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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Novel About a Terrorist Attack on the United States, September 18, 2007
This review is from: Red Sea: A Novel (Hardcover)
If you're interested in a novel about the terrorist threat against the United States, you may want to give RED SEA a try. Emily Benedek has written a novel that reveals, in chillingly realistic detail, how vulnerable the US can be to a terrorist attack. The strongest part of RED SEA is the terrorist plot itself, which comes across as quite believable. Benedek is a professional journalist, and it's pretty clear that she did a lot of research for this book. You may not feel safe flying on an airplane after reading this novel, since Benedek reveals how easily explosives can be smuggled inside a jetliner. Also, much of this book takes place in Iraq, and I found Benedek's description of life in post-war Iraq to be very interesting. The major weakness of this novel is the characterization, which is quite thin. None of the major players in this novel have much personality. Julian Granot, the Israeli secret agent, is pretty much a square-jawed superman who can do no wrong. The American characters are bland and lack color. RED SEA is much more plot-driven than character-driven for the most part, which made it less engaging, at least for me. This novel reminds me a bit of BLACK SUNDAY, an old novel by Thomas Harris, which was also about a terrorist plot. If you liked that book, or have a pre-existing interest in novels about the War on Terror, you may enjoy reading RED SEA.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book will alter your worldview, October 15, 2007
This review is from: Red Sea: A Novel (Hardcover)
Although Emily Benedek is known primarily as a journalist from her dispatches in such publications as Newsweek and Rolling Stone, she has also authored a number of nonfiction works, two of which concern American Indian issues and one that deals with her own spiritual journey. This time out, Benedek makes her fiction debut with RED SEA, a novel that will alter your worldview. Although RED SEA is considered a thriller, the backstory of its publication easily could lead one to conclude otherwise. Benedek, while reporting for Newsweek, is said to have made contact with a highly-placed Israeli counterterrorism expert who, because of his continuing role in the international community, could have his story told only as a work of fiction. Indeed, there are many elements of the novel that are consistent with backchannel knowledge. Its frightening beginning --- I'll only tell you that this is a simply wonderful book to pick up before a transatlantic flight! --- only heralds the planning of a more ambitious and catastrophic plot, directed against the United States but with worldwide ramifications. The mastermind behind it is Mansour Obaidi, an Islamofascist whose history of actions against the United States goes back for decades. It is Julian Granot, a recently "retired" Israeli Special Forces commander --- the length of his so-called "retirement" seems to be at the discretion and pleasure of the Israeli military --- who slowly comes to realize that the high-profile first strike of the terrorists is but a prelude to what is about to occur. Granot is shocked, however, when he discovers Obaidi's involvement, for he has a personal history with Obaidi that will not end until one of them is dead. Matters are complicated by the interjection of Marie Peterssen, a journalist who is very quick to realize that there is more behind the initial terror attack than was originally thought. Though Peterssen is not aware of it, there is a link between her, Obaidi and Granot, one that leaves both Obaidi and Granot vulnerable to each other and to Peterssen. As Obaidi's plot moves speedily to its execution, Granot finds himself stymied not only by his own superiors but by his nation's greatest ally: the one he is attempting to protect. Granot discovers an unexpected ally, however, in Morgan Ensley, a maverick FBI agent who believes more in results than in protocol and who, upon making the acquaintance of Peterssen, is doubly motivated to protect and serve. The combined efforts of Granot, Peterssen and Ensley may not be enough, though, as Obaidi's ingenious plot to bring the United States to its knees proceeds inexorably to its conclusion. More than a great debut, RED SEA introduces a cast of characters that, should Benedek be desirous of such, would easily sustain an ongoing franchise. It simply doesn't get any better than this. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"When will it end?", October 6, 2007
This review is from: Red Sea: A Novel (Hardcover)
Three commercial jets are blown out of the sky in Emily Benedek's debut novel, "Red Sea." Although Israel is not directly involved, its defense minister forms a panel to investigate the cause of the crashes. If these were indeed acts of terror, what were the sources of the explosions? There are a number of scenarios to consider: devices hidden in the luggage compartments, suicide bombers aboard the aircraft, and missiles launched from the sea are some of the possibilities. The Israeli government calls in Julian Granot to head up the task force whose mission it is to find out what happened and prevent additional carnage. Granot is recently retired from Shabaq (the Israel Security Agency), a former commander of a unit of special forces, and an expert in aviation security. Marie Peterssen (a knowledgeable aviation reporter with superb instincts) and FBI agent Morgan Emsley soon join forces with Granot. Emsley is jeopardizing his career by cooperating with a foreign intelligence officer, but he decides to act for the greater good regardless of personal risk. The identity of the villain, Mansour Obaidi, is revealed in the opening pages. He is an old enemy of Julian's, who eagerly awaits the day when "Islam would once again regain its proper role" in the world. "Red Sea" has a sound enough premise. In today's perilous climate, any novel that tackles the themes of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism immediately grabs the reader's attention. Benedek has written for mainstream news publications and she has a good grasp of Middle Eastern geopolitics. In addition, she has frightening information to convey about the vulnerability of Western countries to attacks in the air and at their ports. Unfortunately, the author lacks the expertise to develop her story in a satisfying way: Her characters are lifeless, the dialogue is artificial, and the plot is only minimally suspenseful. Benedek adheres to most of the hackneyed conventions found in novels of this type, up to and including a race against time to stop an apocalyptic event. The bad guy is a hedonist and a hypocrite who indulges his decadent tastes while he scorns the "infidels" and plans their destruction. The only obvious element missing is a romantic liaison for Marie. Here are two particularly grating examples of Benedek's lackluster writing: "Confusion was the oxygen in which Obaidi burned with life." Another: "The criminal mind is now inside me. It's not inside you." In addition, the author preaches in a heavy-handed manner about how oblivious Americans are of foreign cultures and the lessons of history. An implausible and clunky subplot about Marie's shadowy parentage does nothing to enhance the book's believablility. Emily Benedek has her facts straight, but she needs to hone her skills as a fiction writer.
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