Certain Jeopardy

By Jeff Struecker and Alton Gansky

Six American men live behind a protective façade, 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 altered with a phone call, and their actions may change the world.

They are Special Ops. And one team’s mission is about to hit certain jeopardy status when the discovery of an Al Qaeda base in Venezuela becomes secondary to thwarting the transport of a nuclear weapons expert from that training camp to Iran.

Informed by the true combat experience of Captain Jeff Struecker and finessed by award-winning novelist Alton Gansky, Certain Jeopardy is an immersing and pulsating fictional account of what really happens at every level of a stealth engagement: the physical enemy encounter, the spiritual war fought within a soldier, and the emotional battles in families back at home.

Endorsements:

Certain Jeopardy by Jeff Struecker and Alton Gansky is like the TV show The Unit on steroids! A group of six men appear to live normal American lives, but at any time they can be called to report to a Special Operations group performing actions for the safety of their country at the risk of their lives. The men are called to Venezuela to investigate rumors of a Al-Qaeda training camp. Instead they stumble into the kidnapping of a nuclear scientist who can empower Iran to create their own nuclear weapons. To rescue him and his family that is being held hostage for his cooperation will force them to use every skill they know and may cost them their lives. I'm not usually a fan of military thrillers, but this book grabbed me on page one and didn't let go until I finally remembered to breathe again at the end. Struecker has served several tours of duty himself, so the writing gives an inside look at secret military operations and the incredible amount of skill and fortitude needed by its members. The action is written so that every scene is almost cinematic; I could see it play out in my head. Interspersed are scenes of the families at home coping with never knowing where their loved ones are or if they will come home. Together they create a powerful look at Army life. I hope that the authors will revisit this team, because I would love to read more!

--Christy's book blog

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: BH Publishing Group
• Release date: May 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9780805464535

Reviews for Certain Jeopardy

[rgaryrasmussen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one hell of a good book! Oops! Perhaps I should have said 'heck', since the authors are an Army chaplain and a minister. But that word is too mild to convey the enthusiasm I feel. This is the story of an Army Special Ops team in Venezuela who experience big problems in carrying out their mission, which changes character while they are in country, and while their families back home are having major problems too. In that sense, the book is like "The Unit", the TV show. But, unlike in the TV show, only one of the primary characters has a problem with marital fidelity. You'll not find any swearing here, which is a bit unrealistic. But to be truthful, I didn't miss it at all. What you will encounter is a lot of praying; soldiers discussing faith with one another; a fair amount of subtle preaching; and a clear conservative Christian bias. Normally, these overt displays of the authors' biases would bother me -- a lot -- in a book like this since I'm liberal and agnostic. But, they didn't bother me in this book. I knew going in who the authors were, and so I wasn't blindsided. And, the interesting, believable, and realistic plot kept me engaged, even through a short relatively quiet section about two thirds of the way into the book. If you are tempted to stop reading at that point, don't. The action picks up quickly to a breakneck pace and stays there to the end. If you like military action, you will really like this story.

[johnfallows · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an enjoyable entry into the military/espionage genre with an emphasis on the dynamics of Christians and others in the armed forces working together to prevent terrorists from gaining access to nuclear capabilities. The story focuses on the men deployed to foreign lands to assess and deter the antagonists while shifting occasionally to their families thousands of miles away and their challenges.

[nathanm_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a good first novel by chaplain and Army Ranger Jeff Struecker. It's a semi-plausible military thriller about nuclear terrorism.Unlike many military novels, this book shows how the soldiers, and their families back home, deal with the separation and other issues. As in real life, some of the characters deal with the stress of combat through their faith. Others deal with it in different ways.As some reviewers have mentioned, the language is much more restrained than how soldiers really talk. The author is a chaplain, so I guess that's to be expected.

[paulco_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found the book a little hard to start, but once going, enjoyed it, and would read more by the same authors. It's more of what I would classify as a summer beach read for guys, but definitely has the Christian aspect throughout. Not the easiest thing to do, juxtapositioning modern covert ops and Christianity, but it was reasonably well done here. Some solutions were a little pat, and many characters lacked depth, but overall, a quick two-day read.

