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J. B. Collins #2
The First Hostage
What if the Islamic State captured the most valuable hostage in history?"The president of the United States . . . is missing." With these words, "New York Times" journalist J. B. Collins, report-ing from the scene of a devastating attack by ISIS terrorists in Amman, Jordan, puts the entire world on high alert. The leaders of Israel and Palestine are critically injured, Jordan's king is fighting for his life, and the U.S. president is missing and presumed captured.As the U.S. government faces a constitutional crisis and Jordan battles for its very existence, Collins must do his best to keep the world informed while working to convince the FBI that his stories are not responsible for the terror attack on the Jordanian capital. And ISIS still has chemical weapons . . .Struggling to clear his name, Collins and the Secret Service try frantically to locate and res-cue the leader of the free world before ISIS's threats become a catastrophic reality.
460 pages, Paperback
First published December 29, 2015
660 people are currently reading
2727 people want to read
About the author
Joel C. Rosenberg
56 books3,000 followersLibrarian 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 536 reviews
February 6, 2016
It just can't get any better! I just love his books. I could not put it down it's action packed with current events theme. Excellent!
February 20, 2017
Excellent read!! Very fast moving and exciting, although frightening to know that the things that happened in Joel's book could very well happen in our world today!! Love his writing and can't wait for the next one coming out next month!!
February 10, 2016
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Joel C. Rosenberg, and Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book, which allows me to provide you with this review.
Picking up where the previous novel ended, panic is at its height as ISIS has turned a Middle East Peace Summit into a bloodbath. Amidst the chaos, the President of the United States (POTUS) is missing and no one can reach anyone in the security detail. New York Times Foreign Correspondent, J.B. Collins, is set to file a fragmented story to let the world know of this monumental event, but is curtailed by his editors. After releasing the news on social media, outlets around the world are buzzing and Collins finds himself in the crosshairs of some high in the US Administration and various branches of security. Collins is airlifted out of the region alongside the King of Jordan, as they set about trying to locate POTUS and determine next steps in this war against ISIS. When a video is released, showing POTUS as a prisoner in an undisclosed ISIS location, Collins hopes to work from the inside and provide ongoing news to the outside world, though is banned from doing so by the King and those in the upper echelon of the Jordanian military. An investigation unveils an American mole feeding information to ISIS in hopes of assisting in the killing of POTUS, with Collins the purported source, and he is detained on charges of treason. However, deep intelligence sources reveal that Collins' detention is a ruse to flush out the actual mole, whose identity will shock the world. As POTUS remains captive and a massive ransom is demanded by ISIS leaders, Collins must work with US Forces, Mossad, and the Jordanians to undertake a major rescue operation. Using lesser-known biblical passages and an expert within his own family, Collins seeks to determine the location of POTUS, while he wonders if this is a modern depiction of the End of Days, as recounted in both the Bible and Koran.With ISIS prepared to stop at nothing to embarrass the Great Satan and exemplify their power through acts of extreme violence, the clock is ticking with POTUS' execution looming. Another wonderful political thriller by Rosenberg, who pulls ideas from the headlines, but offers a wonderfully balanced approach in his storytelling, while peppering the narrative with religious references throughout. Not to be dismissed by anyone who loves exceptionally detailed political works of fiction.
Since discovering Rosenberg, I have not been able to put down his novels. They are both highly entertaining and educational, while also offering a detailed examination of issues currently in the headlines. While political thriller writers of the past have used a black and white approach to their stories (Allies vs. Axis, Cold War Western World vs. Eastern Bloc, and even US vs. Islamic Terrorists), Rosenberg looks to blur lines and offer that grey area, whereby readers learn of the actors who are in the middle, with allegiance to one side while having religious and historical ties to the other. The ISIS issue is a newer and highly controversial topic, which Rosenberg could have pitted as an American against the Muslim World story, but he chose not to go that route. Identifying the Jordanians and some of the newer Iraqi and Syrian political forces that are not supporting ISIS allows the reader to pull off the blinders that media outlets may be trying to push onto the ignorant passive news junkie. Rosenberg fleshes out the complexity in the region while telling the political story that helps shape the region's struggles and undermines the need for a better understanding ahead of knee-jerk presuppositions. As with all his novels, Rosenberg adds a biblical flavour to things, speaking of prayer, salvation, and referencing passages in the Bible itself, but this is not done to inculcate. These topics do need examination, as Rosenberg does pull out some interesting prophetic quotations that are applicable to current situations, while letting the reader decide what to believe. Political intrigue and a highly energetic story meets a wonderful cast of characters and thoroughly realistic narrative, which catapults Rosenberg to the top of his genre. Fans and new readers alike can only hope that there is more to come from this author, who has shown time and again that he knows the genre, the nuances of Middle Eastern politics, and how to craft a story that pulls readers in after the opening few sentences.
Kudos, Mr. Rosenberg for another stellar piece of work. I cannot get enough of this, the third addictive series that you have created. I can only hope you have more to share in the coming years with as much, if not more, gusto!
