Not one ho-hum page and don’t even try to go to bed early if you’re reading #DeadSeaConspiracy by @JerryBJenkins. Today is release day for the second book in the series of the #DeadSeaChronicles.
Dr. Nicole Berman has everything going against her. She’s a female archeologist, a Christian, and a Messianic Jew, in a country not favorable to any of the three. She’s certain she’s found evidence that will either bring the world together or perhaps make matters worse. She’s willing to uncover evidence and reveal the truth, at all costs.
But it doesn’t stop there. This is an easy-to-follow dual timeline book that takes you back to ancient times and people in one plot line while Dr. Nicole Berman is unearthing their history in another.
Intrigue, a questionable team of volunteers, and valuable artifacts keep Nicole pressing forward even when she doesn’t know whom she can trust, or not.
@worthypub @JerryBJenkins #DeadSeaRising #strongfemalecharacter #archeology #popularfiction #leftbehind #thechosen #summerread


#parentingaintpretty #kellyfordycemartindaleauthor #cvcr1999 #carbonvalley

Great dual story…masterfully told (as usual for Jerry
Jenkins). Give yourself time to read in one sitting…it's
hard to put down!

After waiting so long for this second installment, I was very excited to receive my copy of Dead Sea Conspiracy. The Bible characters portrayed their love of God and faith in a way that rekindled my own and helped me find a deeper relationship with God myself. I also loved how the chapters alternated between present day and ancient biblical times. If anything, I might have preferred an extended ending for the present day section, but maybe Jenkins is saving that for the next book. All in all, this is a life changing book that I would highly recommend for any adult, young or old.

This is book two in a series. You can read it as a stand-alone though there is a lot that goes on in book one that sets things up in book two. I love a good suspense story and this is definitely one of those. It brings about many interesting Bible bits and brings them to life in a unique way.

Jerry B Jenkins is the author of this book. I know him better through his work on the Left Behind series. I read those in high school and loved them. He brings that talent into this book and series. I highly recommend any of his books! This one is amazing and a great adult novel.

This is almost a dual timeline novel as you get to travel to Bible time and yet still be in the modern day. Modern-day archaeology and what can be discovered.

Be ready to have a great time reading this novel and keeping yourself up way too late to find out just what might happen next. Each chapter is never enough as you have to keep reading until you realize how late it is and even then you must keep reading! Okay, so maybe you have more self-control and willpower than I do. Because I couldn’t stop reading!

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from JustRead Publicity Tours. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

Practically these are two different stories. There's the biblical story of Abraham that intrigued me to check with the Bible (mostly about his father - there's no mention of him building the tower of Babel anywhere...).
And there's the story of Nicole digging in Saudi Arabia who wants to find prove that Isaac is the promised son of Abraham. Why she's digging in Saudi Arabia I really can't understand. (Ur is in nowadays Iraq). Mada'in Saleh is indeed an interesting place, but far from Ur, and quite far from the Dead Sea.
Instead of being emotionally involved in either story I found myself constantly fact checking.

Jerry Jenkins is the master of tying suspense, biblical themes, current events, and factual, practical tidbits into a tightly woven suspenseful adventure. Just enough Bible to make the case for personal application. Just enough actual archeological facts to satisfy those who follow the findings in the Middle East and know it's possible. Just the right amount of character twist to make you go back and re-read a chapter just to see if you missed a clue: did she say? Did he really??
Great work again, Jerry. Send us the next installment ASAP.

Jerry Jenkins uses a wonderful story to identify a very real problem in current archeology today. He uses a present day archeological dig along with the biblical narrative of Abraham's father Terah ,the story of Noah and the flood, the story of Abraham's family and future. The research is impeccable.
Nicole Berman is the first archeologist to be granted a permit for an archeological dig in Saudi Arabia ( in some part due to the fact that her father is a renowned and much loved archeologist in the region.) She is hoping to find proof that the Judea-Christian belief in Abraham and his sons Isaac and Ishmeal can be found historically. Finding that proof is not what the Saudis want but they are willing to let her look because if she can't prove it they are right in their beliefs. The Saudis beliefs are not responsive to women or proving Christian history. The situation for Nicole and her team are fraught with dangers , betrayals and conspiracies. Nicole is even threatened with beheading.
This is a great adventure. and a wonderful reading experience.

