This author is just amazing. He has no problem killing off his own characters, so you don't know what is going to happen next. In fact, after a while, you develop this curiousity to keep reading just to find out what the next surprise will be. It's like M. Night Shamylan (spelling wrong I'm sure) in political and military fiction. I would say you'll be shocked by the end, but, by that time, you are so used to sudden changes that change your whole perspective that you no longer know what to expect. I read this book without reading the other books (and had no problem with it). Now, I want to go back and read the earlier stuff, even though I know SOME of the twists from those books, already.

Love all of his books! I cannot put this book down! This one is keeping me up WAY too late at night! Content is disturbing because it really COULD happen...

This was the first book in a long time where I actually put off reading too fast it because I didn't want it to end. I loved this book from start to "finish". I say "finish" because I keep hearing that this is the last book in the series but I hope it isn't. Joel did leave the ending open in the spirit of `The Lady or the Tiger'. This book had the classic storytelling of Joel written all over it. The pace is non-stop, the destruction is great and brutal, the enemies are satanically evil, and the "point-of-no-return" world changing events are jaw dropping!

This was a magnificent "ending" to a MAGNIFICENT SERIES!! I was wary about reading it because I didn't want to be hit in the face with "Jesus said this" and "Jesus said that" but Joel didn't do that. Does this series have an obvious religious message? Absolutely. And I'm ok with that; I just don't like being preached at. In `The Ezekiel Option' we find out that God destroys Israel's enemies and thus starts the prophecy about the end of the world. `The Copper Scroll' continues this and in this book I was wondering how in the world he would write it and how it would "end". This was a very, very good read but as I got to the end I was wondering how it would wrap up. There was so much story left and I was running out of pages!! That is why I'm hoping that this is NOT the end of the series because...well... I don't want it to be! :-)

I loved how Joel put pieces of the apocalypse in the story and you literally have to go back and re-read it because you're like "huh?, what?". It must have taken me as long to read the final few chapters as it did the whole book because of everything that was going on and because of the magnitude of everything going on. But Joel has a way of writing so that the story isn't crowded with all the action and angles. This book is very, very sad because some of my friends that have been with me since book #1 have some very bad things happen to them and people around them. Joel tells the story and does not spare anyone when the story called for it. This book is also pretty brutal and cut-throat. The violence is high but not gratuitous. The bloodshed is here but it's doesn't drive the story.

This is Joel's fictional account of the last days based on teachings that have been around for over 2,000 years and it's equally fascinating and frightening. Religious or not this series needs to be on your list.

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 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!