Customer Reviews

A Walk in the Darkness

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Ben Kamal grew up in the United States, married an American woman, and had children with her. The disappearance of his brother had minimal impact on Ben because he led a contented happy life. His satisfying lifestyle abruptly ended when a psychopath murdered his family. A distraught Ben returned to his ancestral home in Israel, becoming a detective for the Palestini government. His is unable to shed his feelings of isolation and loneliness until he falls in love with Chief Inspector Danielle Barnea of Israel's National Police Force. They forge a relationship out of love despite the hostilities of their warring people. When Danielle discovers she is pregnant, she decides to raise the child by herself rather than alienate Israeli society.

However, Danielle and Ben are forced to work together on a case involving twelve murdered archeologists. The investigation takes a personal twist for Ben when one of the victims turns out to be his nephew. Danielle and Ben soon learn that the archeologists found an ancient box buried in a cave that contained information that could destroy the foundation of the Catholic Church. Soon the law enforcement couple find themselves on the run from zealots guarding a secret that forces them to kill those who come too close to discovering the truth they want to keep hidden.

This political thriller starts out at the speed of a supersonic jet and just gets tenser and faster until the story line completes its unexpected but believable run. A WALK IN THE DARKNESS is a novel of high drama and emotional poignancy that provides the audience an opportunity to understand many aspects of the culture, religion, and politics of Palestinians inside the framework of the Israeli government. Jon Land continues to write tales that place him along side genre greats like Cussler, Clancy, and DeMille.

This is one of the worst novels I have picked up in a long time. The action scenes are cartoonish. The characters are unrealistically smart and ridiculously stupid, sometimes on the same page. The author seems to have developed his Middle East perspective in the propoganda office of Yasser Arafat. While most insulting to Jews, Mr. Land appears to be an equal opportunity insulter. Palestinians and Catholics will likewise be displeased in the way Mr. Land portrays them. Mr. Land has a childishly unrealistic view of the current political scene in the Middle East. I am sorry I wasted my time on this silly, poorly written, poorly researched work.

The notion that the Swiss Guards of the Vatican contain a bunch of latter-day Knights Templar who operate as commando assasins in defence of the Church, to the extent that anyone who even suspects the existence of an ancient scroll that "debunks" Christ's ressurrection must be exterminated, is too goofy to take seriously. The idea that the whole of Christianity would be turned on its ear because an ancient historian scribbled some notes about a Jewish/Roman conspiracy, as though everyone in the world would instantly take that bit of crumbling parchment as irrefutable gospel, is much too weak a nail on which to hang the majority of the ponderous plot. If this book were deliberately tongue-in-cheek and over-the-top, I could accept characters who are actually just caricatures, but Land is no Ian Fleming; he seems to expect us to take these people <seriously>, even if they have all the depth of a cardboard cutout. The protagonists struggle with tedious introspections and dreary memories when they're not too busy with international chases, kidnappings, exploding oil rigs, dangling from helicopters, grappling for the detonator...you get the idea. A heap of cliches, topped with a thin sauce of Mid-Eastern politics.

"A Walk in the Darkness" is a glib, slick thriller that moved quickly through the twists and turns of Mideast tensions and contradictions. It's strongest asset was the gimmick of the plot, the possible existence of revolutionary new finds in the Judean desert. However, the rather superficial and stereotypic portrayals (including the over-borrowed character from Casablanca, the Colonel Al-Asi) marred what might have been a great read.

A great adventure lies ahead.

Danielle Barnea is an Israeli police officer. Ben Kamal is a Palestinian detective. A group of Archeologists are executed while at a site in the Judean desert. This starts the adventure that brings Danielle and Ben back together again.

If you like Indiana Jones adventures, you'll like this book. It's fast paced action all the way. It has a tendency to go a little overboard on some of the action as far as believability goes, but its still hyperdrive reading. As you read through the twists and turns, from places like Boston to the North Sea, you'll enjoy the ride, and at the same time see how relations between a Palestinian and an Israelis can be a problem. One humorous note; Colonel Al-Asi and his gambling 'inspections'.

Highly recommended..

First off, let me say that this book didn't really annoy me on any political level. While it didn't seem feasible, I don't read Jon Land novels for feasibility. I read them for their creative plots and wild unremitting action.

Alas, this one was lacking in both of those categories.

This was the first book I've read involving Ben and Danielle and maybe Land is/was trying to set a new tone with this series. The outcome, though, is a book much less fun to read than, say The Eighth Trumpet, or The Valhalla Testament. Things move much more slowly - with character development in the foreground. I just didn't find the character work that compelling. I could see where things were going and found myself missing the breakneck action of this book's predecessors. It just wasn't that exciting a novel, which is a shame because it was written by one of the most creative thriller writers around.

Ben Kamal and Danielle Barnea are back in their 3rd novel. Fantastic plot and I applaud Jon Land for another great story !

Once again Mr. Land has given the reader a new insight into the trials and tribulations of not only two of his best characters, but of the Mid-East in general. His continuation of the characters and storyline is great. It promotes all sorts of probablities and possibilities that keep you going all the way to the last page, and then leave you wondering what the next "adventure" will be. A GREAT READ! Mr. Land is to be commended

This was a unique twist in the Jon Land series that stars Ben and Danielle. In stead of being investigative officers they take on the role of action heros. The Catholic Church has a secret Army(Knights Templar) who have killed an American archeological team who undercover an ancient religious secret. Add in a radical Jewish religious order who want the Palestinians out of the area To fininsh up the interesting cast of characters add Shin Bet. Ben and Danielle spend the entire book in battle with all of the forces that have been mentioned. Ben and Danielle also do a lot of world traveling. All in all a well done book. It is definitely a page turner. You will not be dissapointed.

In the world beyond the boundaries of these United States, there are more things that happen than we are ever aware of. In Jon Land's novel, "A Walk In The Darkness", we discover exactly what some of those things might be.

On the ever-present verge of war, Turkey is shocked by the murder of a group of American archeologists on the brink of making an earth-shattering find: scrolls that may just throw Christianity into a frenzy. If true, the information contained in these ancient Aramaic scripts will destroy organized religion as it is currently known. They just may contain information saying that Jesus Christ was never resurrected, because he never actually died on the Cross. Called into action are Chief Inspector Danielle Barnea of Isreal's National Police, and Palestinian detective Ben Kamal...joining together amidst the heat of the Judean desert to get to the bottom of this mystery. But the scrolls in question, though missing, may not be the reason the Americans were murdered after all. Taking all of their combined ingenuity and skill, Kamal and Bernea are pursued from continent to continent once they begin to unravel the true mystery.

Divided into nearly 90 bite-sized chapters, Land's novel is a humdinger of a read...drawing the readers attention on with each well-written word. Packed with action and intelligent characters, this is one book that will be difficult to put down until it is finished. Buy it today!