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Riley Covington #1
Monday Night Jihad
After a tour of duty in Afghanistan, Riley Covington is living his dream as a professional linebacker when he comes face-to-face with a radical terrorist group on his own home turf. Drawn into the nightmare around him, Riley returns to his former life as a member of a special ops team that crosses oceans in an attempt to stop the escalating attacks. But time is running out, and it soon becomes apparent that the terrorists are on the verge of achieving their goal: to strike at the very heart of America.
358 pages, Hardcover
First published August 13, 2007
About the author
Jason Elam
10 books9 followersJason Elam (born March 8, 1970 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida) is a retired[1] American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii.
Elam also played for the Atlanta Falcons. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Elam won two Super Bowl rings with the Broncos and is tied with Tom Dempsey for the longest field goal in NFL history at 63 yards.
Series:
* Riley Covington
Elam also played for the Atlanta Falcons. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Elam won two Super Bowl rings with the Broncos and is tied with Tom Dempsey for the longest field goal in NFL history at 63 yards.
Series:
* Riley Covington
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
June 21, 2010
The thing that is remarkable about this story of a football superstar turned covert operative fighting terrorists is that it's somehow even worse than it should have been. Reading it, I got the feeling that Jason Elam's literary background consists entirely of Tom Clancy's oeuvre and the Bible, and co-author Steve Yohn's background was crafting his church's community announcements.
Whatever their background, it's clear they are out of their depths in writing a novel, even a shitty potboiler. At some point, this writing twosome must have heard that details are the key to bringing in a reader. But they never realized that which details you share are actually kinda important. When our hero, Riley Covington (I know) goes to a Christmas dinner at his friend's house, this is the description we get "Riley pressed Lock twice on his key fob and followed Ricci in". And Team Elam isn't in some moment of "hysterical realism," throwing every fact and idea they can think of our way. They offer no details of the house, the neighborhood, what his wife looks like, but choose to share how this paragon of humanity locks the door of his car. He's just like us! Awesome. This contributes to a world which is simultaneously cramped and flat. It's filled with little name checks and references to Denver, but none of their language ever evokes anything of the city itself. They tell us that Riley Covington meets with his pastor for lunch at The New York Deli News, but don't describe anything about the place. It's like Elam is saying "Look, I told you its name, you want to know what it's like? Why don't you go their, tell 'em Jason sent ya'". Like I'd ever admit in public that I read Monday Night Jihad.
These extraneous moments (there is a ton of backstory for the most cookie cutter of heroes) contribute to making the book unreadable in a single sitting, which is the way a book like this should be read. But what ultimately made this book take weeks for me finish was the sheer awkwardness of all the attempts at jokes. I don't know if it's Elam or Yohn that thinks he's funny, but just putting it out there in case either ever see this comment Jason Elam and Steve Yohn are not funny. And as eye-rolling as it is to read "Call my anything you like; just don't call me late for afternoon prayers," to have other characters laugh at these not-so-bon mots, sometimes so hard that tears stream down their faces, feels beyond awkward. It's a violation of man's social order and by reading it, I somehow felt complicit and needed to walk away.
And I'm sure their are many moments of gallows humor in instances of terrorists attacks, but if a day after thousands of people get blowed up, the response team is doing Disney character impressions, please fire them. Not because they're being callous, but because they're being retarded. And I don't want anyone so idiotic in charge of avenging my death.
You might also expect the tension of the biggest terrorist attack on American soil in 10 years to cause some ill-thought-out terror sex, but not in this book. Husbands and wives don't even seem to have much romance going on. It is somewhat notable that for these authors a "Christian" book meant essentially no sex but it could have a bodycount in the thousands. I say "essentially" no sex, in that there are two moments of passion: a wife offering to erotically scrub off the bodypaint of her superfan husband, and a wife waxing her husband's back hair on their honeymoon. There is a unique disappointment to a book about NFL life where the only instance of "three way" is a "three way call" between the hero, his father and his grandfather, who lovingly assure him it's God's will for him to take a break from the Air Force and play pro sports.
The acknowledgments for Monday Night Jihad begin with "Lord, we start with you. This has been, and will always be, Your project," which makes this book quite possibly the most horrible atrocity ever committed in God's name.
Whatever their background, it's clear they are out of their depths in writing a novel, even a shitty potboiler. At some point, this writing twosome must have heard that details are the key to bringing in a reader. But they never realized that which details you share are actually kinda important. When our hero, Riley Covington (I know) goes to a Christmas dinner at his friend's house, this is the description we get "Riley pressed Lock twice on his key fob and followed Ricci in". And Team Elam isn't in some moment of "hysterical realism," throwing every fact and idea they can think of our way. They offer no details of the house, the neighborhood, what his wife looks like, but choose to share how this paragon of humanity locks the door of his car. He's just like us! Awesome. This contributes to a world which is simultaneously cramped and flat. It's filled with little name checks and references to Denver, but none of their language ever evokes anything of the city itself. They tell us that Riley Covington meets with his pastor for lunch at The New York Deli News, but don't describe anything about the place. It's like Elam is saying "Look, I told you its name, you want to know what it's like? Why don't you go their, tell 'em Jason sent ya'". Like I'd ever admit in public that I read Monday Night Jihad.