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Picking up where the previous novel ended, panic is at its height as ISIS has turned a Middle East Peace Summit into a bloodbath. Amidst the chaos, the President of the United States (POTUS) is missing and no one can reach anyone in the security detail. New York Times Foreign Correspondent, J.B. Collins, is set to file a fragmented story to let the world know of this monumental event, but is curtailed by his editors. After releasing the news on social media, outlets around the world are buzzing and Collins finds himself in the crosshairs of some high in the US Administration and various branches of security. Collins is airlifted out of the region alongside the King of Jordan, as they set about trying to locate POTUS and determine next steps in this war against ISIS. When a video is released, showing POTUS as a prisoner in an undisclosed ISIS location, Collins hopes to work from the inside and provide ongoing news to the outside world, though is banned from doing so by the King and those in the upper echelon of the Jordanian military. An investigation unveils an American mole feeding information to ISIS in hopes of assisting in the killing of POTUS, with Collins the purported source, and he is detained on charges of treason. However, deep intelligence sources reveal that Collins' detention is a ruse to flush out the actual mole, whose identity will shock the world. As POTUS remains captive and a massive ransom is demanded by ISIS leaders, Collins must work with US Forces, Mossad, and the Jordanians to undertake a major rescue operation. Using lesser-known biblical passages and an expert within his own family, Collins seeks to determine the location of POTUS, while he wonders if this is a modern depiction of the End of Days, as recounted in both the Bible and Koran.With ISIS prepared to stop at nothing to embarrass the Great Satan and exemplify their power through acts of extreme violence, the clock is ticking with POTUS' execution looming. Another wonderful political thriller by Rosenberg, who pulls ideas from the headlines, but offers a wonderfully balanced approach in his storytelling, while peppering the narrative with religious references throughout. Not to be dismissed by anyone who loves exceptionally detailed political works of fiction.
Since discovering Rosenberg, I have not been able to put down his novels. They are both highly entertaining and educational, while also offering a detailed examination of issues currently in the headlines. While political thriller writers of the past have used a black and white approach to their stories (Allies vs. Axis, Cold War Western World vs. Eastern Bloc, and even US vs. Islamic Terrorists), Rosenberg looks to blur lines and offer that grey area, whereby readers learn of the actors who are in the middle, with allegiance to one side while having religious and historical ties to the other. The ISIS issue is a newer and highly controversial topic, which Rosenberg could have pitted as an American against the Muslim World story, but he chose not to go that route. Identifying the Jordanians and some of the newer Iraqi and Syrian political forces that are not supporting ISIS allows the reader to pull off the blinders that media outlets may be trying to push onto the ignorant passive news junkie. Rosenberg fleshes out the complexity in the region while telling the political story that helps shape the region's struggles and undermines the need for a better understanding ahead of knee-jerk presuppositions. As with all his novels, Rosenberg adds a biblical flavour to things, speaking of prayer, salvation, and referencing passages in the Bible itself, but this is not done to inculcate. These topics do need examination, as Rosenberg does pull out some interesting prophetic quotations that are applicable to current situations, while letting the reader decide what to believe. Political intrigue and a highly energetic story meets a wonderful cast of characters and thoroughly realistic narrative, which catapults Rosenberg to the top of his genre. Fans and new readers alike can only hope that there is more to come from this author, who has shown time and again that he knows the genre, the nuances of Middle Eastern politics, and how to craft a story that pulls readers in after the opening few sentences.
Kudos, Mr. Rosenberg for another stellar piece of work. I cannot get enough of this, the third addictive series that you have created. I can only hope you have more to share in the coming years with as much, if not more, gusto!
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
March 7, 2016
I was hoping for a good, well researched thriller. Unfortunately, despite plenty of action, disbelief was my main reaction throughout the book. I couldn't buy the narrator's story at any moment. A simple journalist involved this deep, giving advice and insisting on issues during such a crisis is simply not believable. Add to that the worst dialogues I've ever read, where each line rings untrue and artificial and the book is a remarkable miss. Too bad.
March 27, 2017
Just an okay story from my viewpoint. It's too bad the novel couldn't be more about Collins and less about those with power over him. 4 of 10 stars
November 29, 2015
Joel Rosenberg follows up "The ThirdTarget" with a suspenseful and fast paced winner! This sequel picks up exactly where the last book left off with POTUS missing and Amman, Jordan under siege by ISIS. J.B. Collins, New York Times reporter extatrodinaire is still on the inside observing and entrenched in all the action. The primary plot line revolves around locating and saving POTUS before the deadline that ISIS has established for his death passes. The author uses his years of experience in Middle Eastern affairs to enrich all aspects of the novel. He wraps an enormous amount of solid information about the politics of the Middle East and the US, ISIS and history around this well laid out storyline. The detail brings to life the crisis and human toll of rebellion and military action. The central and ancillary characters are detailed, but still have a bit of mystery, leaving the door open for another book in this series. At least one can hope. I've never been disappointed with a Joel Rosenberg novel and neither will you.
This book was received free from Netgalley in exhange for a fair and unbiased review.
This book was received free from Netgalley in exhange for a fair and unbiased review.
August 30, 2018
“Brave is one thing. Crazy is another.”
Jack Ryan does the Middle East. Better than Clancy because Rosenberg eschews the techno-babble. Unfortunately, he also gets a lots of technical details wrong, which ruins the story for lovers of techno-thrills. What he gets right is the politics--not the details, but the sense that the melding of religion and politics makes more than strange bedfellows in the Middle East and in America.
“This is now the craziest thing I’ve ever considered doing.”
The good news is that this is a topical, fast-paced page turner. The stakes are high and everything seems to be going from bad to worse for the protagonist. Rosenberg communicates feelings, thoughts and actions in a manner which grabs the reader and doesn’t let go. For those whose knowledge of ISIS is only sound-bite deep, this is good background.
“Shouldn’t we wait for back up?” “There is no backup.”
The downside is the illogicality. The New York Times lead Middle East reporter doesn’t know the background of Moslem apocalyptic prophecy? (He gets a bye for not knowing Christian apocalyptic prophecy; that’s understandable these days.) The king of Jordan invites an American reporter into his inner policy circle during an attack? Israel has a “jet” that can drop 5000 pound bombs? Two people, equipped for combat, make a tandem parachute jump with one chute? A three-star general, probably 50 years old, leads a delta assault team? No involvement--if only chest beating and bluster--by Russia, Britain, France and Turkey--when Southwest Asia is exploding? B-2s based in potentially hostile territory?
