Lior Samson

Reviews, Blurbs, and Comments

The Dome - An excellent read and very highly recommended.

Billions of people around the world find the Dome of the Rock sacred, and it has become quite the target. The Dome is a political thriller from Lior Samson, as he follows a terrorist plot surrounding the sacred place and terrorists who wish to destroy it. Set amongst the turmoil of the Middle East, Samson makes for an exciting thriller that will be hard to put down. The Dome is an excellent read, and very highly recommended.
Midwest Book Review
The Dome - A suspensful and timely novel.

Lior Samson is nowhere near as famous as John le Carré, but he has written a suspenseful and timely novel, The Dome, about a plot to set off a “dirty” bomb using cesium-137 in Jerusalem and the desperate efforts of the Mossad to find the perpetrators before they do. It is a fast-paced novel filled with the way computers, programming, and other technical black magic combine to pose a major threat and are used as well to spot and neutralize it. The title refers to Al Aqsa, the mosque built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a site holy to the three monotheistic religions. This novel takes you behind the scenes of modern spycraft and terrorism. One gets a sense of what life is like in Israel these days as a cast of characters, some family, some linked by a fallen hero, some master spies, must neutralize a terrifying deadly scheme. I cannot say enough good things about this novel and recommend that you check it out and purchase it.
Alan Caruba, BookViews
The Dome - Melding thought-provoking intrigue with non-stop action.

Samson’s second book, a sequel of sorts to his first page-turning thriller, Bashert, again showcases his talent for melding thought-provoking intrigue with non-stop action. The same characters, older now but no less driven to solve high-stakes, high-tech, terrorist puzzles, are this time joined by an improbable hero, although one that readers with computer-savvy kids in the house might instantly recognize. As before, Samson draws on his background in computer science and psychology to make the plot frighteningly plausible, as well as on his profound concern about where politics and religion are leading the world.
Peter Gordon, publisher
Web Games - Fast-paced and smart

Lior Samson's new book is a great follow-up to Bashert for readers who want their brain to be well-fed while enjoying the thrill-ride of action suspense. As the characters unravel the plot behind a cyber-terrorist attack on a coal-fired power plant they follow a trail of clues through the worlds of on-line gaming and Life 2.0. Oh -- the Isreali spies add some spice to the story, too. If you enjoyed the mental calisthenics needed to follow "Inception" and "Tron," you'll probably like this, too. I don't even play online games, but I couldn't put this book down.
Dawn Jones, teacher
Web Games - You will not put it down.

I think it may be a roll of the dice that turns one novelist into a household name with all the benefits that come with such fame while another novelist, easily as good or better, remains unheralded to the point where a far larger audience misses the opportunity to enjoy his work. I felt that way about Lior Samson’s novel, The Dome, last year when I read and reviewed it. This extraordinary author has the ability to anticipate events in ways that enhance his novels and Web Games, his latest, is no exception…. Last year, a Stuxnet computer virus was introduced into Iran’s nuclear program (Russians? Israelis? The U.S.?) and some counterintelligence insiders estimate it wreaked such havoc that it may have put the program behind by two years based on the damage it did. True to form, Samson is just ahead of the curve with yet another thriller and its theme is cyber-terrorism. So far, the U.S. has been spared a major cyber-attack, but whatever can be turned on, can be turned off. Imagine, then, if the nation’s grid that moves electricity to consumers was the target? Behind the pseudonym of Lior Samson is a university professor whose own background brings to his work a reality that only such technical knowledge could produce. He is aided by others with comparable expertise, but the end result is the story of Destiny Allen, a Web designer for a computer security giant who finds herself in a deadly game that may bring down the electrical energy infrastructure of America. We have seen [the] damage that the WikiLeak revelations have done with the release of classified military and diplomatic communications. Web Games dwarfs that as the main character must enlist her friends to deter a catastrophe. You will not put it down.

Alan Caruba, BookViews
Bashert - Complex and intriguing thriller

This thriller is a complex and intriguing read. I highly enjoyed this tale of how Israel may have acquired fissionable material to launch its nuclear weapons program. Samson writes with a crisp elegance like John Le Carré and weaves his plot magically, sustaining suspense throughout the novel. The ending is a satisfying and surprising climax. ... Overall, this is a good read. ... I highly recommend this book.

James A. Anderson, author and journalist


Bashert - A page-turning retro-techno-thriller!

Samson keeps the pages turning in this retro-techno-thriller. Protagonist Karl must chase the ghosts of his past to unspool a mystery over forty years old, but the trail isn't as cold as he thinks and he's soon embroiled in a conflict much larger than he ever imagined.
Brett James, writer and film producer

Bashert - A well-Written thriller

Bashert is an engaging thriller with intertwining time lines, each having its own mysteries and intrigues. The characters are vividly drawn, with well-crafted dialogue that bring them to life and keep you flipping the pages. I look forward to reading more tales from Lior Samson.
Karl Wiegers, consultant and author

Bashert - Bourne Identity Meets Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory

A great summer read, this book is every step a satisfying espionage thriller. What makes it more special is the story within the story of a group of young techie troublemakers at MIT and how their desire to create memorable "hacks" leads them to places they didn't expect. It's a fast-paced, well-paced story and clearly well-researched -- I'm a stickler for details. I recommend it to readers who like spy stories and those looking for a story to feed the inner nerd.
Dawn Jones, teacher
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