Helpful Score: 13
The Faithful Spy is a promising start to what will hopefully be a new series. John Wells is a CIA agent under deep cover within al Qaueda. During the years it took him to gain some trust within the terrorist organization, Wells has lost contact with his ex wife, young son, and his handler at the CIA. He blames himself for failing to stop 9/11 and knows that he is losing the trust of the CIA after being out of contact for so long. When Wells is sent back to the USA by al Qaueda for a mission he knows nothing about, he sees it as an opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of the CIA. He struggles to stop an act of terror, while being pursued by the very government he has sworn to protect.
Fans of Daniel Silva and Vince Flynn will enjoy this book. Like those authors, this book deals with contemporary issues but Berenson does a better job than the others of showing the human side of the enemy. My only complaint is that John Wells himself is not in much of the book. However, this may be because the author is trying to establish the other characters for future books. I will be adding the next installment in this series to my wish list.
Fans of Daniel Silva and Vince Flynn will enjoy this book. Like those authors, this book deals with contemporary issues but Berenson does a better job than the others of showing the human side of the enemy. My only complaint is that John Wells himself is not in much of the book. However, this may be because the author is trying to establish the other characters for future books. I will be adding the next installment in this series to my wish list.
Helpful Score: 7
Fast passed interesting spy novel. The main character is a CIA operative who has been infiltrated into Al Queda for years. No one is sure if he's a good guy or a bad guy anymore. Part of it takes place overseas and the rest in the U.S. I'm not sure if I'll sleep as well after reading this...but it was exciting!
Helpful Score: 6
Fast moving story about a CIA operative deeply embedded in al Qaeda. John Wells has been fighting with al Qaeda in Chechnya and Afghanistan for years. He is the world's most dedicated spy -- and one of the worst husbands and fathers. He wasn't able to raise any warnings before 9/11 but now he has a chance to foil another attack. I look forward to reading more from Alex Berenson -- and reading more about John Wells.
Helpful Score: 1
Excellent contemporary spy thriller!