The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for East Wind, 2nd Edition: (Lara and Uri, #1)
Because East Wind, 2nd Edition was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Rupali Mishra
I wasn't a part of this program before, but I am now, and I enjoy it. Yes, based on the cover, editorial reviews, and customer reviews, I would have read or sampled this book. No, after reading the first page, I would not like to purchase and read it because I do not like to read this topic right now. As I read the first ten pages, I found no errors. What I like is that the author does a fantastic job of shifting the narrative point of view from one character to another, whether they belong to those who defend justice or to those who threaten chaos and disaster. The characters' fascinating backstories also provide them with a lifelike quality and make it easier for readers to comprehend why they act the way they do. The parts of the story where there was such a break in the plot progression were what I enjoyed the most. I found nothing too negative to mention, dislike, or complain about in the first ten pages of this book. Yes, the OBC review helped me, as a reader, decide whether to buy this book.
First Ten review added on August 23, 2023, at 9:27 am by Rupali Mishra.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Fawmi FJumana
Yes, even if I wasn't a part of the programme, I would have sampled this book based on the title, cover page, and genre. Because the cover tells a story of its own, I was interested at first glance.
Yes, after reading the first ten pages, I will eventually read the book. The book has a thrilling story line. And the author did an amazing job with character creation.
No, I did not find any errors in the bit I've read.
I liked the character creation in the story most of all. The author has given enough backstory to each character to understand why and how each has come to their current course of action. And I love how he introduced Lara and Uri.
No, there was nothing I disliked or thought should be improved in the book.
Yes, the OBC review made me more interested in getting a glimpse of the book.
First Ten review added on July 21, 2023, at 1:05 am by Fawmi FJumana.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kebun Bunga
The brief hinted at an action-packed story about preventing devastating assaults on American cities. I was captivated by the book's genre since it perfectly matches my reading interests as an enthusiast of action thrillers.
I was thoroughly fascinated by the plot after reading the first ten pages. Jack Winnick, the author, effectively established exciting characters, and the pacing had me on the edge of my seat, anxious to learn more about the unfolding narrative.
Will I complete the book? I will, without a doubt, buy and read the entire book. The adventurous opening caught my mind, and I can't wait to plunge more into Lara and Uri's fascinating quest as they fight against time to save American communities. I was immediately drawn to the characters Lara and Uri because of their intense chemistry. Furthermore, the tension and urgency built early set the mood for an action-packed read.
I noticed the first ten pages were fine. The text was well-edited and polished. While the first few pages were fascinating, some additional descriptive information about the locales may help readers immerse themselves in the world where the characters live.
If the book had an OBC review and I had access to it, it may give me significant insights from other readers' opinions, impacting my choice to read it. Hearing multiple perspectives and appraisals of the book's merits and shortcomings might help shape my expectations and determine whether the novel is relevant to my interests.
First Ten review added on July 20, 2023, at 10:18 pm by Kebun Bunga.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Limpho Mojakisane
The title and cover are interesting enough for me, the OBC editorial reviews were a bonus that definitely had me wanting to get the book. So, even if I hadn't been part of the program, I would have still sampled this book. After reading the first 10 pages, I didn't find any errors. The OBC review gave a detailed description of what the book encased, therefore getting me hooked. I can't really say there is anything I disliked about this book however, the gory description of how ED died in the first pages had me scared out of my wits for a moment. I love the author's writing style and how he captures the readers attention with his words. In as much as I love the sample, I won't be getting the whole book today because I am already reading another and can't afford to purchase this one.
First Ten review added on July 20, 2023, at 5:32 pm by Limpho Mojakisane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Fredrick Felix Mnjala Maneno
East Wind, 2nd Edition by Jack Winnick is a hard-hitting book that does not pull the punches right from the start. Jack really brings out his characters in a way that the reader really feels invested in the plot. The official OBC review is very well done and gives all the points clearly enough to allow the reader make a choice. The cover is pretty good at letting the reader know what to expect from the book. I did enjoy reading the first ten pages of the book which is very descriptive. I could not find anything to improve on in the bit I read and there were no errors either. I do not think, however, that I will be reading this one. I just did not subscribe to books that deal with terrorism. I also do not think that I would have bought the book if I was not part of the First Ten program. The book however is very an enjoyable read and I'm sure that anyone who has no problem with graphic descriptions of death will enjoy.
First Ten review added on July 20, 2023, at 7:59 am by Fredrick Felix Mnjala Maneno.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jesse Shon Voyamba
As someone who is no stranger to Jack Winnick's books, I was more than excited when I saw the title of the book. Reading the book's review on the OBC platform added to my eagerness to sample the book because I have read two books on Lara and Uri.
My expectations were met right from the first page. The plot was fast-paced right from the first ten pages. I was impressed with the description used in narrating how Uri killed Hakim. The description came with a learning experience because I got to learn about Metsada and Kidon and their roles within Mossad. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the violence. Some of the scenes were too explicit for me to think of. It would help if some of the details in violent scenes are reduced. The book's editing has been excellent so far because I am yet to spot any errors. I will definitely finish reading this book.
First Ten review added on July 20, 2023, at 4:34 am by Jesse Shon Voyamba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Bettny Andrade
At first glance, I would not choose this book, none of its characteristics capture my attention, and I also do not like books that have to do with terrorism. After reading the first pages I see that it is an intriguing book, with a bold plot and a lot of action, as well as containing a lot of violence, which is not to my liking. I did not notice any errors, although it is possible that I missed them, because the reading is fluid and everything is very well described. Reading the review, I still find it very interesting; however, it doesn't make me change my mind. I wouldn't read it completely.
First Ten review added on July 19, 2023, at 8:27 pm by Bettny Andrade.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Omneya Shakeep
The cover of the "East Wind" novel gives a clear indication that this book has bombing and terrorism themes, which are not features I'm fond of. So, I wouldn't have sampled the book. I liked The author's smooth writing and the novel's fast pace in the first ten pages. I also found no errors in them. However, I didn't enjoy the violent graphic scene in the sample. I found it too much for me. For this reason, I wouldn't buy or read this book despite the OBC review's high rating.
First Ten review added on July 19, 2023, at 8:12 pm by Omneya Shakeep.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Cristina Corui Mihailescu
The cover is suggestive, the title is well-chosen, and all the reviews are great, so I would have read the book anyway. It is a fast-paced spy novel with two well-developed main characters, the couple Lara and Uri. The introduction plunges the reader directly into the plot. I liked everything about this book: style, plot development, and characters, even if I am no fan of this genre.
There are no errors and nothing to dislike. I don't think the fragment could be improved. This author has his unique style.
First Ten review added on July 19, 2023, at 3:34 pm by Cristina Corui Mihailescu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Dalia Chf
The beginning of the book is pretty heavy, I'm not sure I really liked it. The description of how the first character dies is way too graphic for my taste. Still, I liked the writing style because it flows and makes it enjoyable to read. Also, I didn't find any grammatical errors in the first ten pages. I don't like the subject matter at all, and as soon as I saw the cover and read the blurb, I knew I wouldn't like this book. I definitely won't finish it because like so many books by this author, this one is all about how evil Islam is, and being a Muslim myself, I don't like that at all. Even if this was an OBC review, I wouldn't read it.
First Ten review added on July 19, 2023, at 3:33 pm by Dalia Chf.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shirley Ann Riddern Labzentis
East Wind is the first in the Lara and Uri series. After having read two of his other books in the series, I would have selected this to read. The official OBC review only confirmed what I already knew, that this was another great book in the series. I liked that Lara and Uri had not met yet but what I didn't like was the gory details of killing the terriorists. I did not find any errors in the sample that I read. Hopefull, I will have time to finish reading this book as I want to find out how Lara and Uri meet.
First Ten review added on July 19, 2023, at 3:05 pm by Shirley Ann Riddern Labzentis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Rosandra Hosein
Here are my thoughts on "East Wind" by Jack Winnick. If I had not been part of the program, I would have likely been intrigued to sample this book based on its captivating cover, title, and genre. The color and cover art, along with the title, spark curiosity, suggesting that the story might delve into intriguing places on the Eastern side of the world. The genre, a thrilling mix of espionage, suspense, and action, aligns perfectly with my reading preferences.
After reading the first ten pages, I find myself thoroughly intrigued and contemplating buying the whole book. The prologue sets a suspenseful tone, drawing me into a mysterious scene in Santa Monica and then immersing me in an intense encounter in the Mediterranean. The use of multiple perspectives and the promise of Mossad's Kidon engaging in covert operations add layers of intrigue. The foreshadowing of a potential larger conspiracy, symbolized by the repeated word "Opera," ignites a thirst for answers.
Unfortunately, my current financial situation prevents me from buying the book at this time. However, I must acknowledge that the writing is well-crafted and free of noticeable errors. The fast-paced and action-packed nature of the excerpt captivated me, and the author's skill in creating tension and suspense kept me wholly engaged. I appreciated the depiction of the Mossad's covert operations and the protagonist's internal struggle about leaving this dangerous world behind, which added depth to the story.
The combination of espionage, personal stakes, and the promise of an intricate plot involving terrorists and revenge is undeniably appealing. Nevertheless, I did notice that in the excerpt, the transitions between different time periods and locations are somewhat abrupt, occasionally requiring a moment to adjust. A smoother transition would undoubtedly enhance the overall reading experience. Additionally, while the action and intrigue are compelling, I yearn for a deeper understanding of the characters' emotions and motivations to form a stronger emotional connection with them.
These are my thoughts, as I did not seek any reviews (OBC or otherwise) in making my opinions about this book.
First Ten review added on July 19, 2023, at 8:13 am by Rosandra Hosein.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Liza Chulukhadze
If I had not been a part of this program, I still would've read this book for its blurb and editorial reviews, as it seems like an action-packed and interesting thriller that has a slight connection with our modern world. After reading 10 pages, I would like to finish this book because the main and most interesting part of the story is yet to come, and I'd like to see how Uri's life will take a turn along with many others'. There were no errors in the first pages. I liked how the author gives us some information about Uri and his background before jumping into action so we can get to know him and understand his actions better. I like the slow-paced beginning, as it makes the read more relaxing and enjoyable. There was nothing I disliked about the first ten pages. The OBC review was also helpful for me, as it provided me with more information about the plot and encouraged me to pick it up.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 4:38 am by Liza Chulukhadze.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Rowan The-First
The book cover design is unappealing to me, especially the title written in a style like Indian letters that is not attractive. If I was not part of this program, I would not explore more about it based on its cover. Even after reading the genre and description, I found nothing appealing. The sensitive content included makes it unappealing to people of specific religions(like Islam) and regions of the world. Therefore, I have concluded that I won't buy this book. However, the author's efforts in developing scenes make the book engaging. There is a gruesome scene where someone's belly is cut, which made me feel nauseous while reading it. I disliked this scene. OBC's review gave me more information about the book and was essential in my decision-making.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 1:54 am by Rowan The-First.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mbali Qalinge
East Wind by Jack Winnick is a captivating international spy thriller that immediately grabs your attention with a bomb explosion in Marina del Ray, California. As a fan of fast-paced thrillers, I would have been drawn to reading this book based on its genre, intriguing synopsis, and positive editorial reviews even if I were not part of the First Ten Review program. I found the OBC review helpful as it further heightened my interest in the book. I liked the opening pages, particularly the descriptive moments before the explosion, which left me intrigued and wanting to explore more. I didn't find any errors in the first ten pages, and overall, I had no dislikes or suggestions for improvement. Based on the enjoyable start, I will definitely be reading the rest of the book as I appreciate this genre.
First Ten review added on June 15, 2023, at 7:08 pm by Mbali Qalinge.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Hazel Mae Bagarinao
The cover says it all. By looking at it, I can tell that the book involves bombing, terrorism, and violence, which is a good aspect of presenting a cover. The title is enough to intrigue readers. However, my taste in this genre is sporadic. The blurb on the second edition is short, so I checked the link on the first edition, and I've read that the book contains an explosion that kills thousands of people. The editorial review was phenomenally written and drew potential readers. It presented the main characters involved, especially Uri and Lara, as a great tandem in solving the terrorist attack. I've seen ten Amazon customer reviews with different reactions to the book. One customer says the book has botched descriptions of the nuclear device used by terrorists. Another customer says that the book contains terror, intrigue, betrayal, suspense, and romance. I've learned some information about the book from them. Considering the aspects above, I decided to discontinue reading the book because I am convinced that a book about international terrorism, bombing, and violence is not for me. I sampled the book, and I found out that the narrative doesn't suit me. The first ten pages are impeccable. What I like in a bit I read is the clear language used by the author. Jack Winnick succeeded in portraying well-developed characters as well. The storyline is enjoyable for the targeted audiences. However, I am excluded from it. Through further research, the book portrayed the continuing tensions in Middle Eastern countries. I can't find any dislikable aspects of the book. I am even amazed by the popularity of this book series. The book is in its second edition, so I think it is in a perfect state. Yes, the OBC review was magnificently written and could capture a wider audience. Indeed, it is very helpful for convincing potential readers. However, I am not one of them, so I am not going to buy the book.
First Ten review added on June 14, 2023, at 11:48 pm by Hazel Mae Bagarinao.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jennifer Coxon
I would have considered this book even if I were not in the programme as I enjoy the genre. The title is relatively vague enough to warrant a quick read of the blurb. The yellow of the cover stands out.
On reading, I liked how the author starts very serenely, depicting the life of a character in almost wistful details. I also like how quickly and smoothly that serenity changes to fear and the pace picks up for the explosion. It's very well written and I would want to find out what happened by reading more. There is nothing I didn't like in this section and I found no errors.
The OBC review is helpful in explaining more of the two main characters. The review also explains that there is good depth to the characters which appeals to me, and convinces me to read the whole book.
First Ten review added on June 14, 2023, at 5:26 pm by Jennifer Coxon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Eleni Antonopoulou
The cover and blurb of East Wind did not intrigue me at first because I am not a big fan of terrorism stories. The characters in this book are realistic and well-developed, and the narrative is exciting. What is more, I did not encounter any errors while reading. On the other hand, the novel starts abruptly and features graphic scenes in its first pages. The OBC review states that the latter chapters do not include graphic content, but that did not change my initial opinion. I was not impressed by the story and did not enjoy the graphic nature of the first chapters. As a result, I will not finish this book.
First Ten review added on June 14, 2023, at 5:01 pm by Eleni Antonopoulou.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Olivia Bird Whitworth
This book starts out a little slower than Winnick's novel from last week, Waterworks, but still has some attention grabbers in the first few pages. It seems like a great thriller and spy novel, but I'm not interested in reading thrillers at the moment, so I won't be buying this one. The cover and title didn't immediately catch my attention, but the OBC review gives lots of praise for this book. There weren't any errors that I found, or anything about the sample I would change. I do like Jack Winnick's ability to research a topic and create an engaging storyline from it. Seems like a good book.
First Ten review added on April 26, 2023, at 3:16 pm by Olivia Bird Whitworth.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Smrithi Arun
As I am a huge fan of the C/T/M/H genre, I would have definitely sampled East Wind outside of this program. I have heard a lot about the Lara/Uri series, mostly through the BOTD description and comments.
Speaking of this book specifically, the author's attention to detail impressed me the most. He can certainly keep the audience hooked from the very first page. In fact, the visuals were so graphic that I got scared.
The strong tones of terrorism and a bias against the middle-eastern countries aren't something I generally enjoy. Due to the same, the content got politically and violently heavy, and this was just the beginning of the book. The OBC review helped confirm my suspicion that the book is too political for my taste.
I shall not continue reading the book, even though I am curious to know how Uri tackles the situation further. Ultimately, East Wind has been exceptionally well edited. I did not find any grammatical errors here.
First Ten review added on March 9, 2023, at 8:32 am by Smrithi Arun.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Tara D Morgan
The book cover would have drawn me to check this book out. It is all in yellow, which catches your eye, as does the Chinese-style script. People are running away from what appears to be a bomb. I would have wanted to find out what was going on. The Amazon blurb says this is an action thriller, which I love, and most of the reviews on Amazon are very positive. I would have bought this book even if I was not in the OBC program. I enjoy stories involving crime, thriller, mystery and espionage. The OBC review says East Wind has it in spades, and the reviewer gives it the highest rating. The OBC review would have sold this book to me without checking other sources for reviews. There were grammar errors in the first ten pages: 9% in - as he gazed out (of) his floor(-)to(-)ceiling window, 14% in - He had made good friends of(with) his tennis partners, 18% in - playing with the neighbour(hood) children. I love Jack Winnick's descriptions. Having read the first ten pages, I can picture the scenes, the people, the weather, everything. I was drawn into the story from the first word and lulled into a false sense of security reading about Ed's life. Then WHAM, Ed is killed. This took my breath away. What a way to start a thriller! I now want to find out what happens to Uri when he goes to Lebanon to track down his childhood friend, who is now believed to be a terrorist. I found nothing to dislike about East Winds, and I have bought this book to read on Kindle!
