Review of The Date Farm
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Alexandra W12
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Review of The Date Farm
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Date Farm" by Jack Winnick.]
The Date Farm is an exciting and believable story by Jack Winnick about two agents' mission to stop an Iranian terrorist group rooted in the "Revolution" with a focus on global banking. The leader of the group is an entrenched spy with an American alias at the highest levels of national security who has been underground for decades without reliable identification. Uri and Lara are two married FBI special agents who have worked together for many years without incident, but this mission is their most dangerous ever. They are Israeli nationals who begin tracing the identity of both the spies called "Miles" in American circles and Sheikh Zainal Abidin, who funds, leads, and recruits after the Beverly Hills FBI headquarters calls them for help.
The terrorists are religiously motivated, and they also want to take control of banking exchanges in New York by taking over a pair of vaults in New York City. The Federal Reserve and the Chase Manhattan Bank are across the street from each other and are believed to be central to what many think is an operation controlling most global financial exchanges. The book doesn't go into much detail beyond the suspicion and subsequent financial motivation, but the Chase Manhattan vault is apparently the world's hottest target and is rumored to contain a stash of metal with an exceptionally high melting point. It becomes the terrorists' main target after it becomes apparent that this is the metal of choice for manufacturing airplanes, notably F-35s, that are strategic for American forces in the Middle East.
The agents see plenty of action and work using advanced technology and video footage to provide official intelligence related to identifying the terrorists and their motives. They make a final trip to a Middle Eastern date farm that was planted with American help in the 1970s to try to get more information after a successful counterattack operation.
I loved the pace and plot of this book as well as the character development and give it five out of five stars. The author's experience working in intelligence shows and gives the story an authentic and entertaining feel. The villains are interesting, and the dialogue is well-paced and personal. It is tough to put the book down once you begin, and I felt like reading many of the action scenes multiple times. The dynamics surrounding people trying to survive in the Middle East, Uri and Lara's Israeli heritage, and how dangerous some technology tugged at my heartstrings.
I think more backstory on the agents, the activities in the terrorist recruiting network, and the main villain could have been added without making the book too long. I found the date farm and the way the agents discovered it intriguing and wished the author would have included more details about it. I felt that the book did not explore the background story of the Sheikh well and left the reader with questions about his motivations and ideas. I also felt that the development surrounding Uri and Lara's relationship lacked depth. They displayed affection and worked together so well, but I didn't feel like the basis for the relationship and personal dynamics was vivid. That said, the book was so interesting and well-paced that I gave it five stars anyway.
I did not notice any spelling or grammar mistakes in this book, and it had excellent editorial oversight. This book includes several instances of major profanity, racial slurs, and religious insults related to Judaism, Zionism, and Israel. Certain commentary regarding expectations regarding a woman's place, work, and religious adherence in the Muslim world may offend some readers. Lara is an empowered woman with a life and personality that show the reader how different women's lives can be, and she does engage in hand-to-hand combat. Notable instances of graphic violence, psychological manipulation, and explicit sexual content make this book believable and suitable for prepared adult readers only.
The book includes plenty of detail on a plot twist involving the true location of a precious metal and other vault-related finance activities. I think the way the monetary motives were intertwined with political dealings, personal ambition, circumstance, and individual history was excellent. The characters in this book have dimension, reasoning, and ideas that make you think about global affairs with a sense of curiosity and an openness to learning about relationships.
******
The Date Farm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Date Farm is an exciting and believable story by Jack Winnick about two agents' mission to stop an Iranian terrorist group rooted in the "Revolution" with a focus on global banking. The leader of the group is an entrenched spy with an American alias at the highest levels of national security who has been underground for decades without reliable identification. Uri and Lara are two married FBI special agents who have worked together for many years without incident, but this mission is their most dangerous ever. They are Israeli nationals who begin tracing the identity of both the spies called "Miles" in American circles and Sheikh Zainal Abidin, who funds, leads, and recruits after the Beverly Hills FBI headquarters calls them for help.
The terrorists are religiously motivated, and they also want to take control of banking exchanges in New York by taking over a pair of vaults in New York City. The Federal Reserve and the Chase Manhattan Bank are across the street from each other and are believed to be central to what many think is an operation controlling most global financial exchanges. The book doesn't go into much detail beyond the suspicion and subsequent financial motivation, but the Chase Manhattan vault is apparently the world's hottest target and is rumored to contain a stash of metal with an exceptionally high melting point. It becomes the terrorists' main target after it becomes apparent that this is the metal of choice for manufacturing airplanes, notably F-35s, that are strategic for American forces in the Middle East.
The agents see plenty of action and work using advanced technology and video footage to provide official intelligence related to identifying the terrorists and their motives. They make a final trip to a Middle Eastern date farm that was planted with American help in the 1970s to try to get more information after a successful counterattack operation.
I loved the pace and plot of this book as well as the character development and give it five out of five stars. The author's experience working in intelligence shows and gives the story an authentic and entertaining feel. The villains are interesting, and the dialogue is well-paced and personal. It is tough to put the book down once you begin, and I felt like reading many of the action scenes multiple times. The dynamics surrounding people trying to survive in the Middle East, Uri and Lara's Israeli heritage, and how dangerous some technology tugged at my heartstrings.
I think more backstory on the agents, the activities in the terrorist recruiting network, and the main villain could have been added without making the book too long. I found the date farm and the way the agents discovered it intriguing and wished the author would have included more details about it. I felt that the book did not explore the background story of the Sheikh well and left the reader with questions about his motivations and ideas. I also felt that the development surrounding Uri and Lara's relationship lacked depth. They displayed affection and worked together so well, but I didn't feel like the basis for the relationship and personal dynamics was vivid. That said, the book was so interesting and well-paced that I gave it five stars anyway.
I did not notice any spelling or grammar mistakes in this book, and it had excellent editorial oversight. This book includes several instances of major profanity, racial slurs, and religious insults related to Judaism, Zionism, and Israel. Certain commentary regarding expectations regarding a woman's place, work, and religious adherence in the Muslim world may offend some readers. Lara is an empowered woman with a life and personality that show the reader how different women's lives can be, and she does engage in hand-to-hand combat. Notable instances of graphic violence, psychological manipulation, and explicit sexual content make this book believable and suitable for prepared adult readers only.
The book includes plenty of detail on a plot twist involving the true location of a precious metal and other vault-related finance activities. I think the way the monetary motives were intertwined with political dealings, personal ambition, circumstance, and individual history was excellent. The characters in this book have dimension, reasoning, and ideas that make you think about global affairs with a sense of curiosity and an openness to learning about relationships.
******
The Date Farm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Emotional Alchemy of Healing by Rachel Marie Rabatin
