the Shadow of Truth (Book 3)
She thought she wanted the truth. Now she’d give anything to forget it.
New OSS trainee Jenny Ryan is one step closer to serving overseas, but ambition comes at a price, and love has turned to lies. Kathryn, now an OSS instructor, must send the woman she loves into the churn of war. Shocking revelations and the cruel march of time test whether Kat and Jenny can find each other again before it’s too late.
In the Shadow of Victory (Book 4)
Victory isn’t always the end of the story.
Paris, 1944. Kathryn and Jenny face the ultimate test of love and loyalty as the war reaches its turning point. A journey of forgiveness, healing, and devotion, this is the thrilling conclusion to the Shadow series, and the winner of the Golden Crown Literary Society’s Goldie Award for Historical Fiction.
The Shadow series is one continuous story. Reading the books in order is highly recommended.
Award-Winning
In the Shadow of Victory won the 2024 Golden Crown Literary Society Goldie Award for Historical Fiction, one of the most respected honors in sapphic literature. See the 2024 Goldie winners.
What Readers Are Saying
“Off-the-charts chemistry between newbie reporter Jenny Ryan and femme fatale nightclub singer Kathryn Hammond.”
“An exhilarating, well-paced and even well written first book in the Shadow historical spy and espionage series.”
“What a delicious, sensual, heart-wrenching ride.”
“She is simply one of the most magnetic and evocative fictional characters I’ve ever encountered.”
“This series has me in a chokehold.”
“I grew up watching black and white movies with my father and Leak sends me right back to masterpieces like The Big Sleep or Gilda.”
“This final installment of J.E. Leak’s terrific Shadow series is an absolutely masterful work!”
“J.E. Leak gave them the ending they deserved.”
Listen to the Series
All four books are available as audiobooks narrated by Abby Craden, whose performance has been a favorite among listeners. “Definitely a very smart choice of narrator for this fantastic series,” wrote Lez Review Books, which gave the audiobooks five stars and praised the way the narration captures both Kathryn’s sultry poise and Jenny’s determined youth.
Jude in the Stars also reviewed the audiobook editions of In the Shadow of the Past, In the Shadow of Love, and In the Shadow of Truth.
Interviews & Readings
Hear J.E. Leak talk about the series in her own words, or listen to her read from In the Shadow of the Past.
“I just wanted a book where there were queer characters, but that’s not what it was about. They’re just normal people doing normal, extraordinary things.”
- Queer Representation in Historical Romance — Reader Seeks Romance, June 2023 (49 min). A Pride Month panel with Merry Farmer and Cat Sebastian. J.E. talks about her research into 1940s New York, why she writes queer characters who are “just living their lives,” and previews In the Shadow of Victory: “It’s about redemption and healing and ultimately love.”
- Queer Authors Roundtable, Episode 6 Part 2 — Vivian Dunn, November 2022 (61 min). J.E. reads the nightclub argument from chapter 1 and answers questions about pacing, plotting historical fiction, Jenny’s patriotism, the story’s origins, and how she came to work with narrator Abby Craden.
- Queer Authors Roundtable, Episode 6 Part 1 — Vivian Dunn, November 2022 (78 min). J.E. and fantasy author Isaac Grisham on writing a whole series before publishing, self-publishing, and marketing.
- In the Shadow of the Past — excerpt read by the author — ReadOUT (5 min). The dressing-room scene: “Don’t start something you won’t finish, Jenny.”
- J.E. Leak reading from In the Shadow of the Past — Between The Covers, October 2021 (9 min). Chapter 7: Jenny returns to the Grotto, and Kathryn offers a fresh start. “My name is Cat.”
- Book Lover’s Companion, Episode 53 teaser — (1 min). J.E. on where Jenny came from: a photograph of a Staten Island street the day after 9/11, every house flying a flag.
More on J.E.’s own channel: j.e. leak — author on YouTube, including the book trailer and an author-read excerpt.
Coming Next
Lingering Shadows, a Kathryn-centric Shadow series companion novel, is on the way. Readers should definitley finish all four Shadow books first.