[battlinjack_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good read! There is great realism in this except for one part, the language. I realize this was written by christian authors, but military language is rather coarse at times no matter who you are. If you suddenly see the enemy has a missile lock on you, you don't say, "Oh darn!" -grin- Just having fun with you all!This really is a good book though. It reminded me of a TV series I have enjoyed and is just as fast paced and action filled as the TV show is. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys military thrillers or thrillers in general as you won't be disappointed.One caveat: If strong religious content bothers you, you may want to pass. But I would suggest trying it anyway. You may discover the religious aspect isn't so bad after all.

[davidt8_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is in two genres, airport bookstore thriller/page-turner, and Christian suspense fiction. Both authors are ordained ministers, and the spiritual content is fairly strong. The main action in the book takes place in Venezuela, an unusual locale for this kind of fiction. The action events sometimes strain plausibility, but that is typical of the thriller/page-turner. The technology and military details are quite realistic and plausible. I found the action interesting and exciting, with the unexpected thrown in for good measure, and the spiritual content was well written, but some readers may well find it intrusive and preachy.

[deaconbernie · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Alas, this book did not appeal to me at all. Except for near the end, everything seemed to take place in slow motion. The horror of it would not have bothered me but it just seemed so incredible.

[cutiger80 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although I truly enjoyed the story of Special Operations forces fighting terrorism in current day, there are portions of the book that are a slow read and make it harder to follow. While this book alternates between the lives of their families and the efforts of the Special Forces fighting terrorism, it provides a great picture of what they face in the current fight against terrorism. Overall I thought it was a decent book whose plot could have used a little more development to make sure it flowed smoothly throughout the book, beyond that it is an excellent story that keeps you interested throughout.

[pjlambert · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like a good page-turner just like anyone else. This is not one of those books. I found the plot slow, and at times painful. Moreover, I found the religious aspect almost distracting from the plot, with an awkard tie-in back to the story. The bravado displayed by the characters, even in life-threatening situations also was a bit over the top. So, rating this three stars for me was being gracious.

[giasen_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an enjoyable entry into the military/espionage genre with an emphasis on the dynamics of Christians and others in the armed forces working together to prevent terrorists from gaining access to nuclear capabilities. The story focuses on the men deployed to foreign lands to assess and deter the antagonists while shifting occasionally to their families thousands of miles away and their challenges.

[yaakov_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cetrain Jeopardy is the story of a US special operations team fighting terrorism in the present day. The story alternates between the lives of the soldiers and their families at home. The book is a fast read and feels authentic. The book is marketed as both a military thriller and as Christian fiction, but there are few strong religious overtones to the book. As a non Christian, I did not find that to be distracting.

[ljbryant_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First, before I begin this review, I have a minor disclosure. This book is Christian literature, and I am not a Christian. However, the religious aspects of this book, even for me, didn't really detract from the story. There were a few moments, when characters were praying, or discussing God or their beliefs, that I took a popcorn break -- but, other than that, this book was a page-turner.Overall, the characters were interesting, the story line was somewhat realistic (I'm not a huge military buff, so HOW realistic I can't answer for you -- I just don't know the weapons and such -- but it sounded good to me), and the descriptions were well done.The only minor quibble that I have is that it seems as if the author had it in for those who aren't religious, and had a minor miracle for those who are. I know, I know -- it's Christian literature... But not ALL Christian's get their miracle, and not all agnostics and atheists go down in flames. Still, disregarding that, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good, quick Special Ops type of story.

