The Troika

David and Irina Townsend are in Petra, Jordan at their old friend Khalid al-Mubarhat’s hotel enjoying their honeymoon. One morning, with the other guests, they see TV reports of a violent car bomb attack in Tel Aviv. This and further attacks in the following days put the delicate Palestinian-Israeli Peace Talks in jeopardy. Khalid is invited to Gaza to meet with the Palestinian leader and, because of Townsend’s special relationship with high level U.S. Department of Justice officials, he and his wife are invited along. Convinced by the Palestinians of their innocence in the attacks, Townsend and his team of amateur investigators set out to get to the bottom of the increasing violence. The sudden disappearance of an El Al Boeing 777 from ATC radar, much in the same manner as the Malaysian aircraft earlier in the year, is the straw that will break the back of the much needed peace talks. Townsend uses the expertise of his and his long time friend Billy Ray Benfield’s aviation experience to formulate a possible explanation of the disappearance. Jumping around Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, the team searches for the lost plane and possible ways to keep the peace process on track.