by Tom Clancy
Part of Jack Ryan Universe, book 8
First published 2002
Jack Ryan works to establish a Middle Eastern peace plan that could finally bring stability to the region. The changing world order has left terrorist groups abandoned by their Soviet backers and increasingly desperate. These organizations prepare their most ruthless gambit yet. A catastrophic terrorist attack instantly transforms the situation into a nuclear standoff. The American President proves unable to handle the escalating crisis effectively. Both superpowers interpret events as hostile actions by the other side. Military forces engage. What began as an isolated terror incident spirals toward global nuclear war as leaders on both sides lose their grip on the situation. Ryan teams with FBI agent Dan Murray in a desperate race against time. They must find a solution before the heads of state completely lose control and drag the world into nuclear catastrophe. The stakes could not be higher as Ryan confronts the ultimate question of how to save a nation when its own leader has become the greatest threat to survival.
Genres: suspense, contemporary, action, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, race-against-time
Setting: Middle East
Period: Contemporary
914 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley
Content warnings: violence