Review of Waterworks
Posted: 09 Oct 2023, 23:55
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Waterworks" by Jack Winnick.]
After the polonium attack at the Los Angeles Aqueduct Filtration Plant by Iranian terrorists, agents Lara Edmond and Uri Levin were summoned and given an assignment by the Department of Homeland Security to infiltrate Iranian military intelligence in anticipation of another attack. They would both seek employment in strategic positions in Tehran, under false identities and modified facial features, with Lara as Daria Haddad and Uri as Heydar al-Nabi. Lara got a job as a cryptologist for General Gharoub and was transferred to "the Castle," which was the command center for Iranian military operations, especially the planned jihad attack on American waterways, which they called "Project Neptune." Uri, on the other hand, was contracted as an IT specialist at the Ministry of Defense Auxiliary. This was all made possible by an inside job from undercover agents and coordination with Homeland Security under Tom Buckley. Their main role was disinformation, leading the Iranians to attack certain points, hence leading them to a trap, while also feeding intelligence from Iranian operations back home. However, there were so many things that put their entire mission in jeopardy, including the imminence of detection and betrayal from double agents. Would they pull it off? Grab a copy of the book for a suspense-filled counterterrorism thriller.
I had come to know of Jack Winnick's works sometime last year when one of his books was featured as the "Book of the Day" on Onlinebookclub.org, and I purchased the first three installments in the series. From a handful of reviews, his reputation preceded him, and I wasn't disappointed. It was a welcome surprise to find a review opportunity for the last two installments. Like the previous books, the focus of the story is on the heroic secret agents Lara and Uri, now a married couple. It was nice to see it connect to the previous books but still be standalone. Jack Winnick's series is among the best I've read in this genre, with this last installment being the "grand finale." Even though I had a few minor reservations, this book was just as intense and enjoyable as the previous ones. It is amazing how Winnick is good at putting his best into each of his books.
Throughout this series, I've continually rooted for Lara and Uri. I'm so glad they had other characters like Tom from Homeland Security who did so too. While I knew something about Tala was off, I was frustrated when Uri totally failed to see through her veil for what she really was. It was pretty obvious from the onset that she had some mischief up her sleeves. However, Uri's trust in his hosts totally blinded him, which constantly put their entire mission at risk. On the other hand, I was impressed at how careful and cautious Lara was. She always had her guard up and ensured she boarded and alighted in different places to and from her undercover job to avoid detection. They both made a great team, both as a couple and colleagues.
However, the pacing in the parts where Lara and Uri were doing their undercover assignments seemed to drag on for me. I think it's because the author put every effort into detailing all activities as they were. While the amount of detail was impressive, it felt like it lacked the action I had already gotten used to until then. The ending also felt somewhat abrupt to me. I know it may be in part due to the sad feeling of an amazing book eventually ending, but I also think the author didn't take his time to end the book well. I wish I knew if Lara and Uri eventually had a baby, but sadly, this is the last book. These were the only areas I had second thoughts about, but they were not significant enough to affect my overall enjoyment.
I will definitely be looking for more books by Jack Winnick, but this is a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. Its overall excellent quality, despite the areas mentioned above, makes it worthy of the perfect score. If you are a fan of CIA, FBI secret operations-like plots, especially with counterterrorism, Waterworks is for you.
******
Waterworks
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
After the polonium attack at the Los Angeles Aqueduct Filtration Plant by Iranian terrorists, agents Lara Edmond and Uri Levin were summoned and given an assignment by the Department of Homeland Security to infiltrate Iranian military intelligence in anticipation of another attack. They would both seek employment in strategic positions in Tehran, under false identities and modified facial features, with Lara as Daria Haddad and Uri as Heydar al-Nabi. Lara got a job as a cryptologist for General Gharoub and was transferred to "the Castle," which was the command center for Iranian military operations, especially the planned jihad attack on American waterways, which they called "Project Neptune." Uri, on the other hand, was contracted as an IT specialist at the Ministry of Defense Auxiliary. This was all made possible by an inside job from undercover agents and coordination with Homeland Security under Tom Buckley. Their main role was disinformation, leading the Iranians to attack certain points, hence leading them to a trap, while also feeding intelligence from Iranian operations back home. However, there were so many things that put their entire mission in jeopardy, including the imminence of detection and betrayal from double agents. Would they pull it off? Grab a copy of the book for a suspense-filled counterterrorism thriller.
I had come to know of Jack Winnick's works sometime last year when one of his books was featured as the "Book of the Day" on Onlinebookclub.org, and I purchased the first three installments in the series. From a handful of reviews, his reputation preceded him, and I wasn't disappointed. It was a welcome surprise to find a review opportunity for the last two installments. Like the previous books, the focus of the story is on the heroic secret agents Lara and Uri, now a married couple. It was nice to see it connect to the previous books but still be standalone. Jack Winnick's series is among the best I've read in this genre, with this last installment being the "grand finale." Even though I had a few minor reservations, this book was just as intense and enjoyable as the previous ones. It is amazing how Winnick is good at putting his best into each of his books.
Throughout this series, I've continually rooted for Lara and Uri. I'm so glad they had other characters like Tom from Homeland Security who did so too. While I knew something about Tala was off, I was frustrated when Uri totally failed to see through her veil for what she really was. It was pretty obvious from the onset that she had some mischief up her sleeves. However, Uri's trust in his hosts totally blinded him, which constantly put their entire mission at risk. On the other hand, I was impressed at how careful and cautious Lara was. She always had her guard up and ensured she boarded and alighted in different places to and from her undercover job to avoid detection. They both made a great team, both as a couple and colleagues.
However, the pacing in the parts where Lara and Uri were doing their undercover assignments seemed to drag on for me. I think it's because the author put every effort into detailing all activities as they were. While the amount of detail was impressive, it felt like it lacked the action I had already gotten used to until then. The ending also felt somewhat abrupt to me. I know it may be in part due to the sad feeling of an amazing book eventually ending, but I also think the author didn't take his time to end the book well. I wish I knew if Lara and Uri eventually had a baby, but sadly, this is the last book. These were the only areas I had second thoughts about, but they were not significant enough to affect my overall enjoyment.
I will definitely be looking for more books by Jack Winnick, but this is a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. Its overall excellent quality, despite the areas mentioned above, makes it worthy of the perfect score. If you are a fan of CIA, FBI secret operations-like plots, especially with counterterrorism, Waterworks is for you.
******
Waterworks
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
This review is quite helpful, cause it will certainly help any lover of thriller novels and novels about CIA, spy novels etc. The book Waterworks, sound quite interesting, I'll be considering taking a look at it in the future.
Great review. Great book.