J. M. Berger

J.M. Berger's highly anticipated new novel, The Pope's Hitman, arrives in October 2026!

Berger is the author of four previous books. His most recent nonfiction book, Extremism (MIT Press, 2018), was named an Outstanding Academic Title for 2019 and has been reviewed as "meticulous," "an excellent primer," "exceptional" and "elegantly written." His debut novel, Optimal (2020), is a dystopian tale about a world run by algorithms and social media. Reviewers have praised it as "gripping," "absorbing" and "great storytelling." Berger's forthcoming thriller, The Pope's Hitman, is an international epic best described as John Wick meets Conclave, introducing Father Francis Loyola, a compelling and instantly iconic star in the action/adventure pantheon.

Berger is a writer and researcher focused on extremism as a Senior Research Fellow for the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. His research encompasses extremist ideologies and propaganda online and offline, including the development of social media and semantic analytical methodologies. He has worked as a consultant on these issues for Silicon Valley companies and the U.S. government.