Certain Jeopardy

by Alton Gansky, Jeff Struecker, Neesh Santiago

Book Overview

Six American men live behind a protective faade, their real work hidden from neighbors and friends. Different in countless ways, they are intimately the same in one: at any moment their lives can be... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805448535
• ISBN13: 9780805448535
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: B&H Books
• Length: 381 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Crisp, engaging military thriller

Captain Jeff Struecker is a very interesting guy. If you haven't read Mark Bowden's Black Hawk Down (you should), or seen the movie (you should), Jeff Struecker was one of those Army Rangers stuck neck-deep in that intense, and now legendary firefight in Mogadishu. I urge you to check out his website and read his impressive bio. He did a lot more than fight in Somalia, A LOT more, including writing a pretty engaging military thriller called Certain Jeopardy. It starts as six Special Ops soldiers are plucked from their lives and families by an ominous cell phone call and sent on a recon mission to observe a suspected terrorist training operation in Venezuela. Six guys, traveling in pairs, leaving at serpate times to regroup in unfriendly territory. Right away we have the makings of a great military thriller reminiscent of the old Tom Clancy novels (remember those books? the one he wrote before he got so rich and famous he could hire someone else to do his writing for him?) Unlike Clancy, Struecker is writing what he knows, from firsthand experience, with credibility that is never in question. I was immediately engaged by the stories of the soldiers' wives and families, whose struggles were just as compelling as the high-stakes international mission. With parallel stories of men sent on their secret deeds while their families are left behind to hope is speckled with some familiar cliches, but it works quite well. There is a kidnapped wife of a nuclear scientist, a mom with a rogue teenage son who won't listen and doesn't care, and a Special Ops wife confronting a miscarriage, then a possible abortion. And it also has terrorists and machine guns and helicopters! Yes, there is a lot of compelling story packed into this book, and at times there are so many characters that it's easy to get confused but it unfolds quite nicely, with sharp writing that is crisp and engaging. Tense is some places, with a captivating, action-packed finale that moves so fast you'll finish in one sitting. For the guys, there's plenty of shooting, lots of blood, and enough military hardware to make you wish you could pop the movie version of this book into the DVD player. The female characters are strong and resourceful and while they yearn for their husbands, they are not hopeless without them. We know they will find a way to go on, and we admire them for that. The dialogue, at times, is exactly what you'd expect. How many military/cop stories have a character (probably played by Keanu Reeves) proclaiming the following: I didn't choose the Army for the money. I didn't choose it for the excitement. I enlisted because I'm an idealist. I believe I can make a difference in the world. I hate to see the little guy get kicked around, especially when I can do something about it. I can't change the world, and I can't save everyone; but I can save a few along the way. It's why I wear the uniform. It's why I'm here. Other than that the dialogue sharp, with lots of witty, light-h

Intense, Gripping and Credible!

"In Certain Jeopardy, Captain Jeff Strucecker delivers an intense, full-throated and credible Special Operations thriller that includes the often ignored personal relationship challenges inherent in every soldier's life--health, family, faith--and he does so with a light touch that delivers a succession of potent, powerful punches. To understand the mind and heart of the men who serve in this elite force, this book is a must read. Don't miss it!" --Vicki Hinze, Author of Forget Me Not

5 Star Read!!

The writing team of Captain Jeff Struecker and Alton Gansky should be congratulated for their outstanding Christian novel. The story line follows an Army Ranger Team who finds themselves in "Certain Jeopardy" on one of their missions. From the first page until the very last page, this book is riveting. I certainly hope this writing team is working on a sequel. This book is truly a 5 Star Read!

Wonderfully authentic and riveting!

From the very beginning to the last page, this book was riveting. It seemed very authentic, not just in the military realm, but also in the daily lives of the men from the Ranger unit. In fact, that was one of the things I appreciated the most---the glimpses into the personal lives of the men. So often, authors write about a unit's forays into dangerous situations but neglect to mention that they have problems with wives and kids just like civilians have. I've read a lot of Tom Clancy novels, and Certain Jeopardy ranks right up there as far as the military terms and situations are concerned. I finished the book in 1-1/2 days and already want to read what happens next! I hope the publisher has a sequel planned.

Exciting, suspenseful novel

This book is a military thriller. The story was written in short, quick chapters from rotating point of views--and there were a fairly large number of point of view characters. At the beginning, I sometimes got confused as to how everyone was related to each other, but that didn't last long. The prose felt a little unrefined, but that fit the character of the story. The book was fast-paced. The author clearly explained the equipment and jargon used in the story without bogging down the pace with too many details. Every moment was full of tension and conflict, both at home with the team's families and on mission with the team. The conflict and reactions all felt realistic and plausible. Characters were varied and engaging. Several of the characters were Christian. Their faith mattered to them and made a difference in how they reacted in difficulties, but the Christian content was never preachy. There is no sex in this book and all the swearing is of the "he swore" variety rather than actual printed cuss words. Overall, I'd highly recommend this book as a "good, clean fun" novel. Genre Reviews http://genrereviews.blogspot.com/