Book Review: The Tehran Initiative, by Joel C. Rosenberg

Called by some a 'modern-day Nostradamus', Joel C. Rosenberg's latest novel, The Tehran Initiative, has been making headlines even before its release. The reason? The author's almost uncanny ability to write about events that become headlines.

Recent events involving Iran, like the country's growing ability to produce nuclear weapons, and seeming involvement in assassination attempts are some of the issues Rosenberg addresses in The Tehran Initiative. What intrigues the media outlets is that he wrote the novel many months ago.

Interested? Here's the jacket copy:
The world is on the brink of disaster and the clock is ticking. Iran has just conducted its first atomic weapons test. Millions of Muslims around the world are convinced their messiah—known as “the Twelfth Imam”—has just arrived on earth. Israeli leaders fear Tehran, under the Twelfth Imam’s spell, will soon launch a nuclear attack that could bring about a second holocaust and the annihilation of Israel. The White House fears Jerusalem will strike first, launching a preemptive attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities that could cause the entire Middle East to go up in flames, oil prices to skyrocket, and the global economy to collapse. With the stakes high and few viable options left, the president of the United States orders CIA operative David Shirazi and his team to track down and sabotage Iran’s nuclear warheads before Iran or Israel can launch a devastating first strike. But will they be too late?

My review:
Rosenberg's seventh novel, like the previous ones, is fast-paced, suspenseful, and above all believable. It's easy to tell he's knowledgeable about the topics, the cultures, and the places, as the reader travels the world with the main character.

David Shirazi is an American CIA operative of Iranian descent. His looks and language allow him to penetrate the Iranian infrastructure and become friends with prominent Iranians, the most important of which is an Iranian physicist, a secret Christian. Shirazi must get the physicist out of Iran and destroy the nuclear weapons being built.

If you like gripping novels with espionage, world travel, and politics, this is the one for you.

For more on Joel C. Rosenberg, check out his website and his blog. The publisher's page also has videos, interviews, excerpts and other resources.

Note: This book was provided to me by the publisher for review purposes.