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John Wells #6
The Shadow Patrol
In 2009, the CIA's Kabul Station fell for a source who promised to lead it to Bin Laden, but instead he blew himself up, taking the station's most senior officers with him. Now, more than two years later, the station is still floundering, agents are dying, and at Langley the CIA's chiefs wonder if the unthinkable has happened, if somehow the Taliban has infiltrated the station.
When they ask John Wells to investigate, he reluctantly agrees to return to the country where his career as an undercover operative began. But there, he finds a vipers' nest of hostility and mistrust-and clues that hint at a drug-trafficking operation involving the Agency, the military, and the Taliban. Americans are dying, and an American is responsible. And only John Wells stands in his way . . . for now.
When they ask John Wells to investigate, he reluctantly agrees to return to the country where his career as an undercover operative began. But there, he finds a vipers' nest of hostility and mistrust-and clues that hint at a drug-trafficking operation involving the Agency, the military, and the Taliban. Americans are dying, and an American is responsible. And only John Wells stands in his way . . . for now.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published February 21, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 319 reviews
June 16, 2023
In 2009 a mole within al-Quaeda contacts the CIA to set up meetings in order to give up information about Osama bin Laden, but when the most senior officers are there, he detonates a bomb and kills all the CIA’s top staff.
Two years on, the CIA has failed to get the station back up and running again. The staff are ineffectual, their efforts are incompetently handled – or, as Langley now suspects, perhaps there is another mole. Could their station have been infiltrated by their enemies? And there are rumours and suspicions about drugs. Does someone have another motive for preventing the CIA from getting back to normal?
This is a really good read, and Berenson lives up to expectation. There are some minor glitches, I’d have preferred to forget the idea of a crime story theme, and more of a pure thriller with the story unfolding, but that is a minor quibble. This is a great read that comes highly recommended.
Two years on, the CIA has failed to get the station back up and running again. The staff are ineffectual, their efforts are incompetently handled – or, as Langley now suspects, perhaps there is another mole. Could their station have been infiltrated by their enemies? And there are rumours and suspicions about drugs. Does someone have another motive for preventing the CIA from getting back to normal?
This is a really good read, and Berenson lives up to expectation. There are some minor glitches, I’d have preferred to forget the idea of a crime story theme, and more of a pure thriller with the story unfolding, but that is a minor quibble. This is a great read that comes highly recommended.
November 17, 2023
I’ve always enjoyed these type of books. The war within the war within the struggles of good and bad. My hats off to all those who served.
January 6, 2013
This book will probably be my last John Wells story for a while. Berenson is a good writer, and varies the stories as much as possible, but he is writing formula novels, and after a while, that genre inevitably catches up to you. In this way, Wells is like Gabriel Allon, Daniel Silva's creation: appealing, deserving of our support, but following a very familiar path with new villains and changing scenery. Wells is an eminently likable character and his sense of honor and doing the right thing are appealing in this age when every principle seems to be open to negotiation, compromise or repudiation under the right circumstances. I do like how all of the characters are maturing, developing, improving or worsening as the case may be given their roles in the story. Berenson's topicality and links to current events help to keep the stories interesting. But after several installments, there is a loss of freshness. So I will probably take a break and return after a suitable interlude to see what Wells is up to.
March 27, 2020
Easily my favorite Berenson novel. A nice blend of mystery, action, and suspense.
February 5, 2012
Alex Berenson's latest novel "Shadow Patrol" is his sixth novel and I have read them all. The plot was not as far reaching or gripping as his previous novels; therefore in my opinion, it wasn't the can't-put-it-down page turner I have come to expect. Nonetheless, it is well crafted, tightly written and the plot is filled with military and criminal detail which makes it highly credible.
Mr. Berenson's star character, Special Operations pro John Wells returns once again to the service of his country. The CIA's station in Afghanistan is penetrated by Al Qaeda and destroyed by a suicide bomber who the CIA thought was loyal to them. Mr Wells is asked to investigate to see if there was a mole involved. In the course of his investigation he stumbles upon an Army drug ring, terrorism and more than enough violent and dangerous situations, which as usual, he handles summarily. The ending is tight and draws everything together perfectly.
I highly recommend this book and if this is your first exposure to Mr. Berenson, I promise you will want to read the rest of his work. I look forward to his next effort.
Mr. Berenson's star character, Special Operations pro John Wells returns once again to the service of his country. The CIA's station in Afghanistan is penetrated by Al Qaeda and destroyed by a suicide bomber who the CIA thought was loyal to them. Mr Wells is asked to investigate to see if there was a mole involved. In the course of his investigation he stumbles upon an Army drug ring, terrorism and more than enough violent and dangerous situations, which as usual, he handles summarily. The ending is tight and draws everything together perfectly.
