The Jagged Edge, a thriller looking for a bold, conceptual ebook cover

The Jagged Edge

AJ Frazer

I'm possibly the worlds laziest activist. While so many environmentalists, scientists and policy makers have stood up to face the challenges of climate change, I've sat down. For a really long time. I sat down to write THE JAGGED EDGE in the hope to entertain people into changing the way people view their relationship to the planet and our challenges.

Imagine if James Bond quit Her Majesty's Secret Service and went to work for Extinction Rebellion... The intent of THE JAGGED EDGE is to bring a bit of Jack Reacher to An Inconvenient Truth. It's a thriller with a conscience. BOOK SYNOPSIS VICTOR SAGEN, the mercurial American leader of Earth Ghost, a militant eco-terrorism organisation, is hell bent on tackling climate change with force, no matter the consequence. He is the world’s most wanted man and yet the earth’s most needed. Former war correspondent and ex-Royal Marine, DOMINIC ELLISTON, is the wealthy founder of London based Jagged Edge Media, the most influential digital news empire in the world. Though he lives a charmed life, he craves the grit of his former profession and would gladly trade his three-piece suit for a Kevlar vest. After surviving an avalanche on a climbing expedition in the French alps, Dominic returns to London only to learn that the corporate merger he has risked his company for, is now doomed for failure. At the same time he receives a mysterious invitation from Victor Sagen, who is offering a one-time only interview. There's a catch though, it has to be undertaken solely by Dominic. Driven by the thrill of this exclusive scoop and running away from the looming corporate, Dominic agrees to the interview. He quickly becomes embroiled in Earth Ghost and the complex Victor Sagen. He accompanies Sagen on dangerous Earth Ghost missions in an attempt to understand the enigmatic and complex man. Dominic also meets the alluring ZHEN DAIYU, who tells him about Biblical – Sagen’s masterplan. An unstoppable, autonomous cyber-weapon that will wipe out the world’s economies and send humanity back to the dark ages. In Sagen’s twisted mind, Biblical is the only way to save the planet from ecological annihilation, regardless of the human cost. After a tense standoff in the Australian Outback, Dominic fails to stop Sagen and Biblical’s digital payload is triggered, creating a modern Armageddon. Society, as we know it, is eviscerated. Chaos and terror sweep through every city in the world. Sagen is captured and killed by dark and ruthless US government forces, while Dominic is implicated in the fallout and must evade capture himself. Meanwhile, society is at breaking point, until, after seven days, Biblical does the unexpected – it relinquishes control back. However, tough environmental commandments must now be met by humanity. If the targets are ever breached, Biblical will unleash its destructive force – without exception and without reprieve. Biblical has become the Earth’s digital guardian. As the world adapts to this new paradigm, Dominic – despite everything – finds himself inspired by Sagen and joins the environmental movement. But cleaning up the Earth is a dirty business and Dominic soon receives a mysterious phone call that sends him reeling.

Men, aged 18-45, who like action thrillers with a hint of dystopia and technology. - They've heard a lot about climate change in the media, but all the science just turns into noise. They might also feel hopeless and powerless in the face of such changes. - They're familiar with technology and are aware of cyber weaponry from events like STUXNET and are perhaps conscious of how reliant we are on the internet of things

An ebook cover that grabs the reader by the throat and doesn't let go. It needs a gritty image, textured and layered, but not too busy and overcooked. It needs to sit alongside (and standout from) Amazon books in the Thriller genre. Here's some specific lists: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/2529973051/ref=zg_bs_nav_kinc_4_2529964051 https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/2529969051/ref=zg_bs_nav_kinc_4_2529964051 The key themes of the story are: - cyber weapons / coding (think STUXNET, but much worse) - climate change (the book is set in the near future, the planet teeters on the precipice of all out disaster) - eco-terrorism / militant activism (think Extinction Rebellion 1000x) Key character Dominic: - Bit of a rough diamond - He's ex-military, a former war correspondent and now wealthy media mogul - He's older and far more refined than he used to be, but still a gritty/tough individual - At home in alpine climbing and the outdoors (think Bear Grylls) Locations - French Alps (Mont Blanc) where there's an avalanche that Dominic is caught in - Mediterranean (Calanque d'En Vau near Marseille) where Dominic is met by a powerful naiad inflatable boat - London where we see the tough business side of Dominic - Australian Outback where Dominic has the final confrontation with the antagonist before the cyber weapon is released Considerations: - Whilst the mood is dark, it's no darker than a modern James Bond film. - It is somewhat dystopian, but there is hope and positivity. - It's an eco-thriller, but it's not all preachy and holier-than-thou... so it needs to be a hard hitting thriller cover first and foremost. The ecological elements are entwined in the story. It will be published across multiple ebook sellers, so any adaptions for size, dimensions etc will need to be provided.

Please don't be too literal with the title... no need for jagged edged knives in the visual. A jagged surface/edge of graphic device is ok if subtle and relevant. The "Ghost" in Earth Ghost is NOT a reference to anything paranormal or fantasy, so please avoid this sort of thing. Nothing too sci-fi... whilst it's set in the future, it's the near future. It's only going to be an ebook publication, so need to do the back cover designs.