Former college roommates Hal Bogikian (newspaper columnist) and Malcolm Edwards (university professor), both atheists, disagree on most major issues. But they remain associates through the efforts of Malcolm's aunt, Phoebe du Pont, a wealthy Christian widow. When du Pont invites the two men and her beautiful assistant, Sally Northaway, on a tourist and archeological trip to Turkey, the four Americans become the target of a terrorist's kidnapping plot in Scimitar's Edge. Readers will deeply know these memorable characters while also learning about Turkey, the savagery of history, and competing philosophies of life. Along the way, there are razor-sharp thriller sequences and a budding romance as well.