Product Description
Chapters: Jason Elam, June Jones, Colt Brennan, Rich Ellerson, Ken Niumatalolo, Bobby Singh, Keith Gilbertson, Timmy Chang, Dan Audick, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Ikaika Alama-Francis, Kimo Von Oelhoffen, Samson Satele, Davone Bess, Nick Rolovich, Ryan Grice-Mullen, Jeff Ulbrich, Chad Owens, David Veikune, Larry Cole, Travis Laboy, Mat Mcbriar, Kynan Forney, Mark Tuinei, Nate Ilaoa, Kani Kauahi, Chad Mock, Brian Norwood, Leonard Peters, Reagan Maui'a, Maa Tanuvasa, Ashley Lelie, C. J. Hawthorne, Jesse Sapolu, Vince Manuwai, John Woodcock, Raphel Cherry, Melila Purcell, Jake Ingram, Colin Scotts, Adrian Klemm, Dane Uperesa, John Estes, Isaac Sopoaga, Nuu Faaola, Jim Mills, Al Noga, Tala Esera, Jason Rivers, Arnold Morgado, Golden Richards, Wayne Hunter, Joe Wong, Bernard Quarles, Rich Miano, Dana Mclemore, John Hoffman, Mel Tom, Aaron Barret, Brent Rausch, Ron Hall, Greg Salas, James Fenderson, Hal Stringert, Ryan Mouton, Jeris White, Jerry Scanlan, Kenny Patton. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 228. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Jason Elam (born March 8, 1970 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida) is a retired 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, though Elam kicked his 63 yard score in Mile High Stadium, in thin air. Elam attended Brookwood High School, a powerhouse in Snellville, Georgia, and lettered in football, swimming and track. In football, he was a first-team All-County honoree and a second-team All-State. In four years as the placekicker for the University of Hawaii at Mnoa fo...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=417211 ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Jason Elam (born March 8, 1970 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida) is a retired 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, though Elam kicked his 63 yard score in Mile High Stadium, in thin air. Elam attended Brookwood High School, a powerhouse in Snellville, Georgia, and lettered in football, swimming and track. In football, he was a first-team All-County honoree and a second-team All-State. In four years as the placekicker for the University of Hawaii at Mnoa football team, Elam scored the third-most points in NCAA history (397) and tied for the second-most field goals kicked (79). He is the all-time leading scorer in the Western Athletic Conference and was a three-time All-WAC selection. Elam also majored in communications while at Hawaii. Elam was drafted out of the University of Hawaii by the Broncos in the third round (70th pick overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft. No player in NFL history has scored more points for one team than Elam has with the Denver Broncos. He also holds NFL records for best extra point conversion percentage (.995), most consecutive seasons with at least 100 points (15), most seasons with at least 100 points (15), fastest to 300 successful field goals, fastest to 1,600 points and fastest to 1,700 points. Furthermore, Elam was the first player in NFL history to score at least 200 points against three or more teams (San Diego Chargers: 222, Oakland Raiders: 215, Kansas City Chiefs: 203). Elam shares a record with Steve C... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=417211 ... Read more

Product Description
Riley Covington is still reeling from his father’s brutal murder when he learns he’s been traded. Meanwhile, the counterterrorism division has detected a plot to detonate electromagnetic pulse bombs that could leave the U.S. without power, communications, and transportation—right down to dropping planes out of the sky. CTD scrambles to stop the attacks, but they run out of time. Amid the fallout, Riley, Scott, Skeeter, and CTD must regroup to make sure the second bomb doesn’t reach its destination. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Crackling Dialogue and Adrenaline-Filled Action
BLACKOUT is the third book in the Riley Covington series, written by former Denver Broncos kicker Jason Elam and his pastor, Steve Yohn. With themes taken from the media's lead stories, the writing team has created some timely and chilling scenarios. Beginning with MONDAY NIGHT JIHAD, in which terrorists carry out a devastating stadium bombing and continuing through BLOWN COVERAGE, in which Riley himself becomes the target because he prevented even more carnage, recurring characters and topics spark interest and correlation.

