Book Review…Dead Sea Conspiracy by Jerry B. Jenkins

The Dead Sea Conspiracy has two stories in one and two timelines. The first is about an Nicole Berman is the first woman archaeologist to be awarded a permit to lead a dig in Saudi Arabia. Nicole believes what she will discover has the power to rewrite world history. She assembles a team that will surprise and in some cases betray her. The second is about young Abram who is sent to learn from his forebears, who tell him first hand stories of being on the ark during the Great Flood.

This is the second book and final book in the Dead Sea Chronicles and it picks up right where book one left off. The story mixed with modern time and the biblical stories creates a fascinating and unique storyline. I can honestly say I've never read a story that combines archeological dig and searching for proof of Abraham so that was quite interesting! Nicole's character is interesting but it did seem like she wasn't taking everything as serious as she should be. I enjoyed the twists that came with her timeline but it was ultimately Terah's timeline that drew me in. So if you're looking for a story about archaeology, biblical historical fiction and something a little different then you should check it out! Thank you Just Read Tours and Jerry Jenkins for sharing this book with me!
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In large part, the first book in The Dead Sea Chronicles felt to me like an extended setup for a following book. I thought its story could have been told in fewer pages without losing anything significant.

Nevertheless, I decided to continue on to this next book because I wanted to find out more about the crux of the matter—Nicole's archaeological mission.

Unfortunately, this second book also seems to me as if it's trying to fill up a certain number of pages. Some events feel stretched out, unnecessary, or rather redundant, and like the first book, it isn't as thrilling as a thriller to me. After getting almost halfway through it, I was no longer interested enough to continue on.

While these chronicles were an overall miss for me, I've really enjoyed a few other novels by Jenkins and plan to read more by him in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

It took me a while to get into this book, probably because I had not read the first book in the series. Although I was aware that I had missed out on some events, I was still able to follow the storyline with ease; it just took a while to connect to the characters. I will say that if you are not willing to purchase the next book in the series, there isn't much use in purchasing this one. While some bits of the story are brought to a conclusion, the main thread is left unresolved. I personally prefer series in which each book works as a stand-alone read.

Dead Sea Conspiracy is a dual timeline novel. The current day story follows archaeologist Dr. Nicole Berman as she begins a dig in Saudi Arabia hoping to find evidence supporting the Hebrew and Christian story of Abraham. This puts her into direct conflict with the Saudi government who does not want the Quran contradicted. Nicole and Detective Chakrabarti, her personal security guard, must try to ferret out spies among her own team. This storyline was interesting, but did not consistently include authentic sounding dialogue. The second storyline revolved mostly around Abraham and his father, much of which was fictionalized. Personally, I do not favor biblical fiction that includes conjecture about the lives of real people of the Bible. I prefer biblical fiction that weaves in true people and events from the Bible, but focuses on purely fictional characters. I am as of yet undecided as to whether I will read the next book in this series.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Dead Sea Conspiracy from Hatchette Book Group via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. ( )

Danger Everywhere!

This contains two stories, the first is a modern-day tale about an American archaeologist, Nicole Berman, who wants to run a dig in Saudi Arabia.

In order to do the dig, Nicole must go through all kinds of hoops and red tape. Even though she passes everything, when she gets to the site, she has to deal with guards, along with governments watchers who can stop by at any time to check up on them.

Nicole wants to prove that Abraham was a real person, describe his relationship with his sons, and that Isaac was the one God's blessings were to go through, not Ishmael. There are spies and people trying to prevent her from reaching her goal. If she does find evidence, will the host country let her publish her news, even if it goes against their national religion? Or will something happen to Nicole to prevent her getting out alive?

The second narrative is the thrilling story of Old Testament Abram (later Abraham) that starts with his parents in ancient Ur, and continues throughout his life. His father, Terah, is crazed King Nimrod's right-hand man. This story covers the building of the Tower of Babel, along with a visit with Noah's son and his wife--which includes their first-hand account of what living on the ark was like.

The things God asks Terah to do will leave you wondering what you would do in that situation. Belessunu, Abraham's mother, has an amazing faith in spite of some hair-raising circumstances.

This is part of a series, there is a small amount of catch-up in the modern story, but everything else stands alone. Abraham's story is amazing, and will make that part of the Bible come alive. I recommend this five-star book to fans of Biblical history, and captivating stories!

Worthy Publishing has provided Tickmenot with a complimentary copy of, Dead Sea Conspiracy, for the purpose of review. ( )