The Shalamar Code — Mary L. Clifford

This thrilling tale of romance and intrigue offers a close-up view of Pakistani culture in a post-9/11 world.

Political unrest is on the rise in Pakistan, where remnants of AlQaeda are stirring up trouble in tribal territories. It's clearly not the best time for fifteen-year-old Mumtaz―the daughter of a famous lawyer who's also the leader of an outlawed opposition party―to get mixed up in Karachi's criminal underworld. But when her brother is held hostage by a drug-running thug named Moocher, she has no choice. Defying her parents and generations of cultural tradition, Mumtaz gets involved with a young man who risks everything to assist her on a dangerous mission to expose Moocher as a spy. Not until she gets caught does the bright Pakistani teenager realize she may be in over her head.