Stories about terrorism and counter-terrorism are, by their nature, usually more complex than your average mystery, which is why I generally avoid them. I don't want my head to hurt when I sit down to relax with a book. However, every now and then, I'm willing to step outside my comfort zone and read something more complex than my favorite whodunits. While I had not read the first two books in the series, I found enough backstory in BLACKOUT to understand the situations and the relationships without much strain. Although it was a bit disconcerting at first to follow alternating chapters switch from North Korea to Colorado and from Alaska to Washington, D.C., the connections soon became apparent and were nicely tied together.

To balance out the suspense and fear factors involved in these all-too-realistic situations, the authors have created characters who are a little larger than life, people who share an easy camaraderie and genuinely like each other. It's refreshing to read about a strong Christian man who is not a fanatic or some kind of wacko attempting to convert everyone in sight. While there are zealots presented on both sides of the terrorist drama, there are also reasonable people in each camp who are trying to understand one another's beliefs. For example, Riley's romantic interest is an American Muslim woman who works on the counter-terrorist elite team.

While I don't think that an electromagnetic pulse weapon exists, the thought of everything with any kind of electronic connection coming to a stop is staggering: no electricity, no cell phones, cars rendered useless, the country paralyzed. To thwart this plot is the task of Riley and his team. Once the magnitude of the mission is realized, you won't be able to stop reading until it is accomplished. Crackling dialogue and adrenaline-filled action bring the story to a heart-pounding conclusion.

In addition to an exciting story, BLACKOUT offers a bonus. Many thought-provoking ethical questions and honest searching for answers to the conflicts facing the world provide topics for continuing contemplation and discussion long after the book is closed.

--- Reviewed by Maggie Harding, a substance abuse counselor in Phoenix, AZ who wanted to be Brenda Starr before life intervened.

Blackout is best Riley Covington thriller yet!
If you are looking for books for guys, get these Riley Covington thrillers by Jason Elam and Steve Yohn.I just finished reading the three books I purchased last week (Blackout is the third, so far, in the series) and I'm bummed there isn't, like, twenty more to go!The main character is a Christian, so if men or women openly discussing their Christian faith and praying for strength to do what is right offends you, you probably aren't going to like these books.

Elam, a former longtime NFL kicker for the Denver Broncos, brings authentic behind-the-scenes detail to the main character, a pro football linebacker and former special ops guy who is also a solid Christian. The first two books ("Monday Night Jihad" and "Blown Coverage") were very good, but "Blackout" was simply amazing!

While each book is considered a stand alone plot, I recommend reading them in order, since quite a few characters are the same and you will have a firm understanding/bond with them by the time you reach Blackout.The plots of muslim extremist terror attacks are definite page-turners, with gripping suspense, explosive and sometimes graphic military action and sparkling dialogue.Seriously, the witty banter between characters will make you laugh out loud in some parts.

Like I mentioned before, Blackout is the best of the three, although the other two are solid.The plot of terrorists using EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) weapons against the U.S. is plausible and gripping.The details of our society dealing with a total loss of technology are stark and believable.If you don't experience involuntary orbital sweat (us guys don't call them "tears") during one sequence involving a rookie linebacker caught in the aftermath, then you just don't have a soul (*another reason I recommend reading the books in order - you will be firmly bonded with that character by then*).

I can't say enough about the dialogue.It can be tricky to write, but Elam and Yohn do it in spades.The banter between characters is funny and witty.Competitive guys talk like this and when stress gets ratcheted up in their lives, so do humorous insults and laugh out loud one-liners between each other while they work to reach a goal.The female characters also join in and deliver great dialogue of their own.Nicely done.

The military action is explosive and detailed, with most of it being the "black ops" variety, which lets it loose from chain of command details and other intricacies that might bog down the plot.I haven't enjoyed tearing through a series of books since I devoured a number of Clancy novels years ago, and I can't wait for the fourth book due out late this year.

Better Than I Thought
This book turned out to be better than I thought it was going to be.It begins with Muhammed Zerin Khan, Colorado Mustang's football player, visiting his father in prison, where he tells Zerin to be prepared, something 'big' was going to happen. Then you read about men from North Korea, who become traitors to their country because they share information, and Ayatollah Allameh Beheshti from Iran, who sets the whole plan into motion. Riley Covington, football hero and FBI Special Forces, then comes onto the scene when he finds out he is being traded to another football team.He is stunned because he is a star player.To get over the news, Riley goes to Alaska with his Bodyguard, Skeeter, to relax.Their time is cut short when a plane is waiting for them and takes Riley, dirty clothes and all, off to an important meeting.