These extraneous moments (there is a ton of backstory for the most cookie cutter of heroes) contribute to making the book unreadable in a single sitting, which is the way a book like this should be read. But what ultimately made this book take weeks for me finish was the sheer awkwardness of all the attempts at jokes. I don't know if it's Elam or Yohn that thinks he's funny, but just putting it out there in case either ever see this comment Jason Elam and Steve Yohn are not funny. And as eye-rolling as it is to read "Call my anything you like; just don't call me late for afternoon prayers," to have other characters laugh at these not-so-bon mots, sometimes so hard that tears stream down their faces, feels beyond awkward. It's a violation of man's social order and by reading it, I somehow felt complicit and needed to walk away.
And I'm sure their are many moments of gallows humor in instances of terrorists attacks, but if a day after thousands of people get blowed up, the response team is doing Disney character impressions, please fire them. Not because they're being callous, but because they're being retarded. And I don't want anyone so idiotic in charge of avenging my death.
You might also expect the tension of the biggest terrorist attack on American soil in 10 years to cause some ill-thought-out terror sex, but not in this book. Husbands and wives don't even seem to have much romance going on. It is somewhat notable that for these authors a "Christian" book meant essentially no sex but it could have a bodycount in the thousands. I say "essentially" no sex, in that there are two moments of passion: a wife offering to erotically scrub off the bodypaint of her superfan husband, and a wife waxing her husband's back hair on their honeymoon. There is a unique disappointment to a book about NFL life where the only instance of "three way" is a "three way call" between the hero, his father and his grandfather, who lovingly assure him it's God's will for him to take a break from the Air Force and play pro sports.
The acknowledgments for Monday Night Jihad begin with "Lord, we start with you. This has been, and will always be, Your project," which makes this book quite possibly the most horrible atrocity ever committed in God's name.
January 17, 2018
It seems so long ago, but it was really only about a year ago that the NFL and patriotism were perceived as being hand in hand. Now ratings have fallen and the perception of the NFL is a lot different. Even though this was written just a few years ago, it seems as dated as a hippie.
Riley Covington is a Spec Ops soldier who plays in a professional football league (PFL to prevent any copyright lawsuits). A starting All-Star Linebacker, he's a team leader. Terrorists bomb a game, killing athletes and spectators alike.
Because his former lieutenant now works for a super double secret agency, he is recruited to fight terrorists. This leads to a long sequence of "We're not so different, you and I" speeches, but also some pretty good action.
A weird mash-up of Christian, sports, and adventure novels that worked better a couple of years ago, but is still entertaining today.
Riley Covington is a Spec Ops soldier who plays in a professional football league (PFL to prevent any copyright lawsuits). A starting All-Star Linebacker, he's a team leader. Terrorists bomb a game, killing athletes and spectators alike.
Because his former lieutenant now works for a super double secret agency, he is recruited to fight terrorists. This leads to a long sequence of "We're not so different, you and I" speeches, but also some pretty good action.
A weird mash-up of Christian, sports, and adventure novels that worked better a couple of years ago, but is still entertaining today.
September 28, 2019
First off, Riley was . . . fantabulous. A Christian that cared about others, yet still struggled with his faith when . . . well . . . spoilers, ya know. His relationship with his grandpa was so sweet. His bantering with his buddies—let's not forget the teasing!
I laughed harder during this baby than I have while reading a book in a long, long time. "We will be experiencing some mild turbulence—that means Mr. Plane go bump bump." It's one of those things you have to take in context to fully appreciate, but still.
The football aspect was epic. I grew up playing football with my brothers and dad in the backyard, and I guess that could be the basis of my love for reading sports stories. The camaraderie of the team made me smile so much.
The way Christianity was brought out—UM, YES. It wasn't the awkward 'Lord, I can't figure out what to wear today, put my hand on the right shirt' kind, but the 'Lord, I'll trust You even when it hurts beyond belief' kind. I ADORED it. It wasn't preachy, but it was strong. Like stand-your-spoon-in-your-coffee strong. (Okay, not quite that strong but the analogy just popped into my head sooooo)
And then . . . then the unthinkable happened. If I was one to cry during a book, I would've. Rarely do I pause while reading, but . . . wow. Um. There were a couple of parts where I just had to wince, close my eyes, and take a deep breath. Because ouch. Needless to say, I'm not really okay. Now I'm going through the sequel (and I'm trying hard not to mix the two up while I'm writing this, haha), and it's still painful. The descriptions in this book aren't really . . . well . . . descriptive, but the events are still described in such a way that my imagination took off and made me feel it.
What didn't I like? All the different POVs weren't really my favorite, but nothing to really complain about. There was a major info-dump on an entire page once. But it didn't last long, thank goodness. And, lastly, the story was kiiiiinda predictable? Like, I had the bad guy pegged almost from the beginning. But I was definitely questioning my guess multiple times.
I laughed harder during this baby than I have while reading a book in a long, long time. "We will be experiencing some mild turbulence—that means Mr. Plane go bump bump." It's one of those things you have to take in context to fully appreciate, but still.
