The Jerusalem Assassin

by Joel C. Rosenberg

Not every book is a good match for every reader. I think that may have been the case for me and Joel C. Rosenberg’s The Jerusalem Assassin which is a Christian political thriller. Most of this book is the setup for a very convoluted assassination plot involving groups of high level leaders and secret operatives from seven countries as well as a terrorist group.

It becomes apparent to world leaders that the president of the Palestinian Authority “doesn’t want to go down in history as the man who made peace. He wants to be remembered as the man who refused to surrender to the ‘criminal Zionists’…” In response, the leaders of the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Israel decide to meet on the Temple Mount and announce a peace proposal. Unfortunately, that opens the door for a targeted attack on the leaders of those countries.

Without the included Cast of Characters, I would have been lost. Instead, I was able to follow plot development by continual back and forth referencing of unfamiliar names, slowing the reading down considerably. I can’t say I actually enjoyed the book until the final fourth when the action played out.

The main character is Marcus Ryker who is ostensibly working for the Diplomatic Security Service, but is actually a special operative for the Central Intelligence Agency. Highly trained, efficient, and trusted, he uses his many connections to obtain critical information. He is a caring Christian, but his job puts him and those he loves in danger. I learned a lot about the daily physical and weapon training for agents and also the complicated logistics involved in setting up security for a U.S. president for a special event abroad.

Although the scenario of world conflict and years of attempts at a Middle East peace settlement are real, the details of the book’s plot and the people involved are fictional providing the author with much flexibility in creating his story. The results are deadly for many of the characters.

I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Tyndale House Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

Category: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery and Thriller

Notes: 1. #3 in the Marcus Ryker Series, but this book did not appear to rely on very much background from other books.
2. This author has written many books, both fiction and nonfiction, that focus on the Middle East.

Publication: March 17, 2020—Tyndale House Publishers

Memorable Lines:

They were coming, and he knew they were coming, and he knew why—they were coming to kill him and to kill the president and to kill anyone else who got in their way. They were coming to settle scores.

…he and his son-in-law “must have undergone a Vulcan mind meld at some point, so unified are their views on theology and politics and even where in the Old City to buy the best baklava.”

Mahdi, the long-awaited Promised One…when that savior came, he would finally judge the Jews, the Christians, the atheists, the agnostics, and the pagans. Indeed, the Mahdi would judge every infidel and do so with fire and fury such as the world had never seen nor imagined.

Joel Rosenberg writes political thrillers like prophecies—ones we hope won’t happen. This latest is no exception. Will the three major religions work together for peace or will this effort end in disaster? Especially with the recent front-page news about an Arab-Israeli agreement, this novel seems so timely. It contains some violence, terrorists, and suicide bombers, so beware what you’re getting into. The stakes are high, as are the tensions. Even if you have not read any of his other books starring Marcus Ryker, you will be captivated by his rapid-paced storytelling that captures your interest and won’t let you go. I received a copy from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Joel Rosenberg’s books always amaze me. His stories seem to be the future’s headlines. I don’t want to give anything away as far as the plot to this book, but I will say that it’s quite a page-turner! It’s an amazing story, and is quite an action-driven book. I highly recommend this one. When you read it, you’ll want to go back and read his other books.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Net Galley for introducing me to an incredible author who was previously unknown to me. This was the first, but will certainly not be the last, Joel Rosenberg political thriller that I read.

Taut, exciting, and the plot was so close to reality that I thought the author must be able to predict the future.

The writing was spare nd plot rathe than character driven but that was more than enough for e a Is devoured the book in a couple of sittings.

What a pleasure and delight this was.

Thank you.

Another page-turner of an international thriller. The tension builds to a fevered pitch as the book wokrs through four parts. A new terror organization is committing tight operations against the USA's top international negotiators. The hunt to stop them from the ultimate targets is tight and down to the wire. Excellent read for those who love Tom Clancy and Daniel Silva with a faith thread.