I enjoyed reading this 2 stories in 1 book because Jerry is a true master of "show, don't tell." Anyone that has studied how to write compelling stories has heard this rule, but Jerry understands how to do it. You feel the pain and hardship that all of the characters experience every step of the way. It is like you are there with them feeling those broken ribs and bruises and more, and he never takes you out of the story to say something like it's hot because, you know, we are in a desert.

This is action packed from beginning to end. The biblical half of the book - not as much room for surprises of course, but I loved some of the dialogue and the miracles were done in a very clever and inventive way. The technology of the current day story was definitely spot on and there were a ton of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end.

This is definitely a novel with Christian characters but it is much more than that. It is about history, heritage, relationships with people and belief systems. It's about not settling for good enough. The truth always matters.

It took me a while to get into this book, probably because I had not read the first book in the series. Although I was aware that I had missed out on some events, I was still able to follow the storyline with ease; it just took a while to connect to the characters. I will say that if you are not willing to purchase the next book in the series, there isn't much use in purchasing this one. While some bits of the story are brought to a conclusion, the main thread is left unresolved. I personally prefer series in which each book works as a stand-alone read.

Dead Sea Conspiracy is a dual timeline novel. The current day story follows archaeologist Dr. Nicole Berman as she begins a dig in Saudi Arabia hoping to find evidence supporting the Hebrew and Christian story of Abraham. This puts her into direct conflict with the Saudi government who does not want the Quran contradicted. Nicole and Detective Chakrabarti, her personal security guard, must try to ferret out spies among her own team. This storyline was interesting, but did not consistently include authentic sounding dialogue. The second storyline revolved mostly around Abraham and his father, much of which was fictionalized. Personally, I do not favor biblical fiction that includes conjecture about the lives of real people of the Bible. I prefer biblical fiction that weaves in true people and events from the Bible, but focuses on purely fictional characters. I am as of yet undecided as to whether I will read the next book in this series.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Dead Sea Conspiracy from Hatchette Book Group via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

My blurb …
Archaeologist Nicole Berman is the first woman to be granted a permit to lead a dig in Saudi Arabia. She leaves America not long after her mother died. Or was it a natural death?

The team assembled has two new members after sudden last-minute withdrawals. One she knows well. She hopes the dig will prove that a Biblical figure lived in this location. If proven, it would seriously affect several major religions.

A parallel story is one of the young Abram (he would become Abraham) and begins in the ancient city of Ur. His ancestors, still living, were on Noah’s Ark.

My review …
I read and have in my library the complete “Left Behind” series, so I expected to really like this book.
A lot.
It’s a bummer I didn’t.

The chapters are short and most of the first half has one chapter in 2019 and the next occurs four millennia earlier; i.e., 4,000 years ago. The short chapters make it easy to keep track of what is happening in both periods.

The characters in what I’ll call the “Ur Period” were based on the Bible. Abraham is a key figure in religions for the Christians, Jews, and Muslims. And the story begins when Abram is a young boy hiding with his mother in a cave because King Nimrod wants him dead believing the child is a threat to his throne. This is also the same time period the Tower of Babel was being constructed.

I loved the “Ur” sections of the book. To be reminded of Abram’s early life. He was a miracle baby for his parents. But … his father was a maker of idols although he had been raised to believe in and honor the One True God. And he was also one of King Nimrod’s right-hand men.