First Ten review added on March 9, 2023, at 8:16 am by Tara D Morgan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Olga Markova
But for the First Ten, I would have sampled and read this book regardless of its cover, title, blurb, editorial, and customer reviews because I like the genre of political thriller and I am a fan of Jack Winnick and his Lara and Uri series. Sampling the first ten pages, I liked the author’s writing style, the suspense, the plot, and the reunion with Lara and Uri. I did not find errors and I have no suggestions for improvement. After reading the first ten pages, I will buy and read the whole book because I like Jack Winnick’s books. The book has an OBC review, and it was helpful for me to confirm my decision to read this book.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2023, at 12:38 pm by Olga Markova.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Pauline Parnell
If I was not a part of this program, I would still have read the book's sample pages. The cover, title and burb fascinate and appeals to me. After reading the first ten pages, I would certainly want to buy and read the entire book. Action, and mystery novels are my favorites genres. I like the fact that there was some amount of suspense with the death of Ed Cooper. However, I thought it ironic that the author would say that the Sharia, the Muslim law, forbids body mutilation. Yet the jihad is all about maiming and killing others. My suggestion is to be careful of the subtleties at play, as I do believe that the book is pro/Israel. I discovered a few errors. On page I, it reads, “Two huge oil tankers moved across the horizon; one rode high in the water, one low, waiting its turn to off-load its supply of crude.” Corrections: “Two huge tankers moved across the horizon, one riding high in the water and the other low, waiting their turn to offload their supplies of crude.” I found the OBC review to be useful in making my decision.
First Ten review added on January 12, 2023, at 1:33 am by Pauline Parnell.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Loniya Chabili Mubanga
I would read this book based on the cover, title, blurb, genre, customer reviews, and editorial reviews. I love how aesthetically pleasing it is, and it has a vibe to it that makes you want to read the whole book to find out its intrigue.
After reading the first ten pages, I will read the whole book because of the gruesome description of Ed's death and Uri attacking the base of the Hezbollah terrorists.
I did not note any errors in the first ten pages.
I liked how the author makes the scenes come alive by adding all the necessary background information. It provided actual terror in my bones.
There was nothing I disliked in this book.
The OBC review definitely helped me make the decision to read the first ten pages of this book because it's worded so brilliantly and highlights the book's main plot points.
First Ten review added on January 12, 2023, at 12:25 am by Loniya Chabili Mubanga.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
FunkyFlowerLady
East Wind by Jack Winnick starts with a chilling scene of a deadly bomb blast that smashes tall buildings with a deafening blast. I like how Jack sets the scene of Ed Cooper enjoying his day and then cruelly kills him off, indicating that danger is just around the corner in this thrilling tale of terrorism. The first scene shows Uri taking down Hezbollah's men. That scene was gruesome, but it just about told us what to expect in the coming chapters, and I'm super excited to read the upcoming chapters. The OBC review and the blurb of the book intrigued me already, so I'd have read it even if this book was not a part of this program, and now the initial chapters kept me hooked to the page, making sure that I bought this book and read it fully. I did not encounter any errors in the first ten pages, and I liked that the starting scene was easy to understand and engaging. I don't have any additional suggestions for improvement; I think the author is already doing a fantastic job.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2022, at 7:59 am by FunkyFlowerLady.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Danielle Briggs
I think because of the high customer reviews and exciting blurb, I would have tried this book outside the program. After sampling, I would buy and continue reading this book! I enjoyed the detailed writing style that allowed me to easily paint a picture of the story. I also liked that Lara and Uri each get their own introductory chapters to give readers a background on each before they meet each other. I found no errors or negatives in what I read. One improvement that I might suggest is providing the time difference between the prologue and chapter 1 because the prologue details a very gruesome terrorist attack, then chapter 1 switched to Uri. I like the sudden switch, but I was confused whether the events of the prologue happened before chapter 1 or after. The OBC review helped me decide to keep reading.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2022, at 6:47 am by Danielle Briggs.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
kampen
I think I won't be adding East Wind to my list of books to read this month after reading a sample of it. I don't enjoy reading books with terrorism as a topic. Fans of thrillers with an espionage theme will enjoy this novel. I therefore recommend that they buy and read it. In the introduction of his book, Jack Winnick pays tribute to the tens of thousands of intelligence professionals who work tirelessly to protect the free world from those who would destroy it. In the first few pages of this book, Marina del Rey—the largest artificial port in the world—is beautifully described. On the OBC website, there is a fantastic official review of this book. I found the review to be helpful in deciding against adding it to my list of books I should read. This book had a reviewer rating of 4 out of 4 stars. This indicates that the book appears to be a great read. The few pages I read of this book didn't include any errors, so the author obviously engaged a professional to work on it. I would say with confidence that the plot of this book was what I loved most out of what I read. I concluded that it was well-developed and had a pleasant flow after reading the first ten pages. My decision not to read the sample of this book was unaffected by the genre, the cover, customer reviews, or editorial reviews. Furthermore, nothing in the first ten pages I read didn't make me love it.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2022, at 1:27 am by kampen.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Faith Ejai
I would have read the first ten pages or the sample of this book, East Wind, even if I hadn't been a part of this program (the First Ten Program), based on the editorial and customer reviews. This is due to the fact that both editorial reviews and intelligent customer feedback were provided. The author begins by recounting what transpired on December 9, 2013, in detail. The book's opening pages contain an introduction to Ed Cooper. In his new ergonomic chair, he was getting used to sitting. He was in California and could see Catalina Island's full outline to the south. Even after reading the sample, which was in-depth as well, and even though this book sounds like an action-packed thriller, I won't buy it and finish reading it. Because this book is part of a series, and I'm not currently interested in reading series books, I won't buy it and read the entire thing. The first ten pages of this book were error-free to me. This book, in my opinion, was expertly edited by a professional. I liked the author's writing style in the section I read. Both are interesting and simple to follow. Nothing in the passage I read bothered me. I would recommend this book to smart officers who do wonderful work protecting citizens from terrorists. In my opinion, there is no need to improve this book. The OBC review of this book was also helpful in helping me decide against buying and reading the whole thing.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2022, at 1:13 am by Faith Ejai.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vickali
I really enjoyed reading the sample of this book, East Wind. Not only that, but I really enjoyed reading its review because it was well-written and included a lot of details about the book. One of the characters in the novel, Ed Cooper, who decided to purchase crude oil despite it being a dangerous choice, is first introduced to the reader by the author at the beginning of this book. Also on his mind was the condo he had chosen to rent on Marina del Rey Bay. I decided whether or not to buy and read the entire book after reading the excellent review of it on OBC. Excellent editing appears to have been done on this book, as the sample or first ten pages I read show. I made that assertion since I didn't find any mistakes in the first ten pages I read. The title and the cover were equally stunning. I avoid reading fiction. I'm testing out nonfiction books. For this reason, I will not purchase the book and read it cover to cover. Sincerely, the genre had a significant influence on my choice, but neither the cover nor the editorial or official review I read on the OBC website. I loved the author's writing style the most in the first ten pages that I read. It was excellent, in my opinion. I read the first ten pages of this book, and nothing in them bothered me. After reading the sample, I think I will recommend this book to people who enjoy reading works of fiction.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2022, at 1:03 am by Vickali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Julie Gebrosky
If I had not been part of this program, I would not have read this book. Books about terrorism don’t appeal to me, so reading the blurb, genre, and OBC review made me less interested. I do not plan to finish the book. The story was more interesting than I anticipated, but there is too much death for me to enjoy it. I liked how fast-paced the story was, but describing how the terrorists killed all children except for one was very disturbing. I found an error. The text says, “To his right; on the beautiful, curved, walnut desk that had been a present to himself, just to the right of the 24-inch flat screen computer monitor, stood Ed's favorite picture of Ellen and the girls, Chelsea and Kirsten, smiling happily in the New England summer sunshine.” This is an incorrect semicolon which should be a comma. Also, I think it would be better written with a period after himself even though that may not necessarily be an error.
First Ten review added on November 23, 2022, at 11:35 pm by Julie Gebrosky.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mayang Bature
I must say that Jack Winnick is a fantastic storyteller. I was attracted in by the sample I read and was eager to find out what happened. The author provided excellent storytelling, but he went overboard. The information became too much to merely throw on someone at once, making it difficult to keep track of what was going on. This was the only issue I had with the book. However, even though the primary tale sounds engaging, I wouldn't want to complete reading it since, as I mentioned above, I'd become bored and lose interest at some point. I didn't see any faults in the piece I read, which suggests that as a second edition, this book must have corrected all of the errors.
First Ten review added on November 23, 2022, at 6:35 pm by Mayang Bature.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jay_shon03
The cover of the book and the genre - anti-terror thriller - are two factors that would have lured me into reading this book had it been I was not part of the OBC. The images on the cover are enough to pique one's curiosity.
Thankfully, after reading the first ten pages, my initial biasness about the book was apt. I was already engrossed in the story. This is not the type I will read halfway and stop. It deserves a space in my library.
There is everything to like about this book. I love the manner the author describes some of the action-packed scenes. Reading some of these scenes will make you feel like you are in a cinema. So far, I am impressed with the editing. I haven't spotted any errors yet. Also, there is nothing about the book that I dislike.
I enjoyed reading the book's review on OBC. However, I didn't allow it to sway my opinion of the book.
First Ten review added on November 23, 2022, at 3:58 pm by Jay_shon03.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Nemanja Jankovic
The title and book cover are the two things that would make me want to read a sample of this book. The book's cover depicts a post-apocalyptic scene while the title is ambiguous. Because the book's opening is so captivating and exciting, I plan to read the rest of it because I am confident in its overall outstanding quality. I read both the user reviews and the Official OnlineBookClub review, but I couldn't find any editor reviews. I would not have recognized the author's inaccurate description of the nuclear device without Lee Boyland's customer review, which called attention to it. Only one small typo (To his right; on the beautiful... - To his right, on the beautiful...) led me to believe the book was professionally edited. The description of the action led by Uri Levin seems very realistic, almost cinematic, and that is the part of the book that I liked.
First Ten review added on November 23, 2022, at 1:11 pm by Nemanja Jankovic.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Christell Lindeque
In spite of being a part of the program, I have no intention of reading this book. The storyline about terrorists and a possible conversion of one of them intrigues me, but this isn't my favorite genre. The book's title and cover art are appropriate to what's inside.
The first ten pages were flawless, as far as I could tell.
No matter how much action there was in the first ten pages, I still won't be reading the book.
The action was great, and I also enjoyed learning more about the villainous Hakim and his motivations.
Terrorist attacks bother me because the perpetrators don't seem to mind whether or not the victims are women, men, and children.
The OBC review piqued my interest more than the cover or title alone. I will still not be reading the book because it is not my type of genre.
First Ten review added on November 23, 2022, at 12:30 pm by Christell Lindeque.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shanesha Sammerson
As soon as I saw the author’s name on this book I wanted to read it. I have previously read samples of his book and it was always enticing. The blurb and editorial reviews although interesting can do no justice to his books. If I were not part of OBC I would have sampled this book because I enjoyed reading terrorism books. Yes, I would buy and read this book after reading the first 10 pages because I want to find out if Walid was sucessfully able to infiltrate America and carry out the plans of the Sheik or if he changed his mind. I enjoyed reading about how a terrorist mind thinks. I found no errors in the first 10 pages. There was nothing wrong with the book thus far. I found the review on OBC very interesting to read inviting others to read.
First Ten review added on November 23, 2022, at 12:23 pm by Shanesha Sammerson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
BruceP
After downloading it from Amazon, I got the opportunity to read a sample of this book. Tens of thousands of intelligence professionals who work day and night to protect the free world from those who would destroy it are honored in the book's opening pages. It sounds like a page-turning tale with plenty of suspense and action. I enjoy reading fiction. I'll therefore buy this book and finish it. I also read the OBC website's review, which I found to be insightful. This book's first ten pages were error-free in both grammar and spelling. It appears that the book had professional editing. The cover was equally attractive and matched the content. Because of the genre, I chose to buy and finish reading this book. My decision was unaffected by the title, official review, or editorial comments. In my opinion, the book appears to have been well-written and edited, and no additional changes are required. Readers who appreciate fiction and exciting stories should try it, in my opinion. The author's writing style was the aspect of the first ten pages that I liked the most. It flows well and is excellent. In the first ten pages I read, there was not a single aspect of this book that I disliked.
First Ten review added on October 7, 2022, at 4:41 am by BruceP.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Ntokozo Joy Ndlovu
Owing to the fame of Lara and Uri series within the OBC community, I've long wanted to read this book. I would have sampled it outside of the First Ten program based on that. I usually avoid books from the CTMH category but I was willing to overlook that this one time. The cover and the title gave a brief hint towards the theme of terrorism and the Blurb confirmed that. In the sample, a seasoned special agent who's on the verge of retiring is called up for one important mission. The sample completely destroyed my interest in the book. One editorial review had described Uri as the Israeli James Bond and that theme is clear in the sample. I felt his character is presented as an overpowered superhero, with him being able to escape unscathed an onslaught that takes out the rest of his team. The OBC review implied that this book avoids most of the cliches of the genre but based on the sample, I am not convince this is the case. I will not be reading the rest of this book. I did not find any errors within the sample, but I did not find anything I liked either.
First Ten review added on October 7, 2022, at 3:56 am by Ntokozo Joy Ndlovu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kenesha Latoya Fowler
Had I not been part of this program, I would not have sampled this book based on the cover, title, blurb, genre, or reviews. I’m familiar with the series, but I’m just not interested. I had no problem with the sample. The pace is good and the scenes are described in vivid detail. The book seems professionally edited; I only found one minor error: “Never mind,” he said, waving his hands, “We don’t have time to teach everyone all the code work...” (Loc 690) There should be a period after “hands”, not a comma.
I didn't dislike anything in particular, and I have no recommendations for improvement. Still, East Wind remains a book with strong themes of terrorism and religious violence, which I am not at all into. Therefore, I won't be buying and reading the rest of this book. The OBC review was nice, but it didn’t impact my decision.
First Ten review added on October 6, 2022, at 7:39 am by Kenesha Latoya Fowler.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Heidi M Simone
Had it not been for this program, I would not have sampled this book based on the
cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews. The cover isn’t very appealing to me and books based on espionage isn’t a genre I particularly like to read.
The book could use another round of editing. For example, in the Prologue, the sentence, “To his right; on the beautiful curved, walnut desk…”, misused the semicolon. A semicolon is used to separate two different clauses. “To his right” is not a complete cause.
I like when authors open up their books with a calm, peaceful scene and then take a hard right turn to grab the reader’s attention, which is what happened in the Prologue. It was a rush in reading how Ed was so quickly killed by the piece of stainless-steel trim. On the other hand, I feel there is a bit too much violence in the beginning of chapter 1. As Uri’s perspective is described and we see his workings as a spy, my mind has trouble processing all the chaos that is happening. The killing of the Arabs, the murder of the five Kidon members, and poisoning Harim is all too much for me.
This book has been reviewed by the OBC review team and was rated 4/4. The review solidifies that this book isn’t for me as it speaks about the plot including life-or-death situations, terrorists, and a nuclear attack. This is just too much violence for me; therefore, I do not plan on reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on October 5, 2022, at 2:49 pm by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shelby Ayres
I really do not like the title or the cover. I feel that they do not depict anything as to what the book is about. I enjoy reading the genre. The blurb is fantastic and makes me want to read the book. There is a large number of reviews, and they rave about how great the book is. Within the first ten pages, I found no grammatical errors. I really liked how the author described the latest mission that Uri had gone on. How the author then described the kid being hypnotized to try and remember anything he could about the leader. I thought that was a great touch. There was nothing that I disliked in the first ten pages. The Online Book Club review I read raved about the author's ability for descriptions. And I agree. Therefore I look forward to reading this book.
First Ten review added on August 10, 2022, at 7:18 pm by Shelby Ayres.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jen Nghishitende
I am now familiar with Jack Winnick’s books. As such, the book cover and title did not do much to persuade me to sample the book, as by now, I am aware that this author’s books are good and well worth a read. Therefore, I would have sampled this book even if I were not in this program. I read the book’s OBC review and a couple of amazon customer reviews, but I have not read an editorial review or a blurb. I have been able to download the book from kindle unlimited for free today and will thus finish reading it soon. After reading the first ten pages, I am convinced it is about time I read this, the book before it and others by Jack Winnick. I love the author’s writing style within these ten pages; his descriptive writing is enthralling. I also like that Uri is so sharp that he quickly recognises a childhood friend’s scar in no time. I dislike nothing about the book so far, and I have not found any errors. I further have nothing to suggest to be changed.
