Review of Devil in False Colors

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Stacia Levy
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Review of Devil in False Colors

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[Following is a volunteer review of "Devil in False Colors" by Jack Winnick.]
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4 out of 5 stars
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In Devil in False Colors by Jack Winnick, we are taken into the worlds of investigators Lara Edmond and Uri Levin. I say “worlds” rather than “world” because, although lovers with a long history, Lara and Uri really do inhabit different worlds. Lara is a Midwestern American Christian who works for the FBI; Uri is an Israeli Jew who works for Mossad, the Israeli national intelligence agency. What Lara and Uri share is a passion for their respective countries and defeating terrorism. In this novel, they come together after some time apart to investigate the attack on a private Jewish preschool in Los Angeles and the murder of students and staff. A note left at the scene, antisemitic expression in Arabic, brings quick blame to extremist Muslim groups, although which one is not clear. Lara and Uri are brought onboard to find out the specific perpetrators, and their investigation takes them into a universe of radicalized religion and terrorism. However, both Lara and Uri are seasoned professionals and more than up to the task. They go undercover, Uri as one of the terrorists and Lara as a Muslim woman seeking a husband.

I found this book fascinating in some respects. The portrayal of religious zealotry and terror and their tactics, from the viewpoint of the terrorists, held my attention. Also of interest were the inner working of an investigation into terror and more broadly the government agencies the investigation comes from. The different cultural and religious groups portrayed, from Midwestern American Christians to Israeli and American Jews to Mideastern Muslims, are also fascinating. The author demonstrates a familiarity with a number of cultures and religions and portrays them mostly realistically. The book is well-written and in clear, unembellished language that assists in communicating difficult concepts.

However, I would have liked to have seen more character development. Although the protagonists Lara and Uri are reasonably well-developed, both with backstories and conflicting needs and wants, a number of the characters in the book are so one-dimensional, clearly there just for a specific purpose such as delivering a speech, that they almost descend into stereotype. The terrorists in particular are portrayed as sheer evil. While this makes sense on a certain level, even people capable of separating heads from bodies have mothers. That is, the book would be improved if some glimpse were given of who the terrorists are and what drives them. And if they really are evil for the pure joy of committing evil, what made them so? A villain whose motivations we understand is not only more believable but more interesting.

There is also a clear, if subtle, bias in the book. This is not necessarily bad. We all have biases and indeed should, sometimes—a bias against terrorists is a positive thing. However, when every Muslim character is portrayed as a terrorist and every mosque as a front for terrorism, I think there is a concern and would like to see some balance with a few positively portrayed Muslim characters. The author, however, might dismiss this desire as overly “politically correct.” The book also has a conservative bias in that, again subtly, it blames at least some of the terror attack on “political correctness” and other forces of liberalism, such as not judging Muslim people or supporting too many personal freedoms, especially for foreigners. At one point the terrorists chuckle together at easily duped Americans, whose government is under court order not to “offend” Muslims. I don’t think this is true, but it sounds like something some more conservative people might believe to be.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars for the depth of its understanding of the issue of terrorism and its connections to religious extremism. The book does not rise to a five-star level due to the stereotypic and one-dimensional characters.

The book is mostly suited for an audience who appreciates a thriller that focuses more on a complex issue and informing on it rather than noises in the dark that make you jump.

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Devil in False Colors
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