Riley meets with his friend and fellow colleague, Scott Ross, where they then go to meet with the President of the U.S. to discuss Electromagnetic Pulse Bombs, which Riley has some experience with since studying and doing a thesis in college.They aren't taken too seriously until the day when all the lights go out and planes start dropping from the sky in New York City.Then it's a race to try to find the other bombs before the U.S. is destroyed.The action scenes range from fighting aboard a ship, to fellow football players fighting for their lives trying to bring back food in NYC.There is a little faith, humor, a few sparks in the romance category, plenty of action, and a believable plot to destroy the U.S.

Good Story, Writing Struggles
Football hero Riley Covington is tasked with a mission that has nothing to do with passing, rushing, or yardage. His FBI former colleague and close friend Scott Ross says Riley is the only person who can help protect the United States from the next terrorist attack.His college thesis on the exact type of weapon aimed at the US makes him the only knowledgeable person on the subject, and his past service with the FBI as a Special Forces operative makes him more than fit to lead this mission.

As someone who doesn't even believe in coincidences, I found the plot rife with them.

Often while reading "Blackout", I had the feeling that I was reading a sequel: too much back-story was referred to but not explained, and I was left confused. The first hint I had that this was indeed not the first novel in the Riley Covington series came from reading an endorsement on the back cover after I'd finished. If either less or more attention were focused on previous events, I would have been better able to concentrate on the current scene. Because I hadn't read of the previous adventures of Riley Covington, the hints were distracting rather than helpful.

I so wanted to like Riley, and almost did, but I didn't find his character believable. He is too amazingly talented, and while I admired the strength and depth of his faith, he was too humble, for the average person to relate to.

I could never get a gauge of Riley's age or the ages of the supporting characters. The respected positions they hold and the power and respect they garner don't match their juvenile dialog and personal actions. The author tries to explain it away in a confrontational scene late in the book, but it was too late by that time to internalize.

The writing in the first half of "Blackout" staggered from passable to intriguing as chapters bounced from The Professional Football League to the Counter Terrorist Division. Midway through, however, the excitement picked up and the writing style smoothed out, making me want to keep turning pages.

In addition, the storyline of "Blackout" is totally believable - it could potentially happen tomorrow and we all know it. Which is why, though I don't necessarily recommend this book, I ended up enjoying it despite its shortcomings.

My thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for provid a complimentary Advanced Review Copy of "Blackout".

High Stakes and High Drama
Black-Out is the 3rd and latest novel from the Riley Covington Series, written by Jason Elam and Steve Yohn. It is an action thriller, with Special Ops, international intrigue and even some football thrown in. This was the first book that I read from this series, and while it is clear that there had been previous books, reading them was not necessary to follow what was happening in this book. It was filled with drama, suspense, action and just a touch of romance. It drew me in immediately and kept me turning pages. The characters were very interesting and the faith element was strong, while not the least bit preachy. This book, and I'm sure, whole series, would be a great one for the guys to read, and I'm guessing for lots of the girls too! I truly enjoyed it and would like to read the other books in this series.

This book was provided to me for review by Tyndale House Publishers.
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Product Description
Linebacker Riley Covington returns to another season of mini-camp for the Colorado Mustangs just as a wave of terrorist attacks begin to occur across the country. Sleeper cells are being awakened—likely by the leader of the Cause, who has recently escaped from captivity and is coordinating attacks not only on America but also on Riley and his loved ones. As Jim Hicks, Scott Ross, and the rest of the Counterterrorism Division follow leads in Europe, Riley goes on the offensive to draw out his attackers. But can the Cause be stopped before they're able to reach their ultimate goal? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Not as good as the first but a decent read.
While you could read this book as a stand alone novel, it really would be best read after you have read Monday Night Jihad. The character development picks up where that novel left off and it behooves the reader to have that information before moving on to this book.