The football aspect was epic. I grew up playing football with my brothers and dad in the backyard, and I guess that could be the basis of my love for reading sports stories. The camaraderie of the team made me smile so much.
The way Christianity was brought out—UM, YES. It wasn't the awkward 'Lord, I can't figure out what to wear today, put my hand on the right shirt' kind, but the 'Lord, I'll trust You even when it hurts beyond belief' kind. I ADORED it. It wasn't preachy, but it was strong. Like stand-your-spoon-in-your-coffee strong. (Okay, not quite that strong but the analogy just popped into my head sooooo)
And then . . . then the unthinkable happened. If I was one to cry during a book, I would've. Rarely do I pause while reading, but . . . wow. Um. There were a couple of parts where I just had to wince, close my eyes, and take a deep breath. Because ouch. Needless to say, I'm not really okay. Now I'm going through the sequel (and I'm trying hard not to mix the two up while I'm writing this, haha), and it's still painful. The descriptions in this book aren't really . . . well . . . descriptive, but the events are still described in such a way that my imagination took off and made me feel it.
What didn't I like? All the different POVs weren't really my favorite, but nothing to really complain about. There was a major info-dump on an entire page once. But it didn't last long, thank goodness. And, lastly, the story was kiiiiinda predictable? Like, I had the bad guy pegged almost from the beginning. But I was definitely questioning my guess multiple times.
Want to read
November 1, 2009This book sounds so utterly devoid of merit that it loops all the way around the literary continuum, past the Chicken Soup books and late-era Dean Koontz, curving back into Awesome. I'm torn between wanting to read it, and remembering that vis-a-vis the continuum, it is literally beyond crappy.
"...But in a novel with a body count in the thousands, where suspects are interrogated with knives at their throats, federal agents are decapitated, and the hero is tortured with electrodes on his nipples, the absence of a simple 'ass' or 'dammit' causes massive meta-cognitive de-centering for the reader..."
http://footballoutsiders.com/walkthro...
"...But in a novel with a body count in the thousands, where suspects are interrogated with knives at their throats, federal agents are decapitated, and the hero is tortured with electrodes on his nipples, the absence of a simple 'ass' or 'dammit' causes massive meta-cognitive de-centering for the reader..."
http://footballoutsiders.com/walkthro...
February 14, 2012
To be honest, I told myself that I wasn’t going to read this book. I first saw it this summer and kind of laughed at the title. I just thought it would be too cheesy. Also, if you look at my reading from the last year (reading list) I’ve read quite a few books in this genre. So I just wasn’t going to read it, but then I started it and about 3 days later I was finished.
Part of what was so compelling for me was that I think I am like THE demographic this book was written for. First, I have been a huge fan of Jason Elam since he started his career as kicker for the Denver Broncos when I was 6 and gave me lots of happy moments growing up. All of the areas he describes around Denver are my own stomping grounds. So it is always enjoyable to read about that. I could have been one of the characters in the book: carrying concessions up and down the stands at games, stopping at Chick-Fil-A for Dr. Pepper even more than the great chicken. It was a book that I just identify with! So that made it fun to read. I was also pleasantly surprised with how they handled some of the issues in the book.
This book is explicitly Christian fiction. The authors are both committed followers of Christ, I don’t know for sure but expect they would identify themselves as Evangelical Christians, and that informs their writing. Unfortunately, there have been some Evangelical Christians who have been extremely misguided in their understanding of and approach to Islam. I was afraid this book would fall into that category but I don’t think that it does. The author’s intentionally show the vast difference between the majority of Muslims and those who engage in terrorism under the banner of Islam. They also show some of the reasons why terrorism happens beyond “the Sword verses and Islam is about violence” explanation, there are often political reasons and personal loss that drive many to do what they do.
I was grateful for the way the authors handled this subject. While there are certainly major differences between Christianity and Islam and the authors do not shy away from them and attempt to articulate why it is they believe Christianity is true and Islam is false, they do not resort to the hate-mongering, Islamophopia that some have done.
As far as the plot and character development itself, the book is somewhat predictable. The characters are likable and I just genuinely enjoyed the book. The descriptions of PFL (not to be confused with the NFL *wink wink) life are great and knowing they are coming from a 17 year veteran gives it credibility (even still I wondered if there is really THAT much puking??). The descriptions of military and law enforcement are plausible at least.
If you are looking for Christian fiction for a teenage+ guy this would be a solid choice. It’s got a lot of the things guys love (football, guns, violence) and is plenty of fun. I got this for free a few months ago but there are now 4 books in the series so we’ll see if I am able to keep away from reading the rest of them!
Part of what was so compelling for me was that I think I am like THE demographic this book was written for. First, I have been a huge fan of Jason Elam since he started his career as kicker for the Denver Broncos when I was 6 and gave me lots of happy moments growing up. All of the areas he describes around Denver are my own stomping grounds. So it is always enjoyable to read about that. I could have been one of the characters in the book: carrying concessions up and down the stands at games, stopping at Chick-Fil-A for Dr. Pepper even more than the great chicken. It was a book that I just identify with! So that made it fun to read. I was also pleasantly surprised with how they handled some of the issues in the book.
