Keep Possession: A World Cup Fictional Thriller

by Drew Leiden

What if the missing original World Cup trophy, stolen from its bullet-proof case in Brazil in 1983, resurfaced today and was now intended as a bribe to secure tournament hosting rights in the geopolitics of World Cup soccer?

Jack McDonald is a reformed soccer hooligan, a man who rose above his brutal adolescence, climbing all the way to a staff job in the West Wing of the White House. But an East Room incident revives his violent past. As a consequence, Jack is forced to work undercover to reveal the corruption behind the suspicious World Cup bid of a Middle Eastern country, whose secret deal with the President of the United States threatens to be uncovered.

Rooted in the true history, Drew Leiden's thriller Keep Possession will take you on a quest for the trophy: Mussolini conspired for it; Hitler searched for it; billions of fans chanted for it, while thieves lurked in the shadows in 1966 London and 1983 Brazil.

Think you know the world's game?

482 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2018

About the author

Drew Leiden earned degrees from Georgetown University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Maryland. He also studied at Oxford University in England and Erasmus University in the Netherlands. Like the protagonist in the book, he interned in the West Wing of the White House (years ago). As a writer, he has been published in Detroit’s largest newspaper. As a soccer fan, he volunteers as a coach to his kids. As a soccer player, his passion exceeds his talent.

Reviews

[David Rubenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing story and one to be remembered. Plenty of action and unexpected twists. A good history of World Cups of yesteryear and a fascinating take on the motivations of patriotism. The jumping around in time and location to create perspective worked well. Very creative storytelling.