Jericho Black is being called one of the most ambitious thriller series to hit Amazon in years. WIll Hessler never wanted to be an assassin, but we don’t always get what we want…This four book box set takes you from 1970’s San Francisco all the way to the Middle East in 1980. How did a starving artist from San Francisco become Israel’s most lethal deep cover operative? Follow Will Hessler as he … most lethal deep cover operative? Follow Will Hessler as he undergoes training under the watchful eye of The Hammer of Israel himself, Jacob Mitzak and then embarks on a series of operations so dangerous even the Mossad won’t sanction them.
In this series you will encounter a cast of characters you will have to read to believe, and follow their special unit within Israeli intelligence as it takes on Jihadists, East German assassins, neo-Nazis, and even the KGB.
This anthology contains
- Book 1: Among Wolves
- Book 2: Education
- Book 3: Danger Close
- Book 4: Retribution
“The 1st half of this book was the most twisted, psychotic depressing, crazy, intriguing story I have ever read. I was mentally exhausted by the end of the 1st half.” -JD/ Amazon Reviewer
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This is a collection of thrillers which will grab you from the first page to the very last page. There will be twists and turn leaving you wondering what would happen next. Fast paced action read
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have read a few Jordan Vezina books including book 1 & 2 from this box set, so I was very excited to see that not only were books 1-4 collected, but also books 5 & 6 were also available. As is my want, I went ahead and got them all. Glad I did. In Jericho, Vezina has created a believeable character and a world that is full of action and intrigue. The timespan runs nearly 70 years from the early 1900’s to the 80’s. This is ambitious to say the least, but Vezina pulls it off with a gravitas and zest. Truly a great arc of a story.
Now I can binge read! I love this series and am hoping that this author continues to write this series. I am absolutely taken with the stories and cannot wait for the next one to come out. In this box set, I can binge read them, without any problem! If you haven’t started this series, here’s a great way to get started! It is an awesome set of books!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
the connected stories of Jakob Mitzak and Will Hessler are woven together by the ugliness of the second world war, its survivors, and what they wrought afterwards. both become warriors for what would become the state of Israel, a designation much hated by Palestinians, determined that no one had the right to give to the Jewish people land that the Palestinians had claimed.
the armies of Hitler did damage in Egypt and the biblical lands, but of course the hatreds between the Palestinians and the Jews was much deeper and longer. And part of what develops as Europe and the US move towards re-building past WWII is a growing series of actions between various factions in the near east.
the growth and development of these and other fighters is charted through deep personal losses, and great pain, felt and expressed by many involved actors.
One of the most appealing aspects of these books is that the stories come down to the acts and emotions of people. A sympathetic girl in great pain lashing out at the death of her mother or father. a young woman swept up by jihadists who lead her believe she is only educating the poor and suffering, not preparing to become a face of a movement.
the lines are drawn in blood, tears, and sand.
an amazing set of stories in a convenient package.
I received an advance copy of many of these stories. I bought several and read most on Kindle Unlimited.
My opinions are voluntary, and my reviews are full of praise and respect for the very easy to relate to, and painful renderings of history personalized.
The Jericho Black Universe: The following well written books are all part of this universe and take place in a timeline from 1910 until 1980, as of January, 2019. The third book Retribution starts in 1980. All the storylines are carried throughout this series of books. The storylines are intriguing, suspense filled and so mesmerizing it’s hard for the reader to put down the book(s). I chain read all but Among Wolves, which I had already read and made me interested in reading the rest of the story. There are plenty of twists, kinks and surprises in all the additions. The pace is steady and fast, no bogging down with trivial fillers. The emotions range across the scale and even the harden reader goes “Oh my gosh.” occasionally. Nothing graphic, you just forget how depraved the human race is, especially in the pack (or herd) formation.
The characters are interesting and believable, and their dialog realistic. The reader is drawn into the stories and the author’s descriptions are clear and interesting. Most of the characters appear in all the stories or are mentioned for themselves or in past events. The characters run the gamut on personalities, frailties, strengths and levels of depravity and goodness. Nothing is graphic but everything is clear so the reader can make the violence as graphic as their imagination needs. History is a rich character that adds depth and understanding to the stories, which begins during WWII. I know a lot of this history and found the author did a great job with his historical presentation. Mr. Vezina did research his subject matter. After Among Wolves, the editing was much better with very few errors outside of comma usage, or lack of, in the others that I read. In a couple of the books, Mr. Vezina offers a PDF timeline for the JBU. There are more books than what I have read so far. Best to read in sequential order; keeps the excitement flowing and no spoilers that way. I purchased all but The Lion of Israel.
Never Forget, Prequel – The beginning of the JBU. Starting in Auschwitz, this introduction of Aleks Rosen, Saul Greenbaum and Jacob Mitzak. Along with some the rest of the characters that will come and go throughout the series. There are a couple of twists and surprises, along with an interesting showing of foresight, determination and survival through a horrible time and place in world history. 5*
The Hammer of Israel – This is my second favorite of this series; Among Wolves remains number one with me. Mainly about Jacob Mitzak and Jane Sutcliff and their metamorphoses from their experiences from WWII until 1952. There is a lot of violence, none graphic, but what their characters, their determination and their instincts for survival place upon them and the jobs they are able to perform. There’s a special lady that will surprise the reader when she’s spotlighted. 5*
Among Wolves #1 – This is my first read by this author and I liked the story. The well thought out story line follows a young boy through his discoveries about his grandfather’s Nazi SS past and the causes of his mother’s hatred. He’s able to make his own decisions about the right way of life for him, earning him his grandfather’s respect and costing him his mother’s love. The young man contributes to the war of hatred after learning a secret about his father. Along his journey, he is supported by many surprising people. The characters are interesting and believable, and their dialog realistic. The reader is drawn into the story and the author’s descriptions are clear and interesting. History is a rich character that adds depth and understanding to the story, which begins after WWII. I know a lot of this history and found the author did a great job with his historical presentation. Mr. Vezina did research his subject matter. This well written story could have been a five star if the author had only edited the story. Missing commas, lower case proper nouns and titles, inconsistencies and various other defects distracted the reader because there were so many. Many affected the meaning of the sentences. 4*
UPDATE: Among Wolves is updated and changed somewhat according to the author. The update hasn’t made it to Amazon as of 01/30/2019.
Education #2 – A cliffhanger that continues in book #3 Retribution. The story is set in 1979 and picks up with Will and Susan and their future together. Playing heavy parts in this story are many of the characters from Never Forget and Among Wolves. Fast paced and filled with a few twists for everyone. Needs better editing. 5*
Danger Close (Btwn #2 & #3) – A short story set in 1979. More on Will Kessler and his transition from his past to his future. His life changes with the murders of his mother and grandfather and the shooting of his girlfriend. He does a job that gets him a shock of a lifetime and changes his future. 5*
The Lion of Israel (Btwn #2 & #3) – This short story introduction is for Ariel Sutcliffe and her contributions to the JBU. Her story, her strengths and her weaknesses, along with some of her jobs and where she is heading. A good, but flawed character that is tested with a special job. This book I found on Booksprout. 5*