You have to suspend belief for portions of this book. Not in the manner of terrorism though. The threats and actions that the bad guys take are all too plausible and are what lend a spirit of urgency to the book. While obviously, Elam knows the ins and outs of being a professional football player, having a hero double time as a star linebacker is a little of a stretch. If you can put yourself past this implausability, you can enjoy the rest of the book.

The characters in both of these books so far have been a little stilted and awkward; too formal at some times and too immature in others. Riley Covington, the main character is unwavering in his christian faith. At times he seems almost a little too perfect in his beliefs. Maybe if more people were of this ideal things in life would truly be better.

I look forward to the third novel in the series, Blackout, because I want to see how some of the storyline plays out.

awesome
I give this, and the book it follows, 5 stars. Awesome series. The books are action packed, clean, nothing offensive, and the characters are very likable. Held my attention the whole way through, hoping there is another one coming in the series

Sure To Command Even More Attention
Jason Elam and Steve Yohn made a splash in the evangelical fiction world with their fast-paced thriller, MONDAY NIGHT JIHAD. Now, the pro NFL kicker and pastor turned full-time writer have composed a follow-up to their first endeavor, BLOWN COVERAGE, which will please their reading base and be sure to command even more attention from the Christian fiction market at large. They successfully capture and deepen each character's profile while delving more intently into the ever-tangled world of terrorism and religion.

With Riley Covington still reeling over the death of his best friend Sal (and the shock that Sal was a terrorist), Riley is just not ready to return to another football season. Too many memories, too many tough events, have him working hard to manage and make sense of the recent months. Unfortunately, even with security levels at their peak, Riley isn't safe and soon has to face the fact that he has now become the Cause's target.

Between trying to minister to Sal's wife Meg and their young daughter, work through his feelings toward fellow agent Khadi, and figure out how Whitney Walker, newcomer to the TV reporting team, fits into his life, the women in Riley's world keep him sharp. Though he doesn't have the time to ponder long on matters of the heart, these ladies are indeed distractions interspersed between the mega doses of football training action and the war on terrorism.

While Riley is attempting to re-enter the world of professional football, life throws him another challenge. His coaches draft a collegiate linebacker named Afshin Ziafat to join the team, which has him baffled and angered. How could they trust another Muslim after Sal's deception? Riley soon realizes that nothing outside of God's intervention is going to enable him to move on, forgive and start living again.

So when the next blow hits, Riley is stunned and paralyzed by his anger. His parents become the target of the terrorists in an explosion that kills his father. His grandfather meets with him, and they exchange some stern but necessary words before Riley plans his next move. All the while, sleeper terrorists are being awakened across the United States, blowing up public places and killing innocents. Each of these "awakened" agents is given specific targets and must kill or be killed.

As the tension escalates, Riley decides to plant false leading information to the press to lure terrorists away and almost gets killed in the process. Still, there's more excitement brewing in the States and throughout the world as both sides make aggressive attempts at dismantling their enemy. Before the final page, Riley does his country proud and finds some measure of peace given the losses he has sustained. Fans will eagerly await the next Riley Covington thriller, where they will journey alongside this hero's adventures both on and off the football field and behind the lines fighting terrorism.

--- Reviewed by Michele Howe

Not thrilled with this thriller
If you're into action/thriller books where suspension of belief is a must, this could be an enjoyable book. The authors have come up with a fairly action-packed storyline and maintain tension throughout the novel. My problems with the book come from how the book is presented and the portrayal of certain peoples in the book that I find inexcusable.

So, how is this book presented and what are my issues with this representation? Starting with the cover art; I have an early reviewer copy with different cover art than the mass market version, but both covers portray the same thing...FOOTBALL. I knew that this was an action/thriller from the blurb on the back, but I did expect there to be some involvement with actual football throughout the book. Besides the main character being a linebacker/special ops military guy (I told you to suspend belief a bit) and some of his acquaintances also being professional football players, the amount of football involvement in this book is VERY minimal. The beginning seemed promising as the readers are presented with a pretty good scene involving the draft day team war room and a controversial draft decision. Besides that, Riley (the main character) attends one team meeting which he is ushered quickly out of for the good of the team and one practice. All this in an almost 400 page book with an action shot of a football player on the cover!