First Ten review added on August 10, 2022, at 2:23 pm by Jen Nghishitende.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
IconReviews
I have heard so many good things about the books in this series. The official OnlineBookClub review was well-written and appealing. I would read this book based on the customer reviews, cover, title, blurb, genre and the official OnlineBookClub review. I liked how the author sprung right into the action from the first pages. Uri's childhood friend murdered some children and Uri knew where he was hiding out. He decided he would be the one to bring his childhood friend to justice. I liked how fast-paced the book was. The sample was professionally edited and the book needs no improvements. I will be reading it because I enjoy espionage thrillers and the sample has piqued my interest.
First Ten review added on August 10, 2022, at 10:44 am by IconReviews.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sushan Ekanayake
East Wind, 2nd edition by Jack Winnick is the first book in the Lara and Uri series. It belongs to C/T/M/H genre. The title and the cover page reveal that this has to do something with some sort of a blast. The blurb says that this is a thriller which depicts another fight by Lara and Uri against international terrorism. The editorial reviews and the customer reviews spoke very highly about the book. I have reviewed a book of this series, and I know how good these books are. So I would have definitely read this one even if I had not been a part of this program, based on the above facts.
Then I read the first ten pages, which describes the initial blast and how Uri was called back to headquarters regarding the matter. The book is action-packed from the very beginning, and I love it. So I am definitely going to buy and read the whole book.
I did not find any errors in the first ten pages. I liked how the gruesome death of Ed was described in the bit that I read. It felt like watching a movie. I found no area that could be improved.
I saw the official OBC review, which spoke very highly about the book. That too helped to strengthen my decision, and I will definitely read this book.
First Ten review added on June 30, 2022, at 10:55 pm by Sushan Ekanayake.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
KafeliKe
This fictional book, East Wind, 2nd edition by Jack Winnick, sounds intriguing. The story's main conflict revolves around terrorism. It discusses nuclear terrorism carried out in the US by radical Muslims. Additionally, the book seems to paint a realistic image of how anti-terrorist government agencies operate on the inside and how the US and Israeli Mossad decide to work together to combat terrorism. The book's cover was the feature I liked the most. It was well-designed and paints a clear picture of the subject matter of the book. Nothing in the book's opening few pages that I read did not appeal to me. It also didn't have any flaws in my opinion. This led me to believe that it had been edited by a professional. On OnlineBookClub, there is a well-written official review that provides a summary of the book. I don't enjoy reading fiction books. As a result, because this book is fiction, I won't purchase it and finish reading it. Nothing needs to be changed because the book is fine as it is. Because it is fiction, I decided not to finish reading it.
First Ten review added on June 30, 2022, at 6:32 am by KafeliKe.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Andrada Madalina
"East Wind (2nd edition)" by Jack Winnick is an action thriller that focuses on espionage in America and Israel. I did not find the book cover and title appealing, and the blurb was too brief and without information about the characters. However, I sampled this book because of its positive editorial and customer reviews. Also, its Official OnlineBookClub review made me curious about the background stories of Uri and Lara. The book seems exceptionally edited because I discovered no single error while reading its first ten pages. I liked that the plot shocked me from the third page of the book and the descriptions of the detonation kept me in suspense. I disliked how the author presented the horrible image of Ed's scattered cerebellum because its vividity shook me. I wouldn't improve anything on this book because I think it has all the elements specific to a thriller. Nevertheless, I won't read the whole book because I am not a fan of stories about terrorist attacks and violent descriptions of death.
First Ten review added on June 30, 2022, at 5:50 am by Andrada Madalina.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Damian Keyes
I'm so surprised that I have not read this book. I have read the other four books in this five-book series, but I never got around to this one. I read up to chapter three in the sample of this book, giving me more details about who the characters are. What I love that Jack Winnick does in the Lara and Uri series is each book can be read as a standalone because he always recounts what happened in the previous books. Because of that, I never felt like I needed to read the books in chronological order. But, for this one, I'm going to make it a priority to finish reading the rest of this book. I'm already in love with the characters and know that whatever ride they take me on, it will be action-packed and thrilling. Plus, I want to find out if Lara and Uri found love at first sight, or did they not like each other? I did not find anything I disliked about this book or any spelling or grammar errors. Jack Winnick does an exceptional job with these books, so there's nothing I could say that he needs to improve in this book.
First Ten review added on June 30, 2022, at 1:49 am by Damian Keyes.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Ayomikun Babalola
I would have chosen to read or sample this book. I liked the cover, and I found the metaphorical title to be smart. Furthermore, I loved the book's blurb. The author's decision to use its Onlinebookclub review as the book's blurb was genius. The review beautifully summarized the book. Other than onlinebookclub's review, the editorial and customer reviews did not influence my opinion of this book. I will purchase this book. This is because the first ten pages completely sold me on this book. It was filled with enough suspense to grab my attention and not let go.
I found at least one instance of an error while I read this book. On page 4, the sentence reads, “Less than a microsecond later a shower of glass and concrete tore his skin completely from his face and body.” A comma should have followed the word “later” as it ends an introductory phrase. I loved how the author introduced Ed's backstory in this book's prologue, only to kill him off at the end. Reading about how Ed was brutally killed was a shock, but it was so unexpected and well described that I loved it. The switch from normal to brutal was perfect. I feel that other readers would love this too. I feel that this book should be edited once again in order to remove any errors in this book. There is an official Onlinebookclub review, and it positively influenced my decision to purchase this book.
First Ten review added on June 29, 2022, at 1:14 pm by Ayomikun Babalola.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Patty Allread
Had I not been part of the OBC program, I would have at least sampled East Wind. The cover is enticing, especially the font used in the title, and the Amazon blurb and customer reviews are raves. I enjoy the genre too.
Now that I have re-read the first ten pages, I can see why I chose to read this book (I read it earlier). I am impressed with the opening scene of the guy in Santa Monica, enjoying his life in California, who gets vaporized. That scene is juxtaposed with the next scene of Uri reflecting on his life just before he had to go on his next mission and kill his childhood friend, who had become a terrorist. These two scenes set the reader up for a good, exciting, thrilling story. I found nothing that I disliked in the first ten pages, and I have no improvements to suggest. The writing is skilled and flows smoothly, creating a fast pace. There were also no errors in this sample. I have seen the review on OBC and was encouraged to read the book when I did.
Since I already read this book, I'm going to mark the next question with no because I'm not going to buy and re-read it.
First Ten review added on June 29, 2022, at 12:00 pm by Patty Allread.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Stellah Chege
Ed was just sitted planning his future. He never imagined that his life would come to an abrupt stop. This is after a nuclear attack flattens his building. Lara and Uri must come together to bring justice to the affected people. I personally do not like books that have wars and violence in them. I find them triggering. The book's cover indicates people in distress running from a terror attack. This was enough to put me off. After reading the OBC review and the blurb, I got convinced that it is not my genre. The fact that Ed was a victim that was innocent and suddenly his life was cut short is too emotional for my liking. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind. I did not find any errors and I believe the book was professionally edited. I can only suggest an improvement on the cover's design since orange seems too dull for me. The illustrations are however fitting. I will not buy or read this book based on previous comments.
First Ten review added on May 13, 2022, at 3:44 am by Stellah Chege.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rita Nuncia
East Wind by Jack Winnick is a fast-paced, action-filled crime thriller with a well-developed plot. It is book 1 of the Lara and Uri series. The book starts with the nuclear bombing of St. Monica Bay on the coast of Southern California. This led to the brutal death of Ed Cooper, a father of two, in his home. As a big fan of Jack Winnick's books, I was very excited about seeing this book. I would have read it without the First Ten program being the reason. After reading the first ten pages of this book, I am happy to say that I was not mistaken. The few pages that I have read are so interesting, captivating, and suspenseful. Therefore, I would love to buy and read the whole book. This book seems professionally edited as I did not notice any grammatical or typographical errors while reading the first ten pages of the book. I like most of the manner in which the author started this book. It made it captivating from the beginning, and as the book progressed, the suspense thickened. I do not see anything that needs to be improved, as I did not find anything wrong with the book. I read an OnlineBookClub official review and it convinced me of how interesting the book is.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2022, at 4:40 am by Rita Nuncia.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Rebecca_Rivera
Based on the cover, the genre and the blurb, I would not choose to read this book. Reading the first ten pages confirmed my decision. My main reason is that espionage and international affairs are way out of my interest zone. I did find the writing pretty well done. I would say the book has been professionally edited. There is an Official OnlineBookClub review which further confirmed that the book’s topic is not in my interest. The best aspect of this book for me was the small details of the characters’ views from their homes in the first ten pages. In my opinion, the cover could be improved. It has a feeling of being homemade. The biggest aspect for me was the font. I think a modern, blocky font would give the book a more up-to-date look. I also think the full blurb should be added to the Amazon listing for the second edition instead of a link that can’t be clicked on. Because the blurb had very little description, I was uninterested in reading further.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2022, at 6:43 pm by Rebecca_Rivera.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chinazo Anozie
I did not know what to expect from the title and cover but reading the description, customer reviews, and the official OnlineBookClub review convinced me that I would be interested in this book. Crime thrillers are one of my favourite genres: so I will buy and read this book. I loved the character development and how the author provided a well-detailed backstory for Uri and Lara. This book seems professionally edited because I did not notice any typographical errors. I do not think anything needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on March 16, 2022, at 4:20 pm by Chinazo Anozie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Asma Aisha Ansari
I liked the cover and the title of this book, as they fit the story perfectly. The blurb, the OBC review, and the Amazon reviews are positive and encouraging. They helped me decide whether or not to read this book. As a fan of thriller novels, I was excited to read this book even more. I liked the writing style. I especially liked how even minor characters like Walid's professor 'Bobo' were described so well.
The book seems well-edited, as I found only a few instances of missing hyphenation in the sample. For example, in the sentence, 'His warning had gone unheeded, with near disastrous results.', the compound word 'near disastrous' should be hyphenated. I suggest that the book be edited once for such minor mistakes. Lastly, I'm going to read the rest of the book because of the genre and because I liked the sample.
First Ten review added on February 3, 2022, at 9:52 am by Asma Aisha Ansari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Vidhi Adhikari
Those who prefer reading international spy thrillers would definitely enjoy reading this book. However, I am not a fan of this genre, which is why I shall not be finishing it anytime soon. That said, I did like the book's simple cover and title. Also, the sample began in a fast-paced manner with the explosion in Ed's flat. This did hold my attention for a while, but as I kept reading, I struggled to keep my focus since I do not usually go for this genre.
There were not many grammatical errors in the book, except for comma placement and unnecessary spacing (Example: {"Assalamu alaykum." The sentry, unimpressed}). Also, I feel that the book may perform well if it had more positive customer reviews on Amazon. Other than that, I do not have any complaints from this book.
First Ten review added on February 3, 2022, at 9:37 am by Vidhi Adhikari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Soraya Bayah
I am against showing that Americans and Israelis are the good guys, and any Arab would be a terrorist. I would not like to support this work, as that would make more people assume that all Arabs and Muslims are bad guys. I understand that corrupted leaders commit unforgivable crimes and terrorism, but they do not represent Muslims or Arabs, even when they do say they are fighting in the name of Islam. I am sorry for the long essay, but for this reason I will have to skip this book. I found 2 possible errors. Location 517, “To his right(;) on the beautiful, curved, walnut desk that had been a present to himself, just to the right of the 24-inch flat screen computer monitor, stood Ed’s favorite picture of Ellen and the girls, Chelsea and Kirsten, smiling happily in the New England summer sunshine.”- I assume it is not an independent clause.
Format error in location 602.
The OBC review did not help me choose this book, even though I enjoy thrillers. I was thrilled by the introduction and the well-done writing. The description of scenes was not overly done and I truly enjoyed reading these few pages, and would’ve picked up this book if weren’t for the previously stated reasons. I would certainly read a book by the author that does not reflect on real-life issues (fantasy). I would not choose this book from genre, title, cover, review, or blurb.
First Ten review added on February 2, 2022, at 2:38 pm by Soraya Bayah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gabriella H
The book cover and its title are attractive. The title East Wind sounds vague but promising. I enjoy books from the crime/thriller/adventure genre and look forward to completing this book. The funny thing is, I already added this book to my reading list before I joined this program. Therefore, I would have read it even without this program. I didn’t notice any errors in the first ten pages. I am eager to see where this story will take Uri and Lara. I enjoyed the author's style of writing. I found the violent scenes to be really graphic, but I can cope with them. I was particularly shocked by the way Hakim was killed by Uri. I plan to finish this book sometime this year. The official book of the day review by OnlineBookClub made this book sound really interesting and added to its appeal.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2022, at 3:32 am by Gabriella H.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
addicted reader
East Wind by Jack Winnick sounds like a suspenseful, fast-paced, action-packed thriller. Uri and Lara seem to be the protagonists in the story. They band together to combat terrorist acts.I liked the cover page of the book. It was well-designed to fit the book. Having read the first ten pages of the book, I didn't find any grammatical or spelling flaws in it. This is a clear indication that it was edited in a professional way. The book had an official review on OnlineBookClub, which gave an insight into what the book is all about. I'm not going to finish reading this book because I'm not a fan of this kind of genre. My decision not to finish reading it was not affected by the official review, customer comments, or by the sample I read, but my personal preferences. Moreover, there's nothing else to be improved in the book, as I found it to be OK in the first few pages I sampled. There was nothing I disliked in the sample I read.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2022, at 3:27 am by addicted reader.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rosemary Owolabi
The title seemed like it was written in an Arabic language. It actually read, "East Wind." But with an Arabic twist. It looked like an interesting book. It was free on Amazon using Kindle Unlimited. I would continue with the concluding part of the story because the story was impressive, captivating, and cleverly written. Reading the first ten pages changed my mind from the original guess.
Based on the sample I read, the book seemed to be professionally edited, and I didn't notice any typos/errors.
I liked the way the story was presented.It was very honest and beautiful. The book was well-structured and wasn't boring. It was about Uri, who was on the Mediterranean shore contemplating whether to live there. He was somewhere around the south of Tel Aviv. If Danielle had been there with him, the decision would have been easy. She didn't know about the last raid until he was back from Lebanon three months ago. He was the only one who had escaped. According to the first ten pages, in my opinion, nothing should be improved. It was a well-written story, and it was unfolding nicely.
The online reviews and ratings of this book on Kindle Unlimited are massive and very excellent.
First Ten review added on January 13, 2022, at 3:28 pm by Rosemary Owolabi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
asteel18
I like the cover art, although it also looks terrifying. The editorial and customer reviews on Amazon were mostly five stars. The OBC reviewer loved it and did say there wasn't anything horrifically graphic beyond the initial pages, which was good because that scene between Uri and the terrorist was gruesome. If I hadn't read the first ten pages I probably would have read this because I've read the second book in the series and enjoyed it. After reading the sample, I will not be buying the book. It seemed incredibly slow and didn't look like it was going to pick up. One minor error I noted was an apostrophe error. "...burst into the chamber, AK-17's at the ready." There should not be an apostrophe between 17 and the s. I like the author's work but this doesn't seem like something I would enjoy.
First Ten review added on January 13, 2022, at 10:45 am by asteel18.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rizki Pradana
I have chosen to read the first ten of this book based on genre reviews because the cover looks interesting to me. I have seen an OBC review, and it affect me to read this book because the setting of the story was really interesting, especially when the story involved the FBI in it. Also, I loved the relationship between Americans and Arabian people. Because of that, I wanted to read the whole book. I found no grammatical errors that could hinder reading this book, which means this book has been exceptionally well-edited.
First Ten review added on January 12, 2022, at 3:55 pm by Rizki Pradana.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Joseph Mutuku 1
This first book in the Lara and Uri series has a captivating storyline. Jack Winnick chronicles a riveting story, in the sample, of a heartless act by Hezbollah terrorist. Uri has led a five-member team to trace Hakim and his terrorists—having them repay for their evil. Sincerely, the book’s title is catchy; moreover, the cover page is also well designed. I didn’t spot any actual errors in the pages I read—this is an indication that this book was professionally edited. Reading the first ten pages did very little as far as convincing me to finish reading it is concerned; I don’t enjoy terrorist stories. The book had a positive official Online Book Club review, and it was insightful enough to answer most of the questions I would have before selecting this book. However, as a “doubting Thomas,” I usually sample a few pages. After checking all that makes a good beginning of a fictional book, I have no advice for the author of this book.
First Ten review added on October 7, 2021, at 4:13 am by Joseph Mutuku 1.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Astral Magi
I was drawn in by the cover and title of East Wind, 2nd edition by Jack Winnick and would have read the book without reading the first ten pages.
I also read the first ten pages, which backed up my initial impression. I like how the action starts straight away and how, although being part of a series, the novel can be read independently. I also read the official OBC review and plan to read this book in the near future. There is nothing in this book that might be improved, and I found no errors. The book seems to be well edited.