So what’s the problem …
The chapters taking place in 2019 before and during the dig … well, I found Nicole to be rather one-dimensional. Her mother has just died and the circumstances are dubious. An NYC police detective travels with her to the dig as her bodyguard. THAT should have told her to be wary but she is terribly naive. The acceptance of a woman leading a dig in Saudi Arabia? Even when a person has been found to have lied about their credentials, Nicole still doesn’t “get it” that she is in danger and so is the dig. One Saudi official (the kind you’d *never* buy a used car from) — she thinks is handsome. Really?

Mr. Jenkins provides the clues to the reader so that WE are suspicious of people, events, et al. But Nicole never clues in. I found myself reading faster during the modern period and relishing the 4,000 years ago era.

The current era plot was believable. It was interesting reading how a new dig begins. Are the characters believable? Some were, some weren’t. Why were project assignments not determined until at the dig site? She arrives at the dig and a “computer” tech hasn’t been assigned. And computers are very much needed in today’s digs. Was she just assuming someone would “know” computers?

Dead Sea Conspiracy can be standalone although it is #2 in the Dead Sea Chronicles series. I have the first book, “Dead Sea Rising” but being behind in reviews I did not read it first. The short description for that book reads “Nicole Berman is an archaeologist on the brink of a world-changing discovery. Preparing for her first dig in Jordan, she believes she has found concrete evidence of a biblical patriarch that could change history books forever. But someone doesn’t want the truth revealed. While urgently trying to connect pieces of an ancient puzzle, a dangerous enemy is out to stop her.” Not that much different from book #2’s description. I will eventually read book #1 and hopefully like her character better.

I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of Dead Sea Conspiracy via NetGalley from the publisher, Worthy Publishing, Worthy Books. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Rating: 3.5 stars rounded to 3 stars for sites using only whole numbers.
#DeadSeaConspiracy #NetGalley #JerryBJenkins

Series Dead Sea Chronicles, #2
Genre Christian, Mystery
Pub. Date 23 Aug 2022
Pages 321
Publisher Worthy Publishing, Worthy Books
Cover Eye-catching
Rating 3.5 stars

Dead Sea Conspiracy picks up shortly after [book:Dead Sea Rising|38509372]. Nicole is in Saudi Arabia to begin the archaeological dig that could change Middle East relations. But there are people that don't want change and will do whatever it takes to prevent it.

This is a dual timeline book, and the second timeline goes back several thousand years to Abraham's father, Terah. If you are unfamiliar with Terah and Abraham, read Genesis 11-12 in the Old Testament of the bible. The author creates the backstory of Terah for much of this book (and all of book 1). The story of Abraham here, once he becomes an adult, is straight from scripture.

The pacing for the Terah/Abraham story is off. Terah's story crawls at a snail's pace. Since Abraham's story is basically word for word from the bible, it moves quickly with large jumps in time. Terah's story is tied to the Tower of Babel. How that connects to the dig Nicole is doing is unclear. Also unknown is how any of this ties to the Dead Sea (other than an occasional mention of the Dead Sea Scrolls).

Nicole is highly intelligent, but even though she is widely traveled, she is (almost unbelievably) naïve about how Muslim Saudi Arabia would react to her work, not to mention her, a female Messianic Jew.

I am enjoy this author's work, but this book is a miss for me.

Family friendly, but with some adult themes that might be a bit much for younger readers.

Dead Sea Conspiracy by Jerry Jenkins
This is the second book in the series. I did read the first book, but you wouldn’t be totally lost by reading this one first. I thought the author did a great job with the two timelines. The storyline and characters were very engaging. There were twists and turns that kept me guessing and turning the page. The cultures both in the present timeline and past were very intriguing. Characters from the past were brought to life and given a story. I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Worthy Publishing through NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I enjoyed reading an advance copy of this book and almost gave it five stars. While I liked its predecessor, Dead Sea Rising, I found this sequel to be more of a page turner. Engaging story lines, memorable characters, and unexpected twists kept me engaged from the start.

This novel continues two threads from Dead Sea Rising: 1) The current-day story of a female archaeologist pursuing the opportunity of a lifetime and the find of the century; 2) the ancient story of the father of Abraham, an idol worshipper named Terah, who is haunted by the terrible sins of his past.

