The Watchman of Ephraim (Cris De Niro, Book 1)
The Watchman of Ephraim (Cris De Niro, Book 1) book cover

The Watchman of Ephraim (Cris De Niro, Book 1)

Paperback – January 21, 2011

by
Price
$14.99
Format
Paperback
Pages
297
Publisher
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1456575403
Dimensions
5.25 x 0.75 x 8 inches
Weight
12 ounces

Description

(5 Stars) Enjoyable Thriller I enjoyed this book very much! It was very difficult to put down once I got started. As soon as I finished this book, I dove quickly into book 2 just to continue the story - it is... Published 2 months ago by Mrseche (5 Stars) Great Story Book 1, in the Cris de Niro series The Watchman of Ephraim is a sparkling debut novel by author Gerard de Marigny, a great geopolitical thriller which intricately... Published 2 months ago by Toni Osborne (4 Stars) de Marigny presents a page-turning, refreshing thriller Gerard de Marigny carries his readers along in a religious thriller set around the decade-long fallout of the terror of 9/11. Published 3 months ago by Joy E. (5 Stars) The Watchman of Ephraim The Watchman of Ephraim was a ride. I love every minute I spent with the story and characters. I found myself getting choked up with the description of the events of 9/11. Published 4 months ago by Daniel N. Wallace (4 Stars) Recommended book of intrigue! September 11, 2001 changed the lives of thousands of families forever, as well as a nation. Cris De Niro witnesses the death of his wife and unborn child as World Center tower... Published 5 months ago by K Rez The Watchman of Ephraim is the first book in my CRIS DE NIRO series. It's a bout a man's devotion to his country, his wife, and his faith.Cris De Niro is a self-made billionaire, a hedge fund manager who was raised on the tough streets of Brooklyn, New York. On September 11, 2001, he loses his wife and unborn son in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The devastating loss could have led him to destruction but instead leads him to an epiphany of faith, yet rage still burns in his soul. He vows to protect the citizens of the United States from enemies domestic and foreign, and puts all of his vast resources to work for that cause.Cris De Niro does what I and others who have lost friends and family from terrorist acts want to do but can't. Not vengeance (unless the sun has not set) ... he protects, even when our government cannot. From the Inside Flap From a tough Brooklyn upbringing, former hedge fund manager and billionaire Cris De Niro now devotes his life to protecting the United States of America in this dynamic debut novel in Gerard de Marigny's compelling new series.The Watchman of Ephraim, the first novel in de Marigny's crackling new series of the same name won immediate acclaim from fans:"I found myself attached to the characters. ... If you like political thrillers, you will like this book. I recommend it.""Reading and reliving 9/11, he hit a home run. The references to a Brooklyn upbringing right on point.""The beginning was dynamic and drew me right into the story which was very complex and deep and yet didn't lose its direction.""Being a Brooklyn native myself, I enjoyed Mr. de Marigny's (extremely accurate) references to my hometown. I must admit I stayed up late one night to finish the book; it was quite a page turner!"Cris De Niro worked his way up to the top of the hedge fund world. Yet, all of his money couldn't protect him from losing his wife on 9/11. 10 years passed since the tragedy. De Niro and his sons relocated to a sprawling ranch near Las Vegas. Turning to his faith to overcome his anguish, De Niro now lives for a higher purpose. From a biblical passage, he reads about the "Watchman of Ephraim," a defender who kept watch over the land. De Niro decides to acquire a lackluster counter-terrorism agency in order to transform it into a modern-day version of The Watchman for the United States but there's not a moment to lose.Aref Sami Zamani is planning a terrorist attack on American soil - codenamed "Antioch," a plot to detonate a nuke over the city of Las Vegas. The Watchman uncovers a connection between Zamani and a Mexican drug cartel but their agent goes missing before they can learn more. That's because Zamani has a spy working for The Watchman. Strange events start to unfold near the Nogales border crossing. References are discovered to something the Mexicans are calling "Noche Del Espantada" ...Fright Night," but can it mean something else? September 11, 2011 and the sun hasn't risen yet in Las Vegas or Nogales. Antioch is in motion! At the border, Noche Del Espantada has begun and there are intruders at De Niro's ranch. De Niro has to protect his sons and someone new in his life, Dr. Moriah Stevens. She too, lost her spouse on 9/11. Moriah finds herself in love with De Niro but his devotion to his wife is proving too powerful for him, even after 10 years. It's the 10th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on American soil and unless De Niro and his new team are successful, the day will be known as "The 2nd 9/11."Filled with rich characters, strong action and drama right out of today's headlines, this is de Marigny emerging as a modern, master story-teller. With his bestselling debut political thriller, The Watchman of Ephraim ,Gerard de Marigny has burst upon the literary world stage with vigor and poise!Founding JarRyJorNo Publishing in January 2011, de Marigny dons many hats, that of publisher, graphic designer, marketer, as well as author. The result, so far, has been a sparkling debut novel that became a #1 Amazon Bestselling Geopolitical Thriller!Books by Gerard de Marigny:The CRIS DE NIRO Series:Book 1 - THE WATCHMAN OF EPHRAIM Book 2 - SIGNS OF WAR Book 3 - RISE TO THE CALL Book 4 - PROJECT 111 (Coming soon) Gerard de Marigny is the creator of the #1 Amazon -Bestselling Geopolitical CRIS DE NIRO Thriller series. He resides in the beautiful foothills of Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife Lisa and their four sons, Jared, Ryan, Jordan, and Noah. CRIS DE NIRO series:Book 1 - THE WATCHMAN OF EPHRAIM Book 2 - SIGNS OF WAR Book 3 - RISE TO THE CALL Book 4 - PROJECT 111 (coming soon) Read more