[exlibrismcp · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an appropriate book to be reading amid the Memorial Holiday. It provides an emotional glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of soldiers and how they successfully carry out their mission while at the same time worrying about their loved ones at home. Simultaneously, it also deals with the families who must deal with their own problems, while worrying about their loved ones abroad. It reminds us that it is not only the soldiers in battle who are called upon to be brave and strong, and that instead much is required from all involved. Additionally, the book delves into spiritual issues and Christianity as one soldier must struggle when his faith and his orders seem to collide with each other. Though the focus of the book is on the inner turmoil of the characters, it still contains many intense scenes of battle that have a very descriptive and realistic tone. The authors do a fine job of treading a fine line between showing the true intensity and danger of the events while also producing a novel that can be considered "family friendly."

[wkelly42 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had great hope for this book. Unfortunately, most of that hope was in vain.We meet every main character in the book in the first 100 pages -- make sure you have a scorecard, because you may have a hard time keeping track of who's who after a while. The plot starts quickly, and then drags for a long time in the middle of the book. It got to be a real struggle for me to pick the book up and read on; I've started and finished three other books since I started Certain Jeopardy.The book has promise, and would make a good beach book. But for everyday casual reading, there's not enough there to keep someone reading -- I doubt I would have finished it if I hadn't agreed to write a review.

[tommyb_50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Certain Jeopardy” is a better-than-average military action story set in Venezuela. The book opens with a tense firefight in Afghanistan to introduce the elite Special Ops military team that is the focus of the rest of the book, then pulls back to give us background on the key characters. The rest of the story involves a hostage, a “black” or unofficial mission in Venezuela, and good action sequences. Some readers may be put off by the Christian themes in the book. However, given that the principal author is an Army chaplain, the themes are to be expected. Also, the Christian themes complement the main story line without interfering with it. The action scenes are well-written and plausible, and the authors get just the right balance of fast-paced action and exposition of the personalities of the key characters. The book is proof that you can have a well-written, action story for adults that does not include sex or explicit profanity.

[cweller_19 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was a little hesitant about this book after reading other reviews and noting the religious overtones that were called out. After reading it however, I can say that the religious aspects were well presented and fit nicely into the story line. The book starts off quickly and keeps going. Jeff Struecker and Alton Gansky do a wonderful job of developing the characters in the story.The inclusion of the character's families make them feel real. While the characters are well developed, I feel the authors fell short in the descriptions of the world around them. I did not feel immersed in their surroundings as with other authors of this genre. Overall, I feel this was a great book and look forward to reading other books by this author.

[c6vette_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Starts fast, bogs down a little then races to the finish. A special ops thriller on par with Tom Clancy's works. Clancy does better with character development and has a slightly more polished style but he's had a lot of experience with the genre. Struecker and Gansky have the action side down and just need to work some on character development, particularly the female characters, to have 5 star books. In general, the 'home front' issues were the weak spots but the rest of the book made up for any problems here. With the number of sub-plots going on this book could have been several chapters longer. I wish it had been because it was a fun read that was over too soon.

[miked_181283 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fast paced book about a dedicated special ops squad of 6 sent to Venezuela to gather information on a suspected Al Queda operation and quickly find more than they bargained for... at the same time each of the guys are struggling with different personal issues at home unable to reveal to family and friends anything about their work.The author does a fine job describing this emotional balancing act between their duty to both their country and their family all the while emersing their readers in an exciting and dangerours military operation.

[rarelibri · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I am a fan of Christian fiction especially authors like Ted Dekker. I enjoyed this story overall but it was very slow at first. It did pick up and quite fast in the second half. Character development is important in any story I read regardless of length. The slowness of the start is mainly due to that purpose. This author weaved in great background not just of the military main characters but those of the families and their needs, fears and desires. The action sequences through the story, as it is a thriller were hard to put down. This was tempered with the normal language you might find in another similar type story by the fact that God does play a central role. While I am a fan of Christian fiction I do not want that theme to be an overriding factor in the story and this one balanced that line well.An overall great story that shows this type of writing has a place in any bookstore or home library.

