Review by Abacus -- The Date Farm by Jack Winnick

[Abacus]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Jack Winnick has dedicated The Date Farm to "tens of thousands of unnamed individuals who heroically risk their lives to protect the rest of us" from religious or political terrorists. Particularly so in Israel where "they are responsible for the very survival of their tiny democracy."

The story begins with a gruesome attack in a Los Angeles shopping mall where groups of musicians are playing on every floor to teenagers. Ten terrorists dressed in black spread out through the mall, blending in with the eclectic crowd. They first tossed gas grenades to panic the masses and then opened fire with small-caliber weapons meant to kill and maim. Then, the terrorists martyred themselves after shouting "Allahu Akhbar." In the Middle East, people celebrated the act as a victory for the forces of Islam.

The action continues with a cat and mouse game between East and West, the protagonists in our story being Uri Levin and his wife, Lara. Uri is part of Mossad, and Lara is FBI but is currently seconded to Mossad so she and Uri can work together. Uri and Lara had been on leave visiting Lara's family in Ohio, but after the attack, the FBI recalled them to FBI HQ in Los Angeles.

Winnick takes time to weave a great plot so that we get to know all the players and all the areas in which they are active. There is a sea change between Uri and Lara's peaceful time in Ohio compared to the danger of tracking the terrorists in New York, Nova Scotia, Africa, and Iran. Winnick continues developing an intricate story in which Uri and Lara track down and battle the terrorists. We also see how the terrorists operate; they rule by fear and are very cruel. The terrorists steal some rare precious metal used to make Israeli airplanes while causing the FBI to think they are after gold. To retrieve the precious metal, Uri and Lara go undercover at the date farm in Kazerun in Iran. The Iranians have purchased some futuristic surveillance and electronic equipment and can control and shoot down satellites - they have much of this equipment stored in Kazerun. They are formidable opponents to the West.

There are terrible carnage and violence written about in the book, which may be too much for some readers. But, it is a critical element to understand, so we all realize how high the stakes are when terrorists are allowed to succeed in their aim of world domination. Sheik Abidin, the terrorist’s leader, sees his jihadis as dispensable. He thinks nothing of having them killed or martyred. There is a vicious streak in the terrorists for all human life.

The Date Farm is a Lara and Uri: Book 4 – it stands alone. I thought the plot was not believable when the two Western teams of agents in the New York attack led by Uri and Lara, both got caught by the terrorists. It was not in keeping with their reputation.

I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars, it is a compelling story of a war with terrorists and, unfortunately, could happen in today's world. I do not rate it 3 out of 4 stars because it has a great plot and characters. I detected no errors and believe it to be professionally edited. I recommend it to people who enjoy thrillers, espionage, terrorism, and those who care about our world and can influence our religious and political leaders to deter violence.

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The Date Farm
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[Dylan921]

Excellent review! I also read this book and found it fascinating