De laatste dagen: thriller (Bennett & McCoy Book 2)

The Last Jihad #2

by Joel C. Rosenberg

De laatste dagen van bestsellerauteur Joel C. Rosenberg is een actuele politieke thriller over de spanningen tussen Irak en Israël.

Osama bin Laden is dood. Saddams regime is omver geworpen. Bagdad is een ruïne. Nu zijn alle ogen gericht op Jon Bennet en Erin McCoy, twee adviseurs van de Amerikaanse overheid, die naar het Midden-Oosten reizen om een historisch Arabisch-Israëlisch vredesverdrag af te sluiten en de nieuwe visie van de Amerikaanse president op vrijheid en democratie te verspreiden. Maar in het verborgene liggen mannen op de loer, bedacht op het kwade. Voor hen gaat het vredesverdrag lijnrecht tegen al hun principes in. Het ene na het andere angstwekkende plan komt aan het een Iraans complot om zelfmoordaanslagen te laten plegen in Amerika, een terroristisch complot om de minister-president van Israël te vermoorden en een Joods complot om de Rotskoepel op te blazen. Jon en Erin krijgen te maken met een strijd om Jeruzalem en het Heilige land, en een Iraaks plan om een tweede Babylon te stichten; ze vragen ze zich Zijn dit de tekenen van de laatste dagen voor de terugkeer van Christus?

De laatste dagen is het tweede deel in de thrillerserie 'Bennett & McCoy'. De andere delen zijn De laatste Jihad, De laatste dagen, Het Ezechiëlscenario, De Tempelcodex en De eindstrijd .

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Thriller, Christian, Suspense, Political Thriller, Mystery

423 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Note: This is a different person than the fantasy author, Joel Rosenberg

Joel C. Rosenberg is the founder of The Joshua Fund and the New York Times best-selling author of THE LAST JIHAD (2002), THE LAST DAYS (2003), THE EZEKIEL OPTION (2005), THE COPPER SCROLL (2006), EPICENTER (2006) and DEAD HEAT (2008) with more than 1.5 million copies in print. THE EZEKIEL OPTION was named by the ECPA as the Gold Medallion winner of the "Best Novel of 2006." Joel, an evangelical Christian whose mother is Gentile and whose father is from an Orthodox Jewish background, previously worked with several U.S. and Israeli leaders, including Steve Forbes, former Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Natan Sharansky, and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has been interviewed on hundreds of radio and TV shows.
He and his wife have four sons and live near Washington, DC.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis: Set just after the events in The Last Jihad , Presidential aides Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy witness the start of a Palestinian civil war after the assassination of Yasser Arafat.  With the lives of millions of people at stake, McCoy and Bennett work with the American government to try to bring about peace...but, with wanton terrorists intent on destroying the "Great Satan" US, who will stop at nothing to get what they want, it seems like the Last Days may be upon them.

My Review: This is an improvement for the series.  A bit more intensity and action; a bit less profanity.  Even though I already know how the series ends--I read the last novel some years ago--I have to say that Rosenberg's narrative has gotten me hooked nonetheless.  I have a feeling that things will get even crazier as the story goes on...

Content Concerns:

Sex: A brief reference to "Viagra ads," and another one to "prostitutes".  4.5/5
Nudity: None. 5/5
Language: About six or seven profanities, all uses of the h-word or d-word. 3.75/5
Violence: The book begins with an assassination; multiple terrorist attacks occur, with plenty of devastation and implied deaths; a suicide bomber kills himself, but not anyone else; a dead body is found in a body of water. 1.5/5
Drugs: Smoking is referenced twice; drinking alcohol, once. 3.75/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: This whole series is intended to be frightening and intense, and it is. 1/5

Score: 4.75/5

EDIT: Here is my review of the entire series:

http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/0...

