by Ben Coes
First published 2017
The Pentagon runs a clandestine operation worth billions of dollars. Military officials funnel weapons and resources to Tristan Nazir, a charismatic leader they believe will serve American interests across the Middle East. The program aims to prevent terrorist attacks against the United States and its allies by placing their chosen asset in a position of regional dominance. Nazir accepts the arms and funding while playing his role perfectly. Then he reveals his true intentions. He turns the American weapons against their creators and uses the Pentagon's own resources to establish ISIS. The terrorist organization grows powerful with each shipment of arms that was meant to protect America. Now the United States faces a threat of its own making. The same officials who believed they could control events in the Middle East must confront the monster they created. Nazir commands forces equipped with American weapons and funded by American dollars. The betrayal puts the homeland at risk and transforms a covert influence operation into an existential crisis.
Genres: military-fiction, action, espionage, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: betrayal, deception, government-conspiracy
Setting: Middle East, United States
Period: 21st-century
623 pages · Hardcover · Center Point Pub
Content warnings: graphic-violence, violence