Mary Mathis Burke launches debut novel Amid Vapors

Debut author Mary Mathis Burke has released Amid Vapors: A Clandestine Adventure, a self-published spy novel centered on a retired nurse pulled into a global espionage program. The book is available now in paperback, hardcover and ebook as Burke aims to bring humor, faith and late-life reinvention into an action story.

Why it matters: - Mary Mathis Burke’s debut novel puts an older woman at the center of a spy thriller, a setup that leans into resilience and reinvention later in life. - The book blends espionage, hospital experience and personal loss, which gives the story a different angle from standard action fiction. - Burke also wants the novel to encourage empathy and less judgment in everyday life.

What happened: - Mary Mathis Burke announced the release of Amid Vapors: A Clandestine Adventure on Sept. 4, 2026. - The self-published novel is available now in paperback, hardcover and ebook formats. - Readers can buy the book through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other major book retailers nationwide. - Burke’s social media links are Instagram and Facebook.

The details: - The novel follows Coco St. Clair, a newly retired registered nurse whose plans for a quiet retirement collapse after her husband dies in a freak Alaskan accident. - Coco later learns she had been on the U.S. government’s radar for a secret program. - The story sends Coco into a new espionage initiative as a prototype operative. - Burke says the book mixes senior romance, hospital grit and Cold War spycraft. - The novel is told from three perspectives: Coco, a CIA handler named Gabriel and an adversary called Mr. X. - Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger. - Burke says the final chapter, when Coco and Gabriel reunite, is the most personal moment in the book. - The book runs 278 pages.

Between the lines: - Burke wrote the novel after more than 30 years as an acute care registered nurse. - Her nursing career included work in labor and delivery and operating rooms. - Burke said she delayed writing for decades because of education, children, full-time work and family life. - She said she felt ready to write only later in life, after developing a philosophy shaped by healthcare experience. - Burke also faced the learning curve of self-publishing technology in her 70s. - The book reflects her research into Cold War spy techniques and her own observations from healthcare. - Burke has also built an audience online, with more than 1.5 million views on Quora.

What's next: - Burke hopes the novel reaches readers who are looking for action, humor, twists and a note of faith and hope. - Burke also wants the book to inspire other seniors to share their own stories. - Readers are encouraged to leave feedback and reviews on the official book site.

The bottom line: - Amid Vapors is a debut novel built on late-life reinvention, using a retired nurse’s espionage adventure to push a message of courage, empathy and second acts.