Mr Rosenberg hits the nail on the head with every book. Try his blog listed under his name he is a prophet.

The story is captivating because it's almost too real for fiction! I finished the book in 2 days. Very interesting and thought provoking.

I felt this was nothing more than a sci-fi book and not up to the standards of the previous books in the series. I couldn't finish it. Very disappointing from such a good author.

This book is all too easy to imagine coming to pass. It is a fast, easy read and it is reality based.

Joel has done it again. This novel is so prophetically linked to what is happening in our time. Everyone will be intrigued and challenged to compare what Joel is saying in his novel with what scripture says will be happening in the last days. I recommend this read to everyone!!

Joel Rosenberg amazes me. His research alone must take so much time before he even starts a new book. I love how he weaves the story around biblical prophecy. He has become one of my favorite authors and I have read everything he had written so far.

I just finished reading "Dead Heat" today and short of saying "WOW" I am at something of a loss for words. I have followed Joel Rosenberg from "The Last Jihad" until now and I have enjoyed all of the books in the series, but "Dead Heat" blows them all away. Out of five stars, this one deserves a seven. I would place this book in the top two or three fiction books I have ever read and in the top 10 of all books I have read.

I will not give any of the story away for those who have yet to read it, but some of the plot twists in this book really shocked me and to be honest I didn't see them coming.

This book was so good I hated to finish it and hate even more that it is the last in the series. In a word, WOW!

Ok so let me start by saying that I picked up this book and didn't realize it was part of a series (my bad) and I didn't know it had heavy religious overtones (again, my bad)

When this book puts away the "you must accept Jesus Christ as your savior" rhetoric, it is very, very good.

In fact after the first 10 chapters I looked it up to see if there were other novels in a series as some characters were obviously previously introduced. I wanted to put an order in for all the others in the Jihad series.. but then I read the rest of the book and realized I didn't need to order any more at all. There are seriously long stretches when it feels like you are in a church being preached to and other times like you are being actively converted.

I once skipped 12 pages straight of "accept Jesus" talk (I skimmed it). Then I went back and read it because I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. Nope.

And it isn't just the religion that is oft-putting (even for a Christian)
There are agonizingly improper and unfathomable personal relationships (one character seems to know every head of state/important person on the planet) and even more frustrating communicative issues all over the place.

What I mean by that is this:
You know when you see in a movie when someone dies and the cop or authority figure has to tell the kin that their loved one is dead and they start by saying "I hate to tell you this..."

well, this author goes on and on and on ... it really turns into frustration and I cannot remember the last time I was frustrated reading a book (oh yea I remember, Lustbaders Bourne books)

Anyway, how would you react if a cop came to your home and said "I hate to tell you this..." and you said "what?" and he said "well, um....." and you said "yes? tell me please..." and he said "well, um....." and ON and ON and ON for minutes (pages it seemed) and with more than one set of characters and multiple times.

I can forgive all that, after all the story is GOOD and worth reading. In fact if someone could re-edit the book and take out much of the religious preaching it might have been one of my top 10.


I guess maybe it's me, I do not like being preached to.. I can handle all the "prophecy" regardless if it has zero connection to facts (Yes, I know the bible well) but a thriller book (or series) shouldn't be a recruiting tool.

I am not going to give any spoliers but just beware that if you are NOT a religious person this boook will definately put you off.

Mr. Rosenberg is a fine fiction and non-fiction writer. He writes with full understanding of Ancient Prophecies (told by Ezekiel, Zechariah, Daniel, etc.).

With all of modern technologies flowing worldwide, we'd be lucky if this action-filled-page-turning fictional book is only just that.

I highly recommend reading this book as well as recommending it to the silver screen.

Bravo, Mr. Rosenberg!

See review for Copper Scroll which is the previous book in the series. Highly recommend the entire series.

Listened to this book on CD and was completely captivated until the last chapter. Last chapter was lame, left more loose ends than necessary, and the bad guys got away. Even if there was a followon tribulation series, I wouldn't open the first page.

Another great book using religious texts to provide wonderful insight into what may be going on in the world. Many of the fictional events have become actual reality!

