Review – The First Hostage

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 with Collins trying to convince the foreign editor of the New York Times that “U.S. and Jordanian security forces were presently engaged in a massive search-and-rescue effort to find the president.”  Unable to name the source for the breaking news the editor refused to print the story.

Add a U.S. constitutional crisis, a treasonous mole, ISIS, Secret Service, FBI, CIA and Mossad agents, chemical weapons and more and you have a compelling and complicated political thriller that includes an edge-of-your seat climax impossible to put down.

The plot and characterization are from a New York Times bestselling author intimate with world events, whose known for crafting stories that become breaking news stories. Last summer Rosenberg and his family immigrated to make Aliyah in the land of Israel and currently enjoy dual citizenship in the United States and Israel. ”

The First Hostage, “…an adrenaline-laced tale of international intrigue, religious fanaticism and End-Time prophecies impossible to put down” is destined to become a mega bestseller.