I highly recommend this book and if this is your first exposure to Mr. Berenson, I promise you will want to read the rest of his work. I look forward to his next effort.
October 14, 2018
Good spy story with Wells on the job in Afghanistan looking for a mole. He finds some bad apples in Special Forces, too.
April 6, 2017
A thriller that delivers both excitement and insight about the war in Afghanistan
The cottage industry in spy thrillers encompasses a wide range of quality, from those that offer up cheap thrills with one-dimensional characters facing off in unreal circumstances to those, many fewer, that rise into the realm of literature, illuminating the human condition. The finest of the lot, such as Graham Greene and John Le Carre at their best, stand with other exemplars of modern fiction. Alex Berenson’s writing doesn’t quite measure up to them, but it comes close. His most recent novel about the adventures of soldier-spy John Wells, The Shadow Patrol, explores the tragic dimensions of the U.S. war in Afghanistan, from which no one leaves ennobled.
John Wells has left the CIA and his long-time love, his agency handler, Jennifer Exley, and is living in rural New Hampshire with Anne, a local cop. When his old CIA boss, Ellis Shafer, asks him to return to action in Afghanistan, where he spent so many years undercover inside Al Qaeda, Wells leaps at the chance. The agency’s Kabul station is in crisis. A Jordanian physician, having established a credible cover as an ally, has murdered the CIA’s top brass in the country by setting off a suicide vest. (Remember? This actually happened!) Now, in addition to the chaos that results when replacements for the top officials prove unequal to the task, reports have surfaced that the station has been penetrated by a Taliban mole. Wells’ assignment, to learn the identity of the mole, brings him and the CIA into conflict with the hierarchy of the Special Forces and eventually into a one-on-one test of wills with a Delta sniper who holds the key to the mole’s identity.
Returning years after his last visit to Afghanistan, Wells finds the country, the war, and the agency, all profoundly changed by the billions of U.S. dollars spread about the countryside and the years of unrelenting killing. Cynicism and greed have spread throughout the country like a virus.
When Wells checks into the CIA station in the capital, a senior officer tells him, “First off, understand the strategic situation’s a mess. We’re playing Whac-a-Mole here. First we had our guys in the east, and the south went to hell. Now we’ve moved everybody south, and the east is going to hell. And by the way, the south isn’t great either. This quote-unquote-government we’re working with, it’s beyond corrupt. Everything’s for sale. You want to be a cop? That’s a bribe. Five to ten grand, depending on the district. . . to become a patrolman. You want to be a district-level police chief? Twenty, thirty thousand. At the national level, the cabinet jobs are a quarter million and up.”
While there’s nothing in this monologue that we haven’t learned from news reports and the numerous nonfiction books about the war, this matter-of-fact informality drives home the point more clearly than any “objective” report could do. In fact, Alex Berenson was a New York Times reporter before he turned to full-time writing. As a reporter, he covered the occupation of Iraq, among other big stories, and he brings a reporter’s instinct for news and the value of obscure details to make a story come to light. In The Shadow Patrol, the intimate conversation and inner dialogue of American troops highlights the mind-numbing reality of war much more clearly than any nonfiction account could possibly do.
One of the most revealing passages in the book comes in the course of Wells’ conversation with the same CIA official who spoke of the corruption caused by the influx of U.S. dollars. Wells has asked “So how many officers do you have?”
“We’re close to full strength now. Six hundred in country.”
“Six hundred?”
“But you have to remember, only a few are case officers. More than two hundred handle security. Then we have the coms and IT guys, logistics and administrative . . . and the guys at the airfields, handling the drones. Fewer than forty ever get outside the wire to talk to the locals. Of those, most are working with Afghan security and intelligence forces. If you’re looking at guys recruiting sources on the ground, it’s maybe a dozen. . . The security situation is impossible. Only the very best officers can work outside the wire without getting popped, and even then only for short stretches.”
This is today’s CIA.
Berenson has devoted significant effort to researching the agency, the reality of the war in Afghanistan, the heroin trade, the art of the sniper, and other elements in this clever and compelling story. The Shadow Patrol is a superb contemporary thriller that delivers both an exciting tale and down-to-earth reporting on the Afghanistan war.
