FireStorm: A Novel

CrossFire #2

by Jeanette Windle

Sara Connor, the reluctant heroine of CrossFire , barely escaped the ruins of the Cortez drug empire. All she wants now is to figure her life out and find sanctuary in Miami. But the enemy is back, bringing terrorism to the heart of her homeland. This time more is at stake . . . an entire nation is caught in the crossfire. As the child of missionary parents, Jeanette Windle grew up in the rural towns of Colombia, which are now guerrilla hot zones. Her research and writing is so realistic that it has prompted government agencies to question her to determine if she has received classified information.

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

616 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2004

About the author

As the child of missionary parents, award-winning author and journalist Jeanette Windle grew up in the rural villages, jungles, and mountains of Colombia, now guerrilla hot zones. Her detailed research and writing is so realistic that it has prompted government agencies to question her to determine if she has received classified information. Curently based in Lancaster, PA, Jeanette has lived in six countries and traveled in more than twenty. She has more than a dozen books in print, including the political/suspense best seller "CrossFire" and the Parker Twins juvenile mystery series.

Reviews

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book much more than the first. Windle found her footing and delved deep into her trademark suspense. Sara truly grew as a character and left off irritating me with her utter naiveté. Although much of the narrative calls for the suspension of disbelief, Windle crafts the narrative in a manner which leads to just the amount of suspension necessary to create a compelling narrative. This book definitely survives round two of the purge from my personal collection.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always learn so much about other countries by reading Jeanette Windle's books. This exciting read was as detailed and action-packed as the others I've read. Serious action and serious faith. Not a mix you find too often, but this book supplies both, along with interesting characters and a variety of interesting settings.

[Paul Goble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel to Crossfire. Sara and Doug end up in Paraguay. Better written than Windle's previous books, with a nice steady pace to the action and just enough background information. Well-researched, but still repeats Windle's woeful misunderstanding of how GPS works.

[Mom]

This is the first book in a two part series. Very well done. As exciting as Tom Clancy.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES, YES, YES!! Absolutely riveting. Jeanette Windle does it again. This was the sequel to CrossFire and I loved it.

Intrigue, Danger, Politics, Romance, Adventure, Suspense...this book had it all.

[Joann Alder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never a dull moment.

Exciting, well written book on terrorism. Brings in focus the instability of our world today. Without God, it would be hard to sleep at night.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my absolute favorites! Highly recommend - read the 1st book, "Crossfire" first.

[Nick Woodall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeanette knows how to tell a story with gusto and punch! You'll love reading this book. In fact, I'll bet you can't put it down.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

The jihad as well as the Special Force teams that come in they both have plans. The drug cartels that rule for more gain. The terrorists with mass destruction. Letting nothing or any person stand in their way. The author showing us the other side of hope how people grow spiritually. An in-depth look that was well done and worth reading.

[Analie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Firestorm. Once again, it delivers a welcome international flavor and context to Christian fiction. However, I didn't find the plot as interesting as the first book. Some moments felt implausible, like when Sara (a civilian) is allowed to interrogate people held for questioning. It's also poorly edited, so just try to look past the conspicuous typos.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Christian book, that shows that God doesn't give us a spirit of fear but of power, love and self discipline. I really enjoyed it!

[Ellen Rosenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one but admittedly, I enjoyed the first one better. Still, a great read with an interesting and engaging plotline.

[Lynn's · Rating 5 out of 5]

Setting: Paraguay
Time Period: Modern Day

“FireStorm” by Jeanette Windle is the second installment of Sara Conner’s story. Because I didn’t read the first book in the series, there was a backstory I missed, but even so, I didn’t have a problem connecting with the plot or figuring out what was going on. That was a huge plus for me and one of the reasons I really liked this book.

If you’re not familiar with Jeanette Windle’s novels, then you should know I have dubbed her the queen of South America settings for Contemporary and Military Fiction. Like Sara’s story, we cross into borders like Bolivia and Paraguay to catch up with drug dealers, terrorists and difficult DEA agents for a couple hundred intense pages of fiction. In this book, the author developed memorable characters that will be hard to forget. Not just Sara, Doug and Cynthia, but even the bad guys were so fine tuned I just might have bad dreams about Vargas and Selah’s “terrorist mission plannings!” Though the story was fiction, it all felt very real.

I’ll also mention that “FireStorm” is a pretty long book, coming in at 713 pages. Though this book isn’t for the faint of heart, it is well written and exciting. There’s so many details and captivating plots. I’m an average reader, so I don’t fly through books very quickly. That made this a really l-o-n-g read for me, but so worth it. Literally, every piece of information mentioned comes around to be a key element in the story later. There were places where the author could have ended it with a “happy ever after,” but instead kept the suspense and intrigue going. Through that, I felt like I “lived” with the characters and really learned who they were. A masterpiece, really!

Conclusion: If you like long books and a good intense intelligent agency / terrorist story, then this book is for you. I’ve read several of Jeanette Windle’s books now, and each one is unique and interesting. Faith plays a big part, but it’s not too preachy. You’ll fall in love with the characters and see them grow, fight for freedom and ultimately, be who God called them to be through a high energy tale that will keep your attention to the end. Also, if you want to read the series in order, “Crossfire” is Book #1 and “FireStorm” book #2.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my absolute favorite books!