Publisher Description

Book of the Year, 2023, Literary Global AwardsBest Multicultural Novel, Literary Global AwardsBest Thriller & Adventure, Literary Global AwardsDespite her PTSD, seasoned photojournalist Annie Hawkins heads back to Afghanistan. The Taliban's takeover of the country is the story of the decade, and Annie is determined to cover it. She's also desperate to keep an eye on her twenty-two-year-old daughter Mel, whose first job out of college has taken her to Kabul. The very air of the city is heavy with fear as the Taliban draw closer. The danger becomes even more personal for Annie when she discovers her daughter at the airport after a bombing. Then, her activist friends Bahar and Fatima face arrest and probable death sentences for their work in support of women and the coalition forces. When she tries to help them escape, Annie realizes that she's in the crosshairs, too. With her longtime love Admiral Finn Cerelli in Washington, D.C., Annie has to rely on her crew's Afghan fixer and her own wits to save as many lives as possible.

Author Biography

A former English professor at Rochester Institute of Technology, Jeannée Sacken is now a photojournalist who travels the world, documenting the lives of women and children. She also photographs wildlife and is deeply committed to the conservation of endangered species. When not traveling, she lives with her husband and three cats in Shorewood, Wisconsin, where she's hard at work on her next novel. Follow Jeannée at jeanneesacken.com.

Review

"Sacken's vivid descriptions of people, places, foods, and the experience of taking photographs are authentic. She is true to the customs and religion of Afghans, sympathetic to their plight but wary of the effects of the Taliban and ISIS on the country. Annie herself is an extraordinarily strong female protagonist, one to be reckoned with by those who underestimate her drive and stamina. The other characters are convincing, multifaceted, and evolve over time, revealing layers that must be peeled away to reveal the truth." -Midwest Book Review"The story moves with a fast pace and Sacken's writing is descriptive and emotional, pulling you into the story and not letting you go until the very last sentence. At times I was holding my breath as the danger felt so real. The situations the characters were faced with were life and death, and, as the reader, you feel that. I had to stay up late several nights just to keep reading this riveting story." -BookTrib"Author Jeannée Sacken has crafted a work that captures the atmosphere of fear and tension that permeates the city as the Taliban advances, delivering suspense and thrills alongside a compelling romantic and family drama plot." -K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite "Annie Hawkins is every writer's dream character: tough as nails, badass extraordinaire, riddled with guilt, and filled with love for her daughter and the man she adores." -Barbara Conrey, USA Today bestselling author of Nowhere Near Goodbye"Beautifully wrought and unputdownable, The Rule of Thirds earns 5 heartfelt stars!" -Carol Van Den Hende, award-winning author of Orchid Blooming and Goodbye, Orchid"Expertly told, The Rule of Thirds is a tale of courage, loyalty, determination, and resilience with an ending that's unexpected-and perfect." -Barbara Linn Probst, Sarton Award-winning author of The Sound Between the Notes and The Color of Ice"A tense page-turner that still makes you think, with wonderfully engaging characters, insights into a country few of us will get to visit, and adventure that had my heart pounding to the last page." -Lainey Cameron, author of #1 Amazon bestseller and award-winner The Exit Strategy"Tension-filled to the end combined with a tenderness Sacken skillfully interweaves, I cannot recommend this story highly enough." -Patricia Sands, bestselling author of The Secrets We Hide"As with her other novels, The Rule of Thirds stands alone, but read all three. It makes the conclusion of this last one so, so satisfying." -Jennifer Trethewey, author of historical romance

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