The Promised Land

Recently I finished reading Robert Whitlow's book The Promised Land. This was most exciting as I finished the book just prior to visiting Israel myself. Before reading this book, I read The Chosen People which is the first book in the series. Reading it first is really important to understanding The Promised Land as it introduces Hana and Daud and many of the other characters. The Promised Land also picks up where the first book left off as any good sequel should do.

As a legal thriller, The Promised Land jumps right in with Daud, an Arab Christian who works in security and intelligence, on-site in Israel working on a project involving Middle Eastern espionage. The conclusion of this project puts him right in the cross-hairs a nefarious business man. Hana, a lawyer of Arab Christian descent working in America, is called to consult on a case involving a recently found archaeological artifact. In the story, the artifact is a fictional queen's head companion to the actual sculpted king's head which is on display at the Israel Museum.(It was quite exciting to actually see this real-life artifact in person.) While Hana works on this project and other legal items, Daud is back in the States building his new personal business. Given their unique background and experiences, Hana is asked to participate in a panel discussion about Israel and Palestine and Daud is asked to provide security for this event. In addition, as fairly recently married individuals the predictable "baby makes three" comes into play as well. In addition, a family who played a major role in the first book continues to be a part of their lives. These storylines continue throughout the book and require both Hana and Daud to travel to Israel several times before the story concludes.

While I really enjoyed this book as well as the first in the series, I was disturbed by the view that all Muslims are bad that comes across in the book. The "Muslim terrorist businessman" is an important part of the story, but I would have liked to have seen additional Muslim characters as well to even out the story a bit. This book would be enjoyed by those who enjoy legal thrillers and with strong male and female characters can be read by both. I am hopeful that more books will be written in this series as I want to learn more about Hana, Daud, and their new little one. With numerous loose ends left untied, I am fairly confident more is in store for this couple.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received The Promised Land from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.