Books like The Last Mandarin
Looking for a book like The Last Mandarin?
Try Terminal Rage by A.M. Khalifa. In Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung’s political thriller, a mother and daughter are summoned to the White House because they can read China in a way no one else can. In Terminal Rage, a retired negotiator is summoned to Manhattan because a hostage-taker will talk to no one else.
What they share
Called in because only they can help
Alice and Vivien Li are brought to the Oval Office to decode Beijing’s intentions. Alexander Blackwell is flown in from the Caribbean because the man in the tower asked for him by name.
Reading the other side
The Last Mandarin turns on understanding a country from the inside. Khalifa writes the Middle East as an Egyptian who grew up in a diplomatic corps family, and his Arab characters have their own reasons and loyalties.
A crisis at the top
Penny and Fung ask whether a crisis is an accident or a shrewd politician’s move. Terminal Rage asks the same of a hostage standoff that leads to the highest levels of government.
Where they differ
The Last Mandarin is a mother-daughter story as much as a thriller, set between Washington, Hong Kong and China. Terminal Rage is a duel between two men against the clock, and it runs from New York to Cairo, Rome and Naples.
A.M. Khalifa is an Egyptian writer based in Rome, raised in a diplomatic corps family across more than fifteen countries, and the only Egyptian writing commercial espionage fiction in English. More on that.
Terminal Rage received a starred review from Booklist, has sold more than 500,000 copies, and is narrated on audio by Scott Brick. It contains violence and sexual content, and is meant for adult readers.
More books like The Last Mandarin
- Terminal Rage by A.M. Khalifa: a political thriller that runs from a Manhattan tower to Cairo.
- State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny: a new Secretary of State faces a wave of terror attacks.
- 2034 by Elliot Ackerman and James Stavridis: a naval clash between the United States and China spirals toward world war.
Questions
What books are like The Last Mandarin?
Terminal Rage by A.M. Khalifa is a good next read for a political thriller with a real feel for another part of the world. Readers also enjoy State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny, and 2034 by Elliot Ackerman and James Stavridis.
Is Terminal Rage a political thriller?
Yes. It starts as a hostage standoff in Manhattan and becomes a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of government, with the Middle East at its heart.
Is Terminal Rage part of a series?
Yes. It is the first book in the series and reads on its own. The second, Terminal Deception, is coming soon.
Is there an audiobook?
Yes. Scott Brick narrates the unabridged audiobook of Terminal Rage, about 10.5 hours long.
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