This book is explicitly Christian fiction. The authors are both committed followers of Christ, I don’t know for sure but expect they would identify themselves as Evangelical Christians, and that informs their writing. Unfortunately, there have been some Evangelical Christians who have been extremely misguided in their understanding of and approach to Islam. I was afraid this book would fall into that category but I don’t think that it does. The author’s intentionally show the vast difference between the majority of Muslims and those who engage in terrorism under the banner of Islam. They also show some of the reasons why terrorism happens beyond “the Sword verses and Islam is about violence” explanation, there are often political reasons and personal loss that drive many to do what they do.
I was grateful for the way the authors handled this subject. While there are certainly major differences between Christianity and Islam and the authors do not shy away from them and attempt to articulate why it is they believe Christianity is true and Islam is false, they do not resort to the hate-mongering, Islamophopia that some have done.
As far as the plot and character development itself, the book is somewhat predictable. The characters are likable and I just genuinely enjoyed the book. The descriptions of PFL (not to be confused with the NFL *wink wink) life are great and knowing they are coming from a 17 year veteran gives it credibility (even still I wondered if there is really THAT much puking??). The descriptions of military and law enforcement are plausible at least.
If you are looking for Christian fiction for a teenage+ guy this would be a solid choice. It’s got a lot of the things guys love (football, guns, violence) and is plenty of fun. I got this for free a few months ago but there are now 4 books in the series so we’ll see if I am able to keep away from reading the rest of them!
Read
February 22, 2020Review of Monday Night Jihad: I came across this book on Goodreads and saw an author I follow had read it, rated it 5 stars, and what not so I thought I'd give it a shot even though I know nothing about football and expected it to be a somewhat enjoyable but not great book. I was wrong. So wrong. If there is one word to describe what I found in this book it is genuine faith, real, living it out faith, strong faith, broken faith, but all the same faith.
Riley, oh, Riley, one of the characters I had no idea what to expect from, I thought maybe his faith would be lukewarm like the faith of other characters but no, he truly 'lived' out his beliefs in the pages of Monday Night Jihad. This suspense has a mix of humor, danger, friendship, and so much more. While there was too much violence for my taste it was okay, I suppose. Now for Scott, he's a crazy guy, in a good way, but being him, well, that's not a place anyone would want to be sometimes, Jim Hicks was another character that I liked though with him I had a love/hate feel.
With all of the characters, the settings, and the plot this story pulls together into a thoroughly enjoyable yet edge of your seat novel perfect for all suspense lovers. I do dislike seeing the bad guys POV but that's just me.
Riley, oh, Riley, one of the characters I had no idea what to expect from, I thought maybe his faith would be lukewarm like the faith of other characters but no, he truly 'lived' out his beliefs in the pages of Monday Night Jihad. This suspense has a mix of humor, danger, friendship, and so much more. While there was too much violence for my taste it was okay, I suppose. Now for Scott, he's a crazy guy, in a good way, but being him, well, that's not a place anyone would want to be sometimes, Jim Hicks was another character that I liked though with him I had a love/hate feel.
With all of the characters, the settings, and the plot this story pulls together into a thoroughly enjoyable yet edge of your seat novel perfect for all suspense lovers. I do dislike seeing the bad guys POV but that's just me.
June 15, 2011
I loved this book the first time I read it and my second time through, over four years later, I still love it.
Riley is a great character, one I loved getting to know the first time around, so I loved rereading how it all began.
Scott, Skeeter, and the team (Tara, Virgil, Evie, Joey, and Gooey) all brought a smile to my face in their own way.
If you love action/adventure/military thrillers, than Monday Night Jihad is for you.
Riley is a great character, one I loved getting to know the first time around, so I loved rereading how it all began.
Scott, Skeeter, and the team (Tara, Virgil, Evie, Joey, and Gooey) all brought a smile to my face in their own way.
If you love action/adventure/military thrillers, than Monday Night Jihad is for you.
June 20, 2016
I am not a big fan of fiction, but this book had a special appeal. Jason Elam was a member of the Denver Bronco football team, and he is one of my all time favorite Bronco's. This book is both exciting and intriguing and is from the concept of a special ops soldier who is a professional football player (linebacker) who gets caught up in a terrorist plot involving another teammate. Very easy read - finished in two days :) If Jason writes another I am in!
May 4, 2008
Great, great book! I didn't get to read it as often as I wanted and all I could think about in between readings was, "What was going to happen?" In the beginning, I was sure I knew who 'it' was but then got thrown completely off! It was a great, book!
March 13, 2018
A combination of sports and international thrills seemed like a good combination, so I bought the book (and the sequels). The one-line review statements on the back cover—by respected celebs, authors, and review sites—truly sold me.
Then I started reading.
First, I must admit that I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes information on what it's like to be a PFL (pseudonym for NFL) player before, during, and after games, written by an author who actually played in the NFL. I also enjoyed the idea that the protagonist, Riley Covington, was a former Spec Ops Air Force officer turned PFL player. Covington, overall, was a well-written character.
