OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "East Wind, 2nd edition" by Jack Winnick.]

Uri Levin (41) is one of the few members of the Metsada, the Special Operations arm of the Israeli Mossad. FBI’s “Golden Girl”, Lara Edmond (31), speaks fluent Arabic and is a computer whiz in charge of primary electronic terrorism traffic. Under the imminent threat of nuclear bombing from Hezbollah operatives on U.S. soil, the two agents join hands to thwart the terrorists’ plans to put an end to U.S. support for the Zionist State.

At the early age of 16, Walid Jahangiri falls under the mesmerizing influence of Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah, the armed “Party of God”. After finishing college in Pakistan, he immigrates to America where he gets his Master’s Degree in Computer Sciences and settles in Los Angeles with his girlfriend Sarah. For years indoctrinated by Hezbollah, Walid opens his eyes to another version of the truth about Western culture. What will he choose when summoned to carry the small fission bomb put together by Hossein Souriani from Iran? Will Walid remain faithful to his original beliefs or will he change sides and help Uri and Lara in their efforts to save innocent lives?

In the desert, the East Wind brings dust, plague, and famine. In Jack Winnick’s espionage thriller, the East Wind brings life-and-death situations and a countdown race to stop the terrorist ploy that could eventually force the Israelis to unleash “Ekdikeo”, a wholesale nuclear attack on the main hostile capitals of its antagonistic neighbors. The 266-page novel has all it needs to make for an exciting read. Tension builds up gradually towards a climactic confrontation in the final chapters.

From my point of view, there are two main things that save this book from the otherwise predictable intrigue of a typical spy novel. Firstly, the author does a great job of switching the narrative perspective from one character to another, no matter if they belong to the defenders of justice or to those who threaten with chaos and destruction. Secondly, the characters have great background stories that make them quite realistic and help the readers understand the reasons behind their actions. What I liked most were precisely those moments when there was such a respite in the plot development. For example, Uri and Lara often exchange both personal and secret intelligence stories that do not only bring them closer, but also give the readers the chance to get to know them better.

Doing justice to its genre, East Wind by Jack Winnick would certainly be a good read for those who enjoy thrillers based on terrorist threats, the joint action of government forces, high-level treason, and a budding romance amidst all the impending tragedy. Apart from a chilling scene during Uri’s mission in Lebanon, there are no other graphic scenes in the novel. Similarly, the characters do not use offensive language and there is only one erotic scene that is not extremely detailed. The editing errors are reduced to a handful of mostly punctuation mistakes. All things considered, I am giving this novel 4 out of 4 stars. It ultimately got me interested enough to be willing to follow Lara and Uri’s future adventures in the sequel, Devil Among Us.

******
East Wind, 2nd edition
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I think the author has done a great job in putting this together, as confirmed by switching the narrative perspective from one character to another and great background to the characters. Since I'm a fan of thrillers of any kind, I'm looking forward to reading this. Thanks for sharing!

Fazzier wrote: ↑04 Sep 2019, 01:25 I think the author has done a great job in putting this together, as confirmed by switching the narrative perspective from one character to another and great background to the characters. Since I'm a fan of thrillers of any kind, I'm looking forward to reading this. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks. I like it when an author manages to tackle different facets of a story and make us realize the truth is never a one-way street.

So many spy thrillers might be tension filled but if you just look a little deeper it's actually same old, same old. Thank you for diving down deep, and making sure we know what makes this one different and intriguing. The better and bigger the "picture" you give us the better we can judge what book will be good for our particular tastes. Thanks for the extra effort!
Sincerely, Laura-Lee

LauraLeeWasHere wrote: ↑04 Sep 2019, 06:04 So many spy thrillers might be tension filled but if you just look a little deeper it's actually same old, same old. Thank you for diving down deep, and making sure we know what makes this one different and intriguing. The better and bigger the "picture" you give us the better we can judge what book will be good for our particular tastes. Thanks for the extra effort!
Sincerely, Laura-Lee

Thanks. Sometimes, we simply love to read a book from a genre we're accustomed with because it feels relaxing and comforting. However, we also like to be challenged, that's why it's nice to see an author trying something different and adding his personal touch to the story.

This does sound interesting. I like that the characters background stories are included, it gives the reader more to go by. Thank you for an interesting review!

I am always intrigued by the going on in Israel and its neighboring states. I would like to read this one for more clarity. Thanks for the insightful review.

Sounds like an awesome read! The excerpt was very well-written. Thank you for your review!

This is a fictional thriller novel full of action, espionage, and mystery while emphasising teamwork and trust. The book has a free sample on Amazon Kindle and has a well-written OnlineBookClub review. I rated it 3 out of 4 stars on OBC. Congrats
@jwinnick1
on the BOTD.

Is it me, or do I find the title written in form of an Indian text except written in English? Thank you!

This spy novel includes different agencies and a terrorist threat. I generally don't enjoy this genre but it seems well done.

Interesting. I'm not usually one to read a novel about terrorists and spies, but the fact that this one switches between multiple points of view and has more plot points than "oh no, someone is going to end the world" sounds intriguing. Plus it sounds like the characters are well fleshed out. Great review!

This book definitely sounds interesting and starts out that way. There are so many spy thrillers out there that I was worried about how this one develops. It sounds like a good read!

I don't read books like this, though I do watch movies like this, and it sounds like I would enjoy the movie made of this story. You always know the author has done their job when you want to pick up another book by them, especially if it is a sequel to the one you just finished reading.

This is definitely a perfect book for those who get triggered by actions and suspense,am sure liking it too, as I don't have choices of book I read,I read all that comes my way
Great review I must say