The cottage industry in spy thrillers encompasses a wide range of quality, from those that offer up cheap thrills with one-dimensional characters facing off in unreal circumstances to those, many fewer, that rise into the realm of literature, illuminating the human condition. The finest of the lot, such as Graham Greene and John Le Carre at their best, stand with other exemplars of modern fiction. Alex Berenson’s writing doesn’t quite measure up to them, but it comes close. His most recent novel about the adventures of soldier-spy John Wells, The Shadow Patrol, explores the tragic dimensions of the U.S. war in Afghanistan, from which no one leaves ennobled.
John Wells has left the CIA and his long-time love, his agency handler, Jennifer Exley, and is living in rural New Hampshire with Anne, a local cop. When his old CIA boss, Ellis Shafer, asks him to return to action in Afghanistan, where he spent so many years undercover inside Al Qaeda, Wells leaps at the chance. The agency’s Kabul station is in crisis. A Jordanian physician, having established a credible cover as an ally, has murdered the CIA’s top brass in the country by setting off a suicide vest. (Remember? This actually happened!) Now, in addition to the chaos that results when replacements for the top officials prove unequal to the task, reports have surfaced that the station has been penetrated by a Taliban mole. Wells’ assignment, to learn the identity of the mole, brings him and the CIA into conflict with the hierarchy of the Special Forces and eventually into a one-on-one test of wills with a Delta sniper who holds the key to the mole’s identity.
Returning years after his last visit to Afghanistan, Wells finds the country, the war, and the agency, all profoundly changed by the billions of U.S. dollars spread about the countryside and the years of unrelenting killing. Cynicism and greed have spread throughout the country like a virus.
When Wells checks into the CIA station in the capital, a senior officer tells him, “First off, understand the strategic situation’s a mess. We’re playing Whac-a-Mole here. First we had our guys in the east, and the south went to hell. Now we’ve moved everybody south, and the east is going to hell. And by the way, the south isn’t great either. This quote-unquote-government we’re working with, it’s beyond corrupt. Everything’s for sale. You want to be a cop? That’s a bribe. Five to ten grand, depending on the district. . . to become a patrolman. You want to be a district-level police chief? Twenty, thirty thousand. At the national level, the cabinet jobs are a quarter million and up.”
While there’s nothing in this monologue that we haven’t learned from news reports and the numerous nonfiction books about the war, this matter-of-fact informality drives home the point more clearly than any “objective” report could do. In fact, Alex Berenson was a New York Times reporter before he turned to full-time writing. As a reporter, he covered the occupation of Iraq, among other big stories, and he brings a reporter’s instinct for news and the value of obscure details to make a story come to light. In The Shadow Patrol, the intimate conversation and inner dialogue of American troops highlights the mind-numbing reality of war much more clearly than any nonfiction account could possibly do.
One of the most revealing passages in the book comes in the course of Wells’ conversation with the same CIA official who spoke of the corruption caused by the influx of U.S. dollars. Wells has asked “So how many officers do you have?”
“We’re close to full strength now. Six hundred in country.”
“Six hundred?”
“But you have to remember, only a few are case officers. More than two hundred handle security. Then we have the coms and IT guys, logistics and administrative . . . and the guys at the airfields, handling the drones. Fewer than forty ever get outside the wire to talk to the locals. Of those, most are working with Afghan security and intelligence forces. If you’re looking at guys recruiting sources on the ground, it’s maybe a dozen. . . The security situation is impossible. Only the very best officers can work outside the wire without getting popped, and even then only for short stretches.”
This is today’s CIA.
Berenson has devoted significant effort to researching the agency, the reality of the war in Afghanistan, the heroin trade, the art of the sniper, and other elements in this clever and compelling story. The Shadow Patrol is a superb contemporary thriller that delivers both an exciting tale and down-to-earth reporting on the Afghanistan war.
June 14, 2016
This series just gets better and better. Real spy stuff taking place in a non-007 manner makes this series fun and the realism of this one (set in Afghanistan) defines the series. The story is so well developed and the realism only adds to the book's distinct flavor.
Wells is an impressive hero and there were no moments in this one that made me feel as if the author was pushing over-the-top moments that sneak up in the other novels where Wells makes a break in intelligence or finds a terrorist camp by intuition that defies credibility. Ever step of the way is marked by realistic detective/spycraft and that makes this a cracking good read.
Wells is an impressive hero and there were no moments in this one that made me feel as if the author was pushing over-the-top moments that sneak up in the other novels where Wells makes a break in intelligence or finds a terrorist camp by intuition that defies credibility. Ever step of the way is marked by realistic detective/spycraft and that makes this a cracking good read.
June 23, 2020
Alex Berenson is one of my favorite thriller writers. I just finished Shadow Patrol and it didn’t disappoint. The main protagonist, John Wells, is a CIA operative in Afghanistan with a unique skill set. He can go native in the local population and blend-in to point that he disappears. He can collect intel and investigate where few other operatives can even go. Excellent!
