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[Following is a volunteer review of "The Date Farm" by Jack Winnick.]

The Date Farm by Jack Winnick starts with a bang (literally) as machine-gun fire shatters the peace of a crowded mall in Beverly Hills even before you have reached the third page of the book. The story wastes no time in unmasking the perpetrators as Islamic terrorists, intent on causing harm to the United States and Israel. Reinforcements are quickly summoned by the FBI, and protagonists Uri and Laura are forced to cut short their romantic vacation to answer the call of duty.

The story continues at breakneck speed as another attack occurs in New York a few weeks later at the Federal Reserve and Chase Manhattan Bank, disabling (among other things) military communications. While it is initially assumed that the object of the attack is the gold in the Federal Reserve building, it is soon revealed that gold is not what the terrorists are after. The real object of the attack would cripple the United States Air Force and leave Israel without critical support in its fight against terrorism. Laura and Uri are called upon once again. The trail of breadcrumbs left by the terrorists leads them to several different parts of the world where their expertise in languages and disguises comes to their rescue. Eventually, they infiltrate one of the enemy camps, at a date farm in Iran.

Although The Date Farm is the fourth in a series, it does an admirable job of reintroducing the protagonists of the story to a new reader. Uri and Laura are both Mossad agents, but Laura works for the FBI as well. They are married and very much in love, and their romance adds some respite from the non-stop pace of the book.

If your political leanings are not pro-Israel, this may not be the book for you. There is little to no nuance in the portrayal of the principal characters. The protagonists, Uri and Laura, are strong, brave, and courageous. The principal antagonist, Sheikh Zainal Abidin, has no evident redeeming qualities at all. That said, the book is a thrilling read taking the reader from one scene to the next without dropping the intensity.

The reader should be forewarned that the book contains several scenes of graphic violence. Overall, the book was an exciting read, with strong and endearing principal characters. I look forward to reading the other books in the series. It is well-edited, and I rate it 4 out of 4 stars.

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The Date Farm
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Very exciting review which gives you a fair idea of what to expect from the book. There is never a dull moment fot Action thriller readers as they race through Date farm. The two protagonists Uri and Lara keep their and your adrenaline pumping from Beverly Hills to New York to Iran. There is no stopping these much in love with each other agents. If you are pro Israeli then that will only make you want to give the book some additional bonus points.