Why won't the dead stay dead? Federal agent Alexandra LaDuca travels to Egypt to investigate the possible sighting of a former mentor, a CIA agent who everyone thought was dead. She is thrown into the deadliest game of double cross of her career as the events that began in Kiev and continued in Madrid find their culmination in the volatile Middle East. Her assignment is to locate a man she once knew. But to find the answers, Alex needs to move quickly into the underworld of the Egyptian capital, a nether society of crooks, killers, spies, and Islamic fundamentalists. And she must work alone, surviving on her wits, her training, and a compact new Beretta. Her search immerses Alex deeply into the explosive international politics of the day, touching on Arab-American relations and the new balance of terror between Russia and the United States. And it doesn't help that she's forced into a partnership with a quirky double agent known only as Voltaire, one of the most shadowy and powerful members of the Cairo underworld. If you've been waiting for Alex LaDuca's next adventure, this fast-paced thriller is it. If you've never met Alex, Countdown in Cairo offers a first-rate introduction. You will be holding your breath from its explosive beginning to the very last twist.