Anna Erelle

Twenty year-old "Melodie", a recent convert to Islam, meets the leader of an ISIS brigade on Facebook. In 48 hours he has 'fallen in love' with her, calls her every hour, urges her to marry him, join him in Syria in a life of paradise - and join his jihad. She discovers how ISIS entraps ordinary people, like 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.

Previously published as 'In the Skin of a Jihadist' Twenty-year-old 'Melodie', a recent convert to Islam, meets the leader of an ISIS brigade on Facebook. In 48 hours he has 'fallen in love' with her, calls her every hour, urges her to marry him, join him in Syria in a life of paradise - and join his jihad. 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

Internet a sociální sítě, to je loviště náborových specialistů z Islámského státu, kteří přesvědčují mladé lidi ze západní Evropy, aby konvertovali k islámu, opustili své domovy a připojili se ke „svaté válce“ proti nevěřícím. Anna Erelle, respektive její fiktivní internetová identita jménem Mélodie, se rozhodne pátrat v hlubinách kyberprostoru za účelem rozkrytí této mašinerie. Záhy je oslovena mužem jménem Bilel, jenž se jí snaží přesvědčit k odjezdu do syrského města Rakká. Začíná kolotoč psychologických triků, manipulací i výhružek. Zpočátku rutinní novinářská práce se mění v noční můru - zvláště poté, co vyjde najevo, že Bilel je pravou rukou nejhledanějšího muže světa, Abú Bakr al Bagdádího.