In this “provocative and compelling” ( The Seattle Times ) thriller set in the future, Islamic and Christian forces battle for the fate of the United States as a young historian discovers the shocking truth about the devastating nuclear attacks that plunged the world into chaos. 2040: New York and Washington, DC are nuclear wastelands. Chicago is the site of a civil war battle. Countless other cities are simply abandoned. After simultaneous nuke attacks had destroyed several major cities, Israel had been blamed, resulting in a devastating second civil war in the United States. An uneasy truce leaves the nation divided between an Islamic republic with its capital in Seattle and the Christian Bible Belt in the old South. Everything is controlled by the state, paranoia rules, and rebels plot to regain free will. One of the most courageous is the young historian Sarah Dougan, who uncovers evidence that the nuclear attacks might not have been planned by Israel. If this information is true, it will destabilize the nation. But when Sarah suddenly goes missing, the security chief of the Islamic republic calls upon Rakkim Epps, her lover and a former elite warrior, to find her—no matter the risk. But as Rakkim searches for Sarah, he is tracked by Darwin, a brilliant psychopathic killer trained in the same secretive unit as Rakkim. To survive, Rakkim must become Darwin’s assassin in a bloody, nerve-racking chase that takes them through the looking-glass world of the Islamic States of America, and culminates dramatically as Rakkim and Sarah battle to expose the truth to the entire world. “Sharp and wildly entertaining cover to cover” ( Chicago Sun-Times ), Prayers for the Assassin is an unputdownable political thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page. "[A] believable alternate history.... A chilling tale." -- "USA Today" "Genuinely frightening." -- "The New York Times" "Dazzling and audacious...wildly entertaining...gripping suspense." -- "Chicago Sun-Times" "Genuinely frightening." -- "The New York Times" "Genuinely frightening." -- "The New York Times" "ÝA¨ believable alternate history.... A chilling tale." -- "USA Today" ""Prayers for the Assassin" is one of those rare books that both educates and entertains. It will make you stop and question everything you take for granted. I literally couldn't put it down." -- Vince Flynn, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Consent to Kill" ""Prayers for the Assassin" is Robert Ferrigno's biggest and boldest novel so far, a white-knuckle thriller that I couldn't put down. Here is Ferrigno -- gambler, prophet, illusionist, and one of our bravest storytellers -- at his spectacular best." -- T. Jefferson Parker, author of "The Fallen" "Ferrigno immerses you in a dark alter-world of paranoia and intrigue in the grand tradition of "Fatherland" and "The Handmaid's Tale." Prayers for the Assassin is close-the-last-page-and-look-at-the-world-differently good." -- Chuck Hogan, author of "Prince of Thieves" ""Prayers for the Assassin is Robert Ferrigno's biggest and boldest novel so far, a white-knuckle thriller that I couldn't put down. Here is Ferrigno -- gambler, prophet, illusionist, and one of our bravest storytellers -- at his spectacular best." -- T. Jefferson Parker, author of "The Fallen Robert Ferrigno was born in South Florida, a tropical backwater rife with mosquitoes and flying cockroaches. After earning college degrees in philosophy, film-making, and creative writing, he returned to his first love, poker. He spent the next five years gambling full-time and living in a high-crime area populated by starving artists, alcoholics, thieves, and drug dealers, becoming friends with many people who would later populate his novels. Over the next several years he flew jets with the Blue Angels, drove Ferraris, and went for desert survival training with gun nuts. He ultimately gave up his day job to become a novelist, and his first book, The Horse Latitudes, was called “the fiction debut of the season” by Time . He lives in Washington with his family. Prayers for the Assassin CHAPTER 1 Twenty-five years later The second half of the Super Bowl began right after midday prayers. The fans in Khomeini Stadium had performed their ablutions by rote, awkwardly prostrating themselves, heels splayed, foreheads not even touching the ground. Only the security guard in the upper walkway had made his devotions with the proper respect. An older man, his face a mass of scar tissue, he had moved smoothly and precisely, fingers together, toes forward, pointing toward Mecca. The guard noticed Rakkim Epps watching him, stiffened, then spotted the Fedayeen ring on his finger and bowed, offered him a blessing, and Rakkim, who had not prayed in over three years, returned the blessing with the same sincerity. Not one in a thousand would have recognized the plain titanium band, but the guard was one of the early converts, the ha