I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
A swift race against time… and a tenacious foe. An unidentified young woman was killed in a run-down hotel, her identifying features destroyed by acid. In the sweltering heat of a Saudi Arabian public square, a parent was executed publicly. An infamous Syrian biotech expert was discovered blind in a junkyard near Damascus. Human remains in flames on an isolated Afghan mountainside. A perfect scheme to execute a terrible crime against humanity. Only one man may travel the route that connects them all.
I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
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This protracted book switches back and forth between our two major protagonists, a high-ranking American ex-spy known by the code name Pilgrim and a mujahideen fighter from Saudi Arabia known as the Saracen.
We learn at the beginning of the book that Pilgrim had retired (at a young age) and had published a book about detective work, which is essentially how to commit crimes covertly. He believes no one will ever discover he is the author, but a cunning NY City police detective named Ben Bradley and his wife discover it after doing some independent research, and Pilgrim—who they learn was born with the name Scott Murdoch—is asked to assist in the investigation of a mysterious crime that took place in a rather run-down NY hotel.
Bradley seeks up Scott and asks him for assistance because it is evident that the murderer had read Scott’s book and used his methods. Scott is both annoyed and pleased that Ben has identified himself, and after learning about Ben’s bravery on September 11, 2001, he resolves to lend a hand.
In the meantime, we move on to the passages that describe how Saracen saw his loving father brutally executed by the Saudi police at the behest of the Saudi royal family. The father had been attempting to reveal their deceit. The young child joins a fundamentalist Muslim organization out of a deep-seated hatred and later assists the Muslim freedom fighters in their conflict with the Russians. We discover more about his intelligence, his personal misfortunes, and the causes of his enmity toward Israel and the United States as his story progresses. He devises a cunning scheme to murder as many Americans as he can.