From this point, we'll move on to the misrepresentation of the book from the blurb on the back. The blurb does a fairly good job of describing the general plot of the book, however nowhere in the blurb or on any of the cover information anywhere is this book depicted as Christian reading. The only hint that this book may have religious themes is in the author blurb for Steve Yohn who is a minister. I have no real problems with Christianity or Christian literature, but if I wanted to read a book focusing on Christianity, I would specifically seek out that book. Throughout the book the main character struggles with his faith, constantly offers prayers to God, and has to decide whether or not to pursue a relationship with a woman of another faith. I also found the constant allusions to characters swearing instead of actually printing the dialog to be very childish and distracting.

Now to my main issue: the portrayal of the characters of the book of middle-eastern heritage and/or Islamic faith. Besides two characters in the book who are obviously set up to assuage our feelings that the authors have no prejudice against those who follow Islam, every character of middle-eastern descent in the novel follow stereotypical American values about middle-eastern people. The majority of the middle-eastern characters who live in the U.S. are involved in a sleeper cell. They appear to be hard-working, well-liked individuals who have preyed upon American trusts and are merely biding their time until they are awakened to reign terror upon the populace. I find this incredibly disturbing. As if racial tensions are not high enough in the current state, let's plant unreasonable distrust of anyone who happens to be of middle-eastern descent upon the readers of this book. As if this portrayal is not bad enough, the author's who have disdained cursing of any kind through-out the novel constantly refer to their middle-easter adversaries as hajji's. As far as I can tell, this is a very derogatory term similar to using the 'N'-word when referring to African-Americans. I find this to be extremely offensive and totally unacceptable from someone who is trying so hard to show their high levels of Christian faith.

Anyway, the storyline is really not that bad, but the other problems that I had caused my total dislike of this book. I don't recommend it to anyone.

Good, solid book
Blown Coverage by Jason Elam came to me via the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program.The book contains some of my favorite things: NFL football, mystery, intrigue and ties them together with Christian fiction elements.

Summary: Linebacker Riley Covington returns to another season of mini-camp for the Colorado Mustangs just as a wave of terrorist attacks begin to occur across the country. Sleeper cells are being awakened--likely by the leader of the Cause, who has recently escaped from captivity and is coordinating attacks not only on America but also on Riley and his loved ones. As Jim Hicks, Scott Ross, and the rest of the Counterterrorism Division follow leads in Europe, Riley goes on the offensive to draw out his attackers. But can the Cause be stopped before they're able to reach their ultimate goal?

I enjoyed this story.It was a good plot, interesting characters and some intensity. Not the best in any of those categories, however it's a good, solid book. This is the second in the series but I didn't feel like I was missing information. I am interested in going back and reading the first one.Sounds like it was a good story.

One thing I did not like about this book was it's treatment of Muslims. All but one Muslim in this book was a terrorist, mostly as a sleeper in the US.I realize these folks are needed for the story-line, but it leaves the reader (or at least me) with the impression the author thinks all Muslims in the US are sleepers.Which I know not to be the case and hope the author didn't mean to imply.

I recommend this book to folks who like a good mystery, intrigue story.It's not a preachy Christian book, but does talk about Christians and Muslims.

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Product Description
He thought his deadliest enemy knelt across the line of scrimmage. He was wrong! 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. This softcover edition also includes a teaser chapter of the next Riley Covington thriller.
Written by a member of the NFL; gives readers an insider look at the world of professional athletes and military intelligence. Examines the challenges of homeland security in large-venue events. Explores the tension between the desire for revenge and the constraints of the Christian faith, especially as it relates to Islam. Jason Elam has recently returned from Iraq, where he visited and supported the troops. You can read his journal at mondaynightjihad.blogspot.com ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

football and terrorism?
I'm not a big football fan. I do like spy novels, but I can't say I ever read one before with a protagonist who was a linebacker. It's a bit different.

So our hero is Riley Covington. He's a graduate of the Air Force Academy who did a tour in Afghanistan as a Air Force Special Forces operator, then entered the ranks of the "PFL" or Professional Football League, as a player. Since he played in college for Air Force, everyone expected him to have an impact, and he does.