Stranger still are the endorsements which include two (failed) presidential candidates. Did they get their defense and Middle East perspectives from reading fiction like this? This is teen-wish-fulfillment fiction.
Ignore all that; enjoy the story. Suggest you read The Third Target first.
“Thousands of people were dead because he’d failed to take ISIS seriously and deal with them earlier on.”
Jack Ryan does the Middle East. Better than Clancy because Rosenberg eschews the techno-babble. Unfortunately, he also gets a lots of technical details wrong, which ruins the story for lovers of techno-thrills. What he gets right is the politics--not the details, but the sense that the melding of religion and politics makes more than strange bedfellows in the Middle East and in America.
“This is now the craziest thing I’ve ever considered doing.”
The good news is that this is a topical, fast-paced page turner. The stakes are high and everything seems to be going from bad to worse for the protagonist. Rosenberg communicates feelings, thoughts and actions in a manner which grabs the reader and doesn’t let go. For those whose knowledge of ISIS is only sound-bite deep, this is good background.
“Shouldn’t we wait for back up?” “There is no backup.”
The downside is the illogicality. The New York Times lead Middle East reporter doesn’t know the background of Moslem apocalyptic prophecy? (He gets a bye for not knowing Christian apocalyptic prophecy; that’s understandable these days.) The king of Jordan invites an American reporter into his inner policy circle during an attack? Israel has a “jet” that can drop 5000 pound bombs? Two people, equipped for combat, make a tandem parachute jump with one chute? A three-star general, probably 50 years old, leads a delta assault team? No involvement--if only chest beating and bluster--by Russia, Britain, France and Turkey--when Southwest Asia is exploding? B-2s based in potentially hostile territory?
Stranger still are the endorsements which include two (failed) presidential candidates. Did they get their defense and Middle East perspectives from reading fiction like this? This is teen-wish-fulfillment fiction.
Ignore all that; enjoy the story. Suggest you read The Third Target first.
“Thousands of people were dead because he’d failed to take ISIS seriously and deal with them earlier on.”
September 20, 2018
Rosenberg puts together stories that could very well end up a current news headline. Thrilling and action packed, but always based in reality, this series brings current events of the Middle East and the world to life.
The audio version of this is wonderfully done with great character voices. It does feel a little rushed at times leaving me little time to pause it when I need to stop. However, the pace adds to the feel of the book as events unfold in a hurried manner. My only complaint is the list of dates and numbers. Were I reading the book, I could skim through them easily, but having to listen to them read aloud is tiresome and tedious.
This series is better suited to teen readers and above, but not for explicit language, sexual content, or violence. Most books would let the curse words fly given the circumstances and characters, but Rosenberg foregoes that part. While nothing is graphic about the sexual content or violence, there is a lot of real life situations, including an affair and death by beheading and torture. The nature of these leads me to point this series toward readers better able to handle the topics.
The audio version of this is wonderfully done with great character voices. It does feel a little rushed at times leaving me little time to pause it when I need to stop. However, the pace adds to the feel of the book as events unfold in a hurried manner. My only complaint is the list of dates and numbers. Were I reading the book, I could skim through them easily, but having to listen to them read aloud is tiresome and tedious.
This series is better suited to teen readers and above, but not for explicit language, sexual content, or violence. Most books would let the curse words fly given the circumstances and characters, but Rosenberg foregoes that part. While nothing is graphic about the sexual content or violence, there is a lot of real life situations, including an affair and death by beheading and torture. The nature of these leads me to point this series toward readers better able to handle the topics.
January 15, 2016
The President of the U.S. is missing. With these words New York Times journalist J.B.
Collins reporting from the scene of a devastating attack by ISIS terrorists in Amman
Jordan puts the world on alert. The leaders of Israel and Palestine are critically injured
and Jordan's king is fighting for his life. The President's missing and presumed captured .
Collins is trying to keep the world informed but the FBI is blaming him for the attack.
Struggling to clear his name Collins and the Secret Service are trying frantically to find the
President. ISIS has given them 48 hours to meet their demands or the President is to be
beheaded. This is another fine novel from Joel C Rosenberg and it's full of twists and
turns and will keep you on the edge of your seat. I gave it a 5.
Collins reporting from the scene of a devastating attack by ISIS terrorists in Amman
Jordan puts the world on alert. The leaders of Israel and Palestine are critically injured
and Jordan's king is fighting for his life. The President's missing and presumed captured .
Collins is trying to keep the world informed but the FBI is blaming him for the attack.
Struggling to clear his name Collins and the Secret Service are trying frantically to find the
President. ISIS has given them 48 hours to meet their demands or the President is to be
beheaded. This is another fine novel from Joel C Rosenberg and it's full of twists and
turns and will keep you on the edge of your seat. I gave it a 5.
March 12, 2017
Just as stunning as the first one! I was hooked from the beginning. There was a little bit more volience/gore depicted than I think I expected...possibly because of this publisher, but I think it only added to increase the tension and reality of the situations in which it was used. Definitely necessary in the type of scenarios that are dealt with in this book. It wasn't too much in my opinion, but I often read authors like David Baldacci etc. I absolutely love Rosenberg's writing style and can't wait to read book 3 for review!
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This is an audiobook read for me
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This is an audiobook read for me
October 13, 2015
Another winner from Joel Rosenberg. Can't wait for the next book. Review to come...
April 1, 2016
Read this review and more at www.TheRealBookSpy.com
In many interviews, author Brad Thor has quoted his friend (and fellow author) Brad Meltzer by saying “a thriller writer’s job is to beat the headlines.”
While both Brad Thor and Brad Meltzer have been fantastic at beating headlines in their own bestselling novels over the years, I would argue that nobody has been a better headliner-beater than author Joel C Rosenberg.