First Ten review added on October 6, 2021, at 10:03 am by Astral Magi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mercy Bolo
This book's cover hints at it being a story set in the Middle East and that didn't inspire me to read it. When I read the first ten pages, I liked that Uri began to accept that at 41, he was getting too old for fieldwork. The OBC review mentioned that the plot follows two agents on a mission to prevent a terrorist attack. That storyline doesn't appeal to me, hence I won't read the rest of the book. I noticed no errors in the text, hence I will conclude that it underwent professional editing. There's nothing I disliked about the bit I read, so I wouldn't change anything about it.
First Ten review added on September 9, 2021, at 4:47 am by Mercy Bolo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Eunice Geres
I'm not a fan of crime/police fiction. Though, I've read from before that it has a bit of romance between Lara and Uri. I was not too fond of the blurb and the cover. The blurb didn't reveal much to pique my interest. For me, this is just a cliche novel. I'm not interested in reading the book. I didn't find any errors, though I find most of the sentences to be wordy. It makes it hard to follow. I was just bored while reading the sample, even though everything the author describes seems to be thrilling. I like that it started with the murder of Ed. I think it would play such a significant role in the overall conflict of the book. I would recommend something about the aesthetic aspect of the chapters. I would suggest that instead of writing just the month and year, the author could write it in a format of like a memorandum, in bold font. It would make the book much more interesting. The book has an official review.
First Ten review added on September 9, 2021, at 1:12 am by Eunice Geres.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
markodim721
I would choose to read samples of this book because of the title. The title seems intriguing and interesting, ambiguous, and attracts attention. As for the cover, I think it is confusing because the font in which the title of the book is written is designed to act like the letters commonly used in India. Also, a person with a covered face can be seen in the background, who should be associated with an Arab. As Iran is emphasized in the book and the entire series as the main threat to the security of the United States and Israel, this setting is strange and illogical to me. I’m not going to buy this book because I don’t like books where complex relationships are simplified. Reading the sample didn’t change my mind from my original guess. While reading the sample I did notice only one misuse of a semicolon (To his right; on the beautiful, curved, walnut desk...). Other than that the book seems like it is professionally edited. I like the way the author described the serenity and pleasure of Ed Cooper and the somewhat later destruction and his death because I believe the contrast is convincing. I also like the description of the action led by Uri Levin because it seems very realistic. I think Lara Edmond’s detailed description of the past in Chapter 2 should be significantly shortened. The book has an Official OnlineBookClub review.
First Ten review added on September 8, 2021, at 3:46 pm by markodim721.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Valkyrie9
East Wind, 2nd Edition by Jack Winnick is the first of the Lara and Uri novels. In this episode, the daring team of FBI and Mossad agents must race against the clock to uncover those responsible for a devastating terrorist attack and the impending threat of the next one. The cover is intricate and perfectly fits the theme and feel of the book. The blurb on Amazon is brief and refers the reader to that on the Amazon page of the first edition. The full Amazon blurb introduces the characters and paints an exciting picture of what is to come in the book. I did not like that the blurb for this second edition is so brief and sends the reader to the blurb for the first edition. Although it is a re-release of essentially the same book, I think the author could improve by including the blurb on this page as well. If I had not read the sample, I would still read this book based on the cover, genre and blurb – if I was looking for an action-packed terrorist thriller.
Having read the sample and the OBC review, I know I will definitely enjoy this book. What I liked most about the sample that I read was how the author has clearly done his homework thoroughly before writing. The sample I read was peppered with Mossad terms, making it very believable. Since I noticed only three errors in the first ten pages, I believe the book was professionally edited. An example is a semi-colon where a comma should be: “To his right; on the beautiful, curved, walnut desk…”. I thoroughly enjoyed the sample, and I would love to read further to find out what happens and how Uri gets along with a female field agent.
First Ten review added on September 8, 2021, at 12:41 pm by Valkyrie9.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Michelle Menezes
I have read a few samples of the author's other books, so I knew what to expect. The blurb was interesting, and the Official OnlineBookClub review had positive things to say about it. Despite that, I had decided not to read it, since terrorism and graphic violence are common themes in the author's books. After reading the first ten pages, I have chosen to stick to my original decision and not continue with it. I like how descriptive the writing is. For example, when Ed is shot, the details include the speed of the bullet, the part it hit him on, the effect it had on the surrounding areas, and the final consequences. It was easier to picture the whole thing. I find graphic violence triggering, so I won't be reading it. The book does not need any improvement, and I did not find any errors, so it seems professionally edited.
First Ten review added on September 8, 2021, at 11:13 am by Michelle Menezes.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
maggi3
Based on the cover, title, and OnlineBookClub review I read of this book, I would not have read it because I am not interested in spy thrillers. Based on the sample, I will still not be reading the book because I am not interested in the genre or story. The book does not seem like it was professionally edited, as I noticed a few errors in the sample. For example, one sentence is written: "To his right; on the beautiful, curved, walnut desk..." A semicolon should not be used here, as "to his right" is not an independent clause. I was not interested in the prologue until the end, where Ed is killed, and I was not interested enough in Uri to keep reading. My favorite thing about the sample I read was the vivid descriptions. Even though phrases like "bloody spiral of death" are gruesome, they paint a vivid picture that helps the reader picture the scene as if it were a movie. I have no advice for the author; I am simply not interested in the story.
First Ten review added on June 18, 2021, at 1:39 am by maggi3.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mariana Figueira
Before reading the book's first pages, I wasn't interested in it because I don't like terrorist-themed thrillers. Unfortunately, I didn't change my mind after sampling the book. Besides the main topic itself, I found it too explicit (when Ed's death is described in excruciating detail). I like and find it intriguing that one of the protagonists, Uri, is 41 years old because they're usually younger in thriller novels. I didn't see anything that needed improvement. This book has an official Online BookClub review and seems professionally edited.
First Ten review added on June 17, 2021, at 1:04 pm by Mariana Figueira.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Dzejn_Crvena
When I saw the blurb, title, and cover, I did not want to sample the book outside this program. I avoid feeding my mind with genres and words connected to espionage and terrorism. When I saw the convincing OBC review, I decided to read the sample. The prologue was very relaxing until... I was caught off guard! The writing style helped me read the book at a faster speed. The descriptions were just right to keep me glued to the pages. Sadly, chapter 1 revealed a grueling scene I'd rather not watch on screen. Because of that, I will not continue reading this book. I cannot endure reading another book with gore and violence right now. Since this is the 2nd edition, it seems professionally edited, and I didn't see the need for improvements.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2021, at 10:07 pm by Dzejn_Crvena.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
smolbird
If I were to make the decision only based on the book's cover and its title, I wouldn't read this book. Reading its official OnlineBookClub review didn't convince me otherwise. Based on the first ten pages of the book, I found it to be well-edited as I didn't catch any errors. I like that each chapter was set in a specific month and year, as it lessens the reader's confusion on the book's timeline. I couldn't see anything that it could improve on. While I enjoy reading thrillers, books on espionage do not interest me.
First Ten review added on April 16, 2021, at 4:41 am by smolbird.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Manang Muyang
The "east wind" is not known for good news. That mushroom cloud on the cover can only mean horrors unimaginable. Jack Winnick has become synonymous with "terrorism" for me. A certified suspense junkie, I would have sampled the book outside of the program. Truly, the book started explosively, a thriller fan's dream. The sample included some merciless executions that didn't sit well with me, though. I may be mellowing out; I decided not to read any further. The writing was compelling. I noted some punctuation issues, though, involving hyphens and semicolons. I would like to highlight one instance because of the inconsistency in the spelling of "anti-terrorist": At 69% of the sample, I read "She and Jim had gone through the anti-terrorist training program together." At 66%, the book had "Shortly after 9/11 the CIA had requested that Israel cooperate in a top-secret antiterrorist program." The author may wish to comb the book for such inconsistencies. The official OBC reviewer also noted minor punctuation issues, but those did not keep the book from earning the perfect rating. The author may also want to change that cover: the man seems to have abandoned the woman and child.
First Ten review added on April 16, 2021, at 4:00 am by Manang Muyang.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rayah Raouf
I would not have chosen to sample this book because of the cover and the synopsis. The cover did not appeal to me at all, and the synopsis made the book sound quite political and that does not appeal to me either. I will not buy and read the whole book. After I read the sample, I realized that this book was not meant for me. I found many terms unfamiliar, and names were quite difficult. I don’t like books that mention terrorists or terrorism either. I noticed no grammatical errors in the sample. Therefore, the book seems to be professionally edited. I like how there are dates on the top of each chapter. This will help a reader understand the order of events. I cannot think of any improvements to be made. There was an official review, and it helped me decide I do not want to read the book.
First Ten review added on April 15, 2021, at 5:12 pm by Rayah Raouf.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
OB Brian
Certainly. I would have chosen this read based on the blurb, cover, genre, and customer reviews. In fact, the cover alone would have done the trick. Why? Because a glimpse at it promises a narration that is exciting and terrifying in equal measure. Having sampled it out as part of the first ten program, I can say with certainty that I will buy and read this novel. More so because it premieres a sequence of books with Lara and Uri chasing stiff-necked terrorists with an ambitious goal of wiping out the U.S. and Israel from the face of the earth. What I liked most is how this work introduced the protagonists. Describing their personalities acquainted me with them. Thus, I got to know what urged them on. I did not come across even a single mistake in the text I read. Consequently, I am confident this book is edited professionally. Accordingly, I would not improve on anything in this narration. I saw an official OnlineBookClub.org review of this novel. It influenced my decision to sample it.
First Ten review added on April 15, 2021, at 11:20 am by OB Brian.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Justine Ocsebio
I wouldn’t have sampled this book based on the genre, as I don’t usually pick up crime thrillers. In the sample, I find the beginning really compelling. The book opens with a man named Ed Cooper who’s living a luxurious life. Ed’s tragic demise seems to be a terrorist attack. The prologue is really something that captures a reader right away. I honestly think that the book is well written. Sadly, I’m not interested in stories about agents fighting terrorist groups. Therefore, I’m not going to read the whole book. The official review did not affect my decision. I disliked nothing, and I didn’t see anything that needed improvement. The text is well edited.
First Ten review added on April 15, 2021, at 6:18 am by Justine Ocsebio.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
TheMazeRunner
I have seen this book winning multiple BOTDs. I think it is great, but not for me. I would sample it, but the sample changed my mind. It is a bit boring with describing Cooper's life in the first chapter. I thought there would me more action in it, and that is what I would like to change. That is why I won't read it. I haven't noticed any mistake in the sample, and I am sure this book is professionally edited. It also has tge official review that helped me decide wether to read it or not. I like the text on the cover of the book.
First Ten review added on April 14, 2021, at 4:36 pm by TheMazeRunner.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Yvonne Monique
The book cover is attractive and gives an idea of what to expect of this book. I like that the title is written in an Arabic text font. Personally, I would not pick this book up in a book store because I rarely read thrillers. I have read the blurb and OBC review. Especially the review is very positive and gives an excellent description of the book. I enjoyed the first ten pages. The sample seems to be professionally edited because I could not detect any errors. The dedication to all intelligence officers around the world is definitely an original one. The book starts straight away with an unexpected attack, which draws the reader immediately into the story. From the first page onwards, it becomes clear that the author is very skilled at character building. Although I believe that this book is a very good read, I will not buy it today, mainly because thrillers are not my favourite genre. I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on April 14, 2021, at 8:57 am by Yvonne Monique.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AnnOgochukwu
In the absence of this program, I believe I would have eventually sampled this book because of its popularity on the OBC; it has been BOTD more than once, and there are a lot of commending reviews on it. So based on the genre, cover page, and reviews of this book, I have always wanted to check it out.
Having read the sample now, I can say that it is not an overrated book. The book has got an intriguing plot, and the story is expertly told with diction so simple that one could easily picture the atmosphere or character being created by the author, even down to minute details. The author's employment of stream of consciousness is also commendable, thoughts and ideas flowed smoothly and understandably. At this rate, I believe this book is going to make a worthwhile read. However, I wouldn't not be continuing this book because of the heavy themes it sports -terrorism, violence, espionage, and international crime. I'm not up for an intense read at the moment, especially not one that, from the onset, features splattered brains and vaporized bodies. That aside, I would have comfortably continued reading this book.
I noticed only one error, "without her - well, without her why bother wondering about a choice." First of all, this statement should have ended with a question mark, and there should be a comma after '...well without her', and not after 'well'. Regardless of this, I believe this book was professionally edited.
First Ten review added on November 12, 2020, at 9:23 am by AnnOgochukwu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Iva Stoyanova
If I wasn't part of this program I would still choose to sample and read this book. I was immediately intrigued by the cover, the title, and the genre. This genre is my favorite. In addition, after reading the official review, I was even more interested to find out what happens in the story. I am planning to read the whole book. As I mentioned, the genre is my favorite one. Also, reading the first ten pages intrigued me a lot. I didn't change my mind after reading them. The book begins with a murder scene, which immediately caught my attention, and I was left impatient to find out what is going to happen next.
Based on the bit I read, I think the book is professionally edited. The thing I liked most was the introduction. In my opinion, it's a brilliant way to begin a story. The reader is immediately intrigued. I am sure the book is packed with action, more mystery, and crime. However, it is not suitable for children and sensitive readers. I don't have any recommendations for improvement.
First Ten review added on November 11, 2020, at 1:15 pm by Iva Stoyanova.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Bertha Jackson
I would buy this book because it is one of Jack Winnick's about Lara and Uri. I have read several of this series and they are well-written and professionally edited. Reading the first 10 pages of the book and the review has not changed my mind. I did not see any errors in the first 10 pages. From my past reading experiences with this series, I am sure there is nothing I would change. The only reason I will not buy this book today is because I have limited space on my Kindle Cloud.
First Ten review added on October 13, 2020, at 5:42 pm by Bertha Jackson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Damis Seres Rodriguez
I don't really like the cover of this book. It is well designed, but somehow, still unappealing. Even if the review I read rated it perfectly, it still failed to catch my attention. As for the content I read, I have to admit it seems to be well written. But as far as I can throw it, it just looks like the average spies plot. Of course I could be wrong, but it just didn't manage to catch my eye. I didn't find any errors that led me to believe it is not professionally edited, and I don't think ten pages are enough for me to give an accurate suggestion on how to improve it. Unfortunately, I don't think I would enjoy reading the book, so I won't finish it.
First Ten review added on October 13, 2020, at 3:02 pm by Damis Seres Rodriguez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ari Martinez
If I had not sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I would not have chosen to sample this book based on its title, cover, and Official OnlineBookClub review because I am not fond of books about terrorism, which is what is depicted in the cover image and in the Official review. I will not be reading the whole book because as stated before, I am not a fan of books about terrorism/government since they sometimes tend to be too political or biased. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind. Based on what I read, my favorite part was how the story is set up in the prologue and the moves on to Uri's perspective in the first chapter. The book does seem professionally edited.
First Ten review added on October 13, 2020, at 12:39 pm by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sou Hi
The cover looks simple but hinting of terrorism. The official review gives it full marks, and the customer reviews are good, so I choose to read the sample. The book is the first part of the series, introducing us to the squad leader of Kidon, Uri, and his latest mission which took out all of his team, save for the man himself. Then, there's Lara, the Golden Girl of FBI, who excels in everything she attempted, especially in decoding and computing. I like the Middle East theme of the book, along with its exploring about terrorism. Since the POV switches constantly, I think it's useful that the author adds the date to avoid confusion. The editing also looks good. However, after seeing how Uri handles his mission, I find myself question his logic. Uri takes time killing a group of paralyzed enemies instead of checking and tending to his own teammates. Moreover, he made an injured guy help carry the corpses out of the already safe cave, without caring if that would make the guy die faster. Of course, all of the guys perish in the end, while they might be saved if he acts otherwise. Lara is also portrayed as a perfect human. With her ability, it would be weirder if she fails her mission rather than succeeding, which makes the story boring. Therefore, I will not buy the book.
First Ten review added on September 18, 2020, at 11:45 pm by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Samgum50
I don't think I would have read this book had I not sampled it as part of the first ten program. What initially drew my interest to the book was its cover and the official OnlineBookClub review. Upon reading the official review, I realized that although the story was interesting the book in general seems a bit controversial. Therefore I don't think I will be purchasing this book to continue reading it. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind. I don't like the books portrayal of Arabs and Muslims in general as terrorists. Something that I've noticed is prevalent in the book series.
Based on what I read, the book appears professionally edited. I didn't come across any errors whatsoever while reading. What I liked the most about the sample I read was the writing. It's very engaging and the author explains things very well. Plus the story itself is very interesting. I can tell that the author took his time writing this book. It shows in the quality of both the writing and the story. The only thing I think could be improved about this book is the portrayal of Arabs and Muslims in general.
