Available June 2026
Politics by Assassination: The Case of Lebanon
In my latest book, I examine assassinations in Lebanon, highlighting the impunity with which these killings have occurred and discussing the impact of these assassinations on the political environment. Utilizing the case study approach, the book offers in-depth analysis of five particularly significant assassinations between 1951 and 2005. Accountability is rare in the wake of these assassinations, and one chapter focuses on this lack of accountability and the efforts of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to achieve some measure of justice.
Targets of Terror: Contemporary Assassination
My first book, published in 2021, is a quantitative study of the tactic of terrorist assassinations. Now in paperback, the book includes mini-case studies of various assassinations. Several chapters are devoted to the type of victims targeted by terrorists, including government officials, law enforcement, and journalists.
Coming soon!
02
Assassination since JFK: Retaliation, Prevention, and Dissidents. (November 14, 2021)
Why what happens in Ukraine matters so much. (March 20, 2022)
I am the author of two works of non-fiction on assassinations and taught political science for a decade before leaving the hallowed halls of academia for other opportunities. I am currently working on my first novel, a political thriller featuring three professional women—a journalist, a politician, and an academic—who have been best friends since graduate school. After a series of domestic terror attacks in the U.S., the three friends use their unique positions to piece together a puzzle of insider betrayal and corruption that threatens not only the country they love, but their lives and the lives of those they love.
I’m based in Texas, hold a Bachelor of Science degree of political science with a minor in journalism, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Texas at Tyler. I also earned a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Texas at Dallas. I have been a member of Sisters in Crime since 2019.
When not reading or writing (while battling my 20-year-old Tuxedo cat for desktop space), I am spending time with family and friends.
Feel free to email me at laura@lnbell.net and/or follow me on Instagram or Facebook (see links above).