Customer Reviews

Suicide String

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An introduction to the reality of the twisted motivation that makes suicide bombing possible. Take a deep breath and dive into a world we never wanted to know.

Suicide String seems to foresee so much of what is happening now. The questions being asked by our government about America's security services, especially concerning the FBI and the CIA, are chilling in the least. Keimach anticipated all that in his novel, which is about a serious matter -- terrorism that rears its ugly head everywhere. Terror has been around for a long time,so there is nothing new in that. What is new, for most readers anyway, is how this latest wave of suicidal destruction came about. He tells the story well, and leaves out little of the horror. If you're into gory details, there's enough of that too. This book is an important statement and merits a close reading.

First there was Oklahoma. Then there was 9/11. I wondered if all terrorists were the same. Although their goals and the base for their misconceptions may be different, the idea of terror for its own sake weaves a powerful argument. Of course terrorism is highly complex and there is no simple answer, but Suicide String brings to light some of the rationale behind the present-day violence. Precisely because the mayhem is so diverse and convoluted, as Keimach suggests in his well written novel, the solutions are just as diverse and difficult.
But the theme that vigilance also reaps a reward is yet another important solution. It's a good read. There's a believable plot with characters who bring home a horrible but vital message in today's post 9/11 completely changed world.

Suicide String is a bold and successful effort at explaining the rationale and history behind a terrorism that exists in and of itself. Keimach sets out sketching the origins of modern terror movements among the eleventh century Assassins, and takes the reader along a tortuous path that leads to the bizarre logic of today's suicide bombers. The book is full of the history of the Israeli-Arab impasse; and the characters dancing in and out of the plot encompass everyone from a bevy of determined bombers, their hapless victims, and the frantic efforts of those bent on stopping the destruction of life and property. If there is any note of criticism, it is only that Keimach leaves the reader with a sense of frustration about conflict resolution, in spite of a finale that is shockingly believable. It's required reading for anyone even mildly concerned about terror alerts. Unless you live in the middle of the Gobi desert or on top of a mountain, read it now.