Review by Skweek1 -- The Date Farm by Jack Winnick

[Skweek1]

[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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Review of The Date Farm by Jack Winnick

This book is an engrossing page-turner, a thriller about a Iranian attempt to steal a stockpile of a little-known metal used to build American stealth planes with the intention of using it for the purpose of turning it over to Iranian aeronautical production. The story opens with a typical horrific violent shopping mall shooting. Throughout the book we are constantly reminded that the Jihadist Iranians are convinced that they are making a place for themselves in a special place in heaven. They particularly revere an Iranian Sheikh who is ultimately responsible for the metal theft.

The characters are believable and their motivation is well-described. Also, the technology is sufficiently credible for the reader to be at least able to suspend disbelief.

The metal is moved to an isolated date farm where there are two groups of workers, date farm workers and Jihadist security men.

As a result of the metal theft, two agents are recruited on the American side, Uri, ex-Mossad and his relatively recent wife, Lara. They are devoted and highly concerned about the potential risk to one another, but agree to be sent to the date farm where they find work, she as a cook, he to repair the farm machinery. They soon find themselves at risk of their lives, when the Americans recover the stolen metal, when it becomes obvious that a betrayal is taking place, but manage to return home,
where they find themselves feted by the President and their handlers.

The Sheikh and his fellow Iranian agent, who has spent most of his adult life in America, but during the last few days of their time at the Date Farm has been discovered to be an Iranian double agent (which came to me as a totally unexpected plot twist!), escape to Iran, where Lara takes responsibility for his revenge death, while the Sheikh, instead of the honours and rewards he expects, is thrown into a secret oubliette-type prison, from which he is never going to emerge.

After their adventures, Uri and Lara spend time visiting family and friends before obviously moving on to their next adventure.

Normally I do not read political thrillers, but I truly enjoyed this book and will be happy to read future works by Jack Winnick.

The book is particularly well edited, with no obvious typos, grammatical or spelling errors.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.

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The Date Farm
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