The Twelfth Imam

A Novel (The Twelfth Imam, Book 1)

By: Joel C. Rosenberg

Narrated by: Christopher Lane

Length: 14 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Tensions are rising in the Middle East. Iran’s president vows to annihilate the United States and Israel. Israel’s prime minister says someone must hit Iran’s nuclear sites “before it’s too late”. The American president warns against a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and says negotiations are the key to finding peace.

And amid it all, rumors are swirling throughout the region of a mysterious religious cleric claiming to be the Islamic messiah known as the Mahdi or the Twelfth Imam. Word of his miracles, healings, signs, and wonders is spreading like wildfire.

CIA operative David Shirazi was born for this moment. He is recruited and sent into Tehran with one objective: use all means necessary to disrupt Iran’s nuclear weapons program, without leaving American fingerprints and without triggering an apocalyptic new war.

But time is running out.

©2010 Joel C. Rosenberg (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Ripped from the headlines — next year’s headlines.” ( Washington Times)

Good book, but it's a cliffie

There is perhaps too much background too soon in this story; I think the childhood/youth of the protagonist would have been better told in flashbacks. And those scenes had too much detail, it would have worked better, imo, in a more streamlined fashion. You can always go back to those scenes at any point in the main story and add detail if it becomes necessary to move the action forward.

That said, the scenes were not bad just too much to plow through to get to the main story.

I liked the book, I liked the characters, I found the story interesting and compelling if a bit labyrinthine. But it's about the Middle East so you have to expect a certain amount of that I suppose. I enjoyed watching David, the MC, struggle with his own values and purpose in life even as he took on a huge task on behalf of the world. The idea of the 12th Imam was completely new to me, so if it's a real thing or not, I found it interesting.

However, the book ends in a HUGE cliffhanger which I did not see coming until almost at the end. Absolutely nothing has been resolved, not one thing. I actually like cliffhangers, but many readers hate them, so I wanted to let potential readers know about this.

Amazing!

I loved this book! It absolutely captured my attention from beginning to end. I'm jumping into the next in the series!

Very entertaining

If you could sum up The Twelfth Imam in three words, what would they be?

A story of the CIA commitment to protect America. The book incorporates many real world events to set the stage for the story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

David

Which character – as performed by Christopher Lane – was your favorite?

David

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

On the edge of my seat

Any additional comments?

Keeps you not wanting to get out of the car

Well done!

Great story! Great narrator! I really love that I don’t need to wait for the next books to come out. I enjoy the romance portions of this book and all books written by men. I also love reading stories that include God’s irresistible grace bringing people to salvation. He brings the dead to life, draws them to him, and gives them the ability and desire to choose him.

What Happened to the ENDING?

Joel Rosenberg is a very refreshing and exciting author. I enjoyed all of his books! It is wonderful to read a truly exciting and intriguing book without all of the garbage profane language and graphic sex. And i was not disappointed with this story until the last 30 seconds. Joel, were you under pressure by your editors to wrap it up or did you just run out of gas at the end. i haven't seen a more disappointing ending since the 9th grade when a student finished a short story with, "...and then I woke up!" Is there a book 2? I hate to be left hanging on so many points. Come on, buddy, finish the story. A guy of your talent can surely wrap up the lose ends.

Anything's Possible but hopefully not this

It's good to have writers with creative imaginations who sit around and dream up these far-out scenarios that scare the heck out of readers. This book painted a scenario which was very dark and mystical, playing on real fears of Iran's nuclear ambitions, the appearance of a Muslim prophet whose presence foretells the end of times, and an American born Muslim CIA agent whose job it is to stop the world from ending anytime soon. This book was definitely written with Christian listeners in mind (multiple appearances of Jesus and many references to scripture). If you enjoyed Rosenberg's prior works you will enjoy this one too. Plus,it appears there will be more books in the series as this one left quite a few loose ends.

Where was the ending?

Not what I expected and then it just seemed to end without any conclusion. I understand that any book in a series should leave you wanting to hear more, but not because the story is just getting started. Though I wouldn't give this book my recommendation, I will most likely get the next book in the series. Guess I got suckered.

Interesting Story action, fiction and escatology

What made the experience of listening to The Twelfth Imam the most enjoyable?

The fast pace and interesting characters as well as the subject matter.

What other book might you compare The Twelfth Imam to and why?

Other Joel C Rosenberg novels, Left Behind Series, Dan Brown Novels.

Which scene was your favorite?

Hard to pick one. The opener is very interesting as the Main Character's parents assist an American to escape Iran in the 80's.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No but books don't generally effect me in this way. It was very thought provoking as well as a page turner. I was hooked until it finished.

Not what I expected but GREAT!

I had never read/heard any of Mr. Rosenberg's books (or even heard of him) before, but I love a good mystery and the title, The Twelfth Imam, seemed interesting enough that I purchased it. I am SO glad I did. It certainly wasn't what I expected, but as a Christian I had been hearing both first person accounts and eyewitness accounts of some of the things that occur in this book. Thus, I wasn't astonished at some of the events, but I was amazed at them being in a "mainline" book! The story kept me listening all night because I just HAD to know what was next. The only reason I did not give the story 5 stars is that while I don't agree completely with some of those who say there was NO ending, I do agree that the ending could have been tied up a little neater. Of course I see that there is a sequel (which I am downloading today, and will probably spend another sleepless night listening to!), and hopefully all the loose ends will be addressed. I want to know more about the 12th Imam, I want to know more about the CIA operative, and his long lost, re-discovered love.

Mr. Rosenberg has an easy way of putting a person's religious beliefs (Christian, Muslim, and Jewish) in a book without seeming to force it. I find it very irritating when people write in such a way that it crams religion or political beliefs down one's throat. When we Christians share our faith like Jesus did, we can allow people to question it, accept it, doubt it, reject it, ignore it, embrace it...whatever, but it's never forced. The author included the beliefs of various religions (both pro and con: an agnostic who befriends and saves Muslims but after 9/11 despises them, Muslims who love their families and their countries and hate terrorists, fanatical Muslims, both wishy-washy Christians and Muslims; he also quoted the Quran and the Bible various times). In my opinion, Mr. Rosenberg incorporated the religious beliefs of the various sides in a very creative, suspenseful way (after all it IS because of religious differences that the terrorists want to destroy Christians and Jews--well actually anyone who is not their brand of Muslim is considered an infidel, and their jihad [holy war] is out to destroy all infidels, and they don't mind shedding innocent Muslim blood either!). He doesn't give the US government a pass on the things it did very wrong in the Middle East, or how naive many Americans are about the cultures and customs of other countries. However, if you happen to be a person that is turned off by any type of religious writings (whether fiction or non-fiction) then you might want to skip this book.

BUT, if you just like a good mystery, and lots of nail-chompin' suspense, then this IS a book you will enjoy. After I listen to the sequel, I'm pretty sure I'll go right back and re-listen to them both to see what I missed.

Good Audiobook, Bad Book

The book is cliche and Islamophobic. It's ridiculous bordering on parody. Beyond the book's blatant and awful message, it pulls no surprises that aren't out of left field. The audiobook itself is performed well.