Features & Highlights

  • Cris De Niro worked his way up to the top of the hedge fund world. Yet, all of his money couldn't protect him from losing his wife on 9/11. 10 years passed since the tragedy. De Niro and his sons relocated to a sprawling ranch near Las Vegas. Turning to his faith to overcome his anguish, De Niro now lives for a higher purpose. From a biblical passage, he reads about the "Watchman of Ephraim," a defender who kept watch over the land. De Niro decides to acquire a lackluster counter-terrorism agency in order to transform it into a modern-day version of The Watchman for the United States but there's not a moment to lose.Aref Sami Zamani is planning a terrorist attack on American soil - codenamed "Antioch," a plot to detonate a nuke over the city of Las Vegas. The Watchman uncovers a connection between Zamani and a Mexican drug cartel but their agent goes missing before they can learn more. That’s because Zamani has a spy working for The Watchman. Strange events start to unfold near the Nogales border crossing. References are discovered to something the Mexicans are calling "Noche Del Espantada” …Fright Night,” but can it mean something else? September 11, 2011 and the sun hasn’t risen yet in Las Vegas or Nogales. Antioch is in motion! At the border, Noche Del Espantada has begun and there are intruders at De Niro’s ranch. De Niro has to protect his sons and someone new in his life, Dr. Moriah Stevens. She too, lost her spouse on 9/11. Moriah finds herself in love with De Niro but his devotion to his wife is proving too powerful for him, even after 10 years. It’s the 10th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on American soil and unless De Niro and his new team are successful, the day will be known as “The 2nd 9/11.”

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(61)
★★★★
25%
(51)
★★★
15%
(30)
★★
7%
(14)
★
23%
(46)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Fast-Paced Thriller!

The Watchman of Ephraim is a fast-paced political thriller, a novel of "what-if" suspense. Mr. de Marigny has written this novel in tight, spare paragraphs--free of flowery description and filler--and crisp, snappy dialogue that drives the plot along. The opening of the novel allows us a window into the 9/11 horrific disaster, as Cris De Niro's wife is trapped in the Twin Towers when the planes hit, and he heroically attempts to rescue her. This is almost painful to read, but necessary to set up the storyline.

The book then moves us along to Las Vegas, where Mr. De Niro has settled his family of two boys. He has placed all his money and energy into forming a homeland counter-terrorism organization to protect our country from outside forces. Fast forward along to 2011, and De Niro is alerted of a possible attempt to let loose a nuclear weapon over the city of Las Vegas on 9/11/11, to rival the original 9/11 on its tenth year anniversary. There seems to be a spy in his organization, and the plot moves toward an exciting finale: can Cris De Niro's team of security experts stop the terrorists from destroying Las Vegas and making history again?

While this novel was not what I originally expected, and is somewhat out of my comfort zone -- I usually prefer novels with more character development and descriptive prose-- I do realize that Gerard de Marigny is a talented author, in full command of his craft and capable of delivering an excellent novel. I found this novel to deliver on what it promised and hits the mark as a political/spy/thriller that asks the plausible question "What-if" and then answers the question with "Not on my watch"!
4 people found this helpful
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Could not stop reading!

The Watchman grabbed my interest from the very first chapter. The action never stopped. I found the crossover from real life places and events to his fictional twists fantastic. It was one of the books that once I picked it up to read, I did not want to put it down. I have already purchased the rest of the books in the series to avoid any down time between them.
1 people found this helpful
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Great Read!!!

Although this book is somewhat out of what I normally read, I immediately became hooked after the first chapter. I read the book cover to cover the first day.
1 people found this helpful
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Great story

This is a debut novel that is written as if he has been a published author for a number of years. If you didn't know, you wouldn't be able to guess either. This is one of the best political suspense thrillers I have read in a while.