I actually bought this book for my wife as a gift. I have bought all of Joel C. Rosenberg's books as Christmas gits each year for my wife, but Dead Heat didn't come out until March of 2008. Joel Rosenberg is a master story teller. What makes his stories stand out even more is his overwhelming understanding of world events. As you read his books you wait with anticipation to see if what you just read appears in newspaper headlines and on the evening news tomorrow. I highly recommend all of Joel Rosenberg's books considering what is going on in the world today.

I have only myself to blame. Usually when I read an author for the first time I look at reader reviews, but for whatever reason, this time I did not. The end result is that I bought one of the least enjoyable books I have ever read. I found the writing style somewhat stilted, but I suppose that is a matter of taste. The real problem is that this is not so much of a story as a vehicle for proselytizing Evangelical Christianity. The ending (or really non-ending) is also absurd. The "good guys", i.e. those who have accepted Jesus as their personal savior, are suddenly zapped into heaven, leaving everything else unresolved.

Dead Heat (2008) is the fifth evangelical thriller in The Endtimes series, following The Copper Scroll. In the previous volume, Jon and Erin Bennett found the Temple treasures, including the Ark of the Covenant. The Israelis started construction of the new Temple. Indira Rajiv was given a new assignment: kill the President of the United States.

In this novel, Jon Bennettt has a very sick wife. Erin had been vomiting until she was having dry heaves. Then she collapsed and became nonresponsive. Now she is breathing shallowly and her pulse is weak. Jon holds her and calls for a doctor over and over again. Finally, he picks her up her limp body and takes her to the medical clinic.

They have been working for seven months is a crowded, disease-infested refugee camp in northern Jordan, tending survivors of the War of Gog and Magog and the Day of Devastation. He has been unloading supplies and helping in the kitchens. She had been working in the kitchen and passing out toys to the children. They have been working twelve to fourteen hours every day.

At the medical clinic, he burst in and asks for help, but the nurse doesn't speak English. He calls for help and an English speaking nurse comes. She has the others take Erin to the examining room. After hours of waiting, an English speaking doctor comes and tells him the bad news that Erin has a severe case of bacterial meningitis. The good news is that she is pregnant.

While he is waiting, Jon receives a strange message on his phone. The caller asks if he is Jonathan Bennett and then says that something terrible is going to happen. The voice insists that he had nothing to do with it and cannot stop it. The voice says that much worse is coming and states that he will call back in twenty-four hours. Then the connection is dropped.

Meanwhile, a Delta Force team has discovered evidence of a terrorist plot to assassinate the President of the United States. A warning is relayed to the Secret Service detail guarding the President. They hustle him into an emergency bunker in the basement of the arena where he was to speak. Minutes later, a guided missile drops on the site and a nuclear weapon destroys much of Los Angeles.

Other missiles fall on Seattle, New York, and the District of Columbia. Another lands squarely on CIA headquarters in Langley. Four USA cities have been wiped from the map and none knows who has ordered the attack.

In this story, Jon is contacted by the newly sworn President of the United States. He is asked to return to the States to work with the surviving members of the government. Jon agrees and arranges for an ambulance to take Erin and himself to Amman. Then the mysterious voice calls back and asks John and Erin to come to Bangkok. Of course, Jon refuses.

On the way to Amman, the ambulance is ambushed and rams the railing by a steep slope. Then a concrete truck comes barreling into the ambulance. Jon goes out the shattered windshield before the truck hits, but the others are still inside the ambulance when it is pushed through the railing and falls down the slope. The concrete truck then falls directly onto the ambulance.

Armed men take Jon and whisk him away. Jon barely notices them in his shock and sorrow. Erin is dead! How can he live without her?

This tale is unlike the previous novels. The relevant text is mostly from the New Testament. The Day of Judgment has arrived. Followers of Christ will be lifted up and the unbelieving will be left behind for another thousand years.

This concluding work in the Endtimes series is filled with action and meaning. It portrays a world with a reduced population who have stark reasons to believe in the scriptures. Some begin to pass on the Word to the uninformed.

Recommended for Rosenberg fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of biblical prophecy, fanatical violence, and true love.

-Bill Jordin

Don't get me wrong...I am a HUGE Joel Rosenberg fan, but I'm having a tough time with this book. The back cover is completely misleading regarding the plot and since he has the tendency to be right a lot, reading this current plot line gives me a disturbed feeling, which hinders my enjoyment of the book. Usually I can't put his books down, but I'm almost scared to pick this one up! It is intriging enough to make me want to finish; I just hope he's completely wrong about this at a future event.