This was my first problem with the book: the hero is too much of a hero. He is tall, handsome, a war hero, and he goes to church every Sunday, doesn't smoke or drink, or eve swear.He's honest, a good friend, a natural leader, and of course he's so natural about all of this that he doesn't know all of these things, so he's awkward with girls. Yeah right! I hate him already.

So he's a football player, and the terrorists attack the stadium where his team is playing a game, killing hunddreds including his best friend. Naturally he wants revenge, and of course the government pretty much creates a spy/commando unit to help him. There's a plot twist, but I saw it coming a mile away, and I thought it was pretty obvious.

The book is reasonably well-written and enjoyable, so it's not bad but there's not much suspense.

Monday Night Fumble
Jason Elam, a famous NFL placekicker for the Denver Broncos started writing a series of thriller novels once he retired from football. His stories are based on a professional football player named Riley Covington who gets pulled into an anti-terrorism unit after bombing attacks on US soil. Monday Night Jihad is the first book in the series and provides the background for Covington and his team whose stories have now stretched into three books (including "Blown Coverage" and "Black Out").

Elam doesn't write these books alone, he has partnered with his pastor, Steve Yohn, to help include a Christian element to the main character and to the story line. Elam says his purpose was to honor the real Jesus of the Bible and help correct those who have distorted his image. His second stated goal in writing this book was "to contrast the more radical elements of Islam with what I view as true Christianity."

Unfortunately those sections of the book where Riley Covington gets religious are mostly awkward. It would have been a more entertaining read without those elements, and as it stands I doubt that this novel really tackles the distortions of Jesus or informs about Islamic terrorists in such a way that it is a game changer for the readers.

I was also very distracted by the use of the PFL (Professional Football League) instead of the NFL. Elam copies NFL team cities, their colors, and reputations while making slight changes to their mascots. (The Detroit Lions are the Wildcats, the LA Raiders are the Bandits and the Denver Broncos are the Mustangs.) Possibly Elam isn't allowed to use actual NFL names in his writing, I'm not sure, but in not doing so he put in unnecessary speed bumps in the chapters that dealt with football. This was especially true when the PFL players were compared to real people who played in the NFL.

Other complaints had to do with the treatment of Muslim people and their religion. Although Elam attemtped to show some constraint by having a member on the anti-terrorist team be a Muslim it didn't work. This person's faith, though moderate, is presented as shallow. This story is pretty fear-based as it deals with the Islamic faith.

Though terrorism is a real issue today some of the responses to it in the book were unnecessary, including torture. There was more correction spent on careless agents than those who tortured information out of a prisoner. It certainly didn't come across as true Christianity.

I didn't care that the story was a bit far fetched, that it was full of testosterone, and that it hardly had any women in the book at all. I was entertained. I definitely did not want to put the book down once I started reading it as I was intrigued with the direction the story would go, despite the turnovers that I've mentioned above.

I wouldn't suggest this book to people trying to love Muslims, or to those trying to get a clearer picture of the Biblical Jesus. I would, however, read another one of these Riley Covington stories just for the machismo-loving fun of it.

Not a bad kick for a debut author
This book was pretty well-written. Despite that, it couldn`t compensate for a fairly predictable story with wildly implausible developments that left me wanting to put the book down halfway through.I actually enjoyed, up to a point, the basic premise of the story--terrorist acts in America intermingled with glimpses into football sub-culture--and I appreciated the curse-free and sex-free narrative.(I'm a Bronco fan and I eagerly followed Elam's career; in fact, he shares the NFL record for the longest field goal--63 yards.)However, at the halfway point I got tired of the premise and wondered if I should continue reading.Though the main character, Riley Covington, was painted as a all-American Pat Tillman boy of sorts--I felt the story slogged on and on.I found myself skipping through paragraphs to get through the slow moving scenes and predictable conversations, skimming ahead--for me, not a good sign--to find key passages that moved the story along.Terrorism is a part of our world--that's our reality--but I didn't like reading about it in the form of entertainment.I wasn't bothered by the direct references and appeals to God; I'm quite religious myself.I do tire of people questioning why God allows this or that to happen. Questioning God is a part of developing one's faith, but bad things happen in the world everyday.Is that God's fault? Should He be blamed for 9/11, or even for WWI or WWII?It bothers me to read about Christians questioning God in every tragedy that strikes--but that`s the nature of faith, everyone`s level of faith differs.I suppose God could intervene, but if He did, then people--of all creeds and faiths--could not be personally held accountable for their actions in the day of Judgment. But I digress...Back to the book...out of respect for Elam and his values, I continued reading his debut novel--which is nothing to spit at--and determined to finish it.Like I said, I impatiently skimmed to the end.Elam hoped to convey to readers a belief in Jesus with friendly religious debates/discussions between characters of different faiths which really had nothing to do with the story.No fictitious novel--well-intentioned or otherwise--will ever bring a person to Christ; only through prayer, personal scripture study, and living as He did.

