Universal Pictures has optioned David Lindsey's latest novel, "The Rules of Silence," in a mid-six-figure deal, reports Variety.
Thriller concerns a businessman held captive by a South American criminal who threatens to kill his friends and family. The businessman is forced to pay millions of dollars in ransom, until he fights back with the help of a former government agent.
Lindsey has published several novels, including "Mercy," which became an HBO movie with Ellen Barkin.
The studio has a prior relationship with Lindsey. Several years ago it optioned his novel "Requiem for a Glass Heart" as a vehicle for Demi Moore.