The Blackthorn Conspiracy is a novel of intrigue, deception, guilt, innocence, power, exploitation, greed, sex, and political denial, all on the brink of global economic and military war. Juxtaposing the serenity of Western Oregon and the Pacific Northwest with the crisis atmosphere unfolding in Washington, DC, and around the world as the result of a horrific, clandestine attack on the Republic of Iran, this thriller sees the US administration and its intelligence agents exploiting top-secret information and professional analyses to avoid a total economic embargo and the threat of a massive homeland attack. CIA agents Lee Grady, Jerry Mayhew, Kathy Moen, and Arlene (A.J.) Lang take on the challenge of exposing the sinister plot, which unfolds using a tasteful mixture of humor, relevant history, and technological speculation of what the future might bring if a battle between two global superpowers were to erupt—with one of them holding the world hostage. What happens when a nation—on the brink of annihilation—is forced to act? What happens to the newly established Embassy of the United States of America in Iran and to the newly appointed ambassador to Iran, Dr. John W.Woodard? What happens when the newly inaugurated president of the United States, Sally Marie Chenoa, the first Native American woman to ascend to the office, is forced to place the dreaded 3:00 a.m. phone call?