Second, the author, Jason Elam, is passionate about Jesus. His story isn't preachy, rather it's caring and informative as it pertains to Riley's desire for his friends and acquaintances to know the Savior. This appealed to me, as well.
However ...
While the storyline is definitely interesting, several of the characters do not match the realness that Elam gave to Covington. I found a lot of the stress-related & good-natured banter sounded contrived. The humor, most of the time, fell flat. It was either not funny or it was out of place. This led to the feeling that the side characters didn't really live in the world that Elam created. This happened throughout the book, especially as it applied to a characters named Scott & Hicks.
Scott was very one-dimensional and kept saying ridiculous things at the worst possible times. It was obvious that the author wanted this character to break up some of the tension that was taking place, but it was ill-timed (not to mention, not funny most times). The tension should have been maintained.
Hicks, the "boss" of the anti-terrorist operations, was someone that I wanted to like, but just couldn't believe. I can tell that the author wanted to show a man with a gruff exterior that actually had a sensitive, human side, but the dialogue in several instances just didn't come across as real.
OK, that said, two things:
1. This is the debut novel of Jason Elam. I know that as an author, after my first novel, I continued to mature in character development and the ability to convey human emotion and humor. Maybe book 2 for Elam is going to reflect that same thing. If so, I think this guy is going to have a great writing career.
2. The storyline was compelling enough for me to want to finish the book and the ending was very solid and intense. Would I recommend this book? Maybe not. But I didn't feel like it was a waste of my time either. If I read book 2 and enjoy it, then book 1 will become a necessary starting point for a series that I would want to recommend. Time will tell.
Then I started reading.
First, I must admit that I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes information on what it's like to be a PFL (pseudonym for NFL) player before, during, and after games, written by an author who actually played in the NFL. I also enjoyed the idea that the protagonist, Riley Covington, was a former Spec Ops Air Force officer turned PFL player. Covington, overall, was a well-written character.
Second, the author, Jason Elam, is passionate about Jesus. His story isn't preachy, rather it's caring and informative as it pertains to Riley's desire for his friends and acquaintances to know the Savior. This appealed to me, as well.
However ...
While the storyline is definitely interesting, several of the characters do not match the realness that Elam gave to Covington. I found a lot of the stress-related & good-natured banter sounded contrived. The humor, most of the time, fell flat. It was either not funny or it was out of place. This led to the feeling that the side characters didn't really live in the world that Elam created. This happened throughout the book, especially as it applied to a characters named Scott & Hicks.
Scott was very one-dimensional and kept saying ridiculous things at the worst possible times. It was obvious that the author wanted this character to break up some of the tension that was taking place, but it was ill-timed (not to mention, not funny most times). The tension should have been maintained.
Hicks, the "boss" of the anti-terrorist operations, was someone that I wanted to like, but just couldn't believe. I can tell that the author wanted to show a man with a gruff exterior that actually had a sensitive, human side, but the dialogue in several instances just didn't come across as real.
OK, that said, two things:
1. This is the debut novel of Jason Elam. I know that as an author, after my first novel, I continued to mature in character development and the ability to convey human emotion and humor. Maybe book 2 for Elam is going to reflect that same thing. If so, I think this guy is going to have a great writing career.
2. The storyline was compelling enough for me to want to finish the book and the ending was very solid and intense. Would I recommend this book? Maybe not. But I didn't feel like it was a waste of my time either. If I read book 2 and enjoy it, then book 1 will become a necessary starting point for a series that I would want to recommend. Time will tell.
July 27, 2021
I usually don't write book reviews as I'm not particularly eager to criticize those who take the time to sit down and write something and get it published, but this time, I need to say something.
Firstly, I would like to thank the person who read this book and got rid of it so that I could pick it up in a second-hand store in Seville; I will never forget your kind action.
I picked up the book because I thought I would enjoy a book about football and that I will probably be able to tolerate what American's call Christianity. Oh boy, I was wrong. The book isn't just Christian; it is borderline racist with the least amount of character development and the most gun-toting you've ever seen.
The way the authors are hinting at the bad guy, thinking they are very subtle and you can't guess who Hakeem is in the first 50 pages, is laughable. The fact that they think Arabs and Italians look the same is a joke.
I do not recommend it.
Firstly, I would like to thank the person who read this book and got rid of it so that I could pick it up in a second-hand store in Seville; I will never forget your kind action.
I picked up the book because I thought I would enjoy a book about football and that I will probably be able to tolerate what American's call Christianity. Oh boy, I was wrong. The book isn't just Christian; it is borderline racist with the least amount of character development and the most gun-toting you've ever seen.
The way the authors are hinting at the bad guy, thinking they are very subtle and you can't guess who Hakeem is in the first 50 pages, is laughable. The fact that they think Arabs and Italians look the same is a joke.
I do not recommend it.
September 21, 2017
I tried to like this one but, after a while, I had to put it down and delete it from my Kindle. There was too much of an emphasis on football – not surprising, considering one of the author’s background – but I just couldn’t get into the characters as they weren’t very believable and stopped reading at the 8% mark on my Kindle. Luckily, I picked this up for free during a Kindle promotion vs. its normal price of 99 cents. If it becomes free gain, I’d say give it a chance but even at 99 cents I would recommend you give this one a pass.