First Ten review added on September 18, 2020, at 4:52 am by Samgum50.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Hazel Arnaiz
Although I like spy stories, I would not sample this book outside the First Ten Pages program. The cover shows a bombing incident, which is quite common for this genre. The color reminded me of sunset or desert sand, something I associate with tranquility, which is an opposite feeling for a bombing story. I did not find the title intriguing, neither did I find anything to connect it with the plot based on what I saw on the cover. The reviews did not say much about how this book stood out from similar stories. The first ten pages were mostly on introducing the characters of the story, which is understandable considering that this is the first of the series. The initial pages did not bring me to the parts describing the author’s approach to the bombing plot so I did not get the chance to find out what sets this apart from other stories. The book seemed professionally edited. What I liked most is the vivid description which made the reading experience engaging. Enhancing the cover and title to make them catchier could help. I did find an Official OnlineBookClub review, but it did not change my decision.
First Ten review added on September 18, 2020, at 4:10 am by Hazel Arnaiz.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
xsquare
Based on the cover, title and blurb, I probably would have sampled the book anyway – the blurb sounds incredibly exciting. I really like how the book takes its time to build an air of suspense and intrigue, before introducing the shocking – but not unexpected – twist. There was nothing that I disliked about the sample. Since this is a second edition, I was not expecting to find any typos, and I am glad to report that I did not find any. The official OBC review rates this highly, and likewise, I am keen to get started on the rest of this book.
First Ten review added on September 18, 2020, at 3:44 am by xsquare.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mallory Porshnev
The cover of this book is appealing to me, and I saw that it had an OBC review. After reading the review though, I learned that this is another in the Lara and Uri series. I am really not interested in the books about agents and terrorists. However, based on the description, it sounds like this one might be a little different as it deals with a terrorist who is having second thoughts and may switch sides. The emotional aspect of it makes me more interested to read it. After sampling it, I see that it is professionally edited, and this author clearly knows his genre. He jumps right into the action to grab the reader. Still, I doubt I will buy and read this book as I am not invested in the series and don't plan to start it.
First Ten review added on September 17, 2020, at 11:04 pm by Mallory Porshnev.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Samantha Gayle
I have read several reviews for this book, and based on the reviews and genre, I would not have sampled this book. I don’t enjoy books involving terrorism and espionage. I have also read the official OBC review, which gave me further insight into the book’s subject. After reading the first ten pages, I still think that I will not complete this book. There is quite a bit of violence within those first few pages, and I prefer to read other genres with less violence. The book appears to be well-edited. I wouldn’t change anything about what I read as the writing and pacing are strong. Unfortunately, I just did not become engaged with the plot or subject. This book would appeal to anyone interested in international crime thrillers that is not averse to violence or gore.
First Ten review added on September 17, 2020, at 9:20 pm by Samantha Gayle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
aacodreanu
Had I not actually sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I would have chosen to read or sample this book based on the cover, for its suggestive design: the explosion, the man and the woman and the bright yellow of the sands in the deserts of the East, the title, as wind implies motion and the detonation of the bomb also creates a sort of wind, the authors of which come from the East, the genre, thrillers being among my favorite genres, and the Official OnlineBookClub editorial review that I saw. I am not going to buy and read the whole book; I have learned all I wanted to know from the review and from reading the first ten pages every five weeks, as the novel showed up on BOTD. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind from my original guess that this, as all four volumes of the series, is well written, well documented and, sadly, of interest at present, when terrorism is always present in the news. The book seems like it was professionally edited. As in all the volumes, action starts with a hainous attack. I like the contrast between the comfort and relaxation of a very rich man who was enjoying his ocean view from his luxurious residence, pooring himself an exquisite cup of coffee, and the abruptness of the blow, along with its graphic effects on the man, now to be called the victim. Nothing could be improved in this book or in the other four. What Winnick could do is change the genre, the actors, whatever, because even if they are perfect, they become repetitive.
First Ten review added on September 17, 2020, at 11:04 am by aacodreanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Reader047
East Wind by Jack Winnick sounds like an interesting, action-packed, and investigative thriller about terrorism. It's the first book of the Lara-Uri series. Lara and Uri are the protagonists of the story. I liked the title, cover, and the writing style of the author—they're all amazing. The plot of the book seems intriguing and interesting. The book had a wonderfully written review on the OnlineBookClub, and a free sample on Amazon—which provided an insight into what the book entails. I did not encounter any error or anything to dislike (in the first ten pages I have sampled) hence, the book seems to be professionally edited. As much as the book seems to be interesting, I'm not going to read because I'm not a fan of series books. However, I'll recommend it to some of friends who enjoys while reading this kind of books. Sampling of the first fe pages did not affect my decision of not reading the book.
First Ten review added on August 13, 2020, at 2:31 am by Reader047.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mutai Marshal
A Muslim-terrorist group has been terrorizing people. It has been ruthlessly claiming the lives of both children and women indiscriminately but sparing one life to narrate the ordeal. Kidon (a codename), under the leadership of Uri, has an undercover job to get to the root of the matter. Based on the report, Uri concludes that the leader of the terrorist is his childhood friend, Hakim. The first mission by Kidon ends up fatal as Uri lost most of his men but capture and torture the leader, Hakim. The review in OBC was detailed and fascinating that it left me reeling to read East Wind by Jack Winnick (I would have read the book without sampling). I love crime thrillers, especially those dealing with investigations, hence I’ll be checking it out. The fast pace is what I loved most in this narrative. The author transitions quickly from one scene to another (but provides adequate information), making the story thrilling. I hardly noted any grammatical mistakes meaning it was edited by a professional.
First Ten review added on August 13, 2020, at 2:24 am by Mutai Marshal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
elisathelvarik
I would not choose this book based on its title, cover, and description. I do not have much interest in politically action-packed novels like this one. I have heard about Jack Winnick novels from reviewers including the official review for today. The official review gives a great overview of the plot, which I found very helpful and interesting. After sampling, I decided that I will not buy and read this book. I really liked the prologue because it was the 'calm before the storm.' It introduced Ed and his beautiful view from his apartment and how much he loves life. Then, it takes a complete turn with a bomb going off and a gory description of his death. It felt so emotional and real to have that divide. I personally do not read books like this, so this is new to me. I had nothing I disliked about the first ten pages, but I do not think I would read it on my own. I have no notes of improvement. I found no errors or typos. This book seems well-edited.
First Ten review added on August 12, 2020, at 11:45 pm by elisathelvarik.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rodel Barnachea
The official OnlineBookClub review gave this book a perfect rating. However, I wouldn’t buy this book. This is because the book’s themes do not appeal to me. I like fast-paced novels, but I steer away from themes of violence and terrorism. After reading the first ten pages of the book, I’m still not convinced. I wouldn’t buy this book for the reason I stated before. I find the book decent, but it doesn’t appeal to me. I’m sure that other readers would like this book. What I liked the most about the book is its fast-paced nature. As I mentioned before, I enjoy reading fast-paced novels. The book seems professionally edited; I didn’t catch any errors. I don’t think there is anything I can suggest to improve this book.
First Ten review added on August 12, 2020, at 10:30 pm by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kirsi Cultrera
I have been totally in love with Jack Winnick’s action thrillers ever since I encountered them the first time. East Wind is no exception. I enjoy the author’s clever approach to using world politics in his novels. Ever since the Twin Towers were destroyed, terrorism has been a harsh reality in the world as we know it. Therefore, we are lucky that these books, being almost too realistic, are still just a good act of fiction. Another detail I find most enjoyable is Winnick’s ability to build believable characters. I’ve grown rather fond of Lara & Uri and am always ready to jump on to another adventure with these two. The editing seems to be done pleasingly well, as no errors were affecting my enjoyment of the first few pages. I have read an Official OnlineBookClub review of this book, which only confirmed my thoughts of reading further.
First Ten review added on August 12, 2020, at 3:36 pm by Kirsi Cultrera.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
jenny delacruz
I had the opportunity to read the 5th book of this series and it was superb. I would still pick this book even without reading the first ten pages. In addition, having read a lot of great reviews about East Wind, I am even more intrigued and excited. I appreciate Jack Winnick for dedicating a page to thank the intelligence officers, as well as his support team who had helped him complete this book. Reading the first 10 pages, I am even more excited to know what’s the connection of the prologue to the entire story. The book is exceptionally written and professionally edited. I haven’t spotted a single error on the first 10 pages of the book. Jack Winnick’s writing style is commendable. He can capture the reader’s eye and imagination with his narration. “The sun had not yet reached its zenith on this bright December morning…” Lovely!
First Ten review added on August 12, 2020, at 3:14 pm by jenny delacruz.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sonya Nicolaidis
Just by virtue of the unusual and attractive coloration of the front cover I would have paused and had a closer look at this book. Also, because it's by Jack Winnick and I know what a gifted writer he is. The OBC review speaks very highly of this book, which follows along the same lines as other espionage thrillers by the same author. The first ten pages were, as expected, brilliantly written with all the scene setting and background taking place therein. I most enjoyed the opening scene and the unexpected fate that awaited Ed. There isn't much I didn't like about the sample, and cannot suggest any improvements to it whatsoever. I did note a couple of minor mistakes in punctuation. For instance, a missing question mark after Uri's question to himself in the first paragraph of Chapter 1: "... why bother wondering about a choice." Even so, I believe this book was professionally edited. I would definitely like to read this one.
First Ten review added on July 1, 2020, at 11:33 am by Sonya Nicolaidis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Leen282
I am not into action thrillers but have noticed when reading the first pages of other books of this author that I like his writing style. This first book of the series received a lot of positive reviews. That makes me curious about the story. The prologue immediately sets the scene and invites readers to continue reading. The first chapter is already too gruesome for me; I did not like Uri's actions. While I can see the appeal of this book to amateurs of the genre, and I would even recommend it to them, I will not read this book myself.
I did not find any spelling mistakes.
First Ten review added on July 1, 2020, at 5:56 am by Leen282.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Elvis Best
Based on the genre of the book, I wouldn't have read it. I find myself too sensitive to read books of such nature. Moreover, after reading the first ten pages, I've decided not to read the rest of the book because I did not find it to my liking. I felt uncomfortable reading some gruesome scenes. However, I believe the book was professionally edited, as I found no errors in it. I enjoyed the injection of a little humor in the prologue. And talking about improvement, it would be nice if the author injected a little more humor in the otherwise dark book. Also, I read an Official OnlineBookClub review which I felt presented the book very well.
First Ten review added on July 1, 2020, at 5:02 am by Elvis Best.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MeganDJ
I am not too much of a fan of books that touch on terrorism attacks and violence, so I think regardless of whether or not I read the first 10, I probably would have chosen not to read this book. The title and cover, although appropriate, didn't capture my attention and once I had read the blurb, I knew it wasn't for me.
From what I have read thus far, it looks well-edited as I found no errors. I think what I liked the most was there was an unexpected twist when I was learning about the first few characters that I appreciated. From a technical viewpoint, I don't think anything can be improved upon. My issue is purely personal, and I believe many out there won't have such an issue.
There was an Online Book Review written about this particular book. however, it did not change my mind. I will not be picking up this book purely because of my personal preference.
First Ten review added on July 1, 2020, at 1:54 am by MeganDJ.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mrunalpatki
The title and cover of the book seem uninteresting. I have read the official OBC review of this book. I also have read other books from the author Winnick. The editing of this book seems professional. But I will not be buying this one for the simple reason that I'm done with Winnick spy novels. They typically follow the same format. The book starts with a shocking terrorist attack. Lara and Uri are summoned from their respective heavens. A steamy sex scene follows, and then they set out on an adventure in a bid to foil the next act of terrorism. We also read about the indoctrination of the Islamist extremist groups weaving through the story. I'll pass this genre.
First Ten review added on July 1, 2020, at 12:11 am by Mrunalpatki.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gabrielle Sigaki
East Wind is the first book of the Lara and Uri series. It portrays terrorism combat with action, suspense, crime, and some aspects of romance. At first, I was interested in the impressive design of the cover, and I was willing to read it since the Official OnlineBookClub review I saw gave it a high rating. But after sampling it, I thought the narrative was too monotonous, with a lot of descriptions and unnecessary details. Because of that, I’m not going to read the entire story since the writing style didn’t attract me. However, I liked the way the perspective changed through the chapters. Besides, the book seems to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on June 30, 2020, at 6:29 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AntonelaMaria
Had I not actually sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I wouldn't have chosen to read or sample this book based on the cover, title, genre, or the blurb that I saw. The cover is not very much eye-catching. And seeing that this is a series is always overwhelming to read. I am not a fan of past and present writing but from what I read it seems really interesting and it draws you in from the start. The reviews are very good and that spiked my interest too. From what I could tell this book is edited professionally. I liked the pace of the story the best.
First Ten review added on June 30, 2020, at 4:52 pm by AntonelaMaria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
LinaJan
Both the cover art and the title – ‘East Wind’ – immediately captured my attention. And the moment I saw that this book was authored by Jack Winnick, I knew that this is a no brainer. Coupled with a glowing onlinebookclub.org review, it became clear that Winnick has done it again!
Having had the opportunity to sample it, I found one instance of what could be considered to be a typographical error. Other than that, the writing style and the balance between narration and dialogues are very engaging. I cannot wait to catch up with Lara and Uri on their dangerous, thrilling, and suspenseful secret assignments.
First Ten review added on June 30, 2020, at 4:34 pm by LinaJan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Susmita Biswas
East Wind, 2nd edition by Jack Winnick is a thriller based on terrorism. The cover of the novel successfully expressed the main theme. The title has an inner meaning, and readers would understand it after reading the book. This novel has a blurb. It is short, but it was enough to understand the theme. Most of the editors gave it good marks. The customer reviews were also very positive. Most of them said that it's an outstanding thriller. This novel has an official OnlineBookClub review, and it increased my interest in reading the novel. The novel was action-packed from the first page. The first ten gave me a feeling of horror, and now, I have to read the whole book. I liked how the first ten horrified me. But also, it was a very interesting read. The novel needs no improvement. The novel was professionally edited. I only found one punctuation mistake on location 611. The sentence was - Avram, the youngest member of the team was still alive, but had lost a lot of blood. I am going to buy and read the whole book because I want to know what happened next.
First Ten review added on June 4, 2020, at 5:10 am by Susmita Biswas.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jorge Leon Salazar
The story is set in 2013. In the first place, it is recounted about Ed, a man dedicated to the trades of crude-oil futures who is later killed by an explosion. Next, it narrates about Uri, a Mossad-trained detective. Uri, along with his special squad named Kidon, executes an operation in Lebanon where they had to murder a terrorist called Hakim el-Fazikh. Next, they assign him to a mission against Hezbollah relates to Opera software.
Subsequently, the book mainly talks about Lara Edmonds, her profile and career, her computer skills, and her ability for breaking codes. There is a jump to 1999 when it tells about Walid a young man who is attracted by Hezbollah's leader for a special mission.
So far the story has shown an interesting plot. However, I think he focused frequently on the descriptions around Uri, Lara, and Walid. There has been little action except for the episode in Lebanon. Editing looks professional since I couldn't observe errors. However, I don't think I'll read it, at least for now.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 7:33 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
moowshiri
I would have read this book had I even not been part of this program. This is due to the great love I have always had for Jack Winnick's books. I'm going to both buy and read it wholly. I would like to read more about the mission(s) that both Lara and Uri have in the read. My earlier guess about the book never changed much even after reading the first ten pages.
The book seems professionally edited since I never found any grammatical errors at any point. What I liked a lot about the book was the author's great skill in the description of Ed's Marina office, I could picture every item mentioned vividly. For the few pages I sampled, I never found anything worth improving. Everything was just perfect. The book also has an official OnlineBookClub review which I've both seen and read.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 6:28 pm by moowshiri.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
edztan15
Although the East Wind is the first book of Jack Winnick's Lara & Uri Series, I am no stranger to his writing since I'm already familiar with the succeeding books. Having been impressed with the other books in the series, it is only logical to go back to the first book that started it all. Jack Winnick's narrative DNA is already apparent in the first few pages of this book. It starts with a harrowing tragedy when a family man met his fateful end at his place of abode one clear morning. This is also the first time the reader will meet Uri where the book introduces him with his exciting past. As with the other books, the editing is superb on this one. I think it is a must-read for those who love crime thrillers with terrorism as its focal point. I for one, will definitely buy this book.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 5:49 pm by edztan15.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
daphne_asir
The review was great and the cover was intriguing as well. I wasn't able to download the book since it said the book wasn't available. I only got to read the prologue. The writing style is extremely good and I didn't notice any errors. I would have preferred the book if it was more concise. But I will be reading this book for the story which seems to be quite interesting.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 4:00 pm by daphne_asir.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Melisa Jane
I wouldn't have read the book based on its cover because the cover isn't suggestive. After sampling this book, I'm not going to finish reading it because the storyline didn't appeal to me. I recommend that the author improve the cover to something visually appealing. I like that this book is dedicated to officers who strive to protect the citizens. I didn't come across any grammatical errors while reading the first ten pages. I saw the official OBC review of the book.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 10:12 am by Melisa Jane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Drakka Reader
Having seen this book before multiple times, I wasn't really interested, as terrorist books aren't in my interests. The review didn't really make me think it was anything but a usual thriller book.