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had difficulty remembering what happened in the last book, which made the start of this one a challenge. Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy go to meet Palestinian leaders to facilitate peace talks, with a massive joint oil project as the incentive, when all hell breaks loose. Miraculously, with everyone dying around them, they escape with the key to moving ahead with Israeli peace talks in an undisclosed location, until someone figures out where they are. There was a lot of repetition and some political hyperbole that could have been omitted, making this a four star book.

[J.T. IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read from Mr. Rosenberg. If you are looking for action, a bit of romance, and some more action, this is a good series to get involved in. With a race to rebuild Iraq and Babylon, American State Department members (Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy) chasing down people trying to kill them, and the whole world “claiming” to struggle for Middle Eastern peace, this book seems like you could take it from the front pages of the NY Times or the Wall Street Journal. Mr. Rosenberg will have you staying up later than you should and ignoring those pesky chores for just one more chapter. I highly recommend this book and the series as a whole.

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply magnificent. Imagine Left Behind without the goofiness. Imagine Clancy without the grisly scenes, yet realistic enough. Very impressed with how he weaved "God" into it without being didactic. The character Eli Mordechai is simply brilliant and offers a rather common-sense epistemology to bible prophecy.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can there be peace between Palestinians and Israelites in Israel? U.S. President MacPherson thinks so and he has a plan. Oil and natural gas is discovered in the Mediterranean off the coast of Israel. You would think a deal could be made providing for shared ownership of the natural resources and
reasonable property allocations. Not so fast. Maybe all the factions don't agree. You must read to find out.

[Sarah Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Rosenberg books! They are so fascinating, and it’s crazy that a lot of the things he writes about have come true after he writes the books. These books make me want to study and learn more about Israel and the Middle East. Can’t wait to read the next one!

[M.G. Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Joel Rosenberg’s thriller “The Last Days” to expand the range of authors I read in this genre. Two years later, I finished his book. Getting through it became a personal quest to see if I could finish what I started. I didn’t dislike the book enough to stop reading it, but it didn’t spark my interest the way that other thrillers have.

The author obviously has a deep knowledge of Arab-Israeli politics and knowledge of Middle Eastern politics that gives the book an air of realism missing from other thrillers, right down to using real figures such as Yasser Arafat. At times Rosenberg veered into speculative territory that left me shaking my head, suggesting, for example, that the U.S. Secretary of State would conduct peace negotiations in the Gaza Strip. The author’s in-depth explanations of world events and political undercurrents that would do well in a textbook bogged down the story.

Surprisingly, the book lacked nonstop action and suspense that I would have expected from a story about efforts to avert a war between the Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans following the assassination of a major political figure and the killing of the U.S. Secretary of State. The few action scenes rescued the book at critical moments, but I would have preferred more of them to keep the story moving. The beginning and end are dramatic with a couple of well-placed nail-biter scenes interspersed. Otherwise, Rosenberg’s detailed descriptions and long-winded dialogue left me disinterested.

“The Last Days” had enough redemptive qualities to merit three stars. It’s a book for those who like cerebral, meaty thrillers who aren’t expecting the protagonist to single-handedly strong arm the bad guys.

[Ron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book because a friend said Rosenberg's fiction has a way of becoming fact. Well, not this book. The Last Days is a fun, fast-paced political thriller--not even "Clancyesque" as four out of seven back cover blurbs allude; too many technical errors.

The Last Days is conservative Christian wishful thinking fiction. Published in 2003, but apparently before the Iraq War (which the book sets in 2010, and reports as a walk over), Rosenberg has a supposed Palestinian assassination of Yasser Arafat trigger a Palestinian civil war which the USA ends by a clean, surgical invasion. Of Gaza? Over in the weeks with a couple thousand GIs? Right. This is not predictive; it's fantasy.

Speaking of which, Rosenberg also features a former Mossad chief who's a closet Christian, nn American atheist hero who accepts Jesus, and dozen of terrorist teams trying to invade the US--all of whom are thwarted but one, who blows himself up just short of the Washington monument. (Hey, I'm just reporting this.) It's all too clean, too easy, too fantastic.

