The Far Side of the Desert

By: Joanne Leedom-Ackerman

Narrated by: Robin McAlpine

A terrorist attack—a kidnapping—the ultimate vacation gone wrong

Sisters Samantha and Monte Waters are vacationing together in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, enjoying a festival and planning to meet with their brother, Cal—but the idyllic plans are short-lived. When terrorists’ attacks rock the city around them, Monte, a U.S. foreign service officer, and Samantha, an international television correspondent, are separated, and one of them is whisked away in the frenzy.

The family mobilizes, using all their contacts to try to find their missing sister, but to no avail. She has vanished. As time presses on, the outlook darkens. Can she be found, or is she a lost cause? And, even if she returns, will the damage to her and those around her be irreparable?

Moving from Spain to Washington to Morocco to Gibraltar to the Sahara Desert, The Far Side of the Desert is a family drama and political thriller that explores links of terrorism, crime, and financial manipulation, revealing the grace that ultimately foils destruction.

©2024 Joanne Leedom-Ackerman (P)2024 Joanne Leedom-Ackerman

I just couldn’t invest the time to finish

I can’t understand the five star reviews. The story was grim. The character development was so superficial that I couldn’t really find any of main characters realistic enough to instill empathy. My sense is that there was a political story the author wanted to write and that the characters and the plot were just filler. There was just no “there there” for me. I purchased the title during an Audible sale, so I couldn’t return it. Otherwise I would have.