Hold on to ya hats people...Joel is coming out with another book in the series of the Last Jihad...called the The Revolution...so am sure it will not disappoint us...am looking forward of purchasing it from amazon.com...

It wasn't until I started reading Joel C. Rosenberg's books that I realized I had been using a cliché when I would say that "anything can happen" when describing the twists and turns a plot can take. That statement should be reserved almost exclusively for Rosenberg's novels, particularly DEAD HEAT, his latest work. I will tell you without reservation that anything can and does happen here, including a number of things for which I was/am nowhere near ready.

If you have not read the author's previous novels --- THE LAST JIHAD, THE LAST DAYS, THE EZEKIEL OPTION and THE COPPER SCROLL --- you may want to jump into those before picking up this current one. Though Rosenberg does a good job of providing background on the characters in DEAD HEAT (particularly Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy) with respect to what has gone before, knowledge of the backstory of this series will help newcomers more fully appreciate the current book. However, it's not necessary, especially when an all-too-imaginable yet unthinkable cataclysmic disaster befalls the United States within the first quarter of the novel.

Bennett and McCoy, former presidential advisors doing missionary work in Jordan, are far removed from the disaster, yet are facing significant problems of their own. McCoy has suddenly fallen victim to a mystery illness, while Bennett has received an anonymous telephone call from someone who claims knowledge of what has befallen the U.S., as well as the ability to prevent more disaster from occurring. But there is a price, one that both Bennett and the President are reluctant to pay.

The U.S. government, however, is on war footing, and while it races to determine the source of the calamity before further damage can be done, a second and most unexpected danger threatens from within. Rosenberg saves the most shocking event of all for the book's conclusion, as the United States, in the midst of a retaliatory strike, experiences an event unprecedented in world history.

Rosenberg's novels have Biblical prophecies as their foundation and are set in what are generally known as the "end of days." There is no denying that he is a masterful storyteller, one for whom absolutely nothing is off the table. While some have found fault with the plot-driven elements of his work, Rosenberg's frenetic pacing elevates the events of his narrative to a fever pitch, even as he ratchets things up another notch or five. Full of surprises and shocks, DEAD HEAT is unforgettable and unstoppable.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

This book is fascinating. I didn't want to put it down. The book really makes you think about where your life is. I have been reading the Bible more often after reading this book. I can't wait to read the others.

This is an excellent book being well written and well thought out. Keeps the reader on the edge of their seat with every page turned. One finds the characters both real and endearing. Each draws one into their lives and the reader experiences the range of emotions along with the character in this high-energy packed thriller. More than just a good read, this book paints a chilling picture of what can all too easily occur within our great country and within our own lifetime. Having studied in depth world events and trends this reader can see all the needed alliances and current events coming together to create just such a time as what we find between the covers of this fictional, yet all too true to life book. The world is quickly spinning toward such horrific scenerios. It used to be that major world powers were held incheck by the threat of annialation from the other if they were to strike- each knew the risks to their own nation. We benefited from a type of nuclear stability that has existed for the last 50 years due to three basic suppositions: there were only 2 major players in the game, both players were in balance, and both were Rational. Now, with the emergence of rogue nations and terrorists aquiring WMD's, all bets are off.And, if during this race to become nuclear, what actual use of WMD would not escalate? The list grows of nations that would use such to their own benefit as our current adversaries are not being motivated by traditional, rational best interests, but by devout religious beliefs- how do you win or even avoid a race with someone who believes he wins the entire game if he loses? Tho this author is Not a prophet, as one who has intensely studied both world events and world religion, it is this reader's strong belief God has used this author as a warning for all to heed- be they secular or religious in their personal beliefs. Based on what has come to pass with the other books in the series,as well as Most Biblical prophecies being fulfilled during the last 50 years, this reader believes the books to be a firm warning of what is near and perhaps on our very horizon.

This book certainly had a slam-bang beginning. I wasn't prepared, however for the Biblical aspect of the book and the preaching that took up whole pages of the text. I am not looking for a thriller that asks me to accept Jesus as my savior in every chapter. The author is a good writer, but the plot got so outlandish that I ended up being very disappointed. I paid money to get a sermon I could have gotten for free from a door- to -door Christian mission worker.

