Review of Waterworks
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Ariana Bain-Faus
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- Latest Review: Waterworks by Jack Winnick
Review of Waterworks
[Following is a volunteer review of "Waterworks" by Jack Winnick.]
This book excites you and also gives you anxiety. There’s no graphic sexual content, and while there is violence, it’s not especially graphic. Language is mild, too, with only the occasional swear word. That said, the subject matter, including terrorism, espionage, and international conflict—is definitely meant for adults. Younger readers and those sensitive to violence or political tension might want to steer clear.
Waterworks is the fifth book in Jack Winnick’s thriller series featuring Lara Edmond and Uri Levin, though you don’t need to read the earlier ones to follow this story. It stands on its own just fine. The plot kicks off with a disturbing discovery at a water treatment facility in Los Angeles. Goldfish, used as a safety measure to monitor water quality, turn up dead. Soon after, dead birds are found around the plant. Something is clearly wrong.
When investigators dig deeper, they suspect the water has been contaminated with polonium—a highly toxic and radioactive material that’s rarely seen and even harder to detect. Things escalate quickly when a sock found in the water is traced back to Iran. The implication? A possible terrorist attack, and maybe just the beginning of something worse.
Lara, a former FBI agent, and Uri, who works with Israel’s Mossad, are called into action while on vacation in L.A. The FBI reaches out, and it doesn’t take long before both of them are pulled into an international mission. They’re given new identities and sent separately into Iran to uncover who’s behind the attack and how far the threat goes.
Winnick writes with clarity and purpose. The pacing is quick but not overwhelming, and the plot is easy to follow, even when it dives into espionage tactics and covert operations. That’s something I really appreciated—sometimes thrillers skip over the “how” in favor of flashy action scenes, but this one takes the time to explain how the characters move through their assignments. Whether it’s how they get into Iran, establish their cover, or gather intelligence, the steps make sense and feel grounded in reality.
The book is written in third-person and moves between Lara and Uri’s points of view. This back-and-forth helps keep the tension alive and lets us see the mission unfold from different angles. Knowing that Winnick is a professor in chemical engineering and has spent a lifetime studying Middle Eastern affairs gives the story a layer of realism that’s hard to fake. He even points out that the technology described in the novel is real and currently available, which makes the whole premise a little more terrifying.
What stood out to me the most was how balanced the writing felt. It’s detailed without getting bogged down in technical jargon, and the plot moves quick without feeling rushed.
All in all, Waterworks is a compelling and fun spy novel. I’d give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It's fast-paced, intelligent, and engaging from the very first chapter. If you enjoy modern thrillers with global stakes and realistic tech, this one’s worth picking up.
******
Waterworks
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
This book excites you and also gives you anxiety. There’s no graphic sexual content, and while there is violence, it’s not especially graphic. Language is mild, too, with only the occasional swear word. That said, the subject matter, including terrorism, espionage, and international conflict—is definitely meant for adults. Younger readers and those sensitive to violence or political tension might want to steer clear.
Waterworks is the fifth book in Jack Winnick’s thriller series featuring Lara Edmond and Uri Levin, though you don’t need to read the earlier ones to follow this story. It stands on its own just fine. The plot kicks off with a disturbing discovery at a water treatment facility in Los Angeles. Goldfish, used as a safety measure to monitor water quality, turn up dead. Soon after, dead birds are found around the plant. Something is clearly wrong.
When investigators dig deeper, they suspect the water has been contaminated with polonium—a highly toxic and radioactive material that’s rarely seen and even harder to detect. Things escalate quickly when a sock found in the water is traced back to Iran. The implication? A possible terrorist attack, and maybe just the beginning of something worse.
Lara, a former FBI agent, and Uri, who works with Israel’s Mossad, are called into action while on vacation in L.A. The FBI reaches out, and it doesn’t take long before both of them are pulled into an international mission. They’re given new identities and sent separately into Iran to uncover who’s behind the attack and how far the threat goes.
Winnick writes with clarity and purpose. The pacing is quick but not overwhelming, and the plot is easy to follow, even when it dives into espionage tactics and covert operations. That’s something I really appreciated—sometimes thrillers skip over the “how” in favor of flashy action scenes, but this one takes the time to explain how the characters move through their assignments. Whether it’s how they get into Iran, establish their cover, or gather intelligence, the steps make sense and feel grounded in reality.
The book is written in third-person and moves between Lara and Uri’s points of view. This back-and-forth helps keep the tension alive and lets us see the mission unfold from different angles. Knowing that Winnick is a professor in chemical engineering and has spent a lifetime studying Middle Eastern affairs gives the story a layer of realism that’s hard to fake. He even points out that the technology described in the novel is real and currently available, which makes the whole premise a little more terrifying.
What stood out to me the most was how balanced the writing felt. It’s detailed without getting bogged down in technical jargon, and the plot moves quick without feeling rushed.
All in all, Waterworks is a compelling and fun spy novel. I’d give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It's fast-paced, intelligent, and engaging from the very first chapter. If you enjoy modern thrillers with global stakes and realistic tech, this one’s worth picking up.
******
Waterworks
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Waterworks by Jack Winnick