Fun, yes, but I can't imagine anyone taking this seriously as a view of how American foreign policy can or should be conducted. Of, if it was, that there's be a snowball's chance in the Negev that it'd turn out this way.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very exciting to read, but it is not a fast-read novel. There is a lot of political persuasion taking place trying to get leaders to modify or change their understanding of what they believe. Rosenberg does a good job of trying to keep up with the present situation in the Middle East. I recommend this book even to teens, and the language is clean (no swearing or sex involved). Of course you need to read 'The Last Jihad' before you read 'The Last Days' to keep up with current history and the changes that take place between both novels.

[Drew Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing.

[Heitham Hammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite intense reading

[Graeme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating take/insight and at times uncomfortable reading given the current situation in Israel.

[Amy Wakser · Rating 5 out of 5]

The currently ongoing Israel/Palestine conflict should be handled as it was in this book. Democracy, peace, and, you know, trying to not kill people.

[PDizzle Daggett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ending.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Very enjoyable and informative read. This one will keep you wondering. Enjoy! Great characters and storytelling.Look out the good guys will win!

[Jerome Otte · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the most blatant omissions in TLD was any reference to the US nuclear strike. NOTHING AT ALL is mentioned...as if it didn't even happen. And the funny part is the suggestion that meetings/press conferences take place in Sadaam's palace. Now, first of all, the city was nuked. Secondly, concern for radioactive fallout isn't even mentioned (either regarding the targets of the nukes or the neighboring countries). Nothing along these lines is addressed. If this is a follow-up to "The Last Jihad", then please refer to the very last page of that book...TWO nuclear bombs are dropped by the US (TLD starts up two weeks later...the Prez is still in a wheelchair from the attack on him in Denver).

Technical errors are glaring. In what is a favorite of writers who don't do their research, Mr. Rosenberg has his hero taking off the safety on a .357 magnum pistol. A revolver? With a safety! As a side note, that little push lever is what you use to swing out the cylinder on a revolver in order to reload it. Later we have "clips" being used to reload this same revolver. For the record, even with a semi-automatic pistol, the item that holds the ammunition is called a magazine. A clip is used for rifles, and not pistols. This shows poor research.

In another scene we have one of the characters taking the "safety" off of a Glock semi-auto pistol. The Glock pistol, in all of its iterations, does not have a safety. That little lever is what is used to take apart the pistol for cleaning. The only Glock that uses anything else has a lever that switches it from semi-auto to full automatic fire, but no safety. Again poor research.

One scene has the main characters being rescued by Seahawk helicopters from the Gaza Strip area and taken to the USS Reagan off the coast of Israel. Bennet, the main character, hopes they won't fall into the Atlantic Ocean when they land on the carrier. The ATLANTIC ocean??? That must be some Seahawk to make it from Israel to the Atlantic. Just poor research.

There is an ongoing plot device that uses continuous rainstorms blanketing the entire area from the Straits of Gibraltar to Israel. These storms of course interfere with rescue attempts and flight operations, but only for the good guys. Evidently the bad guys can launch aircraft in any weather and simply fly around it. This is reminiscent of the old Star Trek episodes when Scotty couldn't beam them up due to "ion" storms or somesuch.

The entire operation, and I won't give it away in case you decide to punish yourself and actually buy this trash, is run by the president of the US. From Washington D.C. We have FBI agents calling the president to get approval on basic tasks. While micro-management does happen, this book thrives on it. No one, from the FBI director to any military leaders to anyone else can make any decision, no matter how trivial, without the direct intervention of the president. I suppose this was supposed to make the McPherson presidential character appear to be in charge, but what happens is it makes everyone else appear to be incompetent, and the president doubly so since he appointed the leader.

Also, there is even a Navy SEAL "sergeant" in this novel. Even though there are no sergeants in the Navy...

[Alec · Rating 3 out of 5]

This marks my second book I've read based on the situation in Israel and Palestine in the past month. While not purposeful, it has been interesting to see how two different authors approach the issue. This book takes a much more US-centric look at the issue (the cover art gives that away), while also diving into the political elements more than the psychological aspects. This back to back timing was accidental but I think it was beneficial to the enjoyment of this book.