Back in 2002, Rosenberg opened his debut novel, The Last Jihad, with a scene where Muslim extremists use an airplane in a kamikaze attack on the President of the United States. Incredibly, Rosenberg actually wrote that scene before 9/11.
It was for headline-beating scenarios like this that U.S. News and World Report coined Rosenberg a “modern day Nostradamus.” But the incredible predictions in his novels didn’t stop there.
Part of the central plot to The Last Jihad is Israel’s newfound discovery of oil. at the time, that idea seemed outlandish. Yet recently we’ve seen headlines such as “Potentially game-changing oil reserves discovered in Israel” from Fox News and other media outlets alike.
In his second novel series, beginning with The Twelfth Imam (2010), Rosenberg – who has written several nonfiction books as well – tells a story about a young CIA operative who uncovers a shocking truth about Iran’s nuclear capabilities. That series, which spans over three books, (The Twelfth Imam, The Tehran Initiative, and Damascus Countdown) deals with the realities and dangers that a nuclear Iran poses to both Israel, and America.
Most of the questions surrounding the central plot to that series, such as: should Israel launch a preemptive strike on Iran, are currently being analyzed by talk show hosts across the country. It’s debated in congress too, as part of the nuclear agreement America has entered into with Iran.
Rosenberg had already proven to have his finger firmly on the pulse of world events and geopolitics long before this year’s book came out. Yet in January, with the release of The Third Target, Rosenberg once again seems to have peered into his crystal ball and seen events before they actually happened.
New series
The third Target (released in January of 2015) was the first novel in Rosenberg’s new series about a New York Times reporter who chases a story about ISIS. J.B. Collins sets out to confirm a rumor he’s heard suggesting that the terrorist group smuggled weapons of mass destruction out of Syria, and he’ll stop at nothing to get the scoop – including sneaking into Syria to meet with the leaders of The Islamic State.
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t read The Third Target, but plan to, skip the next potion of this review. If you plan to read The First Hostage without reading The Third Target, or if you’ve already read The Third Target, proceed ahead!
Eventually, Collins learns that ISIS did in fact obtain the very weapons he’d heard about, but his warning is ignored by most of the world – including his own country.
A peace summit in Jordan is attacked, and Collins narrowly escapes with his life. In the final moments of the novel, J.B. calls his editor back in New York and announces that the president of the United States, thought to be safely under the protection of the Secret Service, is in fact missing – ending the novel with a massive cliffhanger.
The First Hostage
The First Hostage picks up just seconds after where The Third Target ends, thank goodness, thrusting the reader into immediate nonstop-action.
Collins in on the ground in Jordan talking to his editor, giving him a rundown of everything that’s just happened since the surprise attack by ISIS. From there, J.B. is invited by the King of Jordan into a secure military bunker, where he’s given exclusive access to cover all the events as they unfold, including the search for the American president.
Collins soon discovers that he doesn’t quite have the freedom to report on whatever he wants, as he’s subjected to censorship from the Jordanian government. While not a fan of censorship, he makes do with what he has. That is until a twist in the story flips things upside down, shaking Collins to his very core.
Rosenberg keeps the reader engaged with excellent pacing and an explosive story. Just when you think you have things figured out, he leads you down another path in a totally different direction. Everything leads to a fascinating final quarter of the novel that puts J.B Collins, and the reader, on the front lines of the battle against ISIS.
The First Hostage is one of the final must-read novels of 2015, and a rip-roaring thriller that dares you set it down because it knows you won’t be able to. I absolutely loved this book, refusing to go to sleep until I had it finished.
Best of all, while it’s definitely a book for adults because of the content, there’s absolutely nothing in this novel that wold keep me from handing it to my teenage son or daughter. There is no swearing or sexual content, and the scenes that are slightly disturbing (one in particular, as Rosenberg accurately captures just how vile members of the Islamic State actually are) aren’t over the top or especially detailed.
With his history of beating headlines, if you want an idea of what future attacks from ISIS might look like, read this book from the guy who had The Islamic State figured out before anyone else – Joel Rosenberg!
Book Details
Author: Joel C Rosenberg
Pages: 448 (hardcover)
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishing
Release Date: December 29, 2015
In many interviews, author Brad Thor has quoted his friend (and fellow author) Brad Meltzer by saying “a thriller writer’s job is to beat the headlines.”
While both Brad Thor and Brad Meltzer have been fantastic at beating headlines in their own bestselling novels over the years, I would argue that nobody has been a better headliner-beater than author Joel C Rosenberg.
Back in 2002, Rosenberg opened his debut novel, The Last Jihad, with a scene where Muslim extremists use an airplane in a kamikaze attack on the President of the United States. Incredibly, Rosenberg actually wrote that scene before 9/11.
It was for headline-beating scenarios like this that U.S. News and World Report coined Rosenberg a “modern day Nostradamus.” But the incredible predictions in his novels didn’t stop there.
Part of the central plot to The Last Jihad is Israel’s newfound discovery of oil. at the time, that idea seemed outlandish. Yet recently we’ve seen headlines such as “Potentially game-changing oil reserves discovered in Israel” from Fox News and other media outlets alike.
In his second novel series, beginning with The Twelfth Imam (2010), Rosenberg – who has written several nonfiction books as well – tells a story about a young CIA operative who uncovers a shocking truth about Iran’s nuclear capabilities. That series, which spans over three books, (The Twelfth Imam, The Tehran Initiative, and Damascus Countdown) deals with the realities and dangers that a nuclear Iran poses to both Israel, and America.
Most of the questions surrounding the central plot to that series, such as: should Israel launch a preemptive strike on Iran, are currently being analyzed by talk show hosts across the country. It’s debated in congress too, as part of the nuclear agreement America has entered into with Iran.
