Cover Image: Without Warning

Without Warning

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Without Warning is the third book in the political thriller series by Joel Rosenberg. Set in the modern day world, it follows the continuing saga of the US government as it refuses to step up and take seriously the threat of the current leader of ISIS.

The main character, J.B. Collins, is a war correspondent for the NY Times and one with many connections of his own. As he has been present at other attacks against the US and other enemies of ISIS (including the kidnapping of the American president and another attack at a peace summit - occurring in the two previous books), he feels obligated to do what he can to help end the terror that ISIS is spreading. Using his many contacts, he joins a group of his own allies and sets out to bring down the terrorist regime. The action is non-stop and everything from the series is wrapped up at the end - just with a twist.

MY THOUGHTS
As the last book in the series, it is one that definitely requires the first two to be read first (mainly because they are amazing but provide so much back-story). I have a love/hate relationship with the ending, but it was fitting and necessary - just not how I would have liked it to be. Rosenberg plays it out well, definitely not all sunshine and roses, but realistic, if anything.

If you are a fan of political fiction (and even if you aren't), this book is one to add to your list. This is definitely a book outside my typical reading genre, but I have loved every one of Rosenberg's books.

Overall though another solid thriller and I can't wait to see what future series will bring from Rosenberg - although sometimes the books are so close to life happenings I wonder how many more he will be able to write!

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Without Warning by Joel C. Rosenberg is action packed and full of intrigue. Heart pounding adventure, twists and turns to the end. I have enjoyed every book by this author and this is another exceptional book series. I thank the author, the publisher and netgalley for making this book available for me to read and review.

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I have really enjoyed the J.B. Collins trilogy, which are the first books I’ve read by Rosenberg. The political insight, history, and eschatology woven throughout the dialogue is fascinating. His novels, including this one, are always hard to put down. I’m tempted to devour them each in one sitting. Of the three novels in this trilogy, i found this one to be my least favorite, However, it was still worth the read.

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Loved this story....Have shared it w/ all of my reading friends...and libraries. A winner!!!

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What a fantastic, amazing end to this series! It didn't got as I expected, but was much better as written. Can't wait to read my next book by this author.

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Part 3 of the JB Collins trilogy picks up a few months after where part 2 (The First Hostage) left off - the rescue of the US President who had been kidnapped by ISIS.

JB Collins is the war correspondent for the NY Times. The award winning journalist is not above getting his hands dirty when it comes to revealing to the public that which the current administration seems intent on hiding, minimizing, or flat out ignoring. ISIS is a threat to the US and its leaders don't just need to be brought to justice. They need to be eliminated. Collins has seen it in the eyes of the ISIS leader, Abu Khalif, whom he has interviewed and is the only western individual to actually have seen Khalif in the flesh (I know, a take-no-prisoners hawk as a NY Times reporter seems a bit far fetched, but give Rosenberg some slack).

A few months earlier, Collins was instrumental in the President's rescue. A grateful President has invited Collins and his brother Matt to sit with the First Lady at the annual State of the Union Address. While appreciative of the efforts of the US security forces for his rescue, he still will not utter anything synonymous with 'radical' or 'extremist'. He prefers to use the drone force instead of sweeping in with insurmountable ground forces to wipe out ISIS, which is what JB vociferously encourages the President to do. To no avail.

During the SOTU address, mortars and howitzer shells, some loaded with sarin gas, reign down on the Capitol. While most of the heads of state escape, hundreds of others are killed. The next day, horror is inflicted on several other cities in a coordinated attack. Finally, because Khalif is seriously pissed off at Collins, a hit squad is dispatched to his family home in Maine.

And we aren't even to page 100 yet.

The President still neglects an all out offensive on ISIS so Collins secretly heads to the mideast in order to offer some help to security forces in Israel, Egypt, and Jordan (remember, he's one of the few to have ever seen Khalif in person). With relentless tenacity, a plausible trail on Khalif's location has been traced.

I'll admit. I'm a bit out of Rosenberg's loop. I had read and reviewed a number of his earlier books noting how prescient his stories were in regard to current day situations that ended up actually happening usually within a year of publication. While I'm not turned off by Rosenberg's evangelism and Christian witnessing, I guess I let it influence my staying current with his books. The JB Collins trilogy being a noteworthy omission in my reading enjoyment. Evangelism aside, Rosenberg writes some of the most compelling political thrillers that are centered in the political powder keg that is the middle east. The first chapter tells us that the President's rescue (The First Hostage) had taken place a couple months earlier to which I sort of muttered to myself, 'looks like I've missed something here.' Does knowing the outcome of Part 2 mean I won't read it? Storytelling is in the details and Rosenberg has the details down pat. I mean, the audience always knew who the killer was, but we still watched Columbo. I like a good political thriller yarn, so I may just go back to parts 1 and 2. Even though I know just how thrilling part 3 ends.

