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The Last Operative Reviewed By Michelle Kaye Malsbury of Bookpleasures.com
- By Michelle Kaye Malsbury
- Published August 11, 2010
- Crime & Mystery
Michelle Kaye Malsbury
Reviewer Michelle Kaye Malsbury:
Michelle was born in Champaign, IL. Currently, she resides in Asheville, NC
and is in her second year of doctoral studies at Nova Southeastern
University in Ft. Lauderdale with specialization/concentration in
conflict resolution and peace studies. She has over six hundred
articles published on the web and one book published thus far with
many more in the wings. Hobbies include; reading, writing, music, and
playing with her Australian Cattle Dog, Abu.
Author: Jerry B. Jenkins
Publisher: Tyndale
ISBN 978-1-4143-0905-7
Jerry Jenkins has penned numerous novels that have sold more than 63 million copies worldwide. (2010, inside back cover) Seven of his books have had the honor of debuting in first place on the New York Times Bestseller List. Mr. Jenkins has been written up in USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and the Wall Street Journal. He and his wife live in Colorado.
The Last Operative is filled with religious undertones and overtones. Christianity is a common thread that is creatively woven throughout the pages of this novel without being overbearing. Obviously this is part and parcel of the author Mr. Jenkins too. I have to admit he did a very good job in this regard, especially for those of us who tend to lean in the atheist category.
The main character, Jordan Kirkwood, works undercover for the NSA. He was covertly recruited just of out high school in Michigan where his first test was to spy on other governmental personnel while working for the Peace Corp in Indonesia. Here he meets and falls in love with a lovely French woman who will haunt him the remainder of his life because life and circumstance have them going their separate ways despite being very deeply in love.
Eventually he meets and marries the daughter of a minister. They have two children. Nobody they live near or are related to have any idea about Mr. Kirkwoods’ real job. His children are resentful that he has literally missed most of their lives because he is usually out on assignment and unable to attend normal family gatherings or school functions. Their mother is their safety net and mother/father figure rolled into one.
This undercover NSA job has allowed Mr. Kirkwood entry in remote and populated places around the globe under a variety of disguises where he can cautiously and methodically ferret out evil plans that could encroach on America’s national security. The Last Operative is a spellbinding tale of a man torn by his love of a woman far in his past and his duty to wife and family in his present.
That life has just spun terribly out of control. Jason Kirkwood has just lost his wife to a brutal killing in an airport where they were slated to meet for a long awaited vacation. Luckily or unluckily he is detained and then passed off with a friend who escorts him home to bury his wife and make amends with his children before being embroiled in the next operation, which he assumes may be his last.
As the story unfolds and the plot deepens more bizaare things happen and Jordan Kirkwood goes deep undercover to try to untangle the tightly coiled web of deceit that can only come from having a person on the inside having it out for him. With his life turned upside down where will he go? Will he find the mole and expose him or her? Or will he get whacked in the process?
Despite the, more or less, overt religiousity I truly enjoyed this book. I liked the description of the characters and the lives they led. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, like me, who really likes reading spy or espionage novels even if religion is not your thing. Thank you Jerry B. Jenkins for a wonderfully page turning book filled with action, contemplation, and direction for those seeking it!