Rosenberg had already proven to have his finger firmly on the pulse of world events and geopolitics long before this year’s book came out. Yet in January, with the release of The Third Target, Rosenberg once again seems to have peered into his crystal ball and seen events before they actually happened.
New series
The third Target (released in January of 2015) was the first novel in Rosenberg’s new series about a New York Times reporter who chases a story about ISIS. J.B. Collins sets out to confirm a rumor he’s heard suggesting that the terrorist group smuggled weapons of mass destruction out of Syria, and he’ll stop at nothing to get the scoop – including sneaking into Syria to meet with the leaders of The Islamic State.
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t read The Third Target, but plan to, skip the next potion of this review. If you plan to read The First Hostage without reading The Third Target, or if you’ve already read The Third Target, proceed ahead!
Eventually, Collins learns that ISIS did in fact obtain the very weapons he’d heard about, but his warning is ignored by most of the world – including his own country.
A peace summit in Jordan is attacked, and Collins narrowly escapes with his life. In the final moments of the novel, J.B. calls his editor back in New York and announces that the president of the United States, thought to be safely under the protection of the Secret Service, is in fact missing – ending the novel with a massive cliffhanger.
The First Hostage
The First Hostage picks up just seconds after where The Third Target ends, thank goodness, thrusting the reader into immediate nonstop-action.
Collins in on the ground in Jordan talking to his editor, giving him a rundown of everything that’s just happened since the surprise attack by ISIS. From there, J.B. is invited by the King of Jordan into a secure military bunker, where he’s given exclusive access to cover all the events as they unfold, including the search for the American president.
Collins soon discovers that he doesn’t quite have the freedom to report on whatever he wants, as he’s subjected to censorship from the Jordanian government. While not a fan of censorship, he makes do with what he has. That is until a twist in the story flips things upside down, shaking Collins to his very core.
Rosenberg keeps the reader engaged with excellent pacing and an explosive story. Just when you think you have things figured out, he leads you down another path in a totally different direction. Everything leads to a fascinating final quarter of the novel that puts J.B Collins, and the reader, on the front lines of the battle against ISIS.
The First Hostage is one of the final must-read novels of 2015, and a rip-roaring thriller that dares you set it down because it knows you won’t be able to. I absolutely loved this book, refusing to go to sleep until I had it finished.
Best of all, while it’s definitely a book for adults because of the content, there’s absolutely nothing in this novel that wold keep me from handing it to my teenage son or daughter. There is no swearing or sexual content, and the scenes that are slightly disturbing (one in particular, as Rosenberg accurately captures just how vile members of the Islamic State actually are) aren’t over the top or especially detailed.
With his history of beating headlines, if you want an idea of what future attacks from ISIS might look like, read this book from the guy who had The Islamic State figured out before anyone else – Joel Rosenberg!
Book Details
Author: Joel C Rosenberg
Pages: 448 (hardcover)
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishing
Release Date: December 29, 2015
September 19, 2019
I haven't read any of Mr. Rosenberg's books in a number of years. I have to say, he is a very good writer.
This book was extremely fast paced, full of twists and turns that will not allow you to put it down.
Bravo. Full 5 🌟 ⭐🌟⭐🌟
This book was extremely fast paced, full of twists and turns that will not allow you to put it down.
Bravo. Full 5 🌟 ⭐🌟⭐🌟
December 18, 2016
There are forces of evil in the world, and some will do anything to accomplish their objectives. Sometimes it is not possible to simply mind your own business, and you must retreat, capitulate, or risk all to stand against those bent on their own evil purposes.
Fortunately, many of us are isolated and protected from those forces by others. Yet it is good to be reminded of the battle, and it can be fun to walk in the shoes of someone on the edge of the fight from the comfort of an easy chair or couch.
This book by Joel Rosenberg enables the reader to become the hero as they race thru a harrowing experience in the shoes of reporter J.B. Collins as he rides the crest of the wave of events as the fate of the nations hang in the balance.
Set in an imagined modern scenario where ISIS terrorists strike a blow against the president of the United States and against the world leaders desiring peace, this fast-paced novel presents events as they could be if we are not very, very, careful, wise, and courageous.
Enjoy.
Fortunately, many of us are isolated and protected from those forces by others. Yet it is good to be reminded of the battle, and it can be fun to walk in the shoes of someone on the edge of the fight from the comfort of an easy chair or couch.
This book by Joel Rosenberg enables the reader to become the hero as they race thru a harrowing experience in the shoes of reporter J.B. Collins as he rides the crest of the wave of events as the fate of the nations hang in the balance.
Set in an imagined modern scenario where ISIS terrorists strike a blow against the president of the United States and against the world leaders desiring peace, this fast-paced novel presents events as they could be if we are not very, very, careful, wise, and courageous.
Enjoy.
April 28, 2020
Joel Rosenberg consistently creates believable plot lines, but tends to sacrifice believability as he develops the story. He provides plenty of "eye-roll" moments as heroes and villains are given almost superhuman abilities. Another weakness of his books is his insertion of long, internal dialogues that I end up scrolling through because they unnaturally interrupt the action. For me, his books fall on the border between a 3 and 4 star read, where many could be solid 5-star reads if not for these tendencies.
November 6, 2022
Quite a race against time novel, following NY Times Writer J.B. Collins as through personal intel, tries to warn, the POTUS, the Israelis and the Jordanians, the plans of ISIS and its leader Abu Khalif, to use chemical weapons on them. But at the same time, he becomes a suspect in the whole gambit.
Rosenberg keeps the writing faced paced, as most chapters are only 4 to 10 pages long. I like the interaction between Collins and many of the other protagonists in the book and the action scenes. There is actually a lot of dialogue.
The only drawback was the believability of a NY Times writer having special forces type fighting skills and getting out of many scraps not seriously wounded. Like in the first installment, he's coming across more as a James Bond, not a James Collins.