One of the story aspects that I particularly like is that Berenson blends a bit of moral and ethical analysis into his characters idle times. These ‘musings’ add real depth to the back story. Of course, there is not much that I ever felt that I was reading the transcript of a Dr. Phil show. Shadow Patrol had the feel and pace of a true CIA investigation. It was relentless.
For me, Alex Berenson and Shadow Patrol were both five stars.
Jeff Bailey, author of the thriller Not On MY Watch.
One of the story aspects that I particularly like is that Berenson blends a bit of moral and ethical analysis into his characters idle times. These ‘musings’ add real depth to the back story. Of course, there is not much that I ever felt that I was reading the transcript of a Dr. Phil show. Shadow Patrol had the feel and pace of a true CIA investigation. It was relentless.
For me, Alex Berenson and Shadow Patrol were both five stars.
Jeff Bailey, author of the thriller Not On MY Watch.
November 9, 2020
Wells returns to Afghanistan in this one on personal request from CIA director Duto. The CIA station there has been a mess since a suicide bomber took out several officers after gaining their trust two years earlier - and things have been getting even more messy lately, leading the higher-ups at Langley to suspect a mole might be leaking information to the Taliban. Elsewhere in the country, a massive drug smuggling operation involving members of the military is underway, potentially linked to Wells's investigation.
A solid entry in the series that kept me entertained, though less fastpaced than some of the previous books. Was the Exley cameo really necessary? That woman just keeps popping back up for no particular reason.
A solid entry in the series that kept me entertained, though less fastpaced than some of the previous books. Was the Exley cameo really necessary? That woman just keeps popping back up for no particular reason.
April 17, 2012
*Genre* Thriller
*Rating* 3 1/2
*Review*
This, being the sixth novel in the John Wells series, comes with a lot of political correctness and questions about our continued involvement in a war that most Americans have found repugnant. After watching the news tonight about US Soldiers purchasing drugs from their Asscrakistan colleagues, this story could be considered ripped from the headlines!
There are some serious questions that need to be asked as well: Do we really want to read about American soldiers killing other American soldiers over a drug trade that can't be stopped no matter how much money we toss at it? Do we really want to read about the fact that we are literally killing soldier drones with flying drones and not getting anywhere?
We're seemingly paying for both sides of the war by paying the Pashtuns not to interfere with convoys. It was a statement to the Taliban that they messed up big time by attacking the US on 9/11. Forever after reading this book, I shall forever refer to Afghanistan as Asscrackistan. Both sides of the political spectrum are to blame for our continued involvement in Asscrackistan. Time to bring our men and women home and honor them for their sacrifices and bravery.
The why of the book: Why bother writing Jennifer Exley, Wells Ex and former CIA agent, into the story knowing that Wells has found someone knew in Annie and is serious about settling down with her? Jennifer made her bed by running away, and now she has to sleep in it. Wells needs to let the Exley story fade away once and forever.
*Rating* 3 1/2
*Review*
This, being the sixth novel in the John Wells series, comes with a lot of political correctness and questions about our continued involvement in a war that most Americans have found repugnant. After watching the news tonight about US Soldiers purchasing drugs from their Asscrakistan colleagues, this story could be considered ripped from the headlines!
There are some serious questions that need to be asked as well: Do we really want to read about American soldiers killing other American soldiers over a drug trade that can't be stopped no matter how much money we toss at it? Do we really want to read about the fact that we are literally killing soldier drones with flying drones and not getting anywhere?
We're seemingly paying for both sides of the war by paying the Pashtuns not to interfere with convoys. It was a statement to the Taliban that they messed up big time by attacking the US on 9/11. Forever after reading this book, I shall forever refer to Afghanistan as Asscrackistan. Both sides of the political spectrum are to blame for our continued involvement in Asscrackistan. Time to bring our men and women home and honor them for their sacrifices and bravery.
The why of the book: Why bother writing Jennifer Exley, Wells Ex and former CIA agent, into the story knowing that Wells has found someone knew in Annie and is serious about settling down with her? Jennifer made her bed by running away, and now she has to sleep in it. Wells needs to let the Exley story fade away once and forever.
August 12, 2016
In reading this book, you learn a lot about what is happening in Afghanistan that is not reported in the news. For instance, the ease of obtaining drugs, namely heroin in the poppy-growing region. It is hoped that soldiers returning are not hooked on the drug as were so many of the soldiers returning from Vietnam.