Marcus Ryker is back in another thrilling, action-packed novel that is sure to keep readers turning the pages!

Marcus Ryker has led anything but a normal life. He spent years in the secret service protecting the president. He was an accomplice for the assassination of the Russian president. He helped stop North Korean warheads from being deployed by the Iranians in the South China sea. Shouldn’t he take a break? Apparently not. As part of his deal to be allowed back into the US after the Russia incident, Marcus now works for the state department. President Andrew Clarke is set on starting a middle eastern peace summit in Jerusalem and Marcus couldn’t disagree more, but no one wants his opinion. He is placed on an advance team to promote the message to Muslim leaders prior to the president’s arrival. But a new terrorist organization known as Kairos is beginning to strike fear into the world. They take out one of the top leaders in a church shooting in Washington DC and then astound intelligence agencies when they manage to detonate a body cavity bomb on the steps of 10 Downing street. With time working against him, Marcus must work to find out who is behind this new organization before the world ends.

This has become one of my favorite series by Rosenberg. Each series has a unique set of characters with a very flawed protagonist who takes on multiple antagonists across several books. Marcus has had his share of trials and tribulations. Everyone around him seems to die including members of his own family. He perseveres through each trial, but he has to have help from friends and family. This book centered almost exclusively on Marcus the entire time. The previous two books had some other characters fleshed out more, but this one is mostly continued development on Marcus. I feel like there may be a fourth book based on the portion with the Russians in the earlier part of the book. At least I hope so!

I like that Marcus has a strong faith in this book. I also like that his character grows to realize that his life may finally be worth living after the death of his wife and son from the previous books. I hated that some of the characters from the previous books were killed off, but that is what keeps the momentum moving in the right direction with this type of book. It is good that there is a current events thriller series that is clean and fun to read at the same time.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Once again Joel Rosenberg has a winner. I do find his books a bit frightening when I realize that what he writes about could in fact come true sometime. With this being the third of the Marcus Riker books, reader begins to feel as if they know him only to find out you really don’t. That’s when you are thankful that Marcus is a Christian and a strong witness to those around him including his Russian friend, Oleg.

Reading this book was a bit hard since it is set in Israel and only two weeks ago, My trip to Israel was canceled because of the happenings in our country at this time. So I was visiting some of the historic sites through this book since I couldn’t be there in person. And I was trying to imagine what it must be like to be there with all of those notable country leaders. Given that Marcus had reason to believe he knew who’s the bomber would be, he was very calm under stress. Honestly, I am hoping that we will see more of Marcus in future books.7

I think the author and the publisher for providing this book through Netgalley.

Book 3 in the Marcus Ryker series is an intricately woven political, conspiracy and military action novel. It seemed entirely too realistic, which made for great reading! Marcus is an engaging character and the storyline was intriguing. I loved the action, adventure, and travel wrapped up in this suspenseful mystery. The historical and current events relating to the Middle East felt like a history lesson, but so much more fun then school. While the series would probably be better read in order, I didn’t feel lost and totally enjoyed my first book by Rosenberg. Anyone who loves political and conspiracy thrillers will love this series. I know I did.

Another great thing about The Jerusalem Assassin was the feel of Jerusalem and the descriptions made me feel as if I was right there. It was very well written. In fact, so well written it seemed almost ripped from today’s headlines. The finale and the hope portrayed in the book were amazing. Somehow, even in the midst of conspiracy, terrorism and a rising body count, he kept that hope for a future peace and trust in God at the center. There were a few heavier themes like terrorism and torture, but I thought the author dealt with the subjects very realistically. The characters are so well written that I found myself empathizing with each side, even the terrorists. I think understanding each other‘s point of view is so important in coming to a common ground. Especially when it comes to peace talks and issues in the Middle East. I was very impressed and look forward to more from this author. If you love Rosenberg, I’d recommend Ronie Kendig’s Book of the Wars series.