Rosenberg keeps the writing faced paced, as most chapters are only 4 to 10 pages long. I like the interaction between Collins and many of the other protagonists in the book and the action scenes. There is actually a lot of dialogue.
The only drawback was the believability of a NY Times writer having special forces type fighting skills and getting out of many scraps not seriously wounded. Like in the first installment, he's coming across more as a James Bond, not a James Collins.
May 26, 2020
The magic of the first book didn’t carry over in this one. The story was more political than thriller for me. I made it through 40% of the book before I started reading dialogue, which lasted until about 50% of the way there. The story just didn’t seem believable anymore.
December 9, 2020
Wow. Super suspenseful. Really am loving the whole trilogy. The author ended the second book with over whelming wonder for ‘what’s next ?’ Can’t wait. Jumping into to the last book of this incredible story.
May 14, 2022
I gave the first book in this trilogy 5 stars and I meant it. If I could give The First Hostage 6 stars I would. I couldn't put it down.
Like it's predecessor, the ending compels me to read the third in the trilogy.
Like it's predecessor, the ending compels me to read the third in the trilogy.
August 16, 2022
Wow! 🤯
Frick’n J.B. Collins!
Frick’n J.B. Collins!
April 26, 2017
Continuation of the "Third Target" storyline...JB & most of the forces for good are battling the ISIS evil in the Middle East...a real page-Turner as the rescue of the President moves toward its climax...who to trust?...fun read!!!
February 4, 2016
After reading several of Joel C. Rosenberg’s previous novels, I was delighted to have the opportunity to review The First Hostage as a Tyndale reviewer. Regretting having not read The Third Target which is the prequel to The First Hostage, I still plunged into this new story and tried, mentally and emotionally, to keep up with the breathless fast pace it runs from crack of spine to flip of the last page.
Amazing! That is simply a mild term for Mr. Rosenberg’s talent for writing and for bringing the reader into the staged situation that could easily be born from any major news channel’s “breaking news” or the headlines of leading international news papers. I was truly intrigued with the plot of this story which begins where The Third Target left off - the United States President having been captured by ISIS and is being held in an undisclosed location with the clock ticking.
Leading male protagonist, J.B.Collins is a world-acclaimed journalist who has interactions with leading political figures across the world. His contacts and insight has led him to advise world leaders, including the US President, that the scheduled meeting of Middle Eastern leaders with the President of the United States is being targeted by ISIS and these leaders should not convene. They do not heed his warning and thus a deadly attack takes place with many lives lost and the President missing.
Mr. Rosenberg’s personal experiences and knowledge of Middle Eastern politics certainly has prepared him to write definitively and with arguably a depth of knowledge few hold. He seems to understand not just the basic history of the Middle East but the political history and current political temperature as well.
Believable, well drawn characters race through this exciting and fearsome story where Rosenberg has painted scenes and sprinkled dialogue tersely throughout.
Rosenberg writes with the pen of an Evangelical Christian; and while done sparingly he does, none-the-less, have his main protagonist, Collins, struggling with a total commitment to Christ.
I believe, or rather I hope, there might be a third book in this series as I can sense threads of plot that could be deftly woven into a third book for this series. We had The Third Thread and The First Hostage, and now what will you bring your readers Mr. Rosenberg?
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Tyndale Blog Network to facilitate this review. I was not compensated.
Amazing! That is simply a mild term for Mr. Rosenberg’s talent for writing and for bringing the reader into the staged situation that could easily be born from any major news channel’s “breaking news” or the headlines of leading international news papers. I was truly intrigued with the plot of this story which begins where The Third Target left off - the United States President having been captured by ISIS and is being held in an undisclosed location with the clock ticking.
Leading male protagonist, J.B.Collins is a world-acclaimed journalist who has interactions with leading political figures across the world. His contacts and insight has led him to advise world leaders, including the US President, that the scheduled meeting of Middle Eastern leaders with the President of the United States is being targeted by ISIS and these leaders should not convene. They do not heed his warning and thus a deadly attack takes place with many lives lost and the President missing.
Mr. Rosenberg’s personal experiences and knowledge of Middle Eastern politics certainly has prepared him to write definitively and with arguably a depth of knowledge few hold. He seems to understand not just the basic history of the Middle East but the political history and current political temperature as well.
Believable, well drawn characters race through this exciting and fearsome story where Rosenberg has painted scenes and sprinkled dialogue tersely throughout.
Rosenberg writes with the pen of an Evangelical Christian; and while done sparingly he does, none-the-less, have his main protagonist, Collins, struggling with a total commitment to Christ.
I believe, or rather I hope, there might be a third book in this series as I can sense threads of plot that could be deftly woven into a third book for this series. We had The Third Thread and The First Hostage, and now what will you bring your readers Mr. Rosenberg?
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Tyndale Blog Network to facilitate this review. I was not compensated.
January 4, 2016
***a provocative, adrenaline-laced tale impossible to put down***
Joel C. Rosenberg sets the mood and tone of his explosive new release, "The First Hostage" with the chilling statement, "The president of the United States...is missing." Even though everyone thought he had boarded Air Force One and cleared Jordanian air space with a "fighter escort."
Foreign correspondent J.B. Collins had seen Secret Service agents race from the palace grounds in a bulletproof vehicle when he fired the MP5 thrust into his hands. The "short bursts" of fire power more a distraction than cover, allowed the King and Sa'id time to lift the severely wounded Israeli Prime Minister and the President of the Palestinian Authority into the back of the bulletproof SUV with wounds that made Collins injuries appear insignificant.
