Dragon Strait - John Leahy

Dragon Strait is a sweeping geopolitical thriller that spans a decade of rising tension between the United States and China - from the protests of Tiananmen Square in 1989 to the brink of war in the Taiwan Strait in 1999.

Young CIA operative Jack Campbell arrives in Beijing believing in the power of democracy and American idealism. There he meets Xin Lu, the daughter of a Chinese diplomat, as student protests erupt across Tiananmen Square. When violence shatters the city, they are torn apart by history and politics.

Nearly ten years later, fate reunites them in Belgrade during the Kosovo War. As NATO bombs Serbia and the accidental destruction of the Chinese Embassy pushes Washington and Beijing toward confrontation, Jack and Xin find themselves caught between loyalty, love, and two increasingly fearful superpowers.

As missile exercises, aircraft carriers, and military brinkmanship bring the world to the edge of catastrophic conflict in the Taiwan Strait, Jack begins to question everything he once believed about power, intervention, and America's role in the world. Together, he and Xin must navigate a dangerous landscape of espionage, diplomacy, and mistrust to prevent a war neither side truly understands.

Blending romance, espionage, and military realism, Dragon Strait is a powerful story about fear between nations, the scars of history, and the fragile human connections that can still bridge divided worlds.