[blueyss82 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was a great read. It was hard to put it down, a definite page turner. I liked how the story was a good balance between the military men in the field and how the families dealt with their absence at home. The only part of the story that was disappointing to me was the end. I didn't mind how it turned out, I just would have liked to have seen more content put into the end of the story. It built up so much during the book and I feel as if the author didn't give the ending enough justice; it ended too quickly for me. Overall: a good book that was entertaining and hard to put down.

[indianajane_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an enjoyable book. The story was well-told and the characters were believable. It is the story of a Special Ops team on a mission to Venezuela. As the story moved to its conclusion the fast-paced action kept me reading. I enjoyed the way the authors wove the lives of the families back home in throughout the story.I don't usually enjoy Christian fiction, because so often the belief seems to drive the story. In this book the story was told, and the Christian belief was a part of it, but in a way that fit the story and made sense. It also wasn't simplistic in the Christian/good, not Christian/bad way that I have seen at times in Christian fiction. Not all of the characters were Christians. The leader of the team, arguably the main character, was not, and was presented as a decent man. From a theological point of view, I liked it that this book didn't present belief as a cure-all that would make all of the characters' problems disappear.Some reviewers have found the lack of swearing disconcerting--it is referred to, but not written--as such language tends to be de rigeur in books involving the military. I found its absence refreshing. I know it's realistic, and it doesn't keep me from reading other books, but it's nice to have a break from it.Not a great work of literature, but a decent and entertaining read.

[satchmo77 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Certain Jeopardy by Jeff Struecker is a story about covert operations taken on by our military. Over all not a bad story. I did like the story being told about the team and their families at the same time. On the down side this seems to be another story about what religion is best. The bad guys were evil in every-way. The good guys of course were mostly Christians who prayed constantly, and never swore,. but they had no trouble killing. This is a minor criticism. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a easy read and a good story.

[sentinel83 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Certain Jeopardy was a easier read than I expected and provided a pretty realistic scenario (compared to some other books) of a special operations team that gets called into action to foil a plot involving Iran and Venezuela. A Venezuelan who lived in Canada is abducted from a conference in Europe and taken to Venezuela where he and his family will be sent to Iran to help them build an atomic weapon. The action sequences were able to be followed and easy to read. I also enjoyed how the authors included the life of the special ops families and their hardships when the ops teams get deployed. It provided good insight into that part of army life. The only downside to the book was the amount of religious and prayer references. I didn't realize at first that both authors were religious men (chaplain, etc.) so I didn't expect constant reference to prayer throughout the book. It is a little over the top when each chapter has the captors or teams praying about something. Toning that down a little would make the book still contain a religious element, yet not be solely based around religion.Overall, a good book and would recommend it.

[wscott2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this book in 2 days. The authors create a perfect combination of action and drama in the lives of the special ops soldiers and their families back home. This book, although a work of fiction, paints a very good picture of the lives of a special ops soldier and also their families. 5 stars for sure.

[brendaholmes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A group of Specia Ops sodiers are called on a mission. With very short or no goodbye's to their families, they leave not knowing what their mission will be, or if they will return from it. This is a story of these soldiers, their mission, and the families they leave behind. It's exciting, real, and not overly technical in the military sence. The characters are very real and their individual situations totally believable.I truly enjoyed the read, and would recommend it to anyone.

[mudslideslim · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A finely crafted story told with great detail and insight into the minds and feelings of the special people that defend our freedom with great risks to their lives and even greater risks to their personal lives. Spec Op warriors are our Templar Knights of these days and it was only fitting that some of the men of this squad and some of the characters in the story had spiritual lives that were interwoven into the book.The men were sent on a "sneak and peek" mission but when the scenario changed they adapted to the situation and did what they had to do to get the job done and get back out. The author led me into the story nice and slow but before long I was hooked and the pages were flying and I couldn't put it down until it was finished. I can only hope that there is another book following this one, again, a well told story with excellant detail and insights into the people that can't even tell what they do for a living.

