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Alastair Luft
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Jihadi Bride Kindle Edition

by Alastair Luft (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 162 ratings
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2020 ITW Thriller Awards Finalist

“A timely edge-of-your-seat terrorism thriller that plays on every parent’s worst fears. This cinematic thriller is destined for TV.” –Best Thrillers

Erik Petersson works with the High-Risk Traveler Task Force, an organization that prevents radicalized individuals from joining extremist groups. Disciplined and dedicated, Erik’s carefully controlled world is upended when his daughter, Arielle, leaves university to join the Islamic Caliphate, a terrorist regime in Syria. Erik rallies a desperate effort to stop her, but when he fails, he resolves to bring Arielle back, whatever the cost.

Driven by a secret she can’t outrun, Arielle’s dream of a more purposeful life is confronted with the brutality of life in the Caliphate. When she attracts the attention of Abu Noor al Kanadi, a terrorist leader bent on punishing America for its actions in the Middle East, Arielle must choose whether to sacrifice her dreams to survive or risk a frantic bid to escape. Torn between rival agendas, father and daughter must choose between family or country, love or fear.

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  1. Print length
    287 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    August 29, 2019
  5. File size
    718 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

2020 ITW Thriller Awards Finalist

2020 Maxy Awards Finalist - Thriller

"A captivating look at the grim cosmos of international terrorism ensconced in a moving family drama." -Kirkus Reviews

"Jihadi Bride is not just a thrilling and well-written account of a teenage girl's experiences in a terrorist organization, but also an exploration of healing, accepting change, and fighting against all odds for love." -IndieReader

"...a smart thriller that gives the reader a scary peek inside one family's harrowing experience with modern Islamic terrorism." -Sublime Book Review

"...spine-chilling 'must-read' for older high school and college-aged young people." -Authors Reading

"A timely edge-of-your-seat terrorism thriller that plays on every parent's worst fears. This cinematic thriller is destined for TV." -Best Thrillers

About the Author

Alastair Luft writes out of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. Alastair's first book, The Battle Within, was published in 2017. A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada, and a 20-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, Alastair is also an accomplished speaker who has presented on how violence begets violence and the importance of discovering one's passion.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07T14ND97
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Black Rose Writing; 1st edition (August 29, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 29, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 718 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 287 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 162 ratings

About the author

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Alastair Luft

Alastair Luft

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Alastair Luft writes out of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. Alastair’s first book, The Battle Within, was published in 2017. His second novel, Jihadi Bride, comes out on 29 Aug 2019. A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada, and a 20-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, Alastair is also an accomplished speaker who has presented on how violence begets violence, and the importance of discovering one’s passion.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
162 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Gojan Nikolich
5.0 out of 5 stars BRUTALLY ENTERTAINING
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2020
Verified Purchase
Alastair Luft’s fast-paced tale about a Canadian woman’s misguided Islamic conversion and her father’s quest to rescue her from a psychotic Caliphate terrorist is a tightly constructed and rewarding take on what could have been a cliche yarn in the hands of a less-skilled writer.

This is both an entertaining, plot-driven drama and a deep dive into the sketchy universe of radicalized Islamic crazies who, in this case, want to use the heroine Arielle to unleash something particularly sinister into the western world. Her father, Erik, a member of an elite, anti-terrorist RCMP task force, has other ideas. His parental regrets about neglecting his young daughter over the years and perhaps spurring her naive decision to travel to Syria to pursue a more meaningful life, powers much of the action in this book, which is convincingly narrated from the points of view of both main characters.

The author could have easily turned this into a fictional stereotype: ala Liam Neeson-Rescues-Helpless Daughter in the film "Taken." Instead, he carries the action along with convincing insight about everything from Sharia law and Syrian desert geography to military techniques.

Crisp dialogue and solid pacing also makes this book script-ready to be produced as a Hollywood action thriller.

