Keepers of the Gate (Ben Kamal and Danielle Barnea Novels) [Hardcover]

Jon Land (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2001 | Series: Ben Kamal and Danielle Barnea Novels

A new novel of suspense from the acclaimed author of A Walk in The Darkness and The Pillars of Solomon. How are the murders of elderly Holocaust survivors connected to the deaths of high school students in Israel and the West Bank? Palestinian-American detective Ben Kamal and Israeli detective Danielle Barnea soon discover that the answer to this blood-drenched puzzle lies as much in the past as in the present, with clues leading from a Nazi labour camp to the forefront of modern biotech research. To solve the mystery and save their own unborn child, Ben and Danielle must travel halfway around the world to confront the Keepers of The Gate.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A mysterious killer who is targeting Holocaust survivors sends detective Ben Kamal a Palestinian-American who has been working on the West Bank for six years and his Israeli sidekick, Danielle Barnea, down a labyrinthine trail of conspiracy and deception in Land's (A Walk in the Darkness, etc.) latest installment in this ongoing series. Corpses litter the Middle East landscape throughout this action-packed story, but once the initial victims surface the investigation splits into two parts one involving a group of Nazi hunters who emerge in the middle of the ongoing detective work, the other dealing with a separate string of murders in which the victims are clever high school students who organize a high-level blackmail operation targeting Israeli companies. The link between the two is Paul Hessler, a wealthy company owner whose shady past also dates back to the Holocaust, and who becomes a blackmail target after the murder of his son helps his firm make a startling medical discovery that could save the lives of millions, including the genetically damaged child that Barnea is carrying. Land is adept at gauging the unique effects the Mideastern culture and history will have on the emotions and motivations of his protagonists, but he spends precious few pages developing the complex relationship between Kamal and Barnea as they narrow the list of suspects to a small group whose past intersects with the liberation of a concentration camp. What the book lacks in terms of character development, however, the author makes up for through a series of innovative plot twists that take the story in some intriguing directions. Land's penchant for overplotting mutes the impact of the surprise ending, but those who enjoyed the earlier Kamal/Barnea outings should find this a satisfying read. Agent, Toni Mendez.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The fourth Ben Kamal-Danielle Barnea mystery begins with a suicide that may be murder, the capture of a notorious fugitive, and an invention of something that could revolutionize the way war is fought. Things get more complicated quickly, as we learn that the murder of Holocaust survivors may be connected to the deaths of Israeli high-school students. This is a big, convoluted mystery propelled by a genuinely compelling plot and its likable lead characters (Kamal is a Palestinian cop, Barnea a member of the Israeli National Police). We enjoy watching these smart, efficient detectives sort out what's what, and we enjoy watching the author have fun with his bigger-than-life plot, carefully calculating how far he can go without turning his story into a cartoon. Readers unfamiliar with the earlier installments in the series can still enjoy this one, but to catch some of the nuances (especially concerning the difficult cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian police), it's perhaps best to start at the beginning (The Walls of Jericho, 1997). Either way, this is a lively and well-told yarn, sure to please fans of high-concept thrillers. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Forge; 1st edition (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312856555
• ISBN-13: 978-0312856557
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,891,368 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exciting and believable political thriller, February 21, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Keepers of the Gate (Ben Kamal and Danielle Barnea Novels) (Hardcover)

Destiny has played a horrible trick on Palestinian American Detective Ben Kamal and Israeli Chief Inspector (Packed) Danielle Barnea. They met during a joint investigation and became lovers, but Danielle ended it because she knew they had no future together. Her compatriots will never accept Ben as her lover of husband, but only a deadly enemy.

After a time, the duo becomes lovers again, but this time Danielle becomes pregnant. She ends their relationship again, planning to raise the child by herself. However, destiny intercedes as they work on the same case from different perspectives. Someone has murdered Palestinian and Israeli children attending the same school. At least two of the homicides are covered up to make them seem more like accidents or suicides. Danielle goes overseas where she meets up with Ben seeking answers, but killers stand in the way, willing to blow both of them into oblivion if they don't stop asking questions.

Jon Land writes exciting and believable political thrillers in the tradition of Clancy, and Cornwall even if he has not received the recognition he deserves. The theme of KEEPERS OF THE GATE is universal yet heart wrenching so that readers will understand the motives of the key players, whose flaws make them so human. Mr. Land is a great storyteller who enriches his audience with every novel he writes.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A more serious Jon Land, March 12, 2002

By 

mrliteral - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Keepers of the Gate (Ben Kamal and Danielle Barnea Novels) (Paperback)

For years, I associated Jon Land with cheesy yet fun adventure stories that featured bigger than life heroes (in particular, Blaine McCracken) battling James Bond-style villains bent on world conquest, usually aided by some superhuman henchmen. Yes, they were often silly, but they were also good entertainment.

Recently, however, Land has gotten more realistic and serious with his series of novels featuring Ben Kamal and Danielle Barea, a pair of detectives and star-crossed lovers (he's Palestinean, she's Israeli) who take on mysteries and conspiracies that often extend beyond the borders of their homes.

As is the case in most of this series, the two usually deal with separate mysteries that turn out to be linked. In this case, they must deal with the murders of several teenagers who attended the same school as well as the attempted murder of a philanthropic billionaire with a secret past. There are traces of Land's love of secret organizations and conspiracies, and it all comes together nicely.

Just because Land has become more serious does not mean he has gotten worse; in fact, there is a maturity in his writing that is an improvement. Nonetheless, I kind of miss the sillier Land and hope that some day McCracken returns.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars white-knuckled read, May 3, 2001

By 

"smart1g" (Providence, RI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Keepers of the Gate (Ben Kamal and Danielle Barnea Novels) (Hardcover)

Thriller fans rejoice! Keepers of the Gate has arrived. Palestinian-American detective Ben Kamal and Israeli detective Danielle Barnea join forces again to investigate the connection between the mysterious deaths of several high school students and an assassin targeting elderly Holocaust survivors. International intrigue and double feints are par for the course in this thrilling tale. Be advised, when you think you've figured it out, Land has more surprises in store. Punctuating this roller-coaster ride is the relationship between the two detectives and the fate of their unborn child. Longtime fans of the series will find the tension between Ben and Danielle as compelling as the central mystery itself. New readers, hold onto your seats; it's a white-knuckled read. Land has packed eight days of action into this tersely written, well-plotted work which races towards its surprising conclusion.