The first 10 pages are striking, featuring a tower being destroyed from the perceptive of an unknowing victim. Again, I still wasn't interested in reading it. I liked that there weren't any mistakes in the writing and that the book wasn't afraid to describe the man's death from shrapnel. I did not like the fact we don't see our main characters afterwards, a part I would like fixed because it is the main characters we are going to follow.
I will not be reading this book, though the review seemed to indicate this book is rather popular now.
First Ten review added on May 7, 2020, at 2:05 pm by Drakka Reader.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
J_odoyo
After sampling the first ten pages of this book, I have realized that East Wind by Jack Winnick is a true page-turner. In the pages I’ve read, Jack Winnick skilfully crafts this wonderful story narrating the rivalry between Islamic terror groups and the Jewish community. Uri has made a successful retaliation on the Hezbollah group, who had carried out an outrageous act of slaughtering young school children in one of the Israeli’s schools. He has collected a few scrawled notes in Arabic from their enemy’s hideout—which he could not understand—and taken them to the Mossad’s decipher team. When the team couldn’t make any useful interpretation from them, he is sent to the US to an expert who could help them. On the other side, Lara is described as an outstanding young woman. Having stayed at the top of everything she lays her hands on, she has become a great asset to the FBI (a computer whiz). I can’t stop guessing what is coming next in the course of the story.
The book seems to be impeccably edited, and I could not find any error or anything to dislike about it (in the pages I've read). It’s cover page and title were smartly done and highly attractive. The book’s storyline is gripping and well written. It also had a positive OnlineBookClub review, which gave an insight into what the book entails. It could have been a very easy thing, for me, to decide whether to buy this book or not, because editorial reviews were accessible. Having read the sample and the OnlineBookClub review, I’m not going to finish reading this book, because I’m not a fan of this genre.
First Ten review added on May 7, 2020, at 2:37 am by J_odoyo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Caffrey_19
East Wind, 2nd edition by Jack Winnick is a fast-pacing story of action, thriller, crime, bombings, mass slaughter, terrorist attacks as well as flashes from the past. I initially felt puzzled by the cover, seeing it portrayed a form of chaotic happenings. Then I went through the blurb and found out the book was telling a story of the father of all chaos - political scuffle. I like that the book quickly dived into the kind of adventure I anticipated, meaning there was no need going a few more pages before getting acquainted with the thrill in store. The novel seems to be professionally edited with no grammar errors found. Having read the first few pages, I’m inclined to buy and read the whole. This is because the book carries a lot of detailed technical events in relative to terrorism and counter-terrorism.
First Ten review added on May 6, 2020, at 4:04 pm by Caffrey_19.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
SurroundedByBooks
I don’t think I would have picked up the book based on the book cover or the book’s blurb. I’m not interested in reading about terrorism so neither appealed to me. The start of the book was written well, and it met my initial expectations. The book appears to be edited well. I’m not going to be reading the rest of the book because of focus on a terrorist plot.
First Ten review added on April 9, 2020, at 7:40 pm by SurroundedByBooks.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Tavaiel26
I liked the name of the book, I feel like it would have caught my attention in a bookshop. I enjoyed reading the sample and I will probably read the whole book at some point, but not right now. My favorite part was the introduction of the main characters, but I thought the violence was a bit excessive. Luckily the review let me know that level of violence doesn't continue throughout the book.
Lastly, I didn't find any glaring mistakes in the sample so I believe this book has been properly edited
First Ten review added on April 9, 2020, at 1:59 pm by Tavaiel26.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Azeline Arcenal
If I had not read the first ten pages, I probably would not have chosen to read this book based on the cover, title, or blurb because it seems like it talks about war and I don't prefer to read books about war. I am not going to read and buy the whole book because it has some gory details in the first chapter when Ed's cerebellum splattered on the floor. The book does seem professionally edited and I did not notice any typos/errors. What I liked about the book is how the author set up the scene with Ed Cooper's story which piqued my interest and then continued to set up the details by mentioning the background stories of the main characters, Lara and Uri. I don't think there is anything that can be improved.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2020, at 11:22 pm by Azeline Arcenal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Odette Chace
I am not a fan of the book cover and the synopsis on Amazon is incomplete. It points to a different website for a full description. The official Online Book Club review is very positive, and while I was originally interested in this book due to the review, after sampling the first ten pages, I am no longer interested. I had a hard time becoming immersed in the first few pages, but I did especially like the end of the first chapter: "The world ended for Ed, his ergonomic chair, and his ocean view." I only noticed one error while reading: "...much like the Amercia's 'Delta Force.'" (page 4) Omit the. Overall, while I wanted to get into this book, it just wasn't for me.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2020, at 8:59 pm by Odette Chace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Diana Lowery
I would not have chosen this book based on the cover, genre, blurb or review. I did like the title, especially when I read in the text what it referred to. I will not be reading the rest of the book. Although I was impressed with the writing style and the editing, I do not enjoy reading books about espionage even if it does have romance and good character development.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2020, at 4:28 pm by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Stephanie Runyon
My first thoughts on this book came from reading the Onlinebookclub review. After reading the prologue and first chapter, I did not like the overly graphic violence. The terrorists were horrible and deserved death in my view, however, the amount of detail of Uri disemboweling a person was a bit too much for me. I will not be finishing the book. I admire the way Winnick was able to convey well-developed characters though, and I didn't notice any errors.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2020, at 11:55 am by Stephanie Runyon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
OfficialEmma
I really like this Lara and Uri series. The cover is captivating and the title was well thought-out. I would choose to read this book anytime without sampling it. I'm going to buy and read this book because I'd like to join Uri in this adventure. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind from my original guess.
The book seems like it was professionally proofread. What I liked most was the smart and gruesome way Uri killed Hakim and his terrorist gang. He didn't slow down a bit because he and Hakim were childhood friends. This book is about terrorism, and the author delivered the story in an apt way. The book doesn't need to be improved. There is an Official OnlineBookClub review for this book.
First Ten review added on March 6, 2020, at 4:55 am by OfficialEmma.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Julius_
Looking at its cover and the title, I didn’t think I would read East Wind, 2nd edition by Jack Winnick. This is because the cover wasn’t suggestive at all and the title written on it was illegible. I couldn’t figure out what the book was about by just reading its title. However, reading the official OBC review made me change my mind. It portrayed this book as a fast-paced book with exciting scenes and storylines. I would have read the book.
Reading the first ten pages, the book seemed to be well written. However, the prologue seamed very slow-paced and Ed’s story wasn’t exciting. The action part came abruptly and unexpectedly. Even reading through the first chapter of the book, it was too descriptive. It focused mainly on the environment as opposed to the storyline. I also found one grammatical error, a missing article, on kindle location 552, “He had been assigned as [a/the] squad leader in the ultra-secret Kidon...” I’ll definitely not buy it. Although I found one error, I think it was well-edited. From what I’ve read, the book also seems to have a good storyline, although it’s slow-paced. I think the author should consider increasing the pace of the book by eliminating unnecessary description of places, especially the prologue.
First Ten review added on February 5, 2020, at 1:26 pm by Julius_.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Maria Esposito
Even before reading the first ten pages, I knew I would not be interested in reading the book. Firstly, the blurb mentions that it is an action thriller, which is a genre I am not interested in. Secondly, the book is about Muslim terrorists, which is a theme that I don’t like to read about since it perpetrates Islamophobic rhetoric. The cover art further conveys this message, showing a man wearing a Palestinian scarf, which is a traditional Middle Eastern garment, and associating it with terrorist activity. Since I was not convinced by these elements, neither the customer nor the editorial reviews changed my mind. Reading the first ten pages did not make me interested in the book. The writing style is good and clear, however, I am simply not interested in the themes that are present in the book. I did not detect any errors within the first ten pages, so I believe that the book was professionally edited. The aspect I enjoyed the most about the book is the author’s straightforward writing style. I did not find anything that could be improved within the first ten pages. The book has an official Online Book Club review, but that did not have an impact on my decision of not wanting to read the book.
First Ten review added on February 5, 2020, at 11:19 am by Maria Esposito.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jennifer Donovan Smith
I have seen this book and its sequels featured on Online Book Club a few times since I joined in October. The reviews have been positive. I am just not a fan of espionage or terrorism thrillers. Having read the first several pages, I am impressed by the quality of writing. I feel that this book would make a great action movie. However, my earlier assessment still stands; this is not a book I would purchase because it is not a genre that I enjoy. However, it is one I would recommend to others (who are not squeamish, as it is pretty graphic). It seems that this book is professionally edited, as I did not find a single error in the pages I read.
First Ten review added on January 18, 2020, at 2:03 am by Jennifer Donovan Smith.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jeremie Mondejar
I sampled the book and I couldn't dare to imagine those scenes of bloody men in the cave. I will not be reading the rest of the book because gory scenes made me sick. Uri is very skillful in doing his duty, which I admire, but the plot of the story isn't for me. I like the fast-paced scene as well as the details of the condo's location. The setting is vivid and clear, which help the readers understand the story. The OBC review did not affect my decision. The book looks still well-edited though I notice the word 'Marina' is written twice in lowercase.
First Ten review added on January 18, 2020, at 1:51 am by Jeremie Mondejar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
briellejee
Based on the cover and title, I think I wouldn't have sampled the book. Although I like action-driven stories, I usually avoid war and gory stuff. As for the first few pages, I like the prologue's premise; that brain-splatter across the family frame was enough to raise curiosity and excitement for the book's plot. However, it was that same thing that made me realize this isn't the book for me and I will not be reading the rest of the book. The gore stuff maybe only for a bit, but the violence reeks in this book; thus, my decision. I found little punctuation errors, like on location 296: the use of semicolon on the sentence "To his right; a beautiful..." should be a colon. On location 322, the end of the prologue, there is a lack of a comma in the last sentence just before "and": "The world ended for Ed, his ergonomic chair and ocean view". The official OBC review is good enough to tell me to sample it.
First Ten review added on January 17, 2020, at 4:01 am by briellejee.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sanju Lali
The cover and the title match with the contents of the book very well, and gives the idea that the premise is about the ongoing conflict in the violent middle east. The official review helped to know the theme of the story. I read the first ten pages and found that both cover and the official review nicely reflects what is inside the book. However, in the first few pages, I found the sentence formation somewhat different, and a sentence was hard to visualize like for the example "as he gazed out of his floor-to-ceiling window at Santa Monica Bay, twelve stories below.". In this sentence," twelve stories below the bay" is hard to visualize for me. I think this book is professionally edited because I did not find any errors in the first ten pages, except for the confusing sentence. Looking at the premise of the story, I will not buy and read this book as of today. However, I may consider reading it sometimes later.
First Ten review added on January 17, 2020, at 12:27 am by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaylee Elmer
East Wind is a thriller that centers around terrorist attacks. I didn't think I would want to read it initially, and after reading the first ten pages I feel the same way. An extremely gruesome event was described and it horrified me. For some, that may have been an attention grabber to keep them reading, but not for me. I did read a review of the book which gave it high praise. The book was also professionally edited. However, the gruesome event turned me off so I won't be finishing this book.
First Ten review added on January 16, 2020, at 1:15 pm by Kaylee Elmer.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Lee
I have to say, I LOVE the font of the title on the cover. It lets you know at a glance that Middle Eastern terrorism is involved even without the mushroom cloud. The OnlineBookClub review was well-written and definitely made me interested in reading the book. The blurb on Amazon, however, is severely lacking. As this is not my typically preferred genre, I would not have chosen to read the book based on the blurb and cover alone. I would really encourage the author to expand his blurb on Amazon.
I actually started reading The Date Farm first a while ago and loved it so much that I stopped reading it so that I could start at the first of the series. East Wind is at the top of my list to read next. One thing I really like about this book from what I've read in the sample pages is how every chapter starts with a date. Having the prologue (and, my god! What a prologue!) dated Dec. of 2013, then Chapter 1 dated June of 2013, was very effective. I can hardly wait to finish reading this. All the elements I liked in The Date Farm are in evidence in East Wind: clean, professionally edited copy; evocative, visually descriptive writing; compelling characters, etc. I didn't find anything in the sample pages that I felt could be improved upon.
First Ten review added on January 16, 2020, at 11:13 am by Laura Lee.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Alice Heritage
This isn't a book I would have sampled without the programme as I don't really go for the thriller genre, and I have not opted to read any of this author's other books. I also won't buy and read this today for the same reason, and because it's gory. This book does seem to have been professionally edited as I didn't notice a single error. I did like some of the espionage-style elements, for example, the clever idea that Yuri's men would disguise themselves as Bedouins who could get through the border. The poison needles contained in their rings and their effectiveness in paralyzing their targets was a clever detail. The opening pages could perhaps be improved by giving more of Ed Cooper's point of view as he is injured: the narrator tells us that his aorta was sliced. However, this is all a bit too gory for my taste anyway! I didn't see an OBC review, and my decision was based on the sample.
First Ten review added on December 25, 2019, at 4:57 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Aubrey Lewis
The overall appearance of the book is neat and eye-catching, in my opinion. When I read through the official OBC review, I felt that I wouldn't be able to appreciate the book since I'm not fond of reading espionage thrillers, especially ones involving terrorist attacks. When I finished sampling the first ten pages, I decided not to read the rest of the book. The contents seemed professionally edited so far, and I liked the author's descriptive writing style, especially the way he wrote and implied how Ed Cooper's condo building suddenly exploded, resulting in the man's sudden and unexpected death. Unfortunately, the genre and storyline aren't my cup of tea, so I'll have to pass on this one. Since my reason is due to my own personal preference, I don't think there are any improvements the author needs to make.
First Ten review added on December 25, 2019, at 4:57 am by Aubrey Lewis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
kperm
Before reading the book, I thought that I wouldn't like it. I saw the official review on the website, but it did not affect my decision. After reading the first ten pages, I decided that this book is not a good fit for me, and I won't read it. The main reason is that I don't find books about terrorist threats entertaining. It is a very sensitive topic, and I didn't like the way it was presented. I noticed a few grammatical and punctuational mistakes in the text. For example, there is a missing comma after "now' in the sentence:
"He had done more than his share; now other men, younger men, could take up his burden."
First Ten review added on December 24, 2019, at 9:55 am by kperm.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Howlan
The cover looks okay, and the synopsis sounds good. Any crime-fiction lover would stop to look at this book twice. The writing style is excellent. The sample throws a good light at the main characters Uri and Lara, and they are quite likable. The story does not unfold much, and I can only guess that Uri and Lara work as a team and fight terrorism. I will buy this book as I like series of crime-fiction and am always on the lookout for more. The story looks exciting and thrilling, and I will buy this book. No typos were found in the book. The Official Review is present, and its stats it to be thrilling.
First Ten review added on December 24, 2019, at 3:44 am by Howlan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Shrabastee Chakraborty
From the blurb, cover, and the official review, I had added this book to my TBR list. However, now that I have sampled the first ten pages, I no longer intend to read it. The writing is flawless, and there are some surprising twists and revelations early in the book. However, the excessive terror associated with this book does not seem to be my thing.
First Ten review added on December 24, 2019, at 2:34 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ekta Kumari
This is an action thriller centered around a terrorist attack on Los Angeles. Terrorists also threaten further attacks if the US doesn't give into their demand of withdrawing support from Israel. The storyline follows the main protagonists, Lara and Uri, as they work to save America from any more attacks. I like the basis of the plot; however, I wouldn't have read the book as I don't like reading any terrorism related violence. Also, I didn't like the cover page and the title very much. The thing I like most about this book is how it pulls the reader right into the main theme. The prologue finishes with a terrorist attack, and it was quite surprising for me as well as I wasn't expecting the sudden shift. I also like that the book offers detailed background for characters; it helps me to understand them better and engages me in their story. As for the editing, the book looks professionally edited. I saw an official review for the book. Though, I will not be reading it any further as I don't think I'll enjoy the whole story and the violence associated with it.
First Ten review added on November 23, 2019, at 4:44 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mary WhiteFace
Without the first ten program, I would not have wanted to read a book about espionage and terrorism. They are topics I do not enjoy reading about. The first ten pages were difficult to read and did nothing to change my mind. They were very graphic, and while I understand that the story was about terrorism, the details were a little bit more than I felt comfortable with. Such as how Uri "poured the hot gruel from the cooking pot directly into the open wound" after he "sliced open (the terrorist's) abdomen, slimy organs spilling from the still-living corpse (pg. 8). To be honest, I couldn't continue reading passed that point.
