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Desert Heist

A Thriller

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Desert Heist

By: Alex Dekker
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
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Summary
A former Green Beret and aspiring archaeologist’s expedition to uncover a long-lost ancient civilization turns deadly in this explosive thriller teeming with adventure and discovery.

Nate Wilde is a former Green Beret and aspiring Harvard archaeologist. Leaving the military after a catastrophic deployment that ended with most of his team dead or injured, he chooses to pursue his passion for history. When his dissertation proposal to search for the legendary lost city of Ubar in Saudi Arabia is rejected by the Harvard examining committee and his expedition permit is denied by the Saudi government, Nate resolves to continue his research by any means necessary. And the only path left to him is to enter Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter through war-torn Yemen, the same sands where his brothers lost their lives years ago.

Knowing he’s going back into harm’s way, Nate turns to the only men left alive that he truly trusts—Sergeant Benjamin “Wally” Walton, a medic formerly with the British Special Air Service; Shane Price, UFC fighter turned Green Beret and an affluent playboy; and Sergeant Tim McBride, Nate’s former best friend and a true warrior. Along the way the group meets Ana Metry, a geologist of Egyptian heritage searching for her missing father, whose research is key to Nate’s quest.

Hunted by a former Spetsnaz soldier who works for a shadowy organization with unknown goals, and chased through the desert by al Qaeda terrorists, the former commandos must utilize the skills of their past profession in a race to discover whether the city truly exists, as well as uncover a deeper geopolitical mystery with resounding global ramifications.
Action & Adventure Espionage Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense Middle East Solider Military Warrior Saudi Arabia Iran Fiction War Thriller

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Critic Reviews

"Ballerini’s versatile narration takes an already interesting story and makes it riveting for the listener." —Winner of an Earphones Award, Kirkus
"Nate Wilde, a Green Beret turned graduate student, reunites his formermilitary team for a mission to find a lost city in the Middle East. Dekker does a great job developing the characters in this well-paced thriller, and Edoardo Ballerini elevates it beautifully. He consistently uses a variety of accents—southern U.S., assorted Middle Eastern and British voices, and others—while conveying the emotions, especially in tense fight scenes and dangerous situations. The author, a former Green Beret himself, has laid out a story that blends brains and brawn, academics and action." —Winner of an Earphones Award, Kirkus
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