Review of The Date Farm

[Alissa Nesson]

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

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3 out of 5 stars

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It was a warm summer weekend at Beverly Hills Mall, and a crowd of young people wandered the busy mall happily, listening to the various musicians who were set up outside the closed shops on every level of the building. The atmosphere was festive, and the performers all did their best to stand out, so nobody was concerned when the group of men in black joined the throng and methodically spread themselves throughout the lively mass of revelers. They weren’t, at least, until the men released gas grenades and then took out machine guns. Indiscriminately spraying bullets everywhere, the men maimed or killed everyone they could find before finally killing themselves with a triumphant cry of “Allahu Akhbar.”

That is the shocking opening scene in The Date Farm by Jack Winnick, the fourth installment in the Lara and Uri series about a pair of agents working for the FBI and Mossad, respectively. Uri and Lara, newly married, are taking a vacation in the United States when they hear about the deadly attack at the mall and are ordered to the grisly scene. While there, the agents are alerted by Homeland Security that the government’s highest level of secure communications has been hacked, making them wonder what could be coming next. They begin to put the pieces together when a new threat emerges in New York City, where terrorists have seized the Federal Reserve and Chase Manhattan Banks. The agents must discover the terrorists’ motives and stop them without endangering the lives of everyone in New York City.

The book opens with a pulse-pounding scene but slows down significantly afterward. It spends too much time detailing how the terrorists plan their vile acts and their long, uneventful journey home from the scene of the attack. Their leader, Sheikh Abidin, repeatedly boasts to his comrades about his cleverness in long, monotonous speeches that become tedious as he doles out information in a melodramatic manner. Most of the book is dominated by exposition, slowing down the pace considerably. It takes over 200 pages to get to the date farm referenced in the title, which is the most engaging part of the book. Once the story reaches this point, things pick up, and it is easier to get immersed in the plot. The author does a great job building tension and suspense in this section, making one wonder why it is not a bigger part of the overall story. Unfortunately, the ending is ultimately lackluster.

Another issue with this book is the numerous grammatical and punctuation errors in the text. The overwhelming number of semicolons is distracting, especially since many of them are used incorrectly in place of more appropriate punctuation. There are also issues with commas, unnecessary hyphens, and unusual word order in certain sentences.

The author did an impressive amount of research for this book. The simple, understandable explanations of the science and technology utilized in it showed that Winnick studied and understood the concepts well. He also vividly described the social and environmental details of different places around the world, as well as the cultural and religious traditions found in those places. Those who enjoy learning about these things will undoubtedly appreciate this book more than readers who are more interested in staying involved in the story.

Due to current events happening in the Middle East, it’s important to point out that this story is very pro-Israel and pro-United States. The portrayal of the Iranians is almost cartoonishly stereotypical, and the term “Palestinian” is placed in quotation marks when referring to its flag, possibly indicating that the author is questioning the authenticity of the term.

While The Date Farm did not meet my expectations as a thriller, it offers valuable information and some moments of excitement. I recommend this book to mature readers who are interested in political intrigue and the workings of the intelligence community, but who are not necessarily looking for a suspenseful page-turner. Due to some graphically violent scenes, I do not recommend this for children or young teens. There is also a non-graphic sex scene and a few instances of profanity. Considering both the positive and negative aspects discussed above, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

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The Date Farm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Priya Murugesan]

Based on your review, I will skip this book! Uneven pacing and typo errors make a book a lot less interesting. Thanks for your awesome review.

[Gerry Steen]

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

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3 out of 5 stars

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Share This Review

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It was a warm summer weekend at Beverly Hills Mall, and a crowd of young people wandered the busy mall happily, listening to the various musicians who were set up outside the closed shops on every level of the building. The atmosphere was festive, and the performers all did their best to stand out, so nobody was concerned when the group of men in black joined the throng and methodically spread themselves throughout the lively mass of revelers. They weren’t, at least, until the men released gas grenades and then took out machine guns. Indiscriminately spraying bullets everywhere, the men maimed or killed everyone they could find before finally killing themselves with a triumphant cry of “Allahu Akhbar.”

