Professor Janzen Publishes 3rd Thriller, as Wolf Bahren

As USA Turns 250, Wolf Bahren’s New Thriller The Secessionist’s Wife Probes If America Can Survive A Terrorist Attack in the Heartland

August 13, 2026

The Secessionist's Wife Book Cover

The Secessionist’s Wife is both a quick airplane read and a thought-provoking commentary. Most importantly, Bahren keeps readers in suspense. Cerebral at times, she dips into questions of patriotism, marriage and government along the way. A spy thriller at its core, Bahren’s latest work is a genrebuster that includes features of journalistic, geopolitical, romance, and domestic suspense novels. Along with many strong women, Kansas’ vast and beautiful prairie figures prominently, a mysterious character of her own. 

The story follows journalist Anna Jones and her rival/boyfriend Viktor Simonson as they rush out to the heartland to cover a rapidly escalating terrorist attack on Ft. Riley, Kansas. Meanwhile, Kansas Governor Marie Danielle Schreiber announces she has everything under control, and Theresa Walkermore, a devout farm wife and mother of three, suddenly realizes her husband Noah is doing more than just target practice. 

“Bahren has once again created a sophisticated and gripping tale…. If you want a thriller that’s as intellectually sharp as it is relentlessly gripping, clear your weekend—you’re going to need it!” says Melissa Meeker Eustace, co-founder of ProSovereign Global. 

The Secessionist’s Wife incorporates Bahren’s real-life experiences as a journalist, having worked in New York, Washington, DC, and Europe. 

Produced by FriesenPress, The Secssionist’s Wife is available for order from most major online book retailers, including the FriesenPress Bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. The eBook is available for Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, Nook, and GoogleBooks. 


About the Author 

Wolf Bahren is the pen name that Kristi Bahrenburg Janzen uses for her fiction. Her previous novels, Agents of Suzharia (2016) and Source of Deceit (2020), can be read as stand-alone works, or as prequels. A foreign correspondent for AP-Dow Jones in the 1990s, she has been a freelancer and fiction writer for more than 25 years. Her articles have appeared in a variety of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Farming Magazine, Mother Earth News, and Edible Chesapeake. She is also a part-time Lecturer in the University Writing Program (UWP) at George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, DC. 

Contact 
Wolf Bahren wolfbahrenatgmail [dot] com (wolfbahren[at]gmail[dot]com) 
www.wolfbahren.com
@wolfbahren on Instagram and BSky

Events
Wolf Bahren is coming to Elaine's Literary Salon
Sept 6th, 12p-3p