by Daniel Levin
First published 2021
Daniel Levin sits in his office when an acquaintance calls with an urgent request to meet in Paris. A young man has vanished in Syria, and no government agency will help. Levin, a lawyer who became a hostage negotiator, agrees to search. Over eighteen days, he follows leads through the Middle East's shadow economy. In Beirut, he questions a powerful sheikh about potential kidnappers. In Dubai, he drinks with the king of the Captagon trade to understand motives. His investigation leads him to an Amman bar where traffickers sell women and girls stolen from families. Levin navigates a world where arms, drugs, and people become commodities. Each contact demands something in return, creating a web of favors and leverage. The search exposes the war economy's brutal mechanics and the few who profit from widespread suffering. Yet amid the darkness, Levin discovers individuals who maintain courage and kindness despite their circumstances.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigation, search
Setting: Amman, Beirut, Dubai, Paris, Syria
Period: 21st-century
288 pages · Kindle Edition · Algonquin Books
Content warnings: violence