Sebastian Rotella
The Convert’s Song
(Mulholland Books, December 2014)
A global manhunt sweeps up a former federal agent when his childhood friend becomes the chief suspect in a terrorist rampage. His hazardous stint in U.S. law enforcement behind him, Valentine Pescatore has started over as a private investigator in Buenos Aires. Then he runs into a long-lost friend: Raymond Mercer, a charismatic, troubled singer who has converted to Islam. After a terrorist attack kills hundreds, suspicion falls on Raymond—and Pescatore. Angry and bewildered, Pescatore joins forces with Fatima Belhaj, an alluring French agent. They pursue the enigmatic Raymond into a global labyrinth of intrigue. Is he a terrorist, a gangster, a spy? Is his loyalty to Pescatore genuine, or just another lethal scam? From the jungles of South America to the streets of Paris to the battlegrounds of Baghdad, The Convert’s Song leads Pescatore on a race to stop a high-stakes campaign of terror.
Sebastian Rotella’s previous novel Triple Crossing was the New York Times Book Review Favorite Debut Crime Novel of the Year and Favorite Action Thriller of the Year for 2011.
“Rotella ratchets up the action with an absorbing look at international politics.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Rotella, who made his name as an investigative reporter, makes the far-flung complexities of geopolitical terror come alive on the page…. For all its darkness and danger, the book boasts a streak of hard-boiled humor that puts it in the company of some top espionage novels…. Rotella serves up international intrigue with a delectable twist.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“The Convert’s Song is a revelation. Sure, it’s a smart, gripping thriller that will have you turning the pages at high speed. But it’s also a deep, emotionally resonant story of identity, friendship, and faith. . . . I loved it.”
—Ivy Pochoda, author of Visitation Street
“The Convert’s Song hooked me from its opening scene and kept me hooked to the very end. Sebastian Rotella has written a novel filled with suspense and intrigue, as well as real-world insights into those who commit terrorist acts and those who try to stop them.”
—Ron Rash, author of Serena and The Cove
“Sebastian Rotella is an award-winning reporter, a non-fiction author on international terrorism, and, as we know, a crack thriller writer. The Convert’s Song is disturbingly believable and ferociously entertaining.”
—T. Jefferson Parker, author of Iron River
Read Publishers Weekly’s starred review of The Convert’s Song