Trade Off

"A thoroughly current thriller in which lawyers and financiers are the manipulators of Middle East conflict." -Kirkus Reviews





"Trade Off is a high-stakes international thriller that pulls the reader into a complicated web of dark politics, underhanded gains, and dangerous power brokers. With tension running across every page and a deft balance of complex characters and unpredictable plot twists, Nader Salehi crafts a moody suspense novel that will both immerse readers in new worlds and keep them on the edge of their seats." -Steph Post, Author of Lightwood and A Tree Born Crooked





Reza Shirvani is a talented young associate on the cusp of promotion to partnership at a top corporate law firm in Washington, D.C. But the biggest challenge in his life is far more complicated-his mother and sister have fled Iran and are now stuck in western Afghanistan. Their last and best hope for safe passage to America lies in the hands of a tribal warlord, but only if Reza can quickly come up with a small fortune to pay him.


When Clara, Reza's beautiful former lover, unexpectedly reappears in his life, Reza seems to have stumbled on a solution to all of his problems.


Very soon, though, it becomes clear that Clara's reappearance is not completely coincidental, and Reza finds himself confronting an insider trading mastermind, a Saudi financier of terror, cyber espionage, and, along the way, his own greatest doubts and fears.


Fast-paced and gripping, Trade Off takes readers from high-powered offices in D.C., London, and New York, to streets and compounds in Kabul and beyond.


A timeless and yet modern journey of self-discovery, Trade Off illuminates just how ambiguous morality can be when innocent lives are at stake.