Until a few weeks ago, she was an international soccer star. But now she’s taken the helm of her billionaire father’s private security company, and she’s playing against a whole new set of opponents – the kind who shoot to kill.
On her first day on the job, Pia’s client is assassinated in front of her. There’s no time for training, so Pia must trust her instincts and athletic skills to unravel the complicated maze of money laundering and piracy that will take her from Swiss mansions to the jungles of Cameroon.
Her battle-hardened employees suspect she’s just a spoiled rich girl with a mean corner kick. But Pia’s got some unexpected moves of her own. Will they be enough to bring her team through its mission?
What People Are Saying:
A fine thriller with intriguing locations, intricate plot twists and a complex heroine.– Kirkus Reviews
This book really got into its stride and kept going strong. I loved the character of Pia Sabel – there’s a girl Charlie Fox would team up with any day! -- Zoe Sharp, author of the Charlie Fox novels
Interview with Seeley James from DigiWriting.com
DW: When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer?
SJ: When I was ten or eleven, I read Treasure Island and fell in love with adventure and thrillers.
DW: What is your favorite book of all time? How has it influenced you and your writing?
I don’t have just one. One Shot by Lee Child, because it has such an intricate set of clues, ranks right up there with First Drop by Zoe Sharp, because she nailed the teenagers with incredible insight and humor.
DW: What are you currently reading? Why did you select this book?
SJ: Hope to Die by James Patterson because, while I’m not a fan of his books, I respect his writing and learn volumes from it. The books he writes alone have an undeniable perfection to them. I always have a Patterson book nearby.
DW: Did you always want to be a writer or did you fall into the profession?
I was nineteen and single when I adopted a three-year-old girl and raised her. Kids need a lot of money and attention, so I worked in the upwardly mobile tech industry. Later in life, my career afforded me the ability to take a huge risk.
DW: What was your favorite subject in school? Were you always a strong writer?
SJ: In high school, I would write several different stories for any creative writing assignment and sell the extras to my friends for ten dollars. Two guys figured they’d go in halves and share the story because they were in two different classes -- they got caught. (I made a clean getaway.)
DW: When you begin to write a story, do you know how it’s going to end?
SJ: Yes, because the first thing I do is make a project management plan for the bad guys. For instance, if they’re planning to rob a bank, they first need to choose the location, then case the place, allocate resources, recruit accessories, locate tools, etc. I then spot the moment where the good guys cross their path. That tells me where the ending fits -- seconds before the bad guys accomplish their goal.
DW: Which authors have had a profound impact on your writing?
SJ: Gillian Flynn because she thinks way outside the Agatha Christie formula. J. D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) has some phenomenal writing techniques. Daniel Silva, Harlan Coben, Russell Blake, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, James Rollins, A. G. Riddle, Lance Charnes, the list just goes on and on…