Yes, there’s plenty of blood and expected gore, but none is gratuitous and all of it fits within the context of what is common knowledge about Middle East Jihadis and their brutal agenda. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary, high octane realism and storytelling in the hands of a skilled author who knows how to write honest prose.
2 people found this helpful
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JackLens
4.0 out of 5 stars Good beginning, great ending
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2019
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I really enjoyed this novel. The first half was more psychological, with a lot of conversation and thought-provoking dialogue. The final third was non-stop action, which I also enjoyed. The author knows how to do both very well: The push-and-pull of compelling dialogue, and the momentum and geography of an effective action sequence.
What brought this down a peg for me was the middle chunk. Too many interchangeable characters were thrown into the mix. If the author had trimmed the fat a bit and made a few characters more memorable, this would be excellent.
As it stands, it's very good... which is far better than most books! Definitely recommended.
2 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2019
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Whether the authenticity of the work, the voice, comes from the writers first-hand experience or research and travel does not matter. The evil described is real. We see the beheadings on video; imagine the daily nightmare of life in the terrorist's world. Funny how we can intellectually grasp what,s going on (Rashid's Taliban and the work of Said...But it takes great fiction like Luft's to give us emotional belief.
The back and forth between the political issues and the struggles of the characters make the story universal. This book is important. The warning against senseless violence not always explicit, but always between the lines. Buy it; read it.

magine the day-to-day nightmare of life in the terrorist's turf.
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Goth Gone Grey
3.0 out of 5 stars A difficult, extremist read
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2019
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This is a tough read for a number of reasons - graphic, senseless violence, extremism on multiple levels, and sheer white-hot rage from a number of characters.

It shows the perceived isolation and desperation that can lead someone to join a different group halfway across the world, in need of belonging and safety. It tries to show positive parts of the Muslim religion, but the proportions of good vs. bad are grossly imbalanced compared to the real world.

Even as seen just through the lens of the lead characters, it's that imbalance that leaves me hesitant to fully get behind this book. While depicting such extremism as part of a horrific plot, the reader could be left feeling that everyone in the regions depicted acts that way.

It's not just the Muslim "bad guys" that are shown as ruthless and bloodthirsty - the Canadian anti-terrorism group presents that way at times as well.

There's a underlying plot point running through about a father's love for his daughter and redemption for mistakes made, a golden note of hope through the darkness.

The writing is good, though at times was difficult to follow in the action sequences.
2 people found this helpful
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dorothy.
4.0 out of 5 stars So much truth
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2019
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An insightful look at what is happening today in the world..especially in our colleges.. Good suspense and fast moving..read it in a few days because I had to find out what happened...definitely makes one think about the reality of our world and what is important.
2 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Convert to Islam, they said. It'll be wonderful they said
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2020
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This is a story about a convert to Islam who went to the middle east and married a Jihadi. It covers her father's search for her. The story shows the cut-throat business of the Caliphate, the struggles among themselves and their dealings with others. Lots of excitement and interesting plots. Will they live, will they die? A must read adventure, but not for the faint of heart.
One person found this helpful
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victoria
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn’t put it down
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2022
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One of my favorite reads. Heartbreaking, heartwarming, and kept me on the edge of my seat. Very good story and ending
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J. Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars The horror, the horror.....
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2020
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The inhumanity depicted in this book makes one fear the possibility of such things being entirely plausible. A tough read!
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Top reviews from other countries

Shawn Virgin
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a legitimate page turner!
Reviewed in Canada on April 30, 2021
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I thoroughly enjoyed the pace of this book. It started out slower paced but detailed to allow you to get to know the characters. It really picks up steam near the middle to its ultimate fast paced climax.

Erik is a reluctant hero who I believe encapsulates the many brave men and women in uniform that perform a very important, often thankless job and suffer loss of family and loss of themselves for being dutiful and acting as our safeguard.

I especially liked that the book captures the compassionate side of Islam and not just the Extremist viewpoint. I believe it’s a great representation of the disparity seen in most religions.

Great book Alastair. I can’t wait for your next one!
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Anuradha
4.0 out of 5 stars Page turner
Reviewed in India on October 19, 2022
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The book is well written. The writing is very descriptive especially in the chapters describing Arielle & her story. My blood ran cold many times. That it shocked & disturbed me is an understatement. In contrast, Erik Peterrson's story feels rushed. His anguish & fight to bring back his daughter could have been written with the same intensity & attention to detail as Arielle's story to balance both. Nevertheless, this book deserves to be read.
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Fay Richards
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing.
Reviewed in Australia on April 17, 2024
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Alastair Luft is an amazing author. At times I thought I was reading a true terrorist account. What is so sad basically Islam if practised honestly is a gentle religion. But it isn’t practised honestly. I enjoyed every word. I highly recommend this book
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Al Sadler
4.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic read!
Reviewed in Canada on January 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
Just like “The Battle Within” once I started this book, I found I wanted continue reading it every opportunity I had. Well done Alastair, keep up the interesting and realistic novels brother.
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
I loved the fact that unlike so many similar books the main character doesn't always come out on top.
If recommend this book 😊
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