by Zev Chafets
First published 1997
Tyrone Holliman would rather skip the goodwill trip to Israel. The NBA star sees it as another diplomatic obligation, complete with legendary NCAA coach Digger Dawkins as his traveling companion. Neither athlete expects their routine basketball diplomacy to turn deadly. Muslim terrorists seize both men in an armed kidnapping that transforms a sports mission into an international crisis. The abduction triggers a dangerous standoff between America and the Arab world. What began as basketball diplomacy now threatens to ignite World War III. Holliman must navigate not just his own survival, but the explosive political consequences of his capture. The crisis accelerates with the intensity of playoff basketball, where every decision carries global stakes.
Genres: adventure, contemporary, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, high-stakes
Setting: Arab World, Israel
Period: 21st-Century
256 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: kidnapping, violence