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Will ISIS strike on American soil? This is Rosenberg at his best!

J. B. Collins and Yael were part of a team that successfully rescued the President of the United States. Now back in the US for two months, J.B. has been recovering and the President has been launching air strikes and driving ISIS back out of Iraq, but J.B. feels it is not enough. He wants the President to go after the leader, kill the snake by cutting off the head. Then the unthinkable happens. At the State of the Union address, mortar shells start hitting the capitol building. A full attack has been unleashed against the President, vice-president, and all the members of congress. Although the President survives, several members of congress do not. J. B. expects retaliation, but the President seems to be in denial. What’s worse is now the attack has turned personal when the terrorist find J.B. and his brother Matt’s family. If the president is not going to stop ISIS, maybe J.B. can do just that.

This was an incredible ending to the latest trilogy by Rosenberg. All three books flow seamlessly together and can easily be devoured in a short period of time. The way he writes current events into a novel can be truly frightening. Suddenly the ideas he has don’t seem so farfetched. I was glad to see that J.B.’s personal struggles were finally resolved in this book and that he had peace. I can definitely say that I didn’t expect the ending. That made me feel like it was cut a little short, even though it is the longest book in the trilogy by far. I was also really impressed with how Matt handle his suffering. I thought he might have gone into depression, but he stayed strong throughout. I was also really disappointed in the romance between Yael and J.B., but given the ending, it is probably for the best.

With high tension, fast-paced suspense, and well developed characters, this trilogy needs to be read by all!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

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Joel Rosenberg wins again with me! This is the 3rd book in the Collins series and left me wanting more. One of my favorite things about the authors book is that given his background in Mideast politics, history and culture, I know that this fiction is shrouded in facts. So, while I'm engrossed in the gripping suspense of these international, action-packed novels, I feel like I'm feeding my brain at least a little bit. I'm always on the look out for the next Joel C. Rosenberg. He just can't push them out fast enough!

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The final book in the J. B. Collins series, "Without Warning", is a thrilling, well-written novel that I can only thank God is not written based on actual events. The scenes unfold with frightening realism, and the writing is such that the imagery played like a movie across my mind. The pacing is blistering face, just the way I like suspense novels to read, and so it should come as no surprise that I read this book in one sitting because I just couldn't walk away.

As much as I enjoyed this book, perhaps the most sobering part of reading it is that the events that unfold in America and in Collins life over the course of the novel seem like they really could happen. If you are like me, you won't be able to help but wonder what ISIS could be capable of in North America, and whether our governments are taking appropriate action to prevent such attacks. Now, I managed to put my pondering about this on hold and dove into the story, enjoying every minute. But I do feel called to pray for the countries of this world and for Israel in particular, for God to bring about real peace. Any novel that leads me to prayer is a good one in my book! And, if they can manage to thoroughly entertain me at the same time, then all the better!

From the riveting first chapters to the final, shocking conclusion, this is one novel that you are not going to want to put down. Grab a copy and see for yourself! I award this book 5 out of 5 stars.

An egalley has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Tyndale, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

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In the book Without Warning, author Joel Rosenberg continues the J. B. Collins series. In the series finally the United States is attacked by multiple terrorist attacks. The President does not have the will to hunt the ISIS terrorists down. As a newspaper writer, Collins is on the hunt for the ISIS leader when his family is attacked. Now he is out to stop a madman, maybe revenge, but can J. B. find God in the midst of it all.
This was an excellent story and plot with many twists and turns. I would highly recommend this book! I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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"Without Warning," by Joel C. Rosenberg is the third installment in the adventures of New York Times Reporter J.B. Collins. If you have read the first two, which you do not have to do, but it would be helpful, you would understand how J.B. is tied in with Washington DC, and world leaders in fighting ISIS.

Where the author goes write in this book, is to continue his way of offering a story that develops quickly and satisfies on many levels. What did not work in this one was that I was tired of the short chapters, which both made me feel I had a "page turning," but also when I paid attention just seemed to be an author's plan to elongate the book. One chapter getting ready for the event, the next to go through the event, and finally one talking about the event that just happened.