The book seemed to be professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvements. The OnlineBookClub review did not influence my decision. The author was extremely talented at creating visuals, but I don't like this type of story.
First Ten review added on November 22, 2019, at 10:49 pm by Mary WhiteFace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mrunal Tikekar
I did not find the title of the book very enticing. Primarily because it does not hint even to the slightest what the story is about. But I loved the font. It suggests a story set in the eastern part of the world, and that drew me to the book. I liked the reviews for the book and when I read the first few pages, I found them interesting. The opening chapter would engage the readers and create a sense of tension as to what would happen next. The language was perfect and it seems like a well-edited book. I like stories that address issues of terrorism, so I would like to read the complete book.
First Ten review added on November 22, 2019, at 2:40 am by Mrunal Tikekar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Juliet+1
Based on the title, the cover, and the OBC review, I did not think I would be interested in reading this book. I don't care for stories about terrorists, and I particularly dislike details of violent events.
Reading the first 10 pages confirmed that I won't be reading the rest of the book. The plot is quite straightforward, just a matter of hunting down the bad guys. Alas, the many acts of violence are portrayed in excruciating detail. The first scene alone describes at length the death of one victim of an attack, specifying exactly how each piece of the victim falls apart or explodes.
The book is nicely written, well edited, and has many action scenes, but I prefer stories with more nuanced characters and less blood and gore.
First Ten review added on November 21, 2019, at 11:30 pm by Juliet+1.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
unamilagra
Before sampling this book, I may have picked it up. I enjoy spy-type thrillers, and the OBC review made it sound exciting. In reading the first ten pages, I found the first couple of pages about Ed to be very boring. I was glad to learn that the book would not be about him after the prologue. Unfortunately, the beginning of chapter one was not too much more exciting, with the telling of Uri's history. It seemed awfully coincidental that the terrorist Hakim just happened to be someone Uri grew up with. Nothing really grabbed me and made me want to read the book, so I think I will skip it.
First Ten review added on November 21, 2019, at 11:23 pm by unamilagra.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
KendraRobinson
Upon first glance of this book, I would not read it. The cover photo and font of the title remind me of a wartime book, which is not something I generally read about. The OBC review mentioned the plot is strongly about terrorists. I also tend to stay away from books with this focus.
After reading the first ten pages, I will not be finishing this one. The book begins with Ed sitting in his ocean-view office. He is going about his everyday business when his office blows up with him in it. I thought this was an interesting way to start a story, but I also thought the descriptions were a little gory. I did not note any errors in the sample either. Those who like terroist thrillers may enjoy this one, I am simply not the right audience.
First Ten review added on November 21, 2019, at 8:46 pm by KendraRobinson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AvidBibliophile
The cover art certainly portrays a catastrophic sense of fatal attack, and the horrific image of a child, mere moments away from death, actually discourages me at first glance. Due to that instantaneous impression I received, the potential content quality was already somewhat tainted for me before I even flipped the first page. The story begins with well-written imagery and descriptive scene setting, but once "a large piece of his cerebellum splattered on the family portrait," I had no further desire to read about vaporized Ed or the parties responsible. But, I did keep reading, and then "slaughtered children" and "slimy organs" were mentioned. This book appears to have been professionally edited, but there was a large spacing issue between a pair of sentences on page 8. The 2 OBC published reviews are positive, and the majority of the Amazon ratings are as well, but several other lower ranking reader impressions made an appearance too. This seems to be a storyline centered around the imminent threat from nuclear bombing from Hezbollah operatives on U.S. soil. The one sentence product description on Amazon is succinctly accurate, but then there's nothing else, other than a typed link to direct potential customers to another page if they wish to read the "full description" of the 1st edition (to me this comes across as lazy). I would prefer that useful information just be carried over to this 2nd edition page, rather than directing a customer elsewhere. Despite the several glowing reviews, and this appearing to be a professionally written presentation, I personally have no interest in reading about the Israeli Mossad, mutilated children, Pakistan, Lebanon, or the graphic atrocities presented in this espionage thriller.
First Ten review added on November 21, 2019, at 7:39 pm by AvidBibliophile.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jsovermyer
The mushroom cloud on the cover is interesting. The title, East Wind, is too tame for a story with an atomic bomb in it. Israeli Mossad and FBI work together to stop a terrorist bombing in the United States. This book has great character development with detailed backstories. This is an excellent read for people who like thrillers and spy novels. It starts out with a literal bang, as rich businessman, Ed Cooper, is incinerated by an atomic blast. The official review rated this book highly, and I would agree it is well-written. I found no grammatical or spelling errors and believe this book has been professionally edited. I don't usually read spy novels and am not interested in finishing this one. There is too much violence in it for my taste.
First Ten review added on November 21, 2019, at 5:14 pm by Jsovermyer.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
desantismt_17
Neither this book’s title nor description hooked me. I’m not much for this kind of spy/thriller. Before sampling, I wasn’t interested in reading. After sampling, I’ll pass. The book appears professionally edited. I noticed only a few misplaced commas. One comes after “curved” in the following sentence: “To his right; on the beautiful, curved, walnut desk.” The opening paragraphs didn’t pull me in. The Santa Monica Bay is described in beautiful detail with the sun glinting on the water and the oil tankers. We then get a description of Ed’s family and their property in New Hampshire. It’s all described well, but it didn’t further the story. It was just a lot of backstory when I wanted more tension. Especially for a thriller, this seemed like a slow start. I had a tough time getting in to what came after this, as well. Less description in the beginning would have improved this. Other readers may feel differently. The OnlineBookClub.org review was positive, but this one’s not for me.
First Ten review added on November 21, 2019, at 4:58 pm by desantismt_17.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaitlyn Canedy
I just read the sample because the OnlineBookClub presented it to me. If it wasn't for this, I wouldn't have read the sample at all. I didn't see any grammar errors in the first ten pages at all, which was quite impressive to me. What I really liked about East Wind, 2nd edition was the story's inclusion of the Middle East and terrorism. This seems to be a hot topic in the USA, which increased my interest in this book. I am pleased to say that I will be purchasing and reading it. I don't think that Mr. Winnick needs to do anything to improve his book. There is an Official OnlineBookClub review, but it did not affect my decision to read this book.
First Ten review added on November 21, 2019, at 2:46 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Nikolas Farmakis
I would have sampled the book based on the cover and the title, as I like historical fiction and action-packed novels. However, I will not read this book and my opinion changed when reading the first ten pages. The reason I will not read this book was that I noticed it was cliche and it was filled with violent scenes. I noticed no errors in the book, so I presume it has been professionally edited. What I liked most about the book was the techniques used by the author that create tension, suspense and drama. To improve, the author should be less descriptive in violent scenes, as it distracts the reader's attention. The book had an Official OnlineBookClub review, but this did not change my opinion.
First Ten review added on November 21, 2019, at 1:40 pm by Nikolas Farmakis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
I read the review and sampled this book several months ago. It may have been the first edition. Since I didn’t add it to my list to read then, I would not have sampled the second edition of this book had I not been in this program. The book cover is interesting and seems to depict parts of the storyline. The sample pages are very descriptive and promise an exciting read, but I am not drawn to this story, so I will not read the rest of this book. At loc 491, no comma is needed at the end of the sentence:
“It was an exceptionally clear day, for the coast of Southern California, and he could see the entire outline of Catalina Island to the south[,] and well beyond Malibu to the north.”
First Ten review added on November 21, 2019, at 1:10 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Aditi Sapate
I wouldn't have chosen to read this book based on the cover and title, as it feels like a book about or including terrorism. Moreover, as there was no official OnlineBookClub review, I couldn't get a lot of preliminary information about this book. While reading the sample, I appreciated the author's motive of writing a book dedicated to the unsung war heroes. However, as the book involves a lot of violence and action, it is not the book for me. I will not be reading the full book. The sample did not contain any grammatical errors.
First Ten review added on November 21, 2019, at 12:21 pm by Aditi Sapate.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
At first glance, I can say I like the cover art very much and I find it enticing. The title is intriguing, too. The blurb, however, leaves much to be desired. Based on this, I wouldn't read the book. Actually, even having read the first ten pages I won't read the whole book. It seems very well narrated, but I don't enjoy terrorism plots and some elements feel too trite and inclined to label "good" and "bad" guys without diving deeper. What I liked the most was the description of Ed's death. It was a very original way of "showing" instead of telling. The blurb is what needs to be improved, in my opinion: it's way too short and not compelling. The book seems professionally edited and I didn't notice any errors. It has an official review that's very compelling.
First Ten review added on November 21, 2019, at 11:49 am by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
wordslinger42
This book is not one that I would choose to read based on the genre. Reading the sample did not change my opinion. I did like the descriptions that the author included, which allow readers to vividly picture the different locations and feel a connection to the characters. I did not enjoy the graphic violence, however, and I believe that fewer gory details would help to improve the book. I was impressed to find no errors while reading. However, I did not feel engaged while reading, so I will not be buying the book. I did see a review for the novel that gave it four stars, but this did not change my mind.
First Ten review added on November 21, 2019, at 10:41 am by wordslinger42.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gravy
I have no interest in this genre, so would not have looked so this book, and the sample did not change my mind.
I didn't notice any grammatical errors, but there was at least one factual error (Marina del Rey is *not* the largest man-made harbor in the world). Finding this error lessens any chance that I would be inclined to read this.
I can't say that I'm a fan of the style, personally, it just isn't my taste. The whole of it didn't really flow for me, and the characters fell a little flat, in my opinion. I'm sure that others will enjoy this, but it's not for me.
As I'm simply not among the audience for this book, there's really nothing about it that I enjoyed. I won't be reading this for all these reasons.
There was a review
First Ten review added on September 8, 2019, at 4:04 am by Gravy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vickie Noel
I can't say whether or not I would have sampled this book outside the program based on its title, blurb or cover art. This looks like the kind of decision that would be based on my mood, thus, it could have swung either way. After reading the sample though, I'm certainly opting to read further because the plot is downright captivating. I loved the way each character's perspective was tackled individually, from Ed to Lara, and I can't wait for the merge when the two agents meet. I'm also curious about the connection between Ed's death and the rest of the plot. I found no single grammatical error. The OBC review was highly stimulating, and after reading the sample, I can see why.
First Ten review added on September 8, 2019, at 4:00 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover, and title. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. The first scene was too gory for my taste. I was shocked by the death of Ed. It’s description was kind of graphic, and it wasn’t for me. I did like the descriptions in the rest of the sample, just not the death of Ed. It did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on September 8, 2019, at 2:31 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emy Katherine
After the Los Angeles nuclear attack, Lara Edmond (an FBI agent) and Uri Levin (a Mossad field agent) will do the impossible to prevent another Islamic terrorist attack on U.S. territory. As I enjoy reading espionage thriller novels, I would have read the book without The First Ten program. The Amazon blurb intrigued me; luckily, my interest increased after reading both the sample and the OBC review. I particularly liked how I was thrown into the action from the very first page. The writing style was engaging, fast-paced, and very descriptive; it was easy to picture in my head the action scene that took place in Lebanon. Also, I did not encounter any typos or grammatical errors, so the book seemed to be professionally edited. Those who enjoy reading espionage thriller novels filled with action, suspense, and mystery should give this book a try.
First Ten review added on September 8, 2019, at 2:13 am by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
va2016
The cover and the title are indicative of the theme of the book. There are 49 Amazon customer reviews. There is no Amazon summary. Based on the Amazon customer reviews, I would have skipped sampling the book as I am not interested in terrorist themes. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing Ed Cooper enjoying the view from his Los Angeles rental home and what happens then. Although I found the writing style really interesting, as I am not interested in terrorist stories, I am not going to read this book in full. I didn't find the sample professionally edited. For example, the author's name appears out of place after the title of the book. I didn't locate any mechanical or grammatical errors in the book. What I liked most about the book is the writing style. I could not find anything that can be improved with the book. Although I found one OBC review of the book, my decision to not to read the book in full is based on own sampling.
First Ten review added on September 8, 2019, at 1:15 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
OliviaLouise
The premise of this book sounded interesting based on the review, although I was initially concerned about the representation of an arabic character in the context of a bomb threat. After reading the sample, I found that the book was difficult to get into because it contained lengthy, detailed descriptions of the buildings, scenery, furniture, etc. For example, the entire prologue was essentially about a the luxurious setting of the office/apartment, where if felt like it would have been more useful to introduce some character development. I did not find any editing errors, but I will not be reading the rest of this book because I did not find it interesting.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 11:45 pm by OliviaLouise.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
At first glance, I would not have picked up this book because I am not a fan of books about terrorists. The plot sounds like it lacks originality. I do like the title and cover. Unfortunately, I was unable to actually sample the book on Amazon. I did read the official OBC review and while it is positive, I felt like it was a bit vague. I also read an unofficial OBC review that was negative. The reviewer mentions that certain characters are unrealistic. For thsee reasons, I will not be buying this book today.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 9:23 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Nuel Ukah
Ed Cooper has a beautiful wife, Ellen, and two daughters, Chelsea and Kirsten. He seems to be living a rich life until the gruesome hand of death came for him. I'd read this book to know what happened to his family and business after his sudden death. The cover page and title look okay to me. I can't say what I like most yet.
The book seems to be professionally edited as I found no error. There is an Official OBC review.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 9:02 pm by Nuel Ukah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Fu Zaila
The cover could have been better, the blurb was confusing with all the characters introduced and the reviews, although positive, weren't quite appealing to me. I couldn't find the sample anywhere but from the blurb and reviews, the book seems to be edited professionally. I liked that the book doesn't shy away from heavy topics, and deals with the political rife between countries as it is in the present. I also loved that Lana's character is a computer whiz. But I did not like that there are a myriad of characters, who were hard to keep track of even in the blurb. I also felt that the book generalizes Muslims into a single category which is something I don't like at all. The reviews also state that the ending was a bit too convenient for the FBI agents. Either way, books on politics and mystery thrillers aren't my cup of tea, so I won't be reading this book.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 1:52 pm by Fu Zaila.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Hiruni Bhagya 81
When I read the OBC review on this book and found out it was a political thriller full of action, espionage, and mystery, I was intrigued. But, as I read a similar book recently, I didn't think it would interest me. So, then I wanted to check the sample to find out whether it was worth reading. Unfortunately, I was disappointed to find the title was not currently available for purchase. So, I didn't get to sample the book and I'm unable to say what I liked most about it, whether it was properly edited, or what needs to be improved. Therefore, I won't be reading this book.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 1:45 pm by Hiruni Bhagya 81.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Brenda Creech
I had a hard time deciding whether or not I was going to read this book. Just looking at the cover and title, I would not have chosen to read this book. After reading the official Onlinebookclub review, I became more interested. After reading the first ten pages, I decided this would not be a book I would enjoy due to the violence in the first couple of chapters alone. The details were too graphic for my taste. Since this is a story about stopping terrorism, I felt there would be more such scenes. There was not anything about what I read that I liked. I believe the book was carefully edited as I found no errors in the first ten pages. I didn't see anything I would say needed improving; it is just not a book I would read at this time.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 6:45 am by Brenda Creech.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Yoli García
I would not have sampled this book without this program because I can tell from the cover that the story has extreme violence. The OBC review did not convince me to read it, as the book is about terrorism, Israel, and the United States. These themes sound too real for me. The book might need further editing. An error is “City.” It should not be capitalized. I did not like the gruesome scene in which Ed dies during an attack on his building. That Hakim, the terrorist in the first chapter, is Uri’s childhood friend, is a big coincidence. I will not read this book because it is about terrorism, and it has gruesome scenes.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 5:23 am by Yoli García.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Lorraine De Vos
I would not have chosen to sample this book based on the cover and genre. Lately I have been proven wrong when judging a book by its cover, I do prefer to sample most books anyway. Disappointingly I was unable to access the sample pages of this book on Amazon, as the reviews seem to be mostly positive. I would have liked to assess the writing style for myself, but spies and terrorists are not really my cup of tea. I am unable to say if the book was professionally edited. The official OnlineBookClub review was very well written and provided enough information for me to decide against purchasing this novel, simply because I am not currently interested in reading about spies and terrorists.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 3:55 am by Lorraine De Vos.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mai Tran
I wouldn’t have checked out this book because a fictional Islamic attack on America isn't my cup of tea. If Uri is meant to be a capable and cold-blooded assassin, then the book has portrayed him very well. However, I won’t continue to read it because it’s a bit gruesome for my taste. The book seems well-edited but for some missing and misplaced commas. The author doesn’t omit the comma after the introductory phrase anywhere else, so I’m confident this is an error: “Less than a microsecond later a shower of glass and concrete tore his skin completely from his face and body” (Location 104 of 500).