That is the shocking opening scene in The Date Farm by Jack Winnick, the fourth installment in the Lara and Uri series about a pair of agents working for the FBI and Mossad, respectively. Uri and Lara, newly married, are taking a vacation in the United States when they hear about the deadly attack at the mall and are ordered to the grisly scene. While there, the agents are alerted by Homeland Security that the government’s highest level of secure communications has been hacked, making them wonder what could be coming next. They begin to put the pieces together when a new threat emerges in New York City, where terrorists have seized the Federal Reserve and Chase Manhattan Banks. The agents must discover the terrorists’ motives and stop them without endangering the lives of everyone in New York City.

The book opens with a pulse-pounding scene but slows down significantly afterward. It spends too much time detailing how the terrorists plan their vile acts and their long, uneventful journey home from the scene of the attack. Their leader, Sheikh Abidin, repeatedly boasts to his comrades about his cleverness in long, monotonous speeches that become tedious as he doles out information in a melodramatic manner. Most of the book is dominated by exposition, slowing down the pace considerably. It takes over 200 pages to get to the date farm referenced in the title, which is the most engaging part of the book. Once the story reaches this point, things pick up, and it is easier to get immersed in the plot. The author does a great job building tension and suspense in this section, making one wonder why it is not a bigger part of the overall story. Unfortunately, the ending is ultimately lackluster.

Another issue with this book is the numerous grammatical and punctuation errors in the text. The overwhelming number of semicolons is distracting, especially since many of them are used incorrectly in place of more appropriate punctuation. There are also issues with commas, unnecessary hyphens, and unusual word order in certain sentences.

The author did an impressive amount of research for this book. The simple, understandable explanations of the science and technology utilized in it showed that Winnick studied and understood the concepts well. He also vividly described the social and environmental details of different places around the world, as well as the cultural and religious traditions found in those places. Those who enjoy learning about these things will undoubtedly appreciate this book more than readers who are more interested in staying involved in the story.

Due to current events happening in the Middle East, it’s important to point out that this story is very pro-Israel and pro-United States. The portrayal of the Iranians is almost cartoonishly stereotypical, and the term “Palestinian” is placed in quotation marks when referring to its flag, possibly indicating that the author is questioning the authenticity of the term.

While The Date Farm did not meet my expectations as a thriller, it offers valuable information and some moments of excitement. I recommend this book to mature readers who are interested in political intrigue and the workings of the intelligence community, but who are not necessarily looking for a suspenseful page-turner. Due to some graphically violent scenes, I do not recommend this for children or young teens. There is also a non-graphic sex scene and a few instances of profanity. Considering both the positive and negative aspects discussed above, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

******
The Date Farm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Alissa, thank you for your frank and critical review of this book. I would have been disappointed if I had read this book. The grammatical errors and the slow pacing would have annoyed me. I read another of Jack Winnick's books: "Waterworks". I did not review it, but I enjoyed it immensely.

[Alissa Nesson]

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

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3 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

It was a warm summer weekend at Beverly Hills Mall, and a crowd of young people wandered the busy mall happily, listening to the various musicians who were set up outside the closed shops on every level of the building. The atmosphere was festive, and the performers all did their best to stand out, so nobody was concerned when the group of men in black joined the throng and methodically spread themselves throughout the lively mass of revelers. They weren’t, at least, until the men released gas grenades and then took out machine guns. Indiscriminately spraying bullets everywhere, the men maimed or killed everyone they could find before finally killing themselves with a triumphant cry of “Allahu Akhbar.”

That is the shocking opening scene in The Date Farm by Jack Winnick, the fourth installment in the Lara and Uri series about a pair of agents working for the FBI and Mossad, respectively. Uri and Lara, newly married, are taking a vacation in the United States when they hear about the deadly attack at the mall and are ordered to the grisly scene. While there, the agents are alerted by Homeland Security that the government’s highest level of secure communications has been hacked, making them wonder what could be coming next. They begin to put the pieces together when a new threat emerges in New York City, where terrorists have seized the Federal Reserve and Chase Manhattan Banks. The agents must discover the terrorists’ motives and stop them without endangering the lives of everyone in New York City.