I am a huge fan of Rosenberg's other books in this series. I got my wife reading his books with me. We have both been waiting to read this book as soon as it came out. My wife bought me this book for Father's Day on CD so we could listen together in our travels this summer. We just finished the book on our drive home last night.

We turned off the CD last night and I looked at her and the first thing she said was that she didn't like this book as much as the others. I think she was trying to be nice because she knows how much I enjoyed reading his other books; I own all of his books in this series and have read them all two or more times each. I don't believe that I will read Dead Heat again, once is enough for me.

The book started just as the others did it was able to catch my attention and I had to read on to see what was going to happen next.

The book did cause my wife and I to discuss at length the prophecies regarding the last days and the events that are going to occur prior to the second coming. The positive from our reading the book together is that it did cause us to discuss and will lead to our reading and study of the prophecies regarding the last days again together.

I am a devout Christian. I read and study daily the writings of the prophets and apostles and the teachings of Christ. I have worked as a missionary giving of my time and resources to help others find the truth and helping them find Christ. I will say that I was frustrated that Rosenberg devoted so much of this book, a political thriller, to preaching and testifying of Christ. I realize that the time and place where this is to occur and his dedication to the biblical prophecies, and the devotion and development of his characters would necessitate some discussion of the biblical prophesies and some personal application to the characters and the events unfolding in their lives. I did feel that the book was a bit "preachy" and that there was a deviation from the story, plot to preach to the reader.

This book was a disappointing finale to the series. More theology than thriller it had more fairy tales than a Han Christian Anderson anthology. Not even a subtle, veiled attempt at conversion this sceamed it. Poorly plotted and poorly written this book is insulting and offensive to many. Save your money!

This book was one of those ones that you can't put down! Awesome book! Joel Rosenberg is one of the very best authors. I have purchased 2 books so I can share with others. Highly recommended reading is my opinion.

An incredible series that culminates with another wonderful and extremely plausible story. In fact, the authority Mr. Rosenberg uses as he weaves together the past, present, and possible future tensions in the Middle East and abroad is noteworthy. Drawing on the Ultimate History Book, the Bible, he shows beyond a shadow of a doubt the absolute authority its Author has. I look forward to reading anything else written by Mr. Rosenberg.

Maybe I heard wrong. Or maybe there's been a huge error. All I know is that if I had bought Joel C. Rosenberg's new political thriller, Dead Heat, I'd be one unhappy camper.

I first heard of Dead Heat when I was flipping the TV remote one night. I saw Glenn Beck holding a copy so I had to stop. I would have sworn the talk centered around a heated political election that was the premise of this work. It sounded interesting and I immediately check out Dead Heat at my library. Even the back-cover synopsis states about the book that "the battle to succeed (the president) is heating up into the most fiercely contested presidential election in American history."

And that's as far as the similarities go. The text enclosed between the covers of my copy of Dead Heat has nothing to do with a heated presidential election. My copy opens with President James MacPherson getting ready to deliver his out-going address to the Republican National Convention. Then four U.S. cities-Washington D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, and Seattle, are annihilated by nuclear bombs. Most of the U.S. government is dead, including President MacPherson-and what is left is in chaos. The rest of the story revolves around the re-formation of the government and trying to determine if China or North Korea should receive the retaliatory nukes.

Interspersed with End Times prophecies and the conversion of the non-believers to accept Jesus as their personal savior, the novel is written in a 24 (the television show) format that has little substance. Ninety percent of the characters listed on the character page are dead within the first twenty pages. The characters that do exist are superficial and lack depth. While the storytelling was good, the novel was just one series of events after another.

And there is one thing that really added to my irksome mood. Nowhere on the jacket, inside or out, does Rosenberg or the publisher, Tyndale House, state that this is a fifth book in a series. The only clue I had was that other novels are mentioned in the text. I won't go back and read the previous four novels. But if Rosenberg ever writes the novel that was promised in the back-cover synopsis, I might consider reading it.

Armchair Interviews says: Heed this reviewer's comments.

This was a gift for someone else so I can't rate it myself but I'm sure she will enjoy this book a lot-she has heard very good things about it.