One element of this book which I didn't expect (which may be due to the fact I don't remember much from the first book of the series), is the interweaving of Christian thought into the book. While much of the book is dedicated to terrorist attacks around the world, Rosenberg finds times to weave in religious practices in a very natural and unobstructive way. The President asks for a prayer to be said at the beginning of a meeting in the immediate aftermath of an attack. One of the main characters offers a prayer when he feels trapped and overwhelmed by the events of the book, and the events transpiring are linked to events of "the last days" referred to in various books of the Bible. I see that Goodreads classifies this book as Christian fiction and I'd have to agree with that classification, but I wouldn't classify it as promotional material for Christianity anymore than I would have classified The Collaborator of Bethlehem as promotional material for Islam despite extensive sections of the book being dedicated to Islamic beliefs.

I enjoyed the book generally, though I felt as if there was a lot crammed into a relatively short amount of space. I always give an honest attempt at suspending disbelief, I had a hard time totally buying everything in this book though. I'll probably read the next given the inoffensive content and quick-read nature of the book. I won't be surprised, however, if I can't remember much about this when the time finally rolls around for the third in the series.

[Darla Stokes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. I really should have read the reviews first, or at least the cover blurb. This is basically ultra-right-wing propaganda in a fiction form. From our heroine, who, despite her supposed intellectual and physical accomplishments, really should have been a model; to the Israeli bus driver whose four children all received "full-ride" scholarships to Ivy League universities in the U.S., not because they were brilliant or sports stars, but merely because they "worked hard." And of course the billionaire and almost-billionaire (he set aside his life-long dream of becoming a billionaire to help achieve peace in the middle east) who became so wealthy simply by really, really wanting it, and, of course, by "working hard." And who knew that it was so easy to find, identify, and neutralize terrorists? All it takes is resolve on the part of the government. Gee, why didn't we think of that ten years ago?

I actually read the entire book, though I had to put it down several times out of disgust. I'm not against over-the-top action books--Dirk Pitt and Jack Ryan are two of my favorite heroes--but this was just ludicrous.

[Mike Patterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this book had moments of electrifying terror surrounded by globs of information, as if the author had the perfect idea for a peace treaty for Israel and the Palestinians and put every detail for our reading pleasure. I almost didn't finish the book, and even when I did I wondered why I bothered. This author has a lot of difficulty writing a series smoothly without spending hours on what happened in previous books. His action parts are great. He should stick to that and develop the characters a little at a time in better ways. It's start stop start stop thru the whole thing. This particular series is a drag though the Iman series was great.

Still, I'm going to read The Ezekiel Option just cause I can, in hopes it takes the bad tast grout of my mouth.

By the way, I love the end times prophecies described this way. Very informative and, I hope, I'll be gone by the in the rapture. I'm staying prayed up.

[Sally Schueler · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Last Days” by Joel Rosenberg is the second political thriller in “The Last Jihad” series. I enjoyed reading it for the most part. I wrote that the characters were a little thin in the first novel and the new characters are still thin where the ones from the first book are becoming more defined but only because they’re on every page. That aside, I’ve enjoyed seeing them interact in a crazy number of high intensity situations. There is quite a lot going on in this book and the way Rosenberg writes, with a ton of scene changes within his chapters, actually helped move things along especially when I had a spot in the middle where I didn’t pick it back up quickly to finish. I got through it and the last half was a quick read. I mostly appreciate his knowledge of Middle East affairs and found this novel a good read for today when we are most definitely seeing the signs of the times and when different scenarios are thought provoking.

[Katerina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Last Days" picks up three-and-a-half weeks after "The Last Jihad." Plans are in place to bring peace to the Middle East. Unfortunately there are many who don't want peace.

"The Last Days" was written in 2003 but reflects many current events - power struggles, civil wars, and an effort to restore Russia's former glory. Thankfully in fiction like this the good and bad tends to be clear cut (at least in its portrayal) and we know the good guys will win.