[ulfhjorr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Right from the start, Struecker and Gansky grab the reader and pulls him into a world of an elite counter-terrorism strike team. The action is well-written, able to be followed but also giving some of the sense of confusion and fog that one expects to be present in a fight. More to the authors credit, the inner struggles of the characters, both those in the Ranger team and those they've left at home, are real and compelling.Two areas of concern present themselves to me. First, the toning down of sharp language. While I don't think there needs to be dialog full of expletives, phrases like "His next three words couldn't be aired on television" are so far out of place in a novel about this subject matter that they jar the reader out of the created world. Second, the religious overtones, while not so heavy-handed as to make the book unreadable, do distract a bit from the story and may put off some readers. It has the feel of Christian cheerleading and may lead to a bit of preaching to the choir, rather than getting a spiritual message out to others. Overall, these flaws don't really damage the book, and I would not hesitate to recommend the book to anyone.

[hippypaul_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As a former member of the US Army who saw just a bit of active service I find a lot of fault with most military fiction. The authors either make errors of fact or feel. The errors of fact should be corrected easily by most authors. Anyone with a computer can find in a matter of seconds just how much a M4 weighs or what kind of ordnance the Air Force would bring against troops in the open. The errors of feel are a lot harder to fix. Too many writers present the US Army as either filled with robot Rambo’s or killer buffoons. They are one dimensionally drawn to serve the purpose of the plot alone. At the end of the book you may well have enjoyed the story but you have obtained no insight or developed no relationship with the characters.Jeff Struecker and Alton Gansky fall into neither of these errors. The facts are straight and the people are real. I found this to be an excellent book that captures the problems and effects of the type of warfare that is going on today and will likely to continue through the next few years. The author’s technology and tactics are up to date and well presented.The true strength of this book however is in the people you will meet. Six primary characters are very well drawn. The members of an elite ranger team, both the men and their families, are brought to life. The real lives and problems of long serving military families are described to a fine point. I know I was a member of one of those families and these authors get it all exactly right.By the end of this fine book you will have enjoyed an action filled exciting tale and learned a lot about the members and families of our armed forces. You will also have come to care about the men that you will meet in the book. Both authors are men of religion. One is a decorated member of the army who fought in Somalia, Panama, and Kuwait then turned to service as a chaplain in Afghanistan and Iraq. The other author is an award winning author who served as a pulpit minister for twenty years and has written almost thirty books. Together they introduce you to the real world of the US Army Ranger.Their religious background brings things to this novel but it does not overshadow it. This is a story of men in combat and the problems they face both in action and out. The spiritual impact and help is a part of the story but the authors do not preach, they story tell. And it makes for a wonderful book.If pressed for an objection I would note that they take the liberty of altering just a bit of the usual language of the troops. The new army is not as foul mouthed as the one I served with but I do not think they have cleaned up their act quite that much. However, the lack of foul language does allow this book to be read by anyone without offence. The book describes wounds in accurate detail that might be disturbing to some but that would be the only warning to a general audience. This is an excellent novel written by men who have walked the walk. I hope it is widely read.A copy of this book was provided free by the publisher for the purposes of this review.

[halieus_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received my advanced reader's copy of Certain Jeopardy yesterday afternoon, and set it aside to read later in the week. After dinner, I decided to skim the glossary then read the prologue before picking a place to shelve it (until I wasn't so busy). Found no glossary, but half a page into the prologue I was intrigued. Within a few pages I was completely hooked; I didn't put it down until it was finished.This book reads like an episode of CBS' The Unit -- only much more believable and without the rampant infidelity. It isn't just action-packed, it's fast-paced throughout. Clean enough to hand to an impressionable teen or "tween," easy reading, a plot that is easy to follow, "human" characters, and overall, very plausible (tough breaks, luck, and unexpected developments).Personally, I would have liked a little more character development of two of the team members (Rasor and Harbison), another 200 pages (I like longer books), and an expanded conclusion. Other than those few minor things, I found no major faults with it.I would highly recommend Certain Jeopardy to anyone interested in any military genres or specifically in the Special Forces.

[kgscat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent attention to detail and individual people. Read it in one day.