In the modern-day story line, Nicole has finally arrived at her dig in Saudi Arabia. As the first female to head a dig in the country, and as a Jewish Christian in the heart of Islam, she knows her friends are few. When she learns she can't even trust members of her inner circle, Nicole realizes that her enemies will stop at nothing to keep secrets buried in the sand, including murder. I also loved a final twist that I never saw coming.

In the ancient-times thread, the continuing story of Terah drew me in. When Terah repents of his evil past, God forgives him, but Terah learns that his sins have consequences. The reconciliation with his wife and son is a beautiful story. But he knows he must return to his homeland to face King Nimrod, who will likely want him put to death. One of my favorite scenes in the book ensues - Jerry Jenkins makes me feel like I'm walking around thousands of years ago at the Tower of Babel as the workers devolve into chaos.

As the Terah story comes to a close, Jenkins transitions the ancient-times thread to the story of Abram/Abraham. This section felt like a too-long epilogue, but it was necessary to tie the thread to Nicole's story. It felt more like I was reading the Bible than a historical fiction piece. I did enjoy learning more about the patriarchs, but this section didn't contain the same amount of tension as the rest of the novel.

In summary, Dead Sea Conspiracy is a fun read, particularly if you've already read Dead Sea Rising.

Dead Sea Conspiracy
Dead Sea Chronicles #2
By Jerry B. Jenkins

Nicole Berman is in Saudi Arabia leading an archeological dig that, if successful, could change what we know via historical artifacts what is known about the Middle East and the three religions that lay claim to the land. As the first woman to lead such a project in Saudi Arabia, she knows that eyes will be watching her closely. And the very nature of her dig will draw challenges, but Nicole is prepared. In fact, her whole life has been preparing for this moment. But the challenges she's about to face could prove to be more than she was expecting. Does she have the endurance and strength to take on what is coming?

Terah has given up more than he thought possible when he refused to give up his idols and his service to King Nimrod. His wife Belessunu has left, taking their son Abram on a journey to learn more about the God of their forefathers. Is it too late to change and return to the One True God? Belessunu prays that her husband will give up his idolatry and return to the faith of his youth.

The Dead Sea Conspiracy takes one to the Middle East - present day Saudi Arabia and ancient Ur. We are taken to site of Nimrod's most notable work - a tower that would reach to the heavens, an attempt to show his supreme being, his godhood. Could this be what the present day dig will find, or is it something else? There is an interesting bit of intrigue involved in the present day portion of the story as Nicole works to preserve the integrity of her work and thwart any challenges to it. But someone is determined to undermine her work - the only question is who.

I really liked the back-and-forth between the past and the present. I think it adds an interesting depth to the story as it progresses. And, I for one, find the details concerning the dig to be fascinating as this will probably the closest I'll ever get to one. There is not so much detail as to slow the story down but just enough to keep and engage this reader's attention. The characters have a depth to them and the settings come to life on the page - truly a picture painted through words.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.

Upon reading the last page of this book I was pumped, frustrated, excited and quite frankly on edge. Jerry upped the ante in this second installment of the Dead Sea Chronicles. I loved the feeling of moving on and getting to more of the theme of this story. The reader actually makes it to the middle east, whereas in the first book we technically never leave the states, at least on Nicole's end. Terah was a wreck at the beginning but you'll get to see him make his way back to the creator in a mighty way. When Nicole was frustrated but wary of who she chose to work with her I understood that. When Terah had to really look at himself and how far he had strayed from God, I related to that too. The way that Jerry exposes the idolatry in Terah's life, I could see where idolatry had crept into my personal life as well. God is God and he will have no other god before him, Jerry made that very plain in the powerful message that is found in this book. So this story is for all those who need a reminder of what is required of us to truly serve God, it's also for those that love a little intrigue and mayhem. The part that left me wanting more is the BOMB that was dropped at the very end. I am more than ready for the next one.