May 8, 2017
I read this 10 years ago at a time that I devoured anything with a counter terrorism theme. Now I am more picky about writting quality and character depth, so I don't think I would read it now. But if you enjoy christian suspence, and alot of football you might enjoy tgis book more than I did. I rated it three stars because I did enjoy it at the time.
August 23, 2023
Monday Night Jihad is an eye opener for what terrorists could possibly do in our country. I buy books for our chruch library and it is hard to find good Christian books for men to read without too much romance. If you like football and suspense this is a book for you. I am female and enjoyed reading this novel and will read the rest in the series.
August 7, 2017
This was just okay. The ending wasn't satisfying it felt unfinished
November 13, 2018
I was a little unreal but exciting
February 26, 2019
In spite of the fact I figured out who the bad guy was from close to the beginning, this book was quite a thriller!
November 23, 2019
Decent adventure book. Football and military. First in series. Time to look for next book
February 15, 2020
Football meets terrorism in an action-packed thriller. Two teams clash on the field, while two ideologies clash in the world. This book had me hooked quickly and paid off well. Highly recommend.
September 8, 2021
GReat plot and twists.I will read the next one. If you want a thriller this is a good one.
September 14, 2021
Entertaining thriller. Nothing really to recommend it though.
February 23, 2022
Jason Elam is the man. Highlight of the book was the quick hit of Hawaii beating Notre Dame!
November 5, 2015
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It was most definitely a first-time novel for the two authors, and perhaps they would have done better to have had some people read it first before publishing it. It had some misses in it, and some parts that could have been expounded on further, better. Overall, though, I enjoyed it. I may or may not read the 'second book' in the series [if it sold enough to become a series after the first book], but then again, I might.
The 'humor' in it was really hit-and-miss. Some of it was good; some of it was not so good. Some of it seemed juvenile/childish. At other times, it seemed forced. But there were times when the jokes worked, and it was genuinely funny. Those were some of the rare gems in the book [unfortunately, none of them come immediately to mind].
I do not know how well it works for a former USAF SpecOps soldier to retire from the military to play pro football only to voluntarily enlist and become the leader of an anti-terrorist group/force attempting to stop a second attack on American soil. I suppose it could happen; it just seemed far-fetched. I guess other similar-type plots have worked [the nearest that comes to mind is Alistair MacClean's Circus, but that is about it], but it just did not seem believable to me. I had a hard time seeing the hero, who was a retired combat vet, being able to shift back into 'special ops' mode for this novel. Perhaps it is 'easier' [more natural] than I realize; it just seemed fake/forced.
The whole 'love interest' with the Iranian-American sniper also seemed far-fetched. I am not saying opposites cannot attract; it just seemed to be another 'forced factor' in the book. The book laid the groundwork for a future relationship for the two characters; it just did not feel natural to me. I still liked the idea of an Iranian-American woman who was a covert ops sniper and worked on an anti-terrorist team. I thought it was a nice touch.
The authors tried to replace actual team names with fake names that were similar to the originals. I do not know how well that worked; perhaps if they had not named actual athletes in respect to some of the teams it might have worked better. Who knows. I know it was supposed to be the NFL, but it seemed more like the teams were pro teams that were one or two levels below the NFL.
There were some mildly interesting discussions about radical Islam versus 'normal' Islam as well as Christianity versus Islam. Even though there might be a peaceful majority of Muslims that want to live and let live in perfect harmony with the rest of the world, it is the violent minority that is the 'problem', that continues making waves and threatening the lives of those around them who are 'different.'
It was nice to not have the American government be the 'villain' in this piece. It seems like the majority of the novels I have read recently had the United States set up as the go-to villain of choice.
I think there were parts that could have used more descriptions. For instance, Riley [the hero] arrives at a friend's house for dinner. I do not recall any description of the friend's house. I do remember the authors specifically mentioning that Riley had to click his fob twice to lock the door on his car before entering the house. Not once do we get any kind of mental picture of what the friend's [Sal} looks like. There are other inconsistencies like this, where the authors seemed to forget what they were talking about when they helped write the book.
I did like the twist at the end of the book. I did not see that coming. It was a nice touch, and is what relegated this book to the 'second shelf' and possibly one I would come back to to read again on a rainy day.
I did select my 'shelf' of 'military-fiction' as I feel that is what this novel is, very loosely. It involves a tight-knit group of men that are called back to active duty to be a part of a team that takes down a military threat to the security of the United States. Perhaps that is more of an explanation that what was needed, so there you go.
Considering the nature and topic of the book, it was almost odd to not come across any 'sex scenes' / immorality or foul language in the book. I do not think it necessarily took away from the book, not having any graphically illicit behavior or vile curses in the course of the narrative, but it was still odd. The 'two love scenes' that were in the book were mentioned as afterthoughts, and not very lurid or enticing, either.
I did enjoy this book.