There is also the aspect of this that puts the work on "Christian" bookshelves. The problem with that the faith aspect of this book, as well as the character's struggle with faith is so perfunctory that though it would not insult the reader who is not Christian, but it does not have enough to please the one who is.

Though I loved the second in this particular series, I was a little let down by this one, while still being an enjoyable read.

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A wonderful book! I felt like I was right there watching y county's destruction and no one was trying to prevent it. Hopefully this book continues to be fiction. The story is thrilling and compelling. The ending was good but tragic as well.
I' am impressed by Joel Rosenberg 's writing and will look for more of his books .

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What a thrilling read - a New York Times reporter, James Collins, is the only person in the world who knows the identity of a terrorist who kidnapped and tried to kill the President of the United States! James tries to warn the President that the terrorist, Abu Khalid will stop at nothing to destroy America and the West.
The President, is in denial, he will not say the term Radical Islamic Terrorist or go after the terrorist directly, even when this same terrorist has ISIS attack and murder members of Congress and the Senate while the President is addressing them.
Join James as he seeks this terrorist, he even attacks James' family and tries to kill him as he is sent to Egypt, Qatar, Jordan and Israel to seek help.
You will be on the edge of your seat reading this book

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This book picks up shortly after The First Hostage ends. Despite his own recent experiences, President Taylor is half-hearted in his response to ISIS. He feels that he’s got ISIS on the run yet he’s more concerned about making waves than about keeping the country safe. J.B. Collins urges him to go after the mastermind behind the terror attacks, Abu Khalif. Yet even after the capitol building is struck, President Taylor is unable to see that this is just the beginning. J.B. knows that Khalif will follow through with his threats to kill as many Americans as he can, including the president and J.B. himself. Though his brother reminds J.B. that his initials don’t stand for “James Bond, Jason Bourne, or Jack Bauer,” J.B. feels he must do something, so he teams up with some unlikely allies to hunt down Khalif and bring him to justice.
Don’t let the length of this book (480 pages) intimidate you. If you like political thrillers or suspense novels, the pages will fly by. The action keeps things moving. It feels very current and relevant when you consider all that is happening in the world. I think that Rosenberg does a great job of exposing ISIS and radical jihadists for who they are and what they’re trying to do while not painting the whole Muslim community in the same light.
This was my favorite book in this trilogy. J.B. is so authentic and real in his emotions and thought processes. He is having a hard time already dealing with what happened in The First Hostage when things start piling up on him again. He questions everything he’s believed and needs to deal with the uncertainty of making it out of his quest alive. He has to decide what he’s willing to live and die for as well as what he wants the next chapter of his life to look like. Should he continue to be a war correspondent? Or should he go after the woman in his heart, Yael?
I really enjoyed this book. It was hard to put it down. I would highly recommend this book but would encourage you to read the three books in order if you can. Thank you to Tyndale House for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
J.B. Collins series:
Book 1: The Third Target
Book 2: The First Hostage - https://markdoreenstewart.wordpress.com/2016/01/01/the-first-hostage-by-joel-c-rosenberg/
Book 3: Without Warning

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Without Warning is a fitting conclusion to a great trilogy. I've read all of Joel Rosenberg's novels, but this series had, in my opinion, the best character development and writing. Rosenberg's novels are mostly political thrillers, with healthy doses of action thrown in. The J. B. Collins trilogy follows a New York Times foreign correspondent on his journey, first to interview and then to hunt down Abu Khalif, the head of ISIS in this series. The characters in this series are well done, the plots are good, and the action is very readable. Some of the situations in which Collins finds himself are a bit far-fetched, but in this book, in particular, the author did a good job of remembering that his hero is a reporter, not a superhero, and of tailoring his limits accordingly. As a Christian, I also appreciate the fact that Rosenberg's novels are clean and contain biblical truth, without being overly heavy-handed in their gospel presentation. Having read quite a few political thrillers or action novels, I keep coming back to Rosenberg's books, and this is one of his best.

I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are entirely my own.

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Unfortunately, I didn't find the characters or the situations particularly believable. A New York Times reporter is the only one on the planet who can track down a terrorist? The lengthy inner struggles of the main character, with his conscience and religious beliefs were an unwelcome interruption to the pace of the story.

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For the reader looking for a mixture of “Designated Survivor”, a CBS TV show, and the modern (ca. 2017) political climate, Joel Rosenberg has put together a gripping and readable story that will grab the political thriller fan’s attention.

