Review by megan25006 -- The Date Farm by Jack Winnick

[megan25006]

[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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The Date Farm by Jack Winnick is the fourth book in the Uri and Lara series. Reading the three earlier installments to this series is not required to follow the story line of this book, but does add to the reading experience as some characters appear in addition to Uri and Lara are present in multiple books. Knowing the full history of all characters adds depth to the plot more than the short recapping in book four can provide.

Uri is an Israeli Mossad agent and Lara an FBI agent on leave and consulting with Mossad. The partners specialize in combatting acts of terror waged by Iranian and Hezzbollah terrorists against Israel and The United States of America. This book begins with a mall massacre where jihadis open fire after hours on a rave of sorts attended by mainly teenagers and young adults. This gruesome attack is just a precursor to the main goal of the terrorists when they attack New York City shortly after. The book follows Uri, Lara, and their associates as well as the terrorist network from California to New York City and then to Iran and back to the United States.

My favorite part of this book is the skill with which the author is able to shift perspectives between the "good guys" and the "bad guys" developing characters on both sides with equal depth. At times I almost found myself rooting for the bad guys because of how strongly they believed they were on the correct side and had me questioning the moves made by every character, even Uri and Lara at times. My least favorite part of the book is how drawn out the ending is. I feel chapters 37, 38, and 39 could have been condensed into one short chapter without sacrificing any of the story line. The last few chapters did recapture my interest though and the book ends without disappointment.

The book feels professionally edited for content, grammar and punctuation. My only significant complaint about the editing is regarding the page numbers. From chapter 29 through the authors notes after the last chapter, chapter 41, the page number reads 199 on all pages. The table of contents matches this error. There is no vulgar language used in this book.

Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I feel the author did a wonderful job not only in writing a gripping novel, but in adding key details to make the fictional story feel real. I appreciate the attention to detail in describing the environments likely to be unfamiliar to most readers as well as the foods, dress, and customs of each country and character. I feel that stories with clear "good guys" and "bad guys" can follow too familiar of a path and can be predictable, but this novel kept me on my toes. Every time I felt I knew how the story was going to play out I was either left on the edge of my seat with a shift in perspective to other characters or locations, sometimes arms of the investigation and fight not previously mentioned typically involving new characters or the author threw in a curveball I did not anticipate.

I feel this novel would most appeal to readers who prefer to read books about law enforcement investigations or military operations and who enjoy the fight of good against evil. There is a small love story element to the plot, but it is not a major theme and does not detract from the tension of the battle. Instead it adds depth to the dynamics between the main characters. On a scale of 0-5, with 0 being the least, I would rate the sexual conduct in this book at a 1. The author is tactful and reserved in describing the romance between Lara and Uri referenced from the start of this book and intermittently through the story line.

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The Date Farm
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[GianKosi77]

Such a gorgeous review. I love the couple, Uri and Lara, they deserve one another. I also love their commitment to each other and the State's affairs.