The 'humor' in it was really hit-and-miss. Some of it was good; some of it was not so good. Some of it seemed juvenile/childish. At other times, it seemed forced. But there were times when the jokes worked, and it was genuinely funny. Those were some of the rare gems in the book [unfortunately, none of them come immediately to mind].
I do not know how well it works for a former USAF SpecOps soldier to retire from the military to play pro football only to voluntarily enlist and become the leader of an anti-terrorist group/force attempting to stop a second attack on American soil. I suppose it could happen; it just seemed far-fetched. I guess other similar-type plots have worked [the nearest that comes to mind is Alistair MacClean's Circus, but that is about it], but it just did not seem believable to me. I had a hard time seeing the hero, who was a retired combat vet, being able to shift back into 'special ops' mode for this novel. Perhaps it is 'easier' [more natural] than I realize; it just seemed fake/forced.
The whole 'love interest' with the Iranian-American sniper also seemed far-fetched. I am not saying opposites cannot attract; it just seemed to be another 'forced factor' in the book. The book laid the groundwork for a future relationship for the two characters; it just did not feel natural to me. I still liked the idea of an Iranian-American woman who was a covert ops sniper and worked on an anti-terrorist team. I thought it was a nice touch.
The authors tried to replace actual team names with fake names that were similar to the originals. I do not know how well that worked; perhaps if they had not named actual athletes in respect to some of the teams it might have worked better. Who knows. I know it was supposed to be the NFL, but it seemed more like the teams were pro teams that were one or two levels below the NFL.
There were some mildly interesting discussions about radical Islam versus 'normal' Islam as well as Christianity versus Islam. Even though there might be a peaceful majority of Muslims that want to live and let live in perfect harmony with the rest of the world, it is the violent minority that is the 'problem', that continues making waves and threatening the lives of those around them who are 'different.'
It was nice to not have the American government be the 'villain' in this piece. It seems like the majority of the novels I have read recently had the United States set up as the go-to villain of choice.
I think there were parts that could have used more descriptions. For instance, Riley [the hero] arrives at a friend's house for dinner. I do not recall any description of the friend's house. I do remember the authors specifically mentioning that Riley had to click his fob twice to lock the door on his car before entering the house. Not once do we get any kind of mental picture of what the friend's [Sal} looks like. There are other inconsistencies like this, where the authors seemed to forget what they were talking about when they helped write the book.
I did like the twist at the end of the book. I did not see that coming. It was a nice touch, and is what relegated this book to the 'second shelf' and possibly one I would come back to to read again on a rainy day.
I did select my 'shelf' of 'military-fiction' as I feel that is what this novel is, very loosely. It involves a tight-knit group of men that are called back to active duty to be a part of a team that takes down a military threat to the security of the United States. Perhaps that is more of an explanation that what was needed, so there you go.
Considering the nature and topic of the book, it was almost odd to not come across any 'sex scenes' / immorality or foul language in the book. I do not think it necessarily took away from the book, not having any graphically illicit behavior or vile curses in the course of the narrative, but it was still odd. The 'two love scenes' that were in the book were mentioned as afterthoughts, and not very lurid or enticing, either.
I did enjoy this book.
October 9, 2020
2.5 stars (rating shown may vary depending on whether the site allows half star ratings)
This book was on a "to be read" list that I've had for so long that I no longer remember where I heard about the book. I do read many genres, including the one that this would likely be placed in.
Most of the book was set up--probably at least half. Once the action got going, the story got a bit better. But the set up portion was just too long IMO.
I suspected that Hakeem would end up being someone few would suspect. I guessed wrong on it a couple times thinking that a different character was Hakeem.
It's a little hard to envision a special operations man becoming a football star and then going back to being a special operations team member. I guess it could happen--and at least the author wrote at least part of the book from something he knows--football. I just have a hard time believing his spec ops skills didn't deteriorate in the time he was away.
Riley is a Christian and Khadi is a Muslim. Riley seems firm in his faith. Khadi doesn't show any inclination of leaving Islam for Christianity--so their attraction to each other is bothersome for me based on the "not being unequally yoked" verse from the Bible.
This book was on a "to be read" list that I've had for so long that I no longer remember where I heard about the book. I do read many genres, including the one that this would likely be placed in.
Most of the book was set up--probably at least half. Once the action got going, the story got a bit better. But the set up portion was just too long IMO.
I suspected that Hakeem would end up being someone few would suspect. I guessed wrong on it a couple times thinking that a different character was Hakeem.
It's a little hard to envision a special operations man becoming a football star and then going back to being a special operations team member. I guess it could happen--and at least the author wrote at least part of the book from something he knows--football. I just have a hard time believing his spec ops skills didn't deteriorate in the time he was away.
Riley is a Christian and Khadi is a Muslim. Riley seems firm in his faith. Khadi doesn't show any inclination of leaving Islam for Christianity--so their attraction to each other is bothersome for me based on the "not being unequally yoked" verse from the Bible.
November 7, 2011
This is a book from the “Christian Thriller” genre, so I’m not sure how/why I had it on my Kindle; it’s not a genre I normally read. It was probably a freebie I nabbed somewhere down the line. It was actually pretty entertaining, although I can’t say there were many - if any - plot surprises. I even figured out the one major twist pretty early on, and I’m a notorious dolt about that. To me, it was basically “Black Sunday” post-9/11, as it involved a terrorist attack on a professional football stadium during a big game and its aftermath.