The acrid smell of thick, black smoke and blood assaulted Collins nostrils as he jumped into the bulletproof Suburban. Through the window he saw the mangled bodies of soldiers, police and black-hood jihadists strewn across the "smoking crater" where Jordan's state-of-the-art international airport terminal had once stood. The successful ISIS attack had been deadly and brought the signing of the historic peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians to an abrupt end. Thus, "The Third Target," (review) book one in Rosenberg’s J. B. Collins series ended.
The action packed pace of "The First Hostage" picks up seconds later…Full Review: http://www.examiner.com/list/the-firs...
Joel C. Rosenberg sets the mood and tone of his explosive new release, "The First Hostage" with the chilling statement, "The president of the United States...is missing." Even though everyone thought he had boarded Air Force One and cleared Jordanian air space with a "fighter escort."
Foreign correspondent J.B. Collins had seen Secret Service agents race from the palace grounds in a bulletproof vehicle when he fired the MP5 thrust into his hands. The "short bursts" of fire power more a distraction than cover, allowed the King and Sa'id time to lift the severely wounded Israeli Prime Minister and the President of the Palestinian Authority into the back of the bulletproof SUV with wounds that made Collins injuries appear insignificant.
The acrid smell of thick, black smoke and blood assaulted Collins nostrils as he jumped into the bulletproof Suburban. Through the window he saw the mangled bodies of soldiers, police and black-hood jihadists strewn across the "smoking crater" where Jordan's state-of-the-art international airport terminal had once stood. The successful ISIS attack had been deadly and brought the signing of the historic peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians to an abrupt end. Thus, "The Third Target," (review) book one in Rosenberg’s J. B. Collins series ended.
The action packed pace of "The First Hostage" picks up seconds later…Full Review: http://www.examiner.com/list/the-firs...
March 3, 2016
Joel Rosenberg has had a successful run as a Christian fiction author. His experiences working with Middle Eastern dignitaries definitely helps him solidify the degree of detail he is able to write with in his texts, and he helps illuminate the tensions between Israel and Palestine for his readers. I have personally enjoyed several of his works throughout the years.
In the case of this book, I was caught off guard. My last two titles that I read by Rosenberg were The Twelfth Imam and Israel at War. As a result, the transition to the different writing style he used for this series was an initial shock to my system, as I had come to expect a particular form and fashion from each author I encounter. That said, the change was not altogether negative. For me, it was to a fashion that I did not jive with as well, but the consistent highly-rated reviews and raves online would beg to differ. His work is consistently high-quality and top-notch, providing an authoritative voice on Middle Eastern tensions and helping Western minds understand the complex relations of cultures vastly different from their own, even if it is via a work of fiction.
This book is great, and follows the voice of J. B. Collins, which for me was the turnoff, since I am not journalist-minded. I’d give this title four stars, since although there is no doubt to its quality, Rosenberg has been able to engage varying readers in the past, and I have no doubt that he is capable of this challenge with Collins as well.
Disclosure: I have received a reviewer copy and/or payment in exchange for an honest review of the product mentioned in this post.
In the case of this book, I was caught off guard. My last two titles that I read by Rosenberg were The Twelfth Imam and Israel at War. As a result, the transition to the different writing style he used for this series was an initial shock to my system, as I had come to expect a particular form and fashion from each author I encounter. That said, the change was not altogether negative. For me, it was to a fashion that I did not jive with as well, but the consistent highly-rated reviews and raves online would beg to differ. His work is consistently high-quality and top-notch, providing an authoritative voice on Middle Eastern tensions and helping Western minds understand the complex relations of cultures vastly different from their own, even if it is via a work of fiction.
This book is great, and follows the voice of J. B. Collins, which for me was the turnoff, since I am not journalist-minded. I’d give this title four stars, since although there is no doubt to its quality, Rosenberg has been able to engage varying readers in the past, and I have no doubt that he is capable of this challenge with Collins as well.
Disclosure: I have received a reviewer copy and/or payment in exchange for an honest review of the product mentioned in this post.
April 16, 2019
The First Hostage by Joel Rosenberg is the second novel in the J.B. Collins series and this one is packed with more action and, on-the-edge of your seat, moments.
In the first book “The Third Target”, we meet New York Times reporter J.B. Collins and his hunt for the head of ISIS. Through his interviews and encounters with ISIS, he warns of an attack by ISIS, yet nobody seems to take him seriously. POTUS, the King of Jordan and various heads of state all are convinced that they understand the threat of ISIS and takes no notice of J.B.Collins.
Now fast forward to “The First Hostage”. Amman is burning after the attack during the summit, and POTUS is missing. Not everybody is happy about the fact that Collins finds himself in the war room of the King, but soon that turns into a nightmare as Collins is suspected of leaking important information. As Collins fights to clear his name, the deadline to find and rescue the president is approaching fast. Will they find the president in time?
This book is once again well researched, and the detail contained just paints the true and gruesome picture of ISIS. It tells the story of their brutality and the inhumane way they treat people, all to achieve their goals.
This fast-paced book will have you captivated to the end. At times I thought the war scenes went on a bit long, but I couldn’t put the book down. I had to see what happens next. Just one more chapter!
In the first book “The Third Target”, we meet New York Times reporter J.B. Collins and his hunt for the head of ISIS. Through his interviews and encounters with ISIS, he warns of an attack by ISIS, yet nobody seems to take him seriously. POTUS, the King of Jordan and various heads of state all are convinced that they understand the threat of ISIS and takes no notice of J.B.Collins.
Now fast forward to “The First Hostage”. Amman is burning after the attack during the summit, and POTUS is missing. Not everybody is happy about the fact that Collins finds himself in the war room of the King, but soon that turns into a nightmare as Collins is suspected of leaking important information. As Collins fights to clear his name, the deadline to find and rescue the president is approaching fast. Will they find the president in time?
