Packed with drama and suspense, journalist Barbara Sofer's debut thriller is so timely it could be featured on the evening news. Two American-born woman living in Israel-one Jewish, the other Arab-are enmeshed in a violent conflict that threatens their national loyalties and personal values. After she defeats a terrorist single-handedly in Jerusalem, biologist Deborah Stern receives unwanted publicity from television reports. Suddenly she is running for her life from raving Arab fanatics-while the Israeli General Security Service ruthlessly pressures her to work in a dangerous undercover assignment. Reluctantly giving in to Israeli demands, Deborah agrees to gather intelligence. Soon she clashes with Raba, an American-Arab woman with centuries-old allegiances of her own. Filled with gritty realism, The Thirteenth Hour reflects American-born author Barbara Sofer's experience living in Jerusalem. Narrator George Guidall's flawless timing and dramatic flair add to the heightening tension and explosive climax.