Starting with the terrorist attack of the century in Washington DC and moving to the very personal attack against J B Collins and his family in Bar Harbor, Maine, J B will travel the world to find the man responsible for much of the trouble in the world in which he finds himself. Working with unlikely colleagues from the United States, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, and Pakistan, J. B. will learn the meaning of faith and sacrifice in order to accomplish his task.

Though the book’s ending is not completely satisfying, the author does make it clear that, as the saying goes, freedom is not free – it comes with a cost, a cost that J B Collins and others were willing to pay.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

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Review will be posted on March 14, 2017, when the book is published.
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Yes! It's here! Stop whatever else you are doing, grab this third book in the J. B. Collins series (unless you have not read 1 or 2 in which case binge on them first), and shut everything else out until you have devoured it whole (which I completed about 3:00 this morning). J. B. fans will NOT be disappointed. Abu Khalif is back and bent on finishing off the west and ushering in the Mahdi while the U.S. dithers and denies, leaving it to J. B. and his list of contacts built up over a lifetime in international journalism to find a way to confront and stop Khalif before it is too late. You are going to love it.

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Always enjoy his books and this one was no different. I recommend this book.

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First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Joel C. Rosenberg, and Tyndall House Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book, which allows me to provide you with this review.

Rosenberg returns with another powerful political thriller, the final instalment of this trilogy, that takes an interesting spin on ISIS and Western reactionism. J.B. Collins, War Correspondent for the New York Times, remains skeptical of the US Administration's plan to combat ISIS, as Abu Khalif, its purported leader, remains at large. Khalif and ISIS have perpetrated major and catastrophic attacks against infidel states and US-backers, culminating in the kidnapping of the American president and a massacre during a major Middle East peace summit (both of which occur in past novels, familiar to the series fan). With the State of the Union Address hours away, US President Harrison Taylor dismisses concerns Collins raises about Khalif and ISIS as a whole. Taylor wonders if he ought not to rescind his offer of a Presidential Medal of Freedom to the acclaimed journalist. When the Capitol is attacked during the Address, all hell breaks loose and Collins soon learns that ISIS has struck again, but on a much larger scale. Seeking to get away from the violence and drama, alongside an inability to stomach the lies Taylor seems to be spinning to the American public, Collins eyes a return to Maine with his brother, Matt. As they travel, a personal tragedy befalls them and Collins learns just how inept the Administration has become when it comes to ending the reign of terror that ISIS and Abu Khalif have over the world. Could the answers be in the Middle East, where American allies can fight a war against this radical and apocalyptic Islam? Collins seeks to reinvent himself and must decide if he can take up the torch, using his own set of allies to help topple ISIS at its heart before the world must fall on blended knee and admit defeat to the terrorists. With a sensational culmination to a stunningly realistic series, Rosenberg shocks readers to the core. This story and the complete trilogy offer a poignant and blunt narrative, weaving through fact and plausible fiction. A must read for those who love political thrillers and can stomach mild Christian inculcation.

I have long been a fan of Rosenberg and his political fiction. This is the third series I have devoured as quickly as the novels come off the presses, all using a strong biblical undertone paired against current events in one of the most unstable political powder kegs. Rosenberg gathers a wonderful cross-section of characters, pulled from key states that propel the story forward and seem plausible in the fight against ISIS. Additionally, injecting realistic political and religious impairments brings a whole new level to the character interactions and places reality that much closer to the reader's grasp. While ISIS remains the buzz word in the news today and seems to permeate thriller novels to no end, I never tired of hearing Rosenberg's spin. I have mentioned how the same drivel bores and irritates me, Rosenberg's angle is not only refreshing, but more realistic than some secret operative mowing down anyone who utters 'Allah' before 'Hello'. Those familiar with Rosenberg's novels will know that he has been found to offer eerie foreboding buried within his novels, perhaps tying all the pieces together as his protagonist is known for doing in this book. To treat Rosenberg's work as pure fiction is to ignore the nuances and attention to detail the author places as he pens his plots. The writing style is some of the best in the genre and the short chapters offer readers a wonderful ability to get hooked and beg themselves to read 'just a little more' as cliffhangers grow exponentially. While I am not a fan of 'in your face' Christianity, I have become immune to some of it in Rosenberg's stories and dodge the born-again land mines that emerge throughout. Rosenberg knows what he is doing and readers should flock in his direction, if only to learn about the Middle East and its political importance on the world scene.

Kudos, Mr. Rosenberg. You have done it again with a powerful political thriller series that has me so captivated. I have promoted you and your work to as many people as will listen. This novel proves yet again that my recommendations are well founded.

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