Chosen People

Chosen People by Robert Whitlow is an intriguing legal thriller. Having read a number of this author's books I was very interested in reading this one and was not disappointed. Mr. Whitlow knows how to write legal fiction with action, intrigue, and a number of twists to the plot that increase the suspense and keep a reader's interest high. The premise of the book could be taken right from news headlines as the focus is on a terrorist incident that happened in Israel and how to hold the terrorists accountable, to bring justice and closure to the American family involved. The characters are a diverse mix--a secular American Jewish lawyer, a Christian Arab Israeli lawyer working in the United States, and an Arab Israeli private investigator; young children and old uncles; American Uber drivers and Israeli taxi drivers. The mix of nationalities and religions add depth to the story and the author gives good insight into those differences and the impact those differences make on the every-day lives of Arabs and Israelis living in Israel. Readers are given a glimpse of Israel as the characters travel there to begin their investigation into the incident and Whitlow describes well a number of places in Israel. Having recently traveled to Israel, I found his descriptions to be accurate and able to draw me back into the scenes. I liked how throughout the story Hana's faith is strong as she turns to God for wisdom and guidance. She recognizes that her heritage and ethnicity is not what defines her but her relationship with God transforms everything about who she is and how she relates to others, regardless of their heritage or ethnicity. A good lesson for each of us to learn. Chosen People is a great read as it weaves together a story of terrorism, the intricacies of international justice, and personal faith. I received a complimentary copy of this book via CelebrateLit. A favorable review was not required and opinions are my own. This review is part of a CelebrateLit blog tour.

Chosen People by Robert Whitlow is a stand-alone legal novel. Gloria Neumann is killed during a terrorist attack near the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Now, Jacob Brodsky, a Jewish lawyer, is pursuing a lawsuit on behalf of the family and needs help from Hanna Abboud, a Christian Arab Israeli lawyer based in Atlanta. The case quickly takes them from Georgia to the streets of Jerusalem where the risk of death is everywhere. I loved being able to travel along to Israel, a country I’ve not had a chance to visit. The encounters with all the secret organizations in Israel kept me interested to see what happened next. The spiritual content was expertly woven in with the story. The legal aspect of the lawsuit/storyline was handled very well. I was afraid that with this being a legal thriller that there would be a lot of legal talk, but there wasn’t. I wasn’t bored at all. It is a very well-written story. I received this book from the Celebrate-Lit in exchange for my honest review.