A Line in the Sand Summary

A Line in the Sand by Kevin Powers is a thriller fiction novel set in 2003. The novel is narrated from a third-person perspective, and the events occur in Norfolk, Virginia. The novel's central character is Arman Bajalan, who previously worked as an interpreter for the United States military in Iraq.

In a flashback, four years ago, Bajalan's entire family was massacred in Mosul, Iraq. Since Bajalan worked as an interpreter for the U.S. military, he was given a special visa to seek asylum in the United States of America. The officer in charge of the immigration assured Bajalan of his safety.

Presently, Bajalan is an employee in the Sea Breeze Motel, trying to cope with his grief. Bajalan has developed a schedule that enables him to be preoccupied throughout the day. For instance, he arrives at the motel very early daily and goes to swim in the nearby Ocean View Beach before starting his shift. One day, Bajalan gets a bit late to Ocean View Beach and sees strangers walking quickly from the swimming pool. A few minutes later, Bajalan sees the dead body of an unidentified man floating in the swimming pool.

Bajalan reports the case to the nearby police station via a telephone call. The murder case is assigned to detectives Catherine and Lamar to investigate the matter and bring the culprits to book. When the detectives arrive at Ocean View Beach, they examine the unidentified body and ask Bajalan several questions regarding the incident. Bajalan is scared and does not know whether to trust these detectives. In particular, Bajalan is scared for his safety because he lives in Virginia as a refugee after witnessing the worst war crimes in Iraq. Bajalan's life is in danger because he is a possible witness to the Iraq massacre.

The investigation reveals that the dead man in the pool was an ex-Australian military officer killed by mistake. The killers are after Bajalan to eliminate him because of a congressional court case about the Iraq Massacre. The mercenaries are working day and night to eliminate evidence. The mercenaries of the massacre are running a profitable corporation in America (The Decision Tree Company) that is involved in shoddy deals. The government is investigating the corporation and its owner's involvement in the massacre. The mercenaries embark on a series of murders to eliminate all people who might act as obstacles to their success. In the process, several people are killed including Mr. Peters, Harrtis and Lamar.

The novel concludes with Catherine vowing to avenge the death of Bajalan's family and Lamar. Catherine manages to present evidence to the court to implicate the owners of the Decision Tree Company, who were involved in the massacre and the premature deaths of Lamar and Harris. After ensuring Bajalan gets justice, Catherine resigns from the military.