Damascus Gate

Jerusalem draws pilgrims, con artists, mystics and the unhinged, each claiming some form of faith. Amid this restless city, a scheme takes shape to blow up the Temple Mount.

Christopher Lucas, an American journalist who has settled abroad, is looking into religious extremists when he stumbles onto the conspiracy. Around him move a nightclub vocalist, a volatile Jewish spiritual leader, a drug-addled Kabbalist searching for the Messiah, and a mercenary who keeps turning up wherever wars and uprisings break out.

Lucas's pursuit leads him through a confrontation in Gaza, a chase across streets torn by rioting, and a tense game of cat and mouse in an underground labyrinth. Racing the clock, he exposes deceit and corruption among every party to the city's holy conflict.

At its core, the novel explores the human longing for redemption at any cost, and the people eager to sell it. Robert Stone, the author, is also known for Dog Soldiers.