The book opens with a pulse-pounding scene but slows down significantly afterward. It spends too much time detailing how the terrorists plan their vile acts and their long, uneventful journey home from the scene of the attack. Their leader, Sheikh Abidin, repeatedly boasts to his comrades about his cleverness in long, monotonous speeches that become tedious as he doles out information in a melodramatic manner. Most of the book is dominated by exposition, slowing down the pace considerably. It takes over 200 pages to get to the date farm referenced in the title, which is the most engaging part of the book. Once the story reaches this point, things pick up, and it is easier to get immersed in the plot. The author does a great job building tension and suspense in this section, making one wonder why it is not a bigger part of the overall story. Unfortunately, the ending is ultimately lackluster.

Another issue with this book is the numerous grammatical and punctuation errors in the text. The overwhelming number of semicolons is distracting, especially since many of them are used incorrectly in place of more appropriate punctuation. There are also issues with commas, unnecessary hyphens, and unusual word order in certain sentences.

The author did an impressive amount of research for this book. The simple, understandable explanations of the science and technology utilized in it showed that Winnick studied and understood the concepts well. He also vividly described the social and environmental details of different places around the world, as well as the cultural and religious traditions found in those places. Those who enjoy learning about these things will undoubtedly appreciate this book more than readers who are more interested in staying involved in the story.

Due to current events happening in the Middle East, it’s important to point out that this story is very pro-Israel and pro-United States. The portrayal of the Iranians is almost cartoonishly stereotypical, and the term “Palestinian” is placed in quotation marks when referring to its flag, possibly indicating that the author is questioning the authenticity of the term.

While The Date Farm did not meet my expectations as a thriller, it offers valuable information and some moments of excitement. I recommend this book to mature readers who are interested in political intrigue and the workings of the intelligence community, but who are not necessarily looking for a suspenseful page-turner. Due to some graphically violent scenes, I do not recommend this for children or young teens. There is also a non-graphic sex scene and a few instances of profanity. Considering both the positive and negative aspects discussed above, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

******
The Date Farm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Alissa, thank you for your frank and critical review of this book. I would have been disappointed if I had read this book. The grammatical errors and the slow pacing would have annoyed me. I read another of Jack Winnick's books: "Waterworks". I did not review it, but I enjoyed it immensely.

Thanks, Gerry! It wasn’t what I was hoping for either. I had wondered if his other books were like this one.

[Alissa Nesson]

Based on your review, I will skip this book! Uneven pacing and typo errors make a book a lot less interesting. Thanks for your awesome review.

Thanks, Priya! The errors are very distracting for me too.

[Mradushi Singhal]

Thank you for your honest and comprehensive review! Your detailed breakdown of both the strengths and weaknesses really helps set expectations for potential readers like me. I appreciate your insights into the pacing and the research the author put into the story—it gives me a clear idea of what to anticipate. Your notes on the book's tone and content warnings are especially helpful for deciding if this is the right read for me.

[Sarah Zain]

Really, Alissa, your review deserves my respect. I have read quite a few reviews of this book and have not found a single review that is as honest and truthful in presenting the book as your review.

We may differ on our admiration for books, but the reviewer must respect the reader who can rely on the review as a reference before choosing the book.
And that's what you did, I really thank you.
Wonderful and exceptional review!

[Stephen Christopher 1]

Hi Alissa, I bought all five of these books and have them in my (getting longer by the second) to-be-read queue. Have you read any of the other ones? I didn't realize any of them got so bogged down in info that might put some readers off, also the grammatical errors are going to frustrate me, I'll read the first one East Wind and take it from there.

[Alissa Nesson]

Thank you for your honest and comprehensive review! Your detailed breakdown of both the strengths and weaknesses really helps set expectations for potential readers like me. I appreciate your insights into the pacing and the research the author put into the story—it gives me a clear idea of what to anticipate. Your notes on the book's tone and content warnings are especially helpful for deciding if this is the right read for me.