This book is once again well researched, and the detail contained just paints the true and gruesome picture of ISIS. It tells the story of their brutality and the inhumane way they treat people, all to achieve their goals.
This fast-paced book will have you captivated to the end. At times I thought the war scenes went on a bit long, but I couldn’t put the book down. I had to see what happens next. Just one more chapter!
January 14, 2016
The only problem with reading Joel Rosenberg is that the books go too fast and you have to wait so long for the next one. This is a continuation of "The Third Target".
At the start, the president goes missing after the Jordanian peace talks are sabotaged by terrorists. New York Times journalist J. B. Collins, reporting from the scene of a devastating attack by ISIS terrorists in Amman, Jordan, puts the entire world on high alert. The leaders of Israel and Palestine are critically injured, Jordan’s king is fighting for his life, and the U.S. president is missing and presumed captured.
As the U.S. government faces a constitutional crisis and Jordan battles for its very existence, Collins must do his best to keep the world informed while working to convince the FBI that his stories are not responsible for the terror attack on the Jordanian capital. And ISIS still has chemical weapons . .
Struggling to clear his name, Collins and the Secret Service try frantically to locate and rescue the leader of the free world before ISIS’s threats become a catastrophic reality.
At the start, the president goes missing after the Jordanian peace talks are sabotaged by terrorists. New York Times journalist J. B. Collins, reporting from the scene of a devastating attack by ISIS terrorists in Amman, Jordan, puts the entire world on high alert. The leaders of Israel and Palestine are critically injured, Jordan’s king is fighting for his life, and the U.S. president is missing and presumed captured.
As the U.S. government faces a constitutional crisis and Jordan battles for its very existence, Collins must do his best to keep the world informed while working to convince the FBI that his stories are not responsible for the terror attack on the Jordanian capital. And ISIS still has chemical weapons . .
Struggling to clear his name, Collins and the Secret Service try frantically to locate and rescue the leader of the free world before ISIS’s threats become a catastrophic reality.
March 6, 2025
Another exhilarating ride with Joel Rosenberg. Another action packed read. Another worst case scenario in which an attack on a peace signing ceremony leaves the Jordanian government in shambles, the Israeli PM dead, and the American president kidnapped by evil ISIS operatives, who now poses one of the most dangerous weapons known to mankind—- sarin gas.
This terrifying scenario is ripped from tomorrows headlines. When the main character is accused of treason, he must save his reputation and his life, and catch the man responsible for the deadly attack.
It is an intriguing journey—- a journey into the mind of an apocalyptic death cult, and a journey into the inner operations one of America’s key allies—- Jordan, and a Journey into the heart and soul of one man trapped in the middle of it all.
5 out of 5
Absolutely incredible read, Joel Rosenberg has done it again, I would recommend this book in a heartbeat to anyone
This terrifying scenario is ripped from tomorrows headlines. When the main character is accused of treason, he must save his reputation and his life, and catch the man responsible for the deadly attack.
It is an intriguing journey—- a journey into the mind of an apocalyptic death cult, and a journey into the inner operations one of America’s key allies—- Jordan, and a Journey into the heart and soul of one man trapped in the middle of it all.
5 out of 5
Absolutely incredible read, Joel Rosenberg has done it again, I would recommend this book in a heartbeat to anyone
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2016
As usual, Joel writes and exciting, well-crafted tale of end-time possibilities in the Middle East. This is his area of expertise and it shows.
Using a non-believing reporter as the main character is an interesting twist. The entire scenario is believable and compelling. The characters are well-drawn. The world and descriptions of it are solid.
The spiritual accuracy is up for grabs. I hope none of this actually happens, but it could. I’ll be surprised, though. I suspect that the Muslim horde has a relatively short life in the future. But that’s just a Biblical observation. Joel’s fears are well-founded.
Spiritually, it’s 3-star plus
It’s obvious where the author is coming from. There is no rebirth scenario to kick it up to 4-star and certainly nothing spirit-filled. But spiritually, for a book of this type, it works well.
I received a free review copy from the publisher.
Using a non-believing reporter as the main character is an interesting twist. The entire scenario is believable and compelling. The characters are well-drawn. The world and descriptions of it are solid.
The spiritual accuracy is up for grabs. I hope none of this actually happens, but it could. I’ll be surprised, though. I suspect that the Muslim horde has a relatively short life in the future. But that’s just a Biblical observation. Joel’s fears are well-founded.
Spiritually, it’s 3-star plus
It’s obvious where the author is coming from. There is no rebirth scenario to kick it up to 4-star and certainly nothing spirit-filled. But spiritually, for a book of this type, it works well.
I received a free review copy from the publisher.
January 7, 2017
I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down at many points. My only complaint is with the authors one-dimensional dialog and characters. I may be overly critical on this point, but the book read as though every character had the same speech patterns. It made exchanges a bit harder to follow. Additionally, and this is just my opinion, the moral and ethical dilemmas the main character faces regarding journalistic integrity, censorship, and sense of mission were a little too much in the gray area for me. I understand needing to report the news as it happens, but the attitude of "the public MUST know about this NOW and damn the consequences!" was almost cringe-worthy at the beginning of the book. Regardless, I recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys these types of international thriller stories.
February 7, 2016
This is not the kind of book I ordinarily would ever pick up but I had heard so many positive things about it that it piqued my interest. This was a terrifying political thriller that unfortunately did not feel so unrealistic. A war reporter for the NYTimes is in Jordan to witness a peace agreement to be signed by Israeli and Palestinian leaders when a massive attack by ISIS occurs. Many are killed and the POTUS goes missing. A mole has infiltrated the network and the reporter along with the US and middle eastern countries needs to find him before it is too late. Rosenberg has an immense knowledge of this part of the world and the need for stability to bring about peace. Fast paced and heart clutching this is suspense at its best.
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