Espionage. Assassins. Middle East.
When the CIA intercepts intelligence on a terrorist attack in Kuwait, Petra Shirazi, a former field agent, comes face to face with the Ahriman, one of Iran’s deadliest assassins.
It was the year when global economies continued to plummet despite analysts’ predictions of a turnaround.
It was the year when the Kuwaiti National Assembly consisted of the largest … consisted of the largest Islamic contingent in more than two decades.
It was the month when the price of oil plunged to twenty dollars a barrel.
It was the month when the Emir of Kuwait dissolved the National Assembly for the thirteenth time in fifteen years.
It was the day when the head of the Islamic majority of the Assembly hired an assassin and the CIA intercepted intelligence about a new wave of terrorist attacks.
It was the day that would change the face of the Middle East forever.
It was May 15, 2021.
After a disastrous mission forces her out of the field, Petra Shirazi retires from a life of espionage to work in a research position. Three years later, her division stumbles upon a money trail that reveals a massive new wave of terrorist attacks. The money trail places her in the midst of an assassination plot that implicates the highest levels of the Kuwaiti and Iranian governments. Petra will find herself face to face with the Ahriman, a man named for the Persian spirit of destruction who is responsible for a series of bomb blasts that paralyzed the Suez Canal two years earlier. As the investigation begins to unravel, the ripple effects threaten to engulf not only the Middle East and its Western allies, but also the darkest secrets of Petra’s past.
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Ahriman #1 – This is my first read by Ms. Guha and I was impressed. I took my time to read this well thought out and well written and well edited first time novel. The author’s experiences and education show throughout her book; while not a spy, she understands of the parts of the world she is writing about so clearly. There are several storylines that weave in and out during two or three periods of time and mesh together in this intriguing, suspenseful saga of terrorism and politics in the Middle East and the agents assigned to combat the terrorists.
While there are Americans involved, the majority of the characters are from the Middle East and there is plenty of customs and languages used throughout the story that add depth. The characters have interesting backgrounds about their developments and the events that shaped them during the different timeframes. The pace is fast and smoothly transitions the years and events to keep the reader immersed in the pages. Plenty of time is given to set the foundation that meshes the storylines and shapes the characters into a novel that keeps the reader constantly striving to figure what happens next. There is nothing Hollywood about this book. This is a very substantial read that could have been written by any of the heavy weights like Ludlum and Follett and company. This caliber of Indie author is hard to find in this genre nowadays.
Happily, I read the paperback version. This 309 paged, oversized book was comfortable to hold and didn’t have any fumes. The serif typeface was a size too small for me to read comfortably, but with normal eyesight it is perfect. I’m used to a Kindle with narrow pages and large font to enable me to read faster. I have the other two books of this series, in paperback, and look forward to reading more about the female character that played such a strong role in this novel. I contacted the author to review her books. 5*
Just when you think you know what is going to happen…you discover you don’t.
This book is a very very good read. The twist and the characters are fabulous and it kept me up too late trying to finish it. Puja Guha is a very talented writer and I expect some excellent books to be written by her. If I could I would add an extra star for her work. You will not go wrong buying this book and I know that mystery thriller lovers will not want to pass up this excellent book.
I had a really hard time getting into this book. Almost didn’t finish it. There was too much political stuff in the beginning. Then the action started. Even then It was a little hard to believe that the boyfriend showed up to be part of this spy mission
Excellent story! Highly charged plot from start to finish. Realistic characters, and a setting that is totally believable. Looking forward to the next book.Highly recommend.
I love this book. Ithe is a page turner.
Couldn’t get passed the first 2 chapters caz if it don’t hit me which it didn’t I stop reading it sorry
Very timely story based on events around the world. Allows the reader to sympathize with the villain while detesting his actions.
This was my first read of this author. The main character is a strong female which I very much appreciate. There was enough love life to make her human, but it didn’t distract from the plot. When her boyfriend joined her on her assignment, it was a tad unrealistic. However, the author did weave it in nicely at the end.