Danelle Reetz

Having never read a Joel Rosenberg novel before, I picked this Audio Book off of the Cracker Barrel BOA rack because of the title and description on the back cover. They make this book sound like a battle for the race to the White House similar to the one we are experiencing in the United States right now. As a political junkie, I could not wait to begin listening to this novel, despite the quote by Rush Limbaugh on the front cover. However, after an exciting attack on the GOP national convention, this book took a turn for the nauseatingly religious. I haven't been this bible-thumped and brow-beaten since Sunday School, and I was not expecting it. If you are looking for a political thriller, this is not it. This is not even thinly-disguised religious jargon. It is repulsive, offensive propaganda.

What was one of the best series out there turned into a flop of a final book to this series.

While I am not against the Christian message, to turn one of the very best dead-on series of todays world into a book I would have expected to be written by Billy Graham himself, was a huge disappointment.

I found myself turn page-after-page-after-page without doing anything but glancing to see if the religious hodgepodge had stopped.

The way this ended ranked up there with one of the worst ends to a book I think I have ever read. Rosenberg pretty much removed the main characters from the middle 90% of this book, and then in the last few pages brought the book around to some of the best and well developed characters out there, and in a matter of pages terminated their life and any future of this series.

Rosenberg's other books in this series are worthy of the comment on them by Rush Limbuagh as one of the best books you can and should read. This one, however, was a huge disappointment to the nature of this style of a book series. Rosenberg had a good thing going here, and either he fulfilled his contract with this series, or just decided to kill one of the best series - either way, it was/is a shame.

Perhaps Rosenberg simply wants to go back to writing Childrens books... and if this last book is any indication to how he deals with his characters, perhaps going back to Childrens books are a good thing.

Mr. Rosenberg... may I suggest something you to... perhaps at some point in the future you can go back and rewrite 80% of this book. Even if you do have the main characters die off as you have, please, give us something other then what you gave us with this book. I understand your desire to use your fame as an author to get a message out to your readers... but even as a religious person, I found this to be way beyond what I would have expected from you. All your other books deserve to be up there in the likes of Clancy and Flynn, but this one does not. It deserves a place besides Joel Osteen, Kirk Cameron, and Joyce Meyer (not saying these are bad authors, but rather this book series does not belong on the same shelf as these Christian ministers, with the excepting of this final book)

All in all, I walked away from this book feeling like I had been let down by the author. I had waited months for this book to come out. I ordered it the day it was released - and had it shipped overnight. Two days later the book was finished and I felt depressed because of the lack of quality of driving force that this book had compared to the others in this series. I had all my friends reading this series, and when they asked me how this latest book was, I pretty much had to tell them to not even buy it. Better to have Jon and Erin still alive and not have a series completed, then to deal with the flop of this book. Sorry Mr. Rosenberg, you just really failed to keep your series at the top of the charts with this one. I really truly wish I could say something good about this book... but not a single thing in it is worth a positive comment - beyond if you are after a religious book with heavy eschatological slants and a simple "poof, they're gone" of two of the best characters we've had written about over the last few years by any author.

I am a big fan of Rosenberg's work. I thought Last Jihad was brilliant and Copper Scroll not far behind. However, Dead Heat did not come in for a Dead Heat with any of Rosenberg's other books in the series.

Dead Heat begins with the excitement that Rosenberg fans expect. A couple of great terrorist scenes, a nice thesis for how the nuclear attack on the US will occur and one would suspect that we are off to the races. However, 60 pages in, Dead Heat dies! Rosenberg suddenly becomes a Christian missionary of the very boring sort. While he expects us to follow him to the Rapture, instead I found myself falling off to a nap-ture. Boring dialogue, silly action and really unbelieveable plots lead Dead Heat to an early grave.

Read all of Rosenberg's other books in the series. Enjoy a great craftsman at work. Be facinated by his foresight. However, use your own foresight and avoid Dead Heat!

Great book, couldn't put it down. Real s-c-a-r-y! Could it happen? It does seem to follow along with some of the prophecies in the Bible.

Dead Heat (Political Thrillers Series #5)
I loved the other books in this series, which is why this one was such a disappointment. I still give it 4 stars but I get the feeling he was just anxious to wrap up this series. I found the plot a bit contrived and it left me feeling VERY unsatisfied as to quality of writing, character development, plot continuity...Maybe it's me but I felt Rosenberg has other things he is interested in/doing now and just phoned this book in. I really hope he doesn't start a new series because I will then think he shortchanged this book to spend his effort on the next ones.

