In the Skin of a Jihadist: Inside Islamic State’s Recruitment Networks

Twenty year-old ‘Melodie’, a recent convert to Islam, meets the leader of an Islamist brigade on Facebook. In 48 hours he has ‘fallen in love’ with her, calls her day and night, urges her to marry him, join him in Syria to enjoy a life of paradise – and join his jihad. Discover how ISIS entraps people such as the teenage girls from Bethnal Green Anna Erelle is the undercover journalist behind "Melodie". Created to investigate the powerful propaganda weapons of Islamic State, “Melodie” is soon sucked in by Bilel, right-hand man of the infamous Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. An Iraqi for whose capture the US government has promised $10 million, al-Baghdadi is described by Time Magazine as the most dangerous man in the world and by himself as the caliph of Islamic State. Bilel shows off his jeep, his guns, his expensive watch. He boasts about the people he has just killed. With Bilel impatient for his future wife, “Melodie” embarks on her highly dangerous mission, which – at its ultimate stage – will go very wrong … Enticed into this lethal online world like hundreds of other young people, including many young British girls and boys, Erelle’s harrowing and gripping investigation helps us to understand the true face of terrorism. This bestseller book not only delves into the radical ideologies of terrorism but also exposes the political machinery that fuels it. It's a top pick for anyone seeking to understand the complex dynamics of modern-day radicalism. For fans of Clifford Thurlow (Gigolo), Azadeh Moaveni (Guest House for Young Widows), Nadia Murad (The Last Girl), and John Carreyrou (Bad Blood).