It's been a long time since I've read a Jerry B Jenkins book but I've always enjoyed his writing. Dead Sea Conspiracy is no exception. It has rich characters, a fast paced plot and is deeply researched and respectful in its religious and historical references.

Nicole is an archeologist who has gotten permission for a dig in Saudi Arabia under somewhat false pretenses. She claims to be looking for some local historical sites to rival Petra but in truth she is looking for the history of biblical Abraham with a hope to confirm which Abrahamic religion has the truth at its heart. We get two timelines - one modern where the dig is occurring and Nicole is embroiled in figuring out who is responsible for her mother's death and one in the Kingdom of Nimrod with Terah, the father of Abraham, who is coming to know the one true God. Here we not only get Abraham’s story but also Noah’s and the Tower of Babel.

Rarely in a dual timeline book am I equally invested in both timelines, but this one was an exception. I really liked the science of the modern dig balanced with the historical fiction of ancient times. The biblical aspects were reminiscent of the Left Behind series, which I loved and the archeology/modern thriller reminded me of Clive Cussler, of which I am a huge fan.

Thanks to JustRead Publicity Tours and Worthy Publishing for the gifted digital copy. All opinions above are my own.

I didn’t realize this was book 2 in a series until I was well into the story. While it is easily a stand alone read I think that already being invested in the characters/story from Dead Sea Rising would have been a plus. Jerry B. Jenkins is a great writer. The dual time line flows back and forth easily. The biblical retelling of Terah and Abram added a lot of depth to the present day storyline. The archeology details were interesting. The story is intriguing and engaging with lots of twists. I felt like the modern day story had a very abrupt ending, perhaps a set up for a Book 3.
Thank you to NetGalley and Worthy Books for the opportunity to read and honestly review.

Dead Sea Conspiracy is much more than I expected when I started out on this journey. Jerry has again written a book that feels authentic, and draws you immediately into the lives of the characters in both time lines.
When I read Terah’s story I am transported back in time to a place where faith in God is pushed aside in favor of gods made by mortal hands—not so much different from today’s culture. His inner conflict and subsequent repentance is a beautiful image of God’s love, forgiveness, and divine plan for each of us.
I loved the hints of connection as the story flows into the present. Nicole’s excitement is contagious as she seeks proof that corroborates scripture right in the middle of Muslim territory.
The description of the site, the country, and the people is a great backdrop to her faith and determination to present truth as she finds it.
Overall I liked the past timeline more that the present as the present timeline could have been fleshed out a bit more, but having said this, it did not distract from my enjoyment.
Of course there is more to the story than meets the eye, each page drawing the reader further into the action, and anxious for the outcome. I loved it.

Will Nicole Find The Evidence She Seeks?

In "Dead Sea Conspiracy", Jerry B. Jenkins continues the saga from "Dead Sea Rising".
Only Master Storyteller JBJ, can "bring to life" the Stories of people from Genesis 11-23; & then tie that to a current Archeology Dig in Saudi Arabia. I got wrapped up in the the Characters, & the Drama of this Awesome 📗. I Highly Recommend You 📖 This Engrossing, Dual Timeline, Christian, Action/Adventure, Mystery, to find out what happens to archaeologist Nicole Berman. I ❤️ed, ❤️ed, ❤️ ed 📖 ing this 📗! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It would be great to have this book made into a movie. I would watch it for sure! The storyline is great, and I enjoyed the fascinating take on the ancient biblical stories. The modern one fell flat for me, I'm afraid. I did love that the characters are from a variety of ethnicities. A breath of fresh air!

Some parts of the biblical narrative sent me to check the actual biblical account. I like it when that happens. I also like discovering traditions like that of Nimrod and Terah being involved in the building of the Tower of Babel. Loved reading about how archaeological digs are done as well.

Quite a good read though I am not a fan of the writing style in some parts.

4 stars. The ancient part of the story saved it.