The first couple of chapters are hard to read as someone that distinctly remembers 9/11 and knew people both in NYC and DC on the day of the attack. But after those intro chapters, which really are necessary to the story. The rest of the story takes place 10 years later. You follow Cris as he moves his family to Las Vegas and starts on a new mission for his life. To keep Americans safe for something like 9/11 ever happening again. A tough calling but he has the funds and the friends to put together a top notch team. Shortly after assembling his team they are faced with trouble. There is another attack planned for the 10th anniversary.

The story moves at an almost nonstop pace. And you have to keep reading in order to find out what happens next. The characters are real. They are believable and you can easily imagine that there are people out there who are civilians but are dedicated to keeping another terrorist attack from happening.

I only had a few little problems with the book. One is that while the author does a good job of identifying terms and phrases that ordinary civilian might not know in the footnotes, early on in the story he misses a few that you know involve military or technology terms and practices but you really dont know what they are or do. Also when Cris is setting up his new company, it seems to be a bit rushed to get to the action. When you go in to meet the new team you are introduced so fast that later when they reappear you have to go back to see what role they have again. And lastly, during the climax when people are being killed. It just seems hard to believe that no one in all the locations these are taking place notices if they are not part of the story. And while I admit I am sure that with knowing the right people and knowing the situation that is going on and that it was basically a matter of national security that it is likely they would not be punished. It just seemed to me that it needed a bit of "official" explanation, even if it is just what goes on behind closed doors that the normal civilian would never hear about. For me that would have provided a little more closer to the story.

I am really glad this is a series. And I am really looking forward to the next book coming out soon. This is one writer you do not want to pass up, especially if you are a thriller fan.
1 people found this helpful
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Marigny presents a page-turning, refreshing thriller

Gerard de Marigny carries his readers along in a religious thriller set around the decade-long fallout of the terror of 9/11. The Watchman of Ephraim examines the life of one man in particular, Cris De Niro, and the lives of all those close to him as they search for meaning in a world deprived of a loved one. De Niro, an extraordinarily wealthy man, finds a purpose and a direction for his overflowing passion for the wife and unborn child he lost in the first Tower. He puts all his financial resources and societal status into backing an anti-terrorism agency that soon finds itself in the middle of another national crisis.

The book also parallels the worldview of two vastly different religions--Christianity and Islam--and, specifically, the differing definitions of sacrifice and heroism between the two.

This book kept my attention all the way through; I never once wanted to put it down! The storyline was engaging and the characters were magnetic and made me want to continue the series to discover what happens next in their lives--I'm particularly interested in Dr. Moriah Stevens! I appreciated the mirroring I saw of the author's own life in his book--the similarities in his and his protagonist's last names, the similarities in his family and that of his character's (wives with the same name, fathers to sons).

I did find the book lacking in editing--mostly for punctuation and grammar and some clarification and development. However, that did not deter it from being a page-turner for me; and, if you knew me, you'd know that's a HUGE compliment! I'm a stickler when it comes to that stuff and I've been known to toss a book aside for fewer errors. I do think a revised printing of The Watchman of Ephraim is in order; it's too good of a story to not be perfected, tweaked and made all it can be.

Although I liked most of the characters, I had trouble relating to the protagonist. It's hard for me to sympathize with someone who is that wealthy (and his wealth did seem pretty out there!); however, I appreciated his commitment to utilizing his resources to preventing another tragedy like the one that shattered his life. A wealthy man with morals and religious convictions is certainly unique!
1 people found this helpful
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A first rate, excellent and up to date thriller

A successful hedge fund entrepreneur is on his way to meet his wife, who is pregnant, at the twin towers. Disaster strikes as two planes crash into the towers killing his wife and unborn child. He makes the decision that this can never happen again and decides to recruit the elite from the marines, secret services and government to set up an independent agency to ensure the terrorists never succeed again.

Whilst setting up the agency, an Iranian businessman along with a Mexican drug cartel infiltrate the new agency by buying one of the board members, but when an undercover agent, from the agency, goes missing, then turns up dead, the bribed board member panics. What is the real reason for the link between the Iranian and the drug cartel? Can the agency find out who has betrayed them and discover the link? Is it a question of National Security? Can they react in time to save the country?

For a real page turning thriller with twists and one which keeps the reader hooked, read this book. Billed as a thriller and page turner, the book definitely did not disappoint. The story kept me on the edge of my seat with no idea which way the plot was going to turn, which is exactly the type of book I love.

The storyline and research shown throughout the book was first class, you really feel the emotions of all the characters and really getting a real gist of how both sides felt. The writing style used was very easy to follow and digest, therefore adding to the excitement and tension that was created. The storyline is a very topical one which will provoke discussion to whoever reads it. I believe this is the most important part of any novel, the discussions afterwards, and I believe this is a book which will be wildly discussed which will in itself builds a good novel and one which will live on and on.