The writing in "The Last Days" improved over "The Last Jihad." There were fewer unnecessary characters brought in. And while some of what happens to and is expected of the main characters is unbelievable, it doesn't distract from the story while one is reading.

[Wade · Rating 2 out of 5]

After the terrific "The Last Jihad," I was surprised how boring and lackluster the follow-up "The Last Days" turned out to be. While "The Last Jihad" was cohesive and still feels timely in 2016, "The Last Days" felt like a poor retread of the first book that didn't do much to further develop the main characters from the first book. Also, there was often brutally boring backstories that bogged the book down from flowing and feeling like a thriller novel. I enjoyed the historical aspects of the first book but in "The Last Days," this went on and on and on. So this was disappointing as I was looking forward to reading the entire series and now I am torn as to whether or not to continue at all.

[Prasanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome read!!!

[Dipanjan · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Last Days” is the sequel to the best-selling “Last Jihad” which was a right-kind-of-a-thriller. It’s got high profile characters and is a near clone of its predecessor. Presidential envoy Jon Bennett returns as the protagonist, along with his bodyguard and love interest, Erin Mc Coy – an Uzi-toting, Arabic speaking CIA supermodel.

Their efforts to broker a Middle East peace, whose centerpiece is a fortuitously discovered deep oil reserve with the potential to make every Israeli and Palestinian wealthy, are literally blown to pieces when a suicide bomber claims the life of the U.S. secretary of state and Yasser Arafat himself. The surviving members of the American delegation, along with the Palestinian and Israeli entrepreneurs behind the oil-drilling venture, are scrambling frantically to escape from the Gaza Strip when civil war breaks out among the factions grappling to succeed Arafat as leader. Meanwhile, the sinister forces behind the attack seek to wreak further havoc by dispatching teams of terrorists to America while provoking the Israeli government to trigger a wider conflagration by invading the West Bank and Gaza.

The only problem is that Mr. Rosenberg sets the action in the year 2010 while simultaneously placing real-life events from 2003 such as the invasion of Iraq and the appointment of Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) as Palestinian prime minister seven years in the future. Unfortunately, the reality of facts depicted in the book has already been dated 7 years earlier, like the the real Abu Mazen’s resignation from his post and the fictitious solution to the intractable political conflict by a deus ex machina is quite misplaced.

Nevertheless, it’s a good page turner.

[Amy Hagberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

The Last Days is a heart-pounding, page-turning, high-octane geopolitical thriller. Known for weaving current events and biblical prophecy into gripping narratives, Rosenberg does not disappoint in this sequel to The Last Jihad.

Once again, Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy, two senior White House advisors, find themselves thrust into the heart of international intrigue. Navigating the volatile Middle East political landscape, every move they make could trigger a global catastrophe. The plot centers on peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, focusing on the rise of a new Palestinian leader who could bring peace—or chaos.

Rosenberg’s deep understanding of geopolitical climates adds authenticity to the narrative. Detailed descriptions of settings, from the White House to the streets of Jerusalem, make you feel present in the action. The well-paced and intense action scenes drive the story forward at a breakneck speed.

One strength of The Last Days is its characters. Bennett and McCoy are well-developed and relatable, balancing their professional duties with personal struggles. Their relationship adds a human element to the political drama, heightening the stakes. Despite a few rookie writing mistakes and some overly explanatory passages that slow the narrative, the story remains compelling.

The book dives deep into the complexities of Middle Eastern politics. For those who enjoy a thriller with a mix of action, politics, and prophecy, The Last Days delivers. It’s a must-read for fans of Christian thrillers and will keep you hooked until the very last page.

[Glenn Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the book begins with the killing of the U.S. Secretary of State, and the leader of the Palestine Authority who are among the parties arriving in the Palestinian territories to embark on peace discussions between Israel and Palestine, I asked myself how can the remainder of the novel build on this climax. It turns out that the story line of the book is more about negotiating peace in this historical hotbed of hostility and the many parties who would have vested interest in such a peace. The author details the violent hostilities that those parties will employ to assure that peace is never negotiated.

