| The
Lost Codex,
by Alan Jacobson, blends realism with a riveting story. Beside
enjoying a thriller, readers will gain an understanding of
the geo-political climate and the historical significance
of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Anyone familiar with Jacobson's characters
will enjoy the return of the Operations Support Intelligence
Group: FBI profiler Karen Vail, Special Forces veteran Hector
DeSantos, and Aaron Uziel, the FBI Joint Terrorism Chief.
As with the real world, the government leaders appear weak,
hesitant, and inept. With events set in Washington DC, New
York, Paris, England, and Israel, the Operations Support Intelligence
Group must uncover and thwart an international terrorist plot.
Their mission is to find the stolen Dead Sea documents and
those responsible for unleashing coordinated and unprecedented
attacks on US soil.
The author uses his experience writing crime novels to compare
terrorists with snipers and organized criminals. Both snipers
and the extremists create fear through the unknown of where
and when they will strike. A very attention-grabbing quote
relates the terrorist organizations to organized crime when
a character comments, "The stuff that's brought through
food, cement, oil and gas, medical supplies, you name it --
it's all highly taxed with the graft going to their personal
bank accounts. In the US we call it organized crime."
Readers begin to understand through the newly introduced character,
CIA operative Mahmoud El-Fahad, how many Palestinian people
are robbed by their leaders, who divert the money to their
own bank accounts. Major fund raising is held for the supposed
welfare and relief of the Palestinians, yet the money never
goes for their benefit.
The Fahad character was created, according to Jacobson, "to
present the issues and concerns of the Palestinians. Uzi is
the character that explains the Israeli's point of view since
he vividly lived the horrors of a terrorist attack after his
wife and child were murdered. I hope this created a powerful
dynamic."
But an even more telling quote can be taken right from today's
headlines where the Palestinians are once again murdering
Israelis. Jacobson points out through his characters how "this
two-state solution is a political invention, an attempt to
compromise, to appease the Palestinians… Even if they're
given the West Bank, they will not stop until they have it
all. Make no mistake. This is about Israel's survival."
Jacobson stated, "I tried very hard to present a factual
case, telling it like it is. We need to remember when talking
to extremists, journalists are misled or told false facts.
Words do matter, but actions are more important. The question
that comes to mind, 'Do people ignore the facts that don't
fit their worldview?' I had extensive sources in law enforcement,
Middle Eastern Studies, and journalists who felt that it would
be hard to negotiate with terrorists because you cannot speak
commonsense with them."
Because The Lost Codex was the third book in the spy
series, after The Hunted and Hard Target, Jacobson wants to
go back to writing a crime novel. Karen Vail will be front
and center as she investigates a serial killer, more in the
theme of The 7th Victim.
The Lost Codex has a plot that ratchets up the action
in a realistic scenario with intriguing characters. Anyone
interested in learning more about the Middle East conflict
should read this book, with the added bonus of a great storyline.
Reviews of other titles by this author
The
Lost Codex OPSIG Team Black #3
Dark
Side of the Moon - OPSIG Team Black #4
Inmate
1577 Karen Vail #4
Spectrum
Karen Vail #6
Author
of the Month 2011
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