I give the authors a few extra points for the entertaining “close enough” names of the football teams in this book (from the PFL instead of NFL) since they either didn’t want to write about actual teams or were unable to do so for whatever reason. Some examples: Colorado Mustangs (Denver Broncos?); Bay Area Bandits (Oakland Raiders?); Baltimore Predators (Ravens?); Twin Cities Norsemen (Minnesota Vikings?). There are more, but you get the idea ...
The Christian aspect of this book wasn’t overpowering, which I did appreciate. I don’t like being preached to in my novels, and the authors really didn’t do that; they just threw in enough for the reader to know where they’re coming from, but not enough to offend those who are, well, offended by too much religion.
An enjoyable - if predictible - fast read.
I give the authors a few extra points for the entertaining “close enough” names of the football teams in this book (from the PFL instead of NFL) since they either didn’t want to write about actual teams or were unable to do so for whatever reason. Some examples: Colorado Mustangs (Denver Broncos?); Bay Area Bandits (Oakland Raiders?); Baltimore Predators (Ravens?); Twin Cities Norsemen (Minnesota Vikings?). There are more, but you get the idea ...
The Christian aspect of this book wasn’t overpowering, which I did appreciate. I don’t like being preached to in my novels, and the authors really didn’t do that; they just threw in enough for the reader to know where they’re coming from, but not enough to offend those who are, well, offended by too much religion.
An enjoyable - if predictible - fast read.
September 19, 2008
Good concept for a book but fell short of the mark. Reminded me of an updated version of 'Black Sunday'. A few of the problems I had were the twist didn't surprise me (I had figured it out 200 pages earlier), the team and league names (obviously, the NFL wouldn't allow the use of their team names or other trademarks) and the character that was brought in for a misdirection that seemed to be dropped mid story. I couldn't help but laugh at the names for the 'PFL' teams that were trying to win the 'PFL Cup'(the Colorado Mustangs, Detroit Wildcats, San Diego Thunder, Bay City Bandits (complete with the over top fans in black and silver) and my personal favorite the Boston Minutemen)that were too close to real team names to take seriosly. It would have been better to create completely new names. The action scenes pulled you in but the authors would develope interest in characters who would then simply disappear.
Overall, not a bad read if you are interested in action filled military adventures or want a little insight into pro football player's life, but could have been much better.
Overall, not a bad read if you are interested in action filled military adventures or want a little insight into pro football player's life, but could have been much better.
January 14, 2010
The author is a well-known NFL kicker (Broncos most recently), who just retired after many years. He has a co-author. This book combines three themes: NFL Football players/teams/stadiums/playoffs (but authors have made-up names for the teams), a small group of Jihad Muslim folks hell bent to wreck havoc in the US with suicide bombers, and a hero who is a Christian/war hero/football star/good guy. Unlike some novels where you at the end are shocked to find one of marginal characters you thought was turns out to be bad, their writing was too obvious who that would be and it spoiled some of the suspense for me. At the end of the book Elam emphasizes that he found salvation. The book drips a bit too much for me with the Christianity v. Muslim discussions and sidebars. I thought the final climax ending was good - the guy we suspected was bad faked he was blowing at the Super Bowl, so the "posse" is all over that venue, the wrong place. But, ah, at the very last second... you can guess it: Christianity beat Muslim.
August 15, 2011
A freebie I got for my Kindle and was sort of excited to read! I love football and know who Jason Elam is, and this book is definitely full of football talk! I liked the idea of mixing football and domestic terrorism. Unfortunately, it's something Tim and I have talked about, fearing it could happen one day. The book was funny in that no real players or team names were used, but they were close. Instead of the Denver Broncos, you have the Colorado Mustangs. Instead of the Baltimore Ravens, they're now the Baltimore Predators. I chuckled at all of the modified football references. The plot was fairly easy for me to figure out, pretty early on, but that didn't bother my enjoyment of the book and plot one bit. I really liked it :)
September 27, 2011
Despite the perhaps far-fetched notion of a professional football player who also fights terrorist, Monday Night Jihad is an action-packed novel that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.
Riley Covington is a former military hero who returns to the PFL (Professional Football League). When terrorists strike a football game in which he was playing, he is pulled back into military life and is determined to capture the men responsible for the deaths of fans and teammates.
Working together with Khadi, a Muslim, to find the terrorists before they strike again, Riley must confront his feelings for Khadi despite their religious differences. Can they work together to save the lives of Americans?
Fans of Christian suspense will enjoy this series.
Riley Covington is a former military hero who returns to the PFL (Professional Football League). When terrorists strike a football game in which he was playing, he is pulled back into military life and is determined to capture the men responsible for the deaths of fans and teammates.
Working together with Khadi, a Muslim, to find the terrorists before they strike again, Riley must confront his feelings for Khadi despite their religious differences. Can they work together to save the lives of Americans?
Fans of Christian suspense will enjoy this series.
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