What is the title of your latest release?
DESERT HEIST
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
When former Green Beret Nate Wilde’s doctoral proposal to search for the lost city of Ubar is rejected by the Harvard archaeology department, he partners with his former Special Forces teammates on an expedition through Yemen and into the Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia, dodging terrorists and a shadowy Russian agent who will stop at nothing to prevent a discovery that holds secrets of both the past and prospects for the future.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I spent a large portion of my life in the Middle East, and I’m an Arabic speaker, so using that region as a backdrop was a natural choice.
Would you hang out with your hero in real life?
I would! He’s always thinking and has plenty of historical theories that would keep me enthralled for hours.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Intelligent, Lethal, Resolved.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I broadened my knowledge and understanding of ancient history and learned a lot about hydrology in the Middle East.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I wait until I’m done. Mostly…
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
A perfectly grilled steak paired with a great bottle of red wine.
Describe your writing space/office!
Anywhere and everywhere.
Who is an author you admire?
Ernest Hemingway. He was not only a talented writer, but his works were informed by his time at war, and he was an adventurer and a world traveler. He also made his home in Key West, which is close to my heart.
Is there a book that changed your life?
GATES OF FIRE by Steven Pressfield. It’s a masterclass in leadership and the warrior ethos and had a significant influence on me at a young age.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published). Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I was on my honeymoon in Hawaii. My agent called and told me that Emily Bestler loved the book and wanted to talk in ten minutes. I frantically dug out the nicest shirt I had brought before hopping on a Zoom call and spending a great hour talking with my future editor.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
A tossup between thrillers and historical fiction.
What’s your favorite movie?
Raiders of the Lost Ark.
DESERT HEIST by Alex Dekker
Narrator: Edoardo Ballerini
A Thriller
A former Green Beret and aspiring archaeologist’s expedition to uncover a long-lost ancient civilization turns deadly in this explosive thriller teeming with adventure and discovery.
Nate Wilde is a former Green Beret and aspiring Harvard archaeologist. Leaving the military after a catastrophic deployment that ended with most of his team dead or injured, he chooses to pursue his passion for history. When his dissertation proposal to search for the legendary lost city of Ubar in Saudi Arabia is rejected by the Harvard examining committee and his expedition permit is denied by the Saudi government, Nate resolves to continue his research by any means necessary. And the only path left to him is to enter Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter through war-torn Yemen, the same sands where his brothers lost their lives years ago.
Knowing he’s going back into harm’s way, Nate turns to the only men left alive that he truly trusts—Sergeant Benjamin “Wally” Walton, a medic formerly with the British Special Air Service; Shane Price, UFC fighter turned Green Beret and an affluent playboy; and Sergeant Tim McBride, Nate’s former best friend and a true warrior. Along the way the group meets Ana Metry, a geologist of Egyptian heritage searching for her missing father, whose research is key to Nate’s quest.
Hunted by a former Spetsnaz soldier who works for a shadowy organization with unknown goals, and chased through the desert by al Qaeda terrorists, the former commandos must utilize the skills of their past profession in a race to discover whether the city truly exists, as well as uncover a deeper geopolitical mystery with resounding global ramifications.
Thriller Spy [ Atria / Emily Bestler, On Sale: July 28, 2026, Hardcover / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9781668095362 / eISBN: 9781668095386 ]
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About Alex Dekker
Alex Dekker served as a member of the United States Army Special Forces Green Berets for nearly twenty years, first with 5th Special Forces Group and then as a special operations team member assigned to the United States Army Special Operations Command. He has deployed multiple times to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations worldwide, and has attended multiple advanced tactical and technical schools within the US Special Operations community and interagency. Alex has traveled to dozens of countries for work and personal adventures and has spent years living abroad. He is an avid student of history who has participated as a volunteer in numerous archaeological digs, is an Arabic speaker, and holds a master’s in applied Intelligence from Georgetown University. When not traveling, Alex lives in Northern Virginia with his wife Savannah, a former CIA operations officer, their children, and their German Shepherd Donovan.
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