Review of The Date Farm

[Larry Moon]

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

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4 out of 5 stars

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The Date Farm, the fourth book in Jack Winnick’s Lara-Uri Series, begins, as Winnick’s novels invariably do, with a terrorist attack. This time, it is an assault on a Beverly Hills mall hosting a teenage rave. But the assailants are not your average run-of-the-mill Jihadis. The highly trained killers are connected to a technologically savvy Iranian terror cell proficient in electronic warfare. Not only did the commandos leave a bloody mess on the floor of the mall, killing 58 and wounding over a hundred, but their Shia brothers back in the Persian Gulf also managed to fry the circuitry of a military communication satellite, interdicting the secure communications of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and the FBI. Lara Levin, now an adjunct Mossad agent on leave from the FBI, and her husband, Uri, an experienced Mossad killer, are hastily called away from their vacation at Lara’s parents’ place in Ohio to find whoever is responsible for the carnage. But before the planners of the deadly mall raid can be identified, the Shia terror cell strikes again, flooding the Federal Reserve and Chase Manhattan Bank buildings in New York with dozens of black-clad Jihadis and denying local law enforcement any avenue of communication. Everyone immediately thinks that the nation’s gold supply is in jeopardy. But the Iranians are after an element much more valuable to U.S. security than mere gold. And it now falls to Lara and Uri to undertake the perilous task of tracking down the priceless stolen property and exacting retribution on those who mercilessly slaughtered dozens of Americans.

Being detail-oriented, I appreciate it when a writer’s work reflects an insider’s knowledge of the people, culture, or places they write about. And in that regard, Winnick does not disappoint. His work consistently shows that he has broken bread with the people of the Middle East. I found myself nodding in acknowledgment as the author described flag-waving youths dancing in Muslim capitals, celebrating the latest attack on the enemies of Islam, or naïve Americans, so focused on inclusion and diversity that they invite unvetted Muslims to staff vital technical positions. But what impressed me most was Winnick’s mention of the popular Muslim video game, Attack on Tel Aviv. Very few Americans indeed have ever heard of the game. And beyond Winnick’s intimacy with Muslim culture, I greatly appreciated his focus on electronic warfare. The next war will be won or lost by our ability to repulse an enemy attack on our communications. Hardening our communication systems to such attacks is essential to the survival of our nation. And Winnick gives one a glimpse of that struggle.

But details are often a double-edged sword. Winnick usually nails the details, but other times, he doesn’t. Winnick has the Secretary of State, for example, brief Lara and Uri on an upcoming overseas mission. Anyone who has spent time in the American intelligence community can tell you about the antipathy between the State Department and the dozen agencies under the Director of Central Intelligence. Lara and Uri’s briefing would likely occur in Langley (CIA), Fort Meade (NSA), or one of northern Virginia's many CIA front companies. The Secretary of State receives a daily intelligence briefing. And he or she is aware of any Intelligence operations involving U.S. embassies. But it is doubtful that the Secretary of State would brief intelligence agents on an impending mission. Why? – plausible deniability. The State Department has no desire for its diplomatic missions to be tainted by the stench of covert entanglement. Briefing intelligence missions is not in the Secretary’s job description. Winnick also has one of his Iranian characters bragging about the weaknesses of the JCPOA, the agreement in which the Iranians agreed to lay aside their nuclear program in exchange for millions of dollars in cash. The book is set in 2023. But in 2018, the U.S. withdrew from the agreement. Why do such things matter? Aren’t Winnick’s books, after all, fiction novels? They matter because accurate background details and historical context are the difference between a very good writer and Tom Clancy, the writer of The Hunt for Red October, who sold millions of books. The narrative of a novel must at least be plausible.

Jack Winnick is a very good writer. And The Date Farm is well-written and edited. I only found four minor grammatical errors. But because of the implausibility of some of the details in his novel, I give this book four out of five stars.

This book is written from a highly pro-U.S. point of view. It is inappropriate for children and not recommended for anyone with a worldview that looks upon the United States with less than appreciative eyes. However, those who enjoy a good counter-intelligence story will love this book.

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The Date Farm
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