My rating: 3/5
Book three of the Marcus Ryker series, The Jerusalem Assassin by Joel C. Rosenberg, continues following Ryker as he is commissioned to Jerusalem as a member of the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) to protect U.S. President Clarke and other diplomatic leaders, following a historic proposal President Clarke developed to forge peace between Israel and Palestine. The proposal is met with great opposition and causes a series of tumultuous events that threaten the safety of the involved government officials. Through sheer heroism, Ryker puts his life on the line for the safety of his governmental leadership.
Although the synopsis seemed quite intriguing, I was a bit disappointed by the execution. The story lacked the level of thrill and suspense I have come to anticipate in Rosenberg’s novels. The story was meagerly paced and did not keep me on the edge of my seat until the last few chapters. Rosenberg has an admirably vast knowledge of Middle Eastern politics, which was depicted in the plot. The character development was excellently executed. I am quite invested in the journey of the protagonist, Marcus Ryker, and was not disappointed by the depiction of his journey in this book.
There was not an abundance of Christian theology or biblical wisdom in the story. Ryker is a devoted Christian, and one of my favorite scenes in the book is when he persuades his work comrade, Oleg Kraskin, who is unashamedly an atheist, to read one of the gospel accounts in the New Testament. I appreciated this inclusion in the plot but felt that Rosenberg could have portrayed Ryker relying more on this faith, especially while he was experiencing potential life altering events.
Ultimately, Rosenberg is a talented writer, whose skills shine throughout the story. Although I felt this book was not as intriguing as the previous two in the series, I still favor Rosenberg as a writer, and plan on reading more of his work.
Check it out on Amazon! #CommissionsEarned
