by Ken Follett
First published 2021
President Pauline Green faces the ultimate test of leadership as multiple crises threaten to drag the world into war. In the Sahara Desert, two intelligence operatives track drug-smuggling terrorists while their forbidden romance jeopardizes their mission. A young widow fleeing human traffickers accepts help from a stranger whose true identity remains hidden. In China, an ambitious government official clashes with hardline Communists who want to push the nation and its North Korean ally past the point of no return. Green must navigate terrorist attacks and arms trafficking while her political rival launches smear campaigns against her presidency. She uses careful diplomacy to avoid unnecessary conflict, but each act of aggression triggers another. The world's most powerful nations become trapped in a web of alliances they cannot escape. As all the dangerous pieces fall into place, Green and others with the best intentions must race against time to prevent the unthinkable.
Genres: suspense, contemporary, action, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, race-against-time
Setting: Sahara Desert, China, North Korea
Period: 21st-century
802 pages · Hardcover · Viking
Content warnings: violence