Rosenberg does an excellent job of developing characters without overdoing it. While the hostilities seem to border on the mayhem of video games at times, he does a wonderful job of surrounding the action with sufficient realism that it is quite easy to find yourself embedded in the setting. A very compelling fictional novel set in current times and environment. Several of the key characters are actual contemporary figures that add to the realism of the action and the setting. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction and geo-political thrillers with lots of military action.

[Steve Wegman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Written in 2003, post 9-11 and pre end of Bin Laden, this book is pretty dated in 2022. The term that describes it best in my mind is "a hot mess". Unbelievable characters, action sequences that are impossible to follow, characters doing things that characters would not do, connections that are just stupidly silly. I can't say enough that's bad about this book. I kept reading, thinking somewhere along the way it will come together, but it never did.

Jon Bennett, a self-made billionaire is also like a son to the US President. His beautiful assistant, who he can't quite bring himself to get romantically involved with is a CIA style bodyguard and also a lead negotiator. His mother goes missing and the President shuts down New York City to search for her. The head of the Isreal intelligence service is secretly a Christian who is (mis)using the Book of Revelations to explain events that are happening. Bad stormy weather seems to keep our hero trapped for days or maybe weeks, it isn't clear, and then happens again right at the climax. We get these jump arounds to do major backgrounds on minor characters, which help us lose track of what's going on.

Just a terrible book, badly concocted, badly written. A waste of a few hours of my life that I will never get back.

[Stuart Berman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and action packed read following on the heels of The Last Jihad. I found three basic problems that made this book less enjoyable than the first in the series:

1) A conventional and boring peace proposal, simply did not need the detail and a waste of space. The proposal is unimaginative and is unneeded, author simply had to mention it and omit any details. The reality of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is that the tired land for peace concept was DOA ever since the Peel Commission report nearly 100 years ago. The real solution will need to be ingenious and surprising. The Jihad series does not need to be encumbered by anything this weighty.

2) The Christian evangelizing, although limited to a few pages, is ham handed and takes away from the flow of the story. The eschatological lesson is even more out of place. Anyone who has followed any of these end of days warnings, such as Hal Lindsey, knows these always lead to failures.

3) The simple and trite narratives are a hallmark of Rosenberg’s writing style, one would hope to see his style mature as he has great plot elements that need that level of support.

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a book to escape in, this is probably not it. If you want a political thriller with a mystery and fast-paced action, then check this out. This looks like it could still be taken from any headline still today.

Jon Bennett has become the President's appointed "Point Man on Peace" and is trying to do a peace deal between Palestine and Israel. And Erin McCoy is still there to bodyguard him.

The books starts out with three pages of the cast of characters. Thankfully. There is a lot going on in this book. There are American government and military, Israeli, Palestinian, Muslim, and Russian characters.

Broken sections lead to a new talking voice of the plots; that all come together at the end in one dangerous riot of action. Our service members do not get enough credit for what they sign up to put their lives on the line for. Thank you to them.

Rosenberg leaves a satisfying ending however, you know there is more in the series so what will the catastrophe be in the next?

[Ken Burkhalter · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of Rosenberg's early works I think. I like his books for their Christian world view and generally agree with the underlying premises. When he gets into calling military action and political intrigue, however, he is out of his element (more so on the former than the latter). That said, the books are an enjoyable if uncomplicated read. Given Rosenberg's political savvy and connections I would not be surprised to learn that some of his fiction has a basis in fact at some point in history, and sometimes there is a history lesson included which is always appreciated. Character development is a work in progress, but you can see the direction from here. Good stuff from a good point of view, just not as taught or realistic as is the norm.

Note: I listened to this book via Audible.com. The narrator, Patrick G. Lawlor, is no Dick Hill. Poor pacing, little sense of drama, and lack of character voice definition made it less enjoyable than it could have been.