Joel's book Dead Heat grabs your attention on the first page, and holds it until the last page.
His writing is tomorrow's headlines. He has the background and first-hand knowledge on what he is writing and puts it in story form to convey a very serious message.

I've read it in about (2) days, and will read it again.
Get the book.

This is an exciting book that is hard to put down. It is based on the view that the end times are accurately predicted in the Bible. The story is fictional, but could easily "fit" the prophetic senario found in the scriptures. Joel Rosenberg is not some sort of a religious "nut", but one who holds the views of many Evangelical Christians.

This is one of those books that makes you hope and pray that fact doesn't follow fiction again... Dead Heat by Joel C. Rosenberg. Rosenberg's previous novels have been remarkably accurate in terms of terror acts occurring in ways very similar to what he wrote in a storyline. If that trend follows again, then 9/11 will look like child's play by comparison...

The main action line involves the discovery of a potential plot to kill the president at a political convention where he's giving a speech. There are few details to go on, but security is convinced they've done as much as they could do to protect him. That is, until the nuclear missiles are launched from container ships right off our own shores. And it's not just directed at the president, but at a number of major cities such as Washington DC, Seattle, Manhattan, as well as Los Angeles. Based on saber-rattling that went on right before the attack, the new president is convinced that China is to blame and wants to launch a full-scale retaliation. But if that assessment is wrong, then the world will be plunged into a nuclear nightmare. Obviously every nation in the world has a vested interest in making sure this situation doesn't get out of hand, but there are a few murky players in the background who are all watching this unfold according to a larger plan.

Rosenberg writes novels that examine current day events in light of Biblical prophecy. I personally find them very well written, and he has a frightfully high track record on plots and stories that end up becoming fact all too quickly after the book is published. There are a series of books that use the characters found in Dead Heat, and you'll get more color and flavor if you can start back at the beginning of the series before you read this one. There is a strong evangelical message woven into the story, much like the Left Behind series. But in contract to Left Behind, Rosenberg isn't milking the story for every last drop. This is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read, and I look forward to the next (final?) installment from him.

There are two reasons why I am not happy with "Dead Heat." The first is that one can not completely follow the plot, because it keeps referring to characters and activities occurring in prior stories, by this author. Thus one is forced to purchase those books, which shouldn't make Rosenberg too unhappy.

Secondly the author is trying to convince his Jewish readers to join the "Jews for Jesus" bunch. On almost every page there are paragraphs from the New Testament quoting how wonderful it would be for Jews to come to Jesus. (If Rosenberg gets paid per word, there's a lot of easy money in there for him.) I happen to feel that Jews for Jesus is an oxymoron; one can't be a Jew and believe that Jesus is the son of God. Anyhow I do not like my adventure stories to be filled with preachings.

Clancy fans do not read this. It's full of annoying, preachy evangelical banter and it's ideas are NOT biblical. For example, the book ends with the Rapture, which is not biblical, and is found nowhere is the scripture cannon. The Rapture teaching starting with a minister in the Church of Scotland, Edward Irving, in the 1830s. It is NOT biblical.

The book's plot is sloppy and it's pacing is terrible. I can't believe Glen Beck had this author on his program. And Rush Limbaugh endorsed it on the cover! How could so many people give this book a good review? God help us.

This is a great book - couldn't put it down. It is today's world situation so it is very relevant.

bewarned! This is a book of Evangelical rhetoric with brief moments of action. Redundant in its one sided exploration of characters and coflict Rosenberg only fleshes out the perspectives of characters that are christians.

If you're a Joel Rosenberg fan, then I'm sure you'll love this book as I did.

Regardless if you believe in Rosenberg's worldview, you still should take his stuff seriously. He does a great job at taking our current affairs and speculating with how things could end up.

I gave it four stars, since I don't think that it was his best novel - and doesn't entirely measure up to other political thrillers (from a writing standpoint).

I would encourage anyone to sit down and go through Dead Heat just for the heck of it. It's a great page-turner, and will keep you guessing through the whole thing!

I couldn't put this book down! Joel C. Rosenberg has done such extensive research, and most importantly, connects Scripture to the facts and the "what ifs". I now "see" and understand much more about the future based on Scripture than I did before reading Dead Heat even though I've been reading the Bible daily. If you are already a Christian, you can "connect the dots", and if you aren't, this is great "food" for thought.

