AUTHOR: John Altman
NARRATOR: Edoardo Ballerini
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: May 16, 2017
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 10 hrs and 20 mins
GENRE: Thriller
In False Flag, Israeli-born Dalia Artzi, a tactical genius and specialist at Princeton in the study of maneuver warfare, uncovers a fiendish plot by a small group of Israeli fanatics to commit a horrific crime against the United States government and pin the blame on Iran. At first, Dalia, a pacifist, is hesitant to get involved. But she recognizes that extremism of any kind is the real enemy in the world and, strong in her Jewish faith, she believes that the goal of her religion is not to crush one’s enemies but to practice tikkun olam, to repair the world. Soon, Dalia sees that she has little choice but to act quickly and do what she must to prevent the unspeakable from occurring.
Meanwhile, Jana, a beautiful but deadly Israeli operative taking orders from the conspiring fanatics, is determined to deftly fulfill the deadly mission entrusted to her. Once the plot has been carried out, Jana and the commanders of her mission believe that Israel’s enemies will meet with total destruction when the world’s most powerful nation retaliates. Jana is firm in her conviction that she is on the side of right, and believes the ends will justify the means, however violent.
Centered on a fascinating and original Israeli heroine and anti-heroine, False Flag probes some of the most important political and moral conflicts of our times. Altman examines extremism in its many incarnations and the complex pitfalls humans encounter when they try to do what is right, no matter the cost. In the process, he continues his tradition of creating ruthless female assassins, delivering his most terrifying creation yet. Riveting espionage, struggles of conscience, and edge-of-your-seat intrigue combine to make False Flag one of the most compelling and controversial thrillers of 2017.
MY REVIEW:
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook for voluntary review consideration.
It had great potential, but it fell flat for me.
The best part of the book is its Prologue, which I thought was very exciting. It describes a woman pretending to be asleep in her lover’s bed. When she thinks that he’s sleeping, she sneaks out of bed and starts snooping around. Outside the cabin, she finds a trapdoor leading into a cellar. She breaks the lock and goes inside. She hits the jackpot, finding a stash of explosives, weapons, and nerve agents. The boyfriend wakes up and looks for her, and he isn’t too happy to discover that she has broken into the cellar. She has no choice but to kill him.
After I finished the Prologue, I was stoked to read more! Unfortunately, the rest of the book did not contain the same level of excitement. We meet a woman, Dalia Artzi, who is a Princeton lecturer specializing in strategic maneuvers. Jim McConnell, who works for a top-secret section of the U.S. government, approaches Dalia. The government needs her help locating a Jewish undercover operative in the United States who infiltrated the white power movement and stop her before she can carry out her mission to attack the United States and make it look like the Iranians are the culprits.
Despite Edoardo Ballerini’s stellar narration, I had a hard time listening to this one. It didn’t really hold my interest after the first little bit, and I found that the book dragged. If I was reading this one rather than listening, I think it could very well have been a DNF. It was Ballerini’s narration that kept me listening. Here is a sample of the narration:
It had great potential, but it fell flat for me.
The best part of the book is its Prologue, which I thought was very exciting. It describes a woman pretending to be asleep in her lover’s bed. When she thinks that he’s sleeping, she sneaks out of bed and starts snooping around. Outside the cabin, she finds a trapdoor leading into a cellar. She breaks the lock and goes inside. She hits the jackpot, finding a stash of explosives, weapons, and nerve agents. The boyfriend wakes up and looks for her, and he isn’t too happy to discover that she has broken into the cellar. She has no choice but to kill him.
After I finished the Prologue, I was stoked to read more! Unfortunately, the rest of the book did not contain the same level of excitement. We meet a woman, Dalia Artzi, who is a Princeton lecturer specializing in strategic maneuvers. Jim McConnell, who works for a top-secret section of the U.S. government, approaches Dalia. The government needs her help locating a Jewish undercover operative in the United States who infiltrated the white power movement and stop her before she can carry out her mission to attack the United States and make it look like the Iranians are the culprits.
Despite Edoardo Ballerini’s stellar narration, I had a hard time listening to this one. It didn’t really hold my interest after the first little bit, and I found that the book dragged. If I was reading this one rather than listening, I think it could very well have been a DNF. It was Ballerini’s narration that kept me listening. Here is a sample of the narration:
MY RATING:
This book qualifies as:
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Yep, that prologue would have grabbed me. Sorry this feel flat.
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