First published 2009
Patty and David Monroe arrive in Moscow hoping to salvage a failing business deal. Their Russian partners have other plans. They shoot David and drag Patty away to a decaying dacha outside the city. Her captors work with Islamic terrorists who demand ransom money. Patty endures torture, starvation, and abuse while her kidnappers wait for payment. Back home, FBI agents must collaborate with Russian security forces for the first time. The Americans and Russians distrust each other completely. Political tensions threaten to destroy their joint operation. Only their shared goal of rescuing Patty keeps the partnership alive. The story draws from real events involving Yvonne Bornstein, who survived a similar kidnapping in 1990s Russia by terrorists connected to early al Qaeda networks. Patty must find the strength to resist her captors and survive until help arrives.
Genres: adventure, suspense, crime, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Moscow, Russia
Period: 1990s
336 pages · Hardcover · Forge Books
Content warnings: abuse, kidnapping, torture