Terminal Rage by A.M. Khalifa, book cover

Over 500,000 copies sold · Booklist starred review

Terminal Rage

He walked away from hostage negotiation for good. Then a stranger seized a Manhattan skyscraper — and would talk to no one else.

Ebook · Kindle · Read free with Kindle Unlimited · Paperback · 402 pages · Hardcover · Audiobook · Scott Brick · 10.5 hours

Booklist · starred reviewPublishers WeeklyForeword Clarion · 5 / 5Scott Whitmore, novelistNarrated by Scott Brick

Even after they retire, crisis negotiators are haunted by the principal rule of dealing with violent terrorists:

Just because the hostages have been released, it doesn’t mean it’s over.

What is Terminal Rage about?

Terminal Rage is an international espionage thriller by A.M. Khalifa about Alexander Blackwell, a retired FBI hostage negotiator pulled back into service when a mysterious man takes over a Manhattan office tower and demands to speak only to him.

The FBI finds Blackwell on a tiny Caribbean island. As the deadline closes in, he realizes the only way to save the hostages is to work out who this enigmatic man really is — and why he asked for Blackwell by name. What he uncovers is a conspiracy reaching the highest levels of government, from New York to an Egyptian prison, that threatens to destroy his life a second time.

You’ll love it if you like…

  • Hostage negotiation
  • Counterterrorism
  • Cat-and-mouse
  • Egypt & the Middle East
  • Global conspiracy
  • Big plot twists

Readers of

Mick Herron · Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp · Daniel Silva · Brad Thor · Lee Child

Praise

“A rousing cat-and-mouse game between two broken men.”

Booklist · starred review

“Dizzying, intricate, and immensely entertaining.”

Publishers Weekly

“Excitingly unpredictable.”

Foreword Clarion · 5 / 5

“A multi-layered story that is topical and yet also timeless, with a real emotional edge underpinning it.”

Scott Whitmore, novelist

What readers say

  • “This book will take you by surprise, you think the plot is taking you one way and actually it takes you in a completely different direction.”

    Amazon reader review · ★★★★★
Get the book →

Choose your format

Available worldwide. Prices shown in your local store.

Ebook

Kindle · Read free with Kindle Unlimited

Paperback

402 pages · ISBN 978-1-940387-00-0

Hardcover

402 pages · ISBN 978-1-940387-06-2

Audiobook

Narrated by Scott Brick · 10.5 hours

Translated editions

Terminal Rage, Danish · Dansk edition cover

Danish · Dansk · 2026

Terminal Rage

Published by Forlaget Fioranello. Translated by Mette Hammerich Caserta. Audiobook read by Peter Carstens.

Lydbog 11 t 21 min · Audiobook 11 h 21 min

Rabbia Letale, Italian · Italiano edition cover

Italian · Italiano · 2025

Rabbia Letale

Published by Mavenhill. Translated by Raffaella Vitangeli.

Audiolibro in arrivo nel 2027 · Audiobook coming 2027

Watch & listen

Original soundtrack

Terminal Rage — the score

Composed by Christof Unterberger, who also scored The Ark. 25 tracks, 2014.

Questions readers ask

Is Terminal Rage part of a series?

Yes. Terminal Rage is the first book in the series, and it reads perfectly on its own. The second, Terminal Deception, is coming soon. Join the newsletter to hear first when it launches.

Who narrates the audiobook, and how long is it?

Scott Brick narrates the unabridged audiobook, which runs about 10.5 hours.

Is Terminal Rage on Kindle Unlimited?

Yes. The Kindle ebook is exclusive to Amazon and included in Kindle Unlimited, so subscribers can read it at no extra cost.

How long is the book?

402 pages, in paperback and hardcover.

Where is it set?

Terminal Rage moves between New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, Cairo, Rome, Naples and the Caribbean island of Anguilla.

Is there violence or sexual content?

Yes, both, handled without being gratuitous. Recommended for adult readers.

Is it available in other languages?

Yes. It is published in Italian as Rabbia Letale (Mavenhill, 2025, translated by Raffaella Vitangeli), with an Italian audiobook coming in 2027, and in Danish as Terminal Rage (Forlaget Fioranello, translated by Mette Hammerich Caserta, with an audiobook read by Peter Carstens).

Is Terminal Rage like Slow Horses?

In spirit, yes. Like Mick Herron’s Slough House novels, it follows a sidelined professional pulled back in by an institution with secrets, with a hostage crisis against the clock. In tone it is different: an international, high-stakes thriller rather than an office satire.

More by A.M. Khalifa

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