Joel Rosenberg has done it again with a very engaging thriller that I truly hope never comes true (as some of his other realistic fiction). Great read.

Dead Heat will have you sit up straight and pay attention. The attack on the US is an effective one, done with a devastating, primarily low tech approach. Without the right leadership in office, this country will surely collapse if this scenario or something close to it is ever played out. Rest assured our enemies and those who hate us, and there are many, are reading this book with a possible script/plan or approach to our demise. But then this book plays out an apocolytic drama where good loses for the moment and of course the rapture occurs and many of us will not make the first cut. Tribulation, if true, will be very discomforting and perhaps painful and we as a country will play a very low profile role.

I highly recommend this book and if you started out reading Rosenberg's series of plausable and timely occurrences of World events, this book will leave wishing for hope and redemption.

Great ending to the series. Very hard to put down. Fast paced and readable. Chilling and realistic. Tough, and at times, almost heartbreaking, to see so many "good guys/gals" we have come to know and pull for get taken out, as well as the attack on the four United States cities killing millions, and the almost impossible task of rebuilding a chain of command. Good job, Mr. Rosenberg. I hope you continue the story line with a post rapture sequel.

I have not read or listened to the previous books in this series, simply because of a lack of reading time, though I am well aware of them and their general focus. I decided that I would listen to Dead Heat which is most applicable to world events right now (June 2008).

First, the reader and production are excellent. While a book is nice to hold and read, this reader, who uses a plethera of different voices and accents based on the characters from around the world, totally brings this story to vivid life without confusing the reader. Great job!

Second, as a Christian, I found Dead Heat to be very realistic...not a prophecy in and of itself, but there is no doubt that much in this book could happen very much as described, or similarly. I already feel a great sense of urgency with regard to the upcoming rapture. I know where I'm going, and I have no fear for myself, but I do worry for those who are not saved - those who are indifferent, or like at least one other reviewer of this title, scoff at the truth. So, whether you find this story sensational or realistic, if you are a Christian, truly consider what we know is to come and be a bold witness for the Gospel. If you aren't a Christian, try to listen to or read this book with an open heart and be willing to give unbiased consideration to the Bible as truth. After all, it is your eternal soul that is at stake.

Thanks to Joel Rosenberg for combining his unique skills, talents, and experience into some great books.

Dead Heat (Political Thrillers Series #5) This book is a must read. It is fast paced and will keep you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next page, and what happens next. The fiction is written in a way that lends understanding to possible future facts and events.

Joel Rosenberg's latest end-times thriller is as exciting as his others. I have to admit that I preferred the detailed information about Israel in The Copper Scroll, but Dead Heat paints a clear picture of how history could play out very soon.

This is a book you won't want to miss. I believe it to be spot on, meaning we're definitely in for a ride, therefore, as Americans, we better all wake up soon and stop living in denial. Rosenburg is an awesome author and because what he writes is based on biblical prophesy, the "fiction" he is writing is coming to pass. Stay tuned and take heed!

This book is a rapture rant in disguise as a political thriller premised on 4 major cities being nuked by cruise missles off the shores of the US. Either Bush has told him of his next October suprise or some one who peddles a brand of christianity that says I'm the only one worthy of being with God cooked up this hatchet job of a book. I bought the book, and stupid me I also purchased the audio book dumb me. I can't figure out why I didn't understand many of the scenarios in this book, when a previous commenter mentioned you would have had to read all of his books to get it. Save your money.

While this book tries to be many different things, it fails at most of them. There are several large plot holes that leave the reader wondering what Rosenburg was trying to say.

-Why would the ships that launched the nuclear missles be sunk? Most of the later "hand wringing" about who perpetrated the deed would have answered by interrogating crew members.

-The F/A-18 strafes the launch ship just before it was to launch another missle, but nothing more is said about additional targets.

-The inclusion of the Bennetts in this story seems almost an afterthought. While the overall situation spirals out of control, we are expected to believe the Israelis are dedicating resources to "protecting" the Bennetts. And Israeli commandos into North Korea, based out of Japan...?

-Even the description of the Rapture event is disappointing. Instead of detailing the shocking events that would surround such an event, we get a tepid description centered on an Israeli character. The setup of the next book is so obvious, it hurts.

Read it if you must, but don't be surprised at your disappointment. I sure was.