I can imagine each and every character as the author brings every one of them to life and you can imagine yourself in the background, whether it is the boardroom scene or when he is describing the ranch the hero owns, again first class and superlative.

This is a book I will be definitely recommending, as a debut I found it to be absolutely amazing. I think I could read a lot more of the authors writings. A first rate, excellent and up to date thriller, which will, and should, cause a great debate about the issues of the storyline for a long time to come. [...]
1 people found this helpful
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* * * * * 5 Stars!!!

This 5 star book was easy to read besides being one that you can't put down. Can't wait to read "Signs of War" second in the Cris De Niro series. It's already out as an ebook!!!!!
1 people found this helpful
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Subtle and Engrossing!

I actually gave this one 4.5 Stars!!

I really enjoyed The Watchman of Ephraim, and with the tenth anniversary of 9/11 coming soon, this novel is certainly a testament to those who lost their lives in one of the most horrific terrorist acts to take place on American soil. The Watchman begins ten years earlier when Cris De Niro is in New York City to surprise his wife who is pregnant with their third child. Coming to the realization of how important his family is to him, he buys her flowers and is on his way to the 104th floor when the first plane hits the Tower. As the terrifying events unfold, they are told with beauty and utmost respect by the author, leaving me breathless. Even though I watched everything on television as it was happening, the horror and pain came back like it was yesterday, and my heart went out again to all those who lost loved ones that day. Mr. de Marigny did a wonderful job recreating the shock, fear, and heartbreaking loss of those who experienced the tragedy of 9/11.

Ten years later, Cris is still reeling from the shock of losing his wife through such an act of terrorism, looking for answers that do not come. As hugely successful hedge-fund investor, he buys a counter-terrorism company in order prevent something like 9/11 from ever happening today. This is part of the novel I found really fascinating as the author took the reader through some of the steps of setting up such a company, and what kinds of tools would be necessary for such a company to function. I read with vivid interest all of the scenes between the CEOs and Cris, and how people were recruited to how things were going to be developed. Usually in novels, the companies are already functioning, or have been running for years, so you don't see this kind of thing. The characters fit in smoothly with this scenario, and I really enjoyed the dialogue between all of the characters, even when things weren't necessarily functioning smoothly.

While I enjoyed the plotline very much, I did find it somewhat predictable and I definitely was able to predict the ending to the problem. I would have liked to have seen a little more complicated plotline, and I would have liked the 'mole' so to speak to be a little less out there in the sense that I would have preferred to figure out who it was rather than be in my face. Other than that, I enjoyed the characters tremendously. The witty dialogue and fun interactions between the characters kept the novel entertaining, and I do have to admit that I developed a special liking for David, even if he wasn't in the novel for very long. The Scotch bottle scene had me laughing out loud, and I am still chuckling over it today. That comic bit of humour amidst the death that took place around the scene is one of the things I enjoyed about this novel. I do have to admit to frustration at times over things the characters didn't do considering how brilliant they are supposed to be; why didn't they look up Zamani's picture while they were researching his information? And how did such brilliant techies miss what was researched on the 'cellphone' as I would have thought that was easy to find? To suddenly find this information at the last moment certainly adds to the suspense, but still...

With several themes flowing through this novel, the main one being the sense of patriotism one has for their country and the safety of those in it. This is what sends Cris on the path to protecting his fellow citizens and there are some interesting discussions revolving around this topic in this novel; to what extent does one go to protect the innocent citizens of one's country, those who have no political involvement, but may be victims of attacks without their knowing it? The other strong theme in this novel is loyalty, friendship, and love. It is great to feel deeply for someone, but how does someone get over the feeling of betrayal for someone when that loved one is dead? It's an interesting theme, and a sad one as well, one that motivates Cris in everything he does. I am curious as to how the author deals with these emotions, and with Cris in future novels. With strong and wonderful writing skills, Mr. de Marigny has created characters that you want to believe in and in whom you want to succeed so that nothing like 9/11 ever happens again.

The Watchman of Ephraim is a great beginning to what promises to be a wonderful series. This novel is the one that sets up events for future novels, and while it definitely has its tension and suspenseful moments, it was more about introducing us to some very interesting and intriguing characters whom I hope we will definitely see in his next novel, Signs of War, to be released September 2011.
1 people found this helpful
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Mixed feelings about this book

I enjoyed the majority of the story line. I was very disappointed in the level of racism from supposed Christian characters throughout the story and the unrealism of DeNiro basically being a modern day Batman style of character.
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Great Read brought to me by Voracious Readers Only

During this time of quarantine across the world this book was a great read. This book brought me Back to another time of much loss from the traffic day of 9-11. A day and time we should never forget. Read it (follow Cris De Niro) and you’ll find out how much you’ll enjoy it too. Thank you Gerard De Marigny and Also a big thanks to Voracious Readers Only connecting readings with authors.

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