Damascus Countdown by Joel C. Rosenberg

Read the first chapter here.

All eyes are on the Middle East. Israel has successfully launched a first strike on Iran, taking out all of their nuclear sites and six of their nuclear warheads—and causing The Twelfth Imam to order a full-scale retaliation. US President William Jackson threatens to support a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Jewish State for unprovoked and unwarranted acts of aggression.

Meanwhile, CIA operative David Shirazi has infiltrated the Iranian regime and intercepted information indicating that two Iranian nuclear warheads survived the attack and have been moved to a secure and undisclosed location. In danger not only from the ongoing missile strikes on Iran but also from the increasingly hostile and suspicious governments of multiple countries, David and his team are in a race against time to find the remaining nuclear warheads before disaster strikes.

The Damascus Countdown by Joel C. Rosenberg is the third novel in the Twelfth Imam series following the Twelfth Imam and the Tehran Initiative novels, and this book is a smashing ending to this series. The Damascus Countdown is filled with international tension, mind blowing suspense, staggering sadness, and is action packed to the end. This novel could have been pulled from today's headlines as confrontations arise between Iran and Israel and as Syria becomes more embroiled in civil war and nuclear intrigue, just as is seen in the Damascus Countdown. The plot line moves quickly in most parts as the action and intrigue increases and then slower in others as Scriptures and Biblical prophecies are explained in light of current events. I found the alternation between action and explanation to be interesting and to increase the suspense exponentially.

The characters of the Damascus Countdown were realistic and were developed well. More is learned about David Shirazi and his journey into a better understanding of faith in this novel, and he even has opportunities to share his beliefs with others in critical situations. The other supporting characters also became more developed and played a bigger role in the story's progress. David's friend from his childhood had more of a role in this novel, and it was interesting to see her side of the story as well while the plot progressed.

Overall, I really enjoyed the Damascus Countdown because of its intensity and realistic nature. While it is not necessary to read the other two novels first, the Damascus Countdown is certainly a thrilling ending and climax to the entire Twelfth Imam series.

I received this novel from Tyndale House Press in exchange for an honest review.