I was provided copy of this book through NetGalley by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

In the book The Jerusalem Assassin, author Joel Rosenberg brings us more adventure from agent Marcus Ryker. Ryker is racing against the clock to stop a plot to kill the US President, the Israeli Prime Minister and the King of Saudi Arabia at their historic meeting in Jerusalem. But how do you find a suicide bomber if you cannot find the bomb?
This was an excellent story and plot with many twists and turns. I would highly recommend this book! I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read several books by Joel C Rosenberg. All his books are timely and fun to read. This one meets the expectations of his other books. I highly recommend this book. Fast paced and easy to read.

The Jerusalem Assassin is the third novel in the Marcus Ryker series by Joel C. Rosenberg. It would be helpful to start with the The Kremlin Conspiracy first so you can understand the characters and situations. But Ryker is back in action as he tries to protect the president during a trip to Israel. So many people plot against the peace summit that Ryker has his hands full with trying to figure out who is behind the latest terrorist group, Kairos, and how to stop their evil reign of terror.

The Jerusalem Assassin gives reader all of the high-speed thrills and somersaulting plot twist that the prior two novels contained. The author never shies away from taking on some big topics like terrorism and the Middle East. I’ve been a fan of the whole series, and this one has the same sense of urgency and danger as the prior two. Marcus Ryker makes the best action hero, always knowing the right way out of danger. I wished Oleg Kraskin had a bigger part in this novel, but he definitely makes an appearance or two.

I highly recommend the series to all of the action and suspense fans out there. You won’t be disappointed!

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I've read many books by Rosenberg, and I've always enjoyed them. It's almost eerie how his books are so well timed with what's going on around the world. This book was no exception. It was a page-turner that keeps the reader engaged and on the edge of their seat. There are a lot of characters to follow in this one, which is part of a series, so it's best to read things in order.

Action, intrigue, politics, international relations, super-human hero provide something for everyone. Took me awhile to catch up with all the characters, but well worth the effort.

The Jerusalem Assassin by Joel C. Rosenberg is an exciting political thriller staring Marcus Ryker. He seems to be a federal agent who does everything and expects to save everyone too. His title is special operative Central Intelligence Agency but he also works with the Diplomatic Security Service. He is strong, brave and devoted to his job. In this book his job is to protect the President of the United States along with several other rulers who are going to Jerusalem to hear the U.S. Presiddent's speech. The story goes baack and forth with Ryker feeling the President should go, then changing his mind and saying its to dangerous . However the meeting does take place and Ryker saves the Presiddent and other leaders with only several minutes before the bomb explodes.

THE JERUSALEM ASSASSIN is another political thriller by JOEL ROSENBERG which will keep you on the edge of your chair! The author has such an amazing knowledge of politics, especially those of America, Russia and the Middle East, which makes his novels exciting and gives us a great deal of food for thought.
The story takes place after The Kremlin Conspiracy and the Persian Gamble, both very worthwhile reads, but it can be read as a stand alone.
We come across so many characters from the first two novels, starting with Marcus Ryker, who is now working for DSS as a cover for his employment with the CIA. After his heroic actions at a church shooting, he becomes heavily involved in American President Clarke's decision to announce his peace plan, on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. With terrorist attacks escalating, which are believed to be the work of a new militant group called Kairos, Marcus and his superiors try first of all to dissuade him from going to Israel, and then they change tactics and decide he should hold a two day summit in Jerusalem after all. All hell is let loose amongst the enemies of peace, especially when the Saudi king decides to join the presidents of America and Israel in the peace talks.
The plot is very well worked out and the desperate search for the Jerusalem assassin had me literally holding my breath.
I am not going to tell you any more as I do not want to spoil things for you.
It is a very thought provoking read, with a strong Christian message, and one I can highly recommend.
I was given an ARC copy of the book by Tyndale House Publishers from NetGalley. The opinions in this review are completely my own.