Review by Katie Canedy -- East Wind, 2nd edition

Kaitlyn Canedy · Post by **Kaitlyn Canedy** » 24 Sep 2020, 15:08

[Following is a volunteer review of "East Wind, 2nd edition" by Jack Winnick.]

4 out of 4 stars

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East Wind, written by Jack Winnick, is the first in a series of books called Lara and Uri. Lara is an agent that works for the FBI, while Uri is a field agent for the Israeli Mossad. They are assigned the task of stopping more nuclear terrorist attacks from occurring in numerous American cities by discovering how Hezbollah, the terrorist organization threatening the USA, communicates with its members. With Lara’s specialty in computers and Uri’s ability to speak fluent Arabic, taking down this organization should be easy, right? Unexpected discoveries, a kindling romance, and deadly missions are just a few of the challenges that Lara and Uri will have to face to prevent doom from occurring in North America.

As I was reading this book, I could not stay off the edge of my seat. Once I thought that something was going to happen, the storyline quickly changes. Personally, I am not a fan of books that quickly switch pace or deviate from what is expected, and I try to avoid them as much as possible. Mr. Winnick has done a great job convincing me that this book is worth the read! The only audience that I can think of that may not enjoy East Wind is the one that dislikes violence and bloodshed, as these occur frequently throughout the story.

Lara was the character that I fell in love with quickly. She is strong, independent, and an expert in computer technology. When I read stories that include government agencies, I see too many men that become the center of attention, and the women tend to become sidekicks as time progresses. That storyline is not present anywhere at all; she and her partner Uri work together equally. At one point in the book, she did face gender discrimination, but she handled it sternly and sassily. I could not help but chuckle and cheer for her when she did this.

Another element that I think Mr. Winnick deserves credit for is his sense of reality that is evident in every chapter of East Wind. The scenarios and technology that are used by the protagonists and antagonists are not far off from what could happen in real life. This is one of the reasons why readers will have a hard time distinguishing reality from fiction when reading this book, as it would not be a surprise if most of this technology already exists or is being tested.

I did not dislike anything about the book. There were a handful of grammatical and formatting issues, but these did not affect my enjoyment of it at all. These errors were likely overlooked; I have no doubts that it has been professionally edited. I rate East Wind 4 out of 4 stars. One sexual scene is present and a few mild profanities as well, so readers should be aware of this. I enjoyed reading the first book in the Lara and Uri series, and I look forward to reading the second one, Devil Among Us, soon.

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East Wind, 2nd edition
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Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 26 Sep 2020, 08:45

Jack Winnick is a master of writing thrilling, suspenseful books. I read one of his other books and enjoyed it immensely. This one seems wonderful as well. Thanks for your interesting and well written review!

Eutoc · Post by **Eutoc** » 26 Sep 2020, 16:56

I strongly commend the striking diversity the author observed in this story. I hope others would follow suit. Thank you for the insightful review.
Sorry for the points you lost for non-use of italics for the book title up there in your review.

Kaitlyn Canedy · Post by **Kaitlyn Canedy** » 26 Sep 2020, 22:31

Prisallen wrote: ↑26 Sep 2020, 08:45 Jack Winnick is a master of writing thrilling, suspenseful books. I read one of his other books and enjoyed it immensely. This one seems wonderful as well. Thanks for your interesting and well written review!

You are welcome! Mr. Winnick is truly talented. When I start reading his books, I can't put them down! I am in the middle of reading Devil Among Us right now, and I am hooked. I can't wait to review this one.

Kaitlyn Canedy · Post by **Kaitlyn Canedy** » 26 Sep 2020, 22:33

Eutoc wrote: ↑26 Sep 2020, 16:56 I strongly commend the striking diversity the author observed in this story. I hope others would follow suit. Thank you for the insightful review.
Sorry for the points you lost for non-use of italics for the book title up there in your review.

Thank you for the comment! Yes, the diversity was quite interesting and I loved this about the book.

When I was proofreading my review, I had the unshakeable feeling that something was off. I kept reading it over and over, but it appears that I missed this one. Things happen; I just know what to improve on in my next review!

Post by **Diana Lowery** » 29 Sep 2020, 08:36

I think I would be the one you mentioned who dislikes violence and blood shed. Thanks for the review.

Kaitlyn Canedy · Post by **Kaitlyn Canedy** » 29 Sep 2020, 23:52

diana lowery wrote: ↑29 Sep 2020, 08:36 I think I would be the one you mentioned who dislikes violence and blood shed. Thanks for the review.

There is more violence and the graphics of the bloodshed may be disturbing to some of the viewers, so I would not recommend it to you based on your preferences. Thanks for reading my review!

Hazel Arnaiz · Post by **Hazel Arnaiz** » 11 Nov 2020, 11:05

I appreciate that Lara, as a protagonist, had equal treatment with her male counterpart. I wonder if the approach was the same for other female supporting characters. Thank you for the insightful review.

Post by **SINGH JAY** » 12 Jan 2023, 02:15

I must admit that Jack Winnick is a fantastic storyteller because I have read every book in the Lara and Uri series.
I wish that terrorist operations would halt and that everyone may live in peace and harmony.

Post by **Rupali Mishra** » 15 Jun 2023, 02:09

Intense, suspenseful books are Jack Winnick's specialty. One of his previous books caught my attention, and I really liked it. The same may be said for this one. Thank you for the well-written and fascinating review!