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 2:02 am by Mai Tran.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gen_g
I have come across a positive review of this book, and it has piqued my interest. It is also mostly well edited, but there are a couple of minor punctuation errors. On pg 1, the comma in "...to the south, and well beyond..." is wrongly inserted (conjunction before dependent phrase). I love how the author built up the suspense right in the prologue, describing Ed's background, where his investment into crude oil futures paid off, making him a very rich man. He rented the condo he is in currently for 7000 dollars a month, and he is doing very well for himself (with a wife and grown-up children) - all of this becomes for naught when the building he is in blows up suddenly. I don't have much to suggest, except to run it through a final round of editing for the various punctuation errors. I will be purchasing the book today.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 2:00 am by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
MsTri
I didn't find the cover for this book too interesting, but the title did catch my eye. Then I read the Amazon synopsis and OBC review (the only one I read) and decided that I do not want to read this. I'm not into espionage thrillers or any stories with terrorists. With that being said, I was glad that the sample seemed to indicate that the book was professionally edited. I did like the descriptions of Sheikh Nasrallah. Even though I won't finish reading this tome, I don't have any suggestions for changes because it is written well for its genre.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 12:15 am by MsTri.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CrescentMoon
After reading the blurb, I wouldn't pick this book up. I don't really like books about terrorism and violence so I don't think this book is for me. After reading the first ten pages, I spotted a few grammar errors. I thought the semicolon was overused and I feel like some sentences were too long and should have been broken up into smaller sentences rather than separated by commas. In the first page, "To his right; on the beautiful curved, walnut desk that had been a present to himself, just to the right of a 24 inch flat screen computer monitor, stood Ed's favorite picture of Ellen and the girls, Chelsea and Kirsten, smiling happily in the New England summer sunshine." This entire sentence was so long and confusing and too descriptive. I feel like the description of the desk and computer screen could have been one sentence and then the photo of Ellen and the girls could have been another sentence. I think this needs more editing. I do think the writing is very descriptive so far. I could easily imagine Marina del Rey and Ed's ocean view, and I like the factoid about his room being so expensive at $7000 per month. I think people who enjoy action-packed books and terrorism themed books would enjoy this. But this isn't for me. I'm not fond of the genre and I wasn't hooked into wanting to read the rest.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 11:01 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AA1495
Had I not sampled the book, I would not have read it. I usually read pure romance books. Further, I do not normally read thrillers. However, I liked the yellow and white color combination of the cover. Having read the sample, the index caught my attention. I would have liked chapter names along with chapter numbers. Further, the formatting of the prologue was inconsistent. While most paragraphs had no spacing between them, there was spacing between a few paragraphs. In terms of language, the book was easy to read and follow. Further, the characters of Uri and Danielle were introduced well. Since I do not normally read thrillers, I will not be buying the book today.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 10:54 pm by AA1495.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Washboard
This genre is hit or miss for me, and I don't think this one will be for me since it is based on terrorism. The official review was glowing, and the title and cover art seems fitting for it. The first ten pages had no errors and are very descriptive, introducing a character named Ed and his beautiful LA office, only for him to meet an untimely demise. That makes me suspect that characters are a bit disposable in this book. I am going to pass on this one, due to the terrorism content.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 10:41 pm by Washboard.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Nisha Ward
The cover is pretty and very alluring, pulling me in, but I could not bring myself to be interested in any of the characters. Uri's point of view, in particular, seemed to be too good to be true, needing something more to make him more relatable for me. It was well-edited, though, but that's not enough for me. I'm gonna pass on this one.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 10:05 pm by Nisha Ward.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
LV2R
The book cover and title were both OK. I was not sure if I wanted to read the book or not. The Amazon Blurb described the action thriller as an Israeli and an American agent work together to stop a Hezbollah plot to destroy the USA and Israel. I still was not sure about reading the book. The sample began with describing the life of Ed Cooper in LA and getting killed by a big explosion. Then, the scene switched to Uri who worked as a field agent for the Metsada. I best liked how the book began with how unexpected the attack on LA was and how realistic it seemed through the eyes of Ed Cooper. The book may not be edited well, because the use of semicolons may be questionable. One example is on page 4: “… on the shore just south of Tel Aviv; and how certain his death would be …” If semicolons are used, there is no need to use an “and.” On page one: “To his right; on the beautiful…” (To his right is not a complete sentence to use a semicolon.) The OBC review changed my mind to want to read the book because the author wrote from the different characters’ perspectives. Uri is the Israeli Special Operations agent and Lara is a computer whiz. The two work together to stop a nuclear bomb plot of the Hezbollah. Walid has been indoctrinated by the Hezbollah, but now lives in LA and may help Uri and Lara stop the bombing. I want to read the book to find out if Walid, Uri, and Lara can stop the nuclear bomb.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 9:46 pm by LV2R.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
ab2020
Seeing as I don't often enjoy thrillers, I probably never would have read this book on my own, but the official OBC review had good things to say, so I expected that the first ten pages might be enjoyable. This was true; though I found one error ("his prematurely-lined face" shouldn't have a hyphen), the writing was smooth. I especially enjoyed the way in which the author described the setting, and I don't have any criticisms to make of the book. I was pleasantly surprised by the first ten pages, so I think I will continue reading. The book seems like it goes a bit beyond the typical thriller tropes, so it will likely prove rewarding in the end.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 8:26 pm by ab2020.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Catherine Hsu
If I had not read the sample, I would have read the book as I love spy thrillers. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. The writing was really interesting and I even enjoyed the graphic detail of, for example, Uri slicing open someone's abdomen. However, the oxford comma was missing from this line: "The world ended for Ed, his ergonomic chair and his ocean view." Perhaps more editing is needed. I did not read an official review but that did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 7:06 pm by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
CataclysmicKnight
I recently read a review of this book and it sounded interesting, so I definitely would've looked into it the next time I saw it even if it wasn't the book of the day.
The prologue was a bit disappointing. It was a bit too drawn out for what it eventually led up to. Then the first chapter had some serious action, and it's clear the author has skill with action scenes. I was hooked, and for the remaining page or two after that, I was still interested.
I didn't see any errors, and while I may not have been interested enough in the rest of the book if I hadn't read an OBC review, that review definitely made me interested enough to want to read more.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 6:11 pm by CataclysmicKnight.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kelyn
Had I not been a member of this program, it is unlikely that the cover, title, or author would have stirred me to pick up this book. The author is unknown to me, and the title is vague. Although the cover looks slightly like sci-fi, the genre and blurb would have revealed it to be spy/espionage with a touch of romance. I am fond of romance, but not when mixed with the spy/espionage genre. It is not a genre I actively avoid, but it is also not one I seek out. The sample did not change my mind about reading the book. The bit about Ed ceasing to exist in the beginning of the book briefly caught my attention because it seemed that a bit of sci-fi might have been included after all. Alas, the rest of the sample disabused me of this notion, proving that the book fell solidly in the spy genre. Because of this, I will not be continuing to read the book. The book seemed well edited; I found no errors in the sample.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 5:32 pm by Kelyn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
I was just starting to like Ed when he got destroyed by a bomb. That was unexpected, but also depressing. The author is very descriptive and I like that, but the subject matter of terrorism jut isn’t my cup of tea. The cover is beautiful, I especially like the way the title is designed to look Arabic. I didn’t see any errors, so it appears well-edited. The review was also positive, but I’m still taking a pass. I think anyone who loves international crime will enjoy this book.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 5:14 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
HRichards
I normally wouldn't have picked this book up since I'm not really interested in this type of book. Having read the sample I won't be continuing on with the book as I didn't really like the plot. The sample deals with a man who is blown up in his apartment. The action then switches to a man named Uri who is on a mission in a foreign country that seems to be Arab. The writing is fine and I didn't notice any grammar errors. Those who like spy/action thrillers might like this book. I don't really enjoy that type of book. I have not read any other reviews for this book.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 3:43 pm by HRichards.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MarisaRose
After reading the book blurb for "East Wind," I was a bit put off by basic sounding premise of the book. Further, the actual title, East Wind: Can the Team Foil the Plan to Blow Up American Cities?, is really awkward and unprofessional. Based on the blurb and title, I had no interest in reading this book. An OBC review wouldn't sway my opinion in this case because the book blurb failed to pique my interest, and honestly it raised a lot of red flags. After sampling the first ten pages, I was surprised that the writing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I didn't notice any grammatical errors, and the writing flowed well. Unfortunately, I did find the storytelling to be lacking. The first chapter describes a seemingly normal man relaxing at home, and then the last paragraph describes a bomb hitting his home and the man dying. Instead of being impactful, I found this sequence rather expected. As the next chapter progressed, I found myself slightly more interested. The character Uri was intriguing, I wanted to know more about his Bedouin culture. However, based on my initial impressions, and my dislike of the storytelling in the first chapter, I don't plan to read any more of this book.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 3:31 pm by MarisaRose.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'East Wind, 2nd Edition' is a book written by Jack Winnick. The title, blurb, and cover did a good job at convincing me to give this book a try.
I did not find the free sample on Amazon. Hence, I cannot say whether it is professionally edited or not. However, I like to read spy thrillers. I will give this book a try as I like reading books of this genre.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 3:05 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Laura Ungureanu
"East Wind" attracted me with its review. I showed interest in Walid's story and his struggles. The sample starts with Ed Cooper, a rich man who owns an oil business. He is comfortable in his luxurious house when a bomb explodes and kills him, destroying his entire house with him. The sample was entertaining. However, I'm not interested in reading a thriller based on terrorism threats. I didn't notice any typos.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 2:12 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
cpru68
Ed sits and takes in the sights from his 12th floor condo overlooking a beautiful Los Angeles harbor. He has hit it big dealing in oil and uses his wealth to pay $7,000 a month for his May to October residence. His wife lives in New Hampshire and he stays with her in the summer months. They have two grown daughters. He seems relaxed and carefree as he walks across the room to get himself a cup of coffee. His life ends as an explosion rocks his entire surroundings killing him.
I won’t be finishing this one as I don’t like books that deal with terrorism and violence. It’s not entertaining to me. I think this has been professionally edited as I didn’t find any errors in punctuation, spelling or grammar. I probably wouldn’t have found this without the online book, and I appreciate the opportunity to have read the sample pages. I will send it out on my social media for others to look into.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 2:04 pm by cpru68.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
lavellan
I probably wouldn't have read East Wind if it hadn't been a part of the First Ten program. While the Book of the Day review was positive, I was skeptical of the pro-Israel slant. The book seemed like it was professionally edited, but I noticed an error while reading. In the following phrase, a comma is not needed before "and": "The girls had long been of age, and moved..." I was pleasantly surprised by the opening plot twist where Ed was killed by the explosion. I was not expecting that. I didn't like how ruthless and matter-of-fact Uri was when carrying out the killings. As a result of this, I will not buy the book today.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 12:38 pm by lavellan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
evraealtana
I'm not usually interested in terrorism as a subject, so I wouldn't have chosen this one. The first ten pages were full of action, but not really my style; although it was well written, it just didn't interest me. The official OBC review gave it a perfect review, so I have to conclude that it would be great for the right reader, and that that reader simply isn't me. I noted two errors: missing capitalization in "northeastern winters"; and a period in place of a question mark at the end of "without her why bother wondering about a choice".
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 12:19 pm by evraealtana.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I may have read it. The book sounds exciting and interesting as a spy thriller featuring both Mossad and FBI agents. After reading the first ten pages I didn’t change my mind and therefore will be buying and reading the rest of this book eventually. I enjoyed how the action begins right away within the first few pages of the book. The Introduction of the characters leaves the reader wanting more and with need to find out how everything is going to be resolved. I didn’t see anything specific that I would have wanted to change within the sample that I read, but it did seem well written and edited. The official review did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 12:10 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mbrooks2518
I was interested in this book immediately as I like the action genre, and I would have read the sample even without the First Ten. After reading the first ten pages, I will be buying this book. The lack of a review did not matter to me. I like the writing style and the prologue. The prologue caught my interest as I wondered about how it fits into the plot. The writing style of the first chapter kept my interest.
I found one error, which was on page 9 and said, "These Bedouins were tolerated by both Lebanese and Israeli militia, and allowed relatively free access to the region on both sides of the border." The comma after "militia" is not needed. Besides this error, no improvement is needed.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 11:29 am by Mbrooks2518.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
sarahmarlowe randomeducator
I like the title design on the cover. The illustration, I think, would look more professional without the silhouettes, though. The sample is well written, and I found no errors. The author writes in a way that pulls in the reader. I didn't see the bomb coming in the first section. That was nicely done. The author is also good at drawing characters. Those from Mossad, the CIA, and Walid himself would be easily recognizable later in the book. The jumping back and forth in time is handled well, too, and it serves to set up the terrorist attacks instead of leaving readers confused. I haven't read an OBC review of this book, and I won't be reading it. It's just not a topic I'm looking for right now.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 11:08 am by sarahmarlowe randomeducator.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ritah
I like the cover, based on that and the genre, I would have sampled the book. I read the official review and sampled East Wind. I did not expect Ed, who seemed like the main focus of the story in the beginning, to be killed in the first few pages. How it happened was vividly described and brutal. I did not find any errors in the pages I read. I will be reading the rest of the book because I found the narrative quite intense, which I like.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 11:08 am by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Erin Dydek
The cover of this book was a bit busy and not very appealing to me. I didn’t even notice the mysterious man in the background right away and he’s actually my favorite part. The mushroom cloud and the silhouette people looked a bit silly and I think the cover would be really appealing if it focused on the man and the city skyline with the nifty font. The first pages were actually pretty exciting. The prologue begins with an explosive attack on LA and chapter one introduces an older Mossad agent who is past his prime, but has skills needed for the mission at hand. I thought this was an exciting way to start the book and I was interested in reading more even though espionage thrillers are not usually my type of book. The book seemed well edited and it was easy to get caught up in the story. I think if the more cartoon-looking elements of the cover were removed and the realistic elements were the focus, I would have picked this book up right from the start. The OBC review described how the narrator's perspective changes from character to character and the realistic background stories that set this book apart from other espionage thrillers. If this were a genre that I loved to read, I would have read the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 10:32 am by Erin Dydek.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Theresa Moffitt
I like the cover of this book the colors and title caught my attention. I would have picked the book up based on the cover alone. I haven’t read a review of this book yet. Chapter one of the book introduces a character living in Los Angeles California. He is thinking about his life and his family and is suddenly killed. It’s not clear what happened to him. The second chapter jumps to a character that is outside of Tel Aviv thinking about his life. He appears to be some type of army person . I’m not certain what he does but he thinks this will be his last mission. I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages so I believe the book was professionally edited based on the first ten pages alone. This doesn’t seem like the type of book I would be interested in reading, however I may change my mind after reading a review of this book.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 9:26 am by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Juliana_Isabella
I might have chosen this book because I enjoy fiction, and I saw that it had a positive review. I didn't find any grammatical mistakes in the first ten pages, but I just couldn't get invested in Ed's character. Between leaving his wife to be closer to his business and the comments about environmentalists, I didn't find him likable, so I won't finish the book.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 8:57 am by Juliana_Isabella.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Verna Coy
Had I not sampled this book through the First Ten program, I would not have picked it up due to the title and description. I don’t usually read books about terrorism. For this reason, I don’t intend to buy and read the whole book today. Reading the first ten pages confirmed my first impressions of the book. It does contain terrorism and violence. Based on what I read it seems professionally edited, although I saw a missing comma at location 83% of the sample, “We have to update our system of inventory, billing[,] and so on.” At the same time, the Featured Online Book Club review I read mentioned that toward the end of the book, the editing gets worse. I could find nothing to like in what I read. The book is violent and has extremely gruesome details. I know that this is a significant book to read during this time in September, so near to September 11th. As far as improvements, on a personal level, less gruesome details would be an improvement. I did not see the Official Online Book Club review, but the Featured Review that I read was very informative.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 8:28 am by Verna Coy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gali
I wouldn't have sampled the book on my own, as I am not fond of espionage thrillers. I didn't change my mind after sampling the book. An espionage thriller revolving around two agents trying to thwart a terrorist ploy sounds exciting, it isn't my genre. The book follows two agents, Uri Levin, a Mossad field agent, and Lara Edmond, an FBI agent, who work together to stop a terrorist plot. I liked that the book opened with an action, the murder of a businessman, and the switching perspectives. However, I don't like to read about terrorists. I have enough of that in real life. I noticed a couple of minor errors: "…As he gazed out his floor-to-ceiling window…" Should be: "…As he gazed out of his floor-to-ceiling window…"; "The world ended for Ed, his ergonomic chair and his ocean view" – Should be a comma after chair. I won't read the book, as it doesn't appeal to me. The official review didn't sway my decision either way.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 6:36 am by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 32%
East Wind, 2nd Edition earned a score of 32%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 32% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
Go to main Bookshelves page for East Wind, 2nd Edition
