Genre: Thriller
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According to Wikipedia, "The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as Har haBáyit (Hebrew: הַר הַבַּיִת) or as Har haMoria (Hebrew: הַר הַמוריה) and in Arabic as the Haram al-Sharif (Arabic: الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram al-qudsī ash-sharīf, Noble Sanctuary), is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years. At least four religions are known to have used the Temple Mount: Judaism, Christianity, Roman religion, and Islam. The present site is dominated by three monumental structures from the early Umayyad period: the al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock and the Dome of the Chain. Walls dating back to the late Byzantine and early Islamic periods cut through the flanks of the Mount."
Keith Raffel took his son on an adventure exploring parts of the MidEast. He was looking for inspiration, and he found it among the archeological wonders that surrounded him. He introduced us to protagonist Alex Kalman, and our adventures began. Alex is as engaging as all of Raffel's protagonist. I tend to gravitate toward books that make me want to invite the main characters to Sunday dinner at my house, and that is what makes this author's books so special to me.
When we meet Alex, he is trying to find himself. He sold his Silicon Valley company two years before and needs to find something to get him excited. A strange request from a long lost grandfather seems to fill the bill. He is off on a quest to explore the passages under Temple Mount in Jerusalem, looking for a piece of history. Unfortunately, neither Arabs, Israelis nor Americans want him to be successful and will do anything it takes to stop him. As in all of Raffel's books, there is just enough romance to show us the humanity of the characters. There is also a scene in a tunnel that was so realistically claustrophobic, that I began having a panic attack and had to put the book down.
No book is perfect, and there were a few parts that stretched credibility, but on the whole I really enjoyed reading Temple Mount and am anxiously awaiting Keith Raffel's next book.
- Beverly
Sold by - Amazon Digital Services, Inc.(ebook)
Keith Raffel took his son on an adventure exploring parts of the MidEast. He was looking for inspiration, and he found it among the archeological wonders that surrounded him. He introduced us to protagonist Alex Kalman, and our adventures began. Alex is as engaging as all of Raffel's protagonist. I tend to gravitate toward books that make me want to invite the main characters to Sunday dinner at my house, and that is what makes this author's books so special to me.
When we meet Alex, he is trying to find himself. He sold his Silicon Valley company two years before and needs to find something to get him excited. A strange request from a long lost grandfather seems to fill the bill. He is off on a quest to explore the passages under Temple Mount in Jerusalem, looking for a piece of history. Unfortunately, neither Arabs, Israelis nor Americans want him to be successful and will do anything it takes to stop him. As in all of Raffel's books, there is just enough romance to show us the humanity of the characters. There is also a scene in a tunnel that was so realistically claustrophobic, that I began having a panic attack and had to put the book down.
No book is perfect, and there were a few parts that stretched credibility, but on the whole I really enjoyed reading Temple Mount and am anxiously awaiting Keith Raffel's next book.
- Beverly
Sold by - Amazon Digital Services, Inc.(ebook)
