50 - 50

Not all extremists are murderers, and not all murderers are irredeemable. Exploring the line between fact and fiction that media often blurs, "50-50" pits a former London gangster, Mick, against an Islamic extremist-turned-terrorist, ZIN, when the latter's cell kidnaps Mick's wife to guarantee his cooperation with a plan to contaminate London with atomic uranium. Both men are forced to reexamine their values and decide how far they're willing to go to protect what matters most.

A fascinating look at how modern media's distortions can make an impact on people's everyday lives, this debut novel by John R. Lawrence delves into the murky world of human motivations and wrestles with the question of whether a man can redirect his course once he's started down a certain road.

After reading this eye-opening political thriller teeming with heroes and antiheroes, you will begin to wonder how much news is actually just cleverly cloaked fiction-and possibly even feel unexpected empathy for people you once saw only as hated enemies.