excellent read
i loved this book!it combines 2 things that i love, mysteries and football.i couldn't put it down. when i was done i sent it to my husband's kindle...he is also a football fan but was also in the military, he will really enjoy this one.

Monday Night Jihad
This author was unknown to me and I must admit I only started reading this book because it was free, but I was very pleasantly surprised. At first the book seemed okay but predictable. I thought I had it all figured out and then began the twists. I also enjoyed the very accurate and simple portrayal of fundamental Christianity. This book was a very enjoyable and gripping read and one I will recommend to my friends. I look forward to reading more by this author. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Daunte Culpepper, Chad Ochocinco, Jason Elam, Matthew Stafford, Randy Shannon, Chris Johnson, Ken Mastrole, Brian Griese, C. J. Spiller, Fred Taylor, Vince Wilfork, Edgerrin James, Shaun King, Brad Banks, Danny Wuerffel, Rod Payne, Travis Daniels, Geno Atkins, Earnest Graham, Jacoby Ford, Brett Swenson, Bobby Sippio, Frank Murphy, Brandon Meriweather, Craphonso Thorpe, Jasper Howard, Jarrett Brown, Kevin Lewis, Marquand Manuel, Gartrell Johnson, Kolby Smith, Scott Fujita, Danny Verpaele, Tim Carter, Steve Hutchinson, Robert Marve, Richard Owens, Danny Kanell, Eric Moore, Nolan Carroll, Torrance Marshall, James Robinson, Quinn Gray, Darius Butler, Travis Fisher, Baraka Atkins, Brannon Condren, Michael Gaines, Cody Brown, Eric Wilbur, Chris Hannon, Mike Mckenzie, Fred Robbins, Marlon Mccree, Louis Murphy, Stanley Mcclover, William Joseph, Jervonte Jackson, Kim Hammond, Greg Romeus, Steve Grant, Cary Williams, Sedrick Irvin, Maurice Price, Corey Lynch, Duane Starks, Darnell Jenkins, Taurus Johnson, Antone Smith, Logan Payne, Lamar Thomas, Pierre Garçon, Ryan Fowler, Eric Green, Doug Gabriel, Glenn Holt, Charles Owens, Jerome Carter, Barrett Green, Craig Kobel, Corey Simon, Willie Offord, Emanuel Cook, Buster Davis, Joe Clermond, Craig Erickson, Chandler Williams, Yamon Figurs, Jarriett Buie, Nevin Mccaskill, Tony Collins, Colin Cole, Paul Edinger, Curtis Johnson, Eric Kelly, Trae Williams, Matthias Askew, Bill Capece, Cornell Green, Louis Holmes, Huey Whittaker, Joe Rose, Doug Johnson, Bernard Morris, Horace Gant, Brad Culpepper, C. J. Jones, Onterio Mccalebb, Willie Young, Stoney Woodson, Travis Mcgriff, Willie Taggart, Paul Raymond, Kennard Cox, Benny Sapp, Robert Baham, Gerald Tinker, Jeron Harvey, Mike Sims-Walker, Martavious Odoms, Donn Finney, Leger Douzable, Greg Carr, Kareem Brown, Alex Haynes, Zach Piller, Terrence Melton, Chip Bowden, Joe West, Darcy Johnson, Ron Dixon, Matt Lehr, Blue Adams, Ali Highsmith, ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=870689 ... Read more