OF VITAL INTEREST

Two men’s lives are forever changed when their paths cross in Demith’s military thriller.

Samir Al Khafaji is quiet and keeps to himself, showing promise in his chosen path as a linguist for the United States Army, but something about him makes his superiors suspicious. Unbeknownst to those around him, Al Khafaji is working undercover for Jihadists, scheming to gain the military’s trust to cause as much destruction and death as possible—he believes his fellow soldiers are infidels and traitors, and that it is therefore his duty to kill them (“I will take pleasure in what is waiting for them once we get to Iraq”). Sgt. Abdullah is a man of integrity, honor, and hard work. He repeatedly goes back to Iraq, returning to visit the childhood home he left when his family moved to the United States. As a soldier in the Army, he’s worked as a linguist and a mechanic, and he is dedicated to serving his country. Alongside them is Sara Rashidi, who trained with Al Khafaji to become a linguist, joining the Army after her Kurdish family was killed by Iraqi combatants. The three of them are sent to Iraq to find and take down a militant cell of terrorists with other linguists and old friends, some of whom may not survive the oncoming battle. Abdullah and Al Khafaji are compelling foils for each other, with the story switching between their points of view and illustrating their different perspectives on the war in Iraq. Sara provides another outlook, having been greatly affected by the conflicts in her home country. Demith supports this action-packed story with his own vast knowledge of the military, carefully detailing the large amount of training and planning that goes into missions. The great volume of technical information that makes up a large portion of the book is deftly conveyed and made easy for the average reader to understand and follow. Exposition is skillfully woven into the development of the story of Abdullah and Al Khafaji, which leads to a satisfying ending.

For fans of the genre, this story of military action will not disappoint.