I’m so glad the review was helpful! I hope you know now whether you want to read it or not. If you read it, I hope you enjoy. Thanks so much for reading and commenting!

[Alissa Nesson]

Really, Alissa, your review deserves my respect. I have read quite a few reviews of this book and have not found a single review that is as honest and truthful in presenting the book as your review.

We may differ on our admiration for books, but the reviewer must respect the reader who can rely on the review as a reference before choosing the book.
And that's what you did, I really thank you.
Wonderful and exceptional review!

Thanks so much, Sarah!! I appreciate your kind words. I’m glad you found my review helpful, and if you read it, I hope you enjoy it. The goal is to inform the reader, right?

[Alissa Nesson]

Hi Alissa, I bought all five of these books and have them in my (getting longer by the second) to-be-read queue. Have you read any of the other ones? I didn't realize any of them got so bogged down in info that might put some readers off, also the grammatical errors are going to frustrate me, I'll read the first one East Wind and take it from there.

I have not read any of the other books yet, and I’m a little turned off of the series from this book. I didn’t really like the pacing. As I said, I was bored for much of it. It’s worth mentioning that nobody else who reviewed this book said anything about all the errors. Which boggled my mind. So maybe it just isn’t caught by most people or it doesn’t bother them. I tend to notice errors and they definitely bug me, perhaps irrationally. I didn’t read about the uneven pacing in other reviews either. So maybe others feel differently.

[Stephen Christopher 1]

Hi Alissa, I bought all five of these books and have them in my (getting longer by the second) to-be-read queue. Have you read any of the other ones? I didn't realize any of them got so bogged down in info that might put some readers off, also the grammatical errors are going to frustrate me, I'll read the first one East Wind and take it from there.

I have not read any of the other books yet, and I’m a little turned off of the series from this book. I didn’t really like the pacing. As I said, I was bored for much of it. It’s worth mentioning that nobody else who reviewed this book said anything about all the errors. Which boggled my mind. So maybe it just isn’t caught by most people or it doesn’t bother them. I tend to notice errors and they definitely bug me, perhaps irrationally. I didn’t read about the uneven pacing in other reviews either. So maybe others feel differently.

I'll be honest, yours is the first 'not so fussed' review of this book, most others rave. However, I've always valued your comments as a reviewer and tend to believe you over others that I don't regularly follow. As I said I'll read the first one (I'm a stickler for reading series books in order) and I'll let you know if it's also full of errors and boring stuff.

[Alissa Nesson]

Hi Alissa, I bought all five of these books and have them in my (getting longer by the second) to-be-read queue. Have you read any of the other ones? I didn't realize any of them got so bogged down in info that might put some readers off, also the grammatical errors are going to frustrate me, I'll read the first one East Wind and take it from there.

I have not read any of the other books yet, and I’m a little turned off of the series from this book. I didn’t really like the pacing. As I said, I was bored for much of it. It’s worth mentioning that nobody else who reviewed this book said anything about all the errors. Which boggled my mind. So maybe it just isn’t caught by most people or it doesn’t bother them. I tend to notice errors and they definitely bug me, perhaps irrationally. I didn’t read about the uneven pacing in other reviews either. So maybe others feel differently.

I'll be honest, yours is the first 'not so fussed' review of this book, most others rave. However, I've always valued your comments as a reviewer and tend to believe you over others that I don't regularly follow. As I said I'll read the first one (I'm a stickler for reading series books in order) and I'll let you know if it's also full of errors and boring stuff.

Thanks so much, Stephen! That’s really wonderful to hear. Please let me know what you think about the first one. Feel free to message me about it

[Julie Marie Basil]

Thank you for your honesty in this review. Based on your criticisms I do not think I would enjoy reading this book. I also find it hard to read writing that contains many typos. Keep up the good work!

[Alissa Nesson]

Thank you for your honesty in this review. Based on your criticisms I do not think I would enjoy reading this book. I also find it hard to read writing that contains many typos. Keep up the good work!

Thanks, Julie!