A thriller – and a novel of ideas
Page-turning – but profound
Written by an insider and saturated in realism, Bleedback immerses the reader in the conflicts of the war on terror. But this thought-provoking exploration of a post-Osama world is also lit by compassion, forgiveness, and redemption.
November 2011.
Osama bin Laden is dead, while a resurgent right-wing in the US plots to subvert Obama’s foreign policy agenda. A leader of the Iranian Revolution now exiled in America, Ayatollah Rastani has tried to stay out of politics to keep his family safe. But recent events have had seismic consequences for his native region, and a shattered community now looks to Rastani for spiritual and political leadership: will he risk everything to support his people?
Circling Rastani for very different reasons are two men whose worlds have been thrown into turmoil.
Former Al Qa‘ida strategist Atamar Anagul is lured back from seclusion to mastermind attacks from war-torn Iraq to the streets of London. But when Rastani emerges as a target for assassination for sectarian reasons that Atamar rejects, his certainties begin to unravel.
Russian intelligence officer Aleksandr Kozhevnikov is on a mission to infiltrate the Chester Brampton group, a private US company with a very lucrative interest in prolonging conflict in the region. Rastani’s rising profile seems like a perfect opportunity for Chester Brampton to draw Iran into their theatre of operations…and Kozhevnikov will be powerless to stop them without help from the unlikeliest of allies.
About the Author
Click here for more about Prof. Gwen Griffith-Dickson, the author of Bleedback.
Reviews
“Most novels on this subject are either fun but unbelievable, or worthy but dull. Bleedback is exceptional in that it marries authenticity, whilst remaining a riveting read. The foundations of Bleedback lie in its outstanding yet accessible scholarship; the structure is encased in meticulously researched and highly authentic reality; but above all, the story is combustible enough to blow the roof off.”
– Noel Warr, of Special Branch, Counter-Terrorist Command and the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism
“Bleedback is unique. While 9/11 and the war on terror have spawned many a trashy novel, this is a sophisticated page-turner, theologically and culturally informed. It does not preach, nor are the political views of the author placed awkwardly in the monologues of the protagonists. It announces a fresh new voice in contemporary literature.”
– Professor Sajjad Rizvi, University of Exeter
“This novel is for anyone who’d like to see a future that’s built by discussion and compassion, rather than violence. An incredible political thriller that’s also a primer on current Middle Eastern conflicts.”