Prey of the Falcon: An International Thriller

by Len Camarda

Overview

Two students, a Spaniard and her American friend, go missing from the University of Madrid, Spain. Evidence suggests that the two women were abducted, but there is no demand for ransom, no communication from any would-be kidnappers-nothing. They are just gone without a trace with only an open car door and set of abandoned car keys to indicate they were ever there. Weeks of investigation by the police and other investigative agencies lead nowhere. Captain Mercedes Garcia of the National Police Force and ex-Secret Service Agent Gene-Gino-Cerone, principal characters from the novel The Seventh Treasure, return in this new and challenging mystery to investigate the disappearance and find answers where there are none. The two soon discover a dark plot that touches the best and brightest women-leaders amongst their peers-at universities across Europe, ultimately taking them to the desert kingdoms of the Middle East. Cerone assembles an unorthodox investigative team that needs to circumvent a diplomatic nightmare involving monarchies throughout the Arab world, to find these missing women and bring them home safely. As with The Seventh Treasure, sales and royalties for Prey of the Falcon are donated to the Wounded Warriors Project and the Hilton Head Humane Association.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728361499
Publisher:	Author Solutions Inc
Publication date:	05/31/2020
Pages:	298
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.62(d)

About the Author

Len Camarda has published a few short stories and his first novel, The Seventh Treasure, has received outstanding reviews.
A forty year business career, mostly internationally, took him virtually around the world, including working and living in Panama, the Netherlands and Spain with his wife and daughter. Living abroad was truly life changing, experiencing different cultures, awesome vistas and creating friendships that have endured for more than thirty years.
Len,his wife Terry and two toy poodles, now live in the low country of South Carolina.
As with The Seventh Treasure, all royalties for Prey of the Falcon are donated to the Wounded Warriors Project and the Hilton Head Humane Association.

Editorial Reviews

Prey of the Falcon is a compelling thriller…The tense world of geopolitics, and the specter of terrorism, are related in a credible way, garnering interest as law and order operations navigate hazy diplomatic lines. Paz and Frankie are resilient leads. Frankie is rebellious and spars with her captors, despite the potential consequences. As the drama shifts between Frankie and Paz's predicament and the developing investigation, the book speeds up, its locations shifting to include the bucolic splendor of sultans' kingdoms and the offices of federal agencies, establishing lines of battle…
Forward Clarion

This is a talkative but very readable police procedural…The writing is solid and it's obvious the well-travelled author knows these cultures and draws on influences from a variety of iconic sources, not least Arabian folklore…Camarda's compassionate characterization and steady investigative logic are intriguing and worth pursuing for thoughtful fans of international thrillers.
Blueink Review

From the Publisher

2020-09-28
The mysterious disappearance of two young women involves international crime and cultural manipulation in this novel.

Drawing on his globe-trotting travels throughout Europe, former businessman-turned-author Camarda again recreates the atmospheric, dramatic tension permeating his impressive debut, The Seventh Treasure (2012). This sequel focuses on the abduction of two University of Madrid law students. Spanish student Paz de la Cruz and her American best friend, Francesca “Frankie” Fontana, met while both were in high school. Frankie’s father was managing director of the Spanish subsidiary of a pharmaceutical company based in the United States. He held lavish annual dinners with his partner, Rodrigo, Paz’s father. Under the orchestration of ruthless Assad al-Amin, leader of the Saqr (Falcon in Arabic) militant faction, the young women are abducted and taken to Dubai. They are set to become pawns in a nefarious “hundred-year plan” to empower, educate, and emancipate female citizens beyond the patriarchal restraints of radical Islamic cultural suppression. The details of Assad’s crusade involve kidnapping “the best and brightest female leaders from universities throughout Europe.” They are then auctioned online to the highest bidders and forced into becoming “special educators,” mentoring and teaching leadership skills to the children of Middle Eastern families. As expected, the spirited Paz and Frankie don’t acquiesce easily, but conceding their limited options, they begin teaching kids and unexpectedly bond with them. Meanwhile, pulled back into action and assigned to investigate the two women’s disappearance are the tough, seasoned detectives from Camarda’s debut: Spain’s National Police Force Capt. Mercedes Garcia Rico and FBI special agent Gino Cerone. Because the women have prominent fathers, the captain finds herself under intense scrutiny to act fast, but the probe is hindered by an absence of both evidence and any ransom demands. Delivered in short, clipped chapters, the author’s plot continues to branch outward, laying the somewhat convoluted groundwork for an engrossing story of Middle Eastern intrigue and modern cultural transfiguration thankfully devoid of egregious violence. International suspense fans will appreciate Camarda’s impeccable narrative pacing as he seamlessly interweaves the perspectives of cunning Assad, reluctant teachers Paz and Frankie, and the two (smitten) detectives who desperately maneuver to rescue them. A smooth, satisfying conclusion ties up loose ends while opening the door for more installments.

An adventuresome investigative thriller with global flair and captivating, hardcore sleuths to cheer.

Kirkus Reviews