In The Shadow Patrol, rumors spread about a CIA officer helping the Taliban and ex-CIA agent John Wells is called upon to go to Kabul and investigate the allegations. John only has one month to find the mole before an official trip is made to Kabul which will include his old boss Vinny Duto, head of the CIA. When John uses a Saudi disguise, he meets one of the Taliban chieftans but gets no concrete answers. Then he meets an Army Sergeant Coleman Young where he does get some answers.
I have read and loved all of Alex Berenson's books with the exception of The Midnight House. I think there was too much skipping around in that one. His books draw you in right from the start and keep you turning the pages until the last one.
In The Shadow Patrol, rumors spread about a CIA officer helping the Taliban and ex-CIA agent John Wells is called upon to go to Kabul and investigate the allegations. John only has one month to find the mole before an official trip is made to Kabul which will include his old boss Vinny Duto, head of the CIA. When John uses a Saudi disguise, he meets one of the Taliban chieftans but gets no concrete answers. Then he meets an Army Sergeant Coleman Young where he does get some answers.
I have read and loved all of Alex Berenson's books with the exception of The Midnight House. I think there was too much skipping around in that one. His books draw you in right from the start and keep you turning the pages until the last one.
July 23, 2018
Pretty good overall, if a bit choppy. Wells investigates reports of a mole at the CIA station in Kabul, and uncovers links between the mole to drug traffickers, links between the traffickers to a Stryker platoon, and links between the traffickers with a pair of homicidal Delta Force operators, an American cutout, and a Taliban figure operating in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Berenson uses the real-life bombing of the 2009 suicide attack on the CIA base at Khost for much of the backstory (although he changes the names and backstories of the people involved), as well as the general problems of the Afghan war effort.
The book has only a few problems; how Fransesca got the drugs from Afghanistan to Germany is never explained; Berenson heavily implies that there are other intermediaries in this chain, but they are nowhere to be seen and remain forgotten loose ends by the end of the book.
Still, the action, pacing and character development is great.
The book has only a few problems; how Fransesca got the drugs from Afghanistan to Germany is never explained; Berenson heavily implies that there are other intermediaries in this chain, but they are nowhere to be seen and remain forgotten loose ends by the end of the book.
Still, the action, pacing and character development is great.
September 15, 2012
Enjoyable, but felt like the book was a bit of a contract-obligation, rather then a story Berenson was excited to tell. Poorly edited. Too many interesting scenarios go nowhere: Meeting Wells' son is quick, and short and forgotten. Home with Wells' girlfriend and dog, and gone. The end is also chopped short.
I like Berenson, and John Wells is a far more interesting character then most, but this book wasn't the best in the series.
I like Berenson, and John Wells is a far more interesting character then most, but this book wasn't the best in the series.
May 17, 2019
Loved this book so much!! Suspense drama and mystery are what made it so great!! Think of Cbs's SEAL Team meets a dark mystery book as a crossover!!
If you love Thrillers this book is definitely for you!!
If you love Thrillers this book is definitely for you!!
May 27, 2025
3.75 stars, good read from Berenson.
February 19, 2018
With an average rating of 4.11 stars, I’m in the minority giving this one 3 stars. Over the last week I reluctantly picked up this book, convinced it would get better. It didn’t, compared to the other Alex Berenson novels. Here, we follow American hero John Wells back to Afghanistan, always deeply undercover. There is a Lee Child/Jack Reacher book/movie similar to this one, where a couple military guys are actually drug runners.
July 14, 2023
I enjoyed this book and it continues the series well. The opening of the book gives you a clue as to what will the moral dilemma John Wells (the main character, and by extension others) are facing. It was an interesting approach to this novel. I would like to think that the author is not done with the question, but we will see. This is a good action/spy thriller on the order of Jason Borne or Tom Cotton series.
November 29, 2019
A good story well told.
May 24, 2012
If you liked the other five books, you'll like this one too. Berenson's series started out differentiating itself from similar super-spy books by being more thoughtful and more open to trying to understand Islam and other cultures. But John Wells still goes around blowing away the bad guys. This book goes further than the previous volumes in questioning the ethical premise of the super-spy job itself. At some level, as LeCarre illustrates in his more realistic spy novels, the spy game is a self-enclosed feedback loop of spies spying on other spies and this justifies the need for spies; the world would presumably be better off without the lot of them. It would be good if someone could figure out how to write an entertaining story about Peace Corps Volunteers and people who prevent war by building up positive things, but in the meantime it's good to have a violent action hero who thinks a bit in the margins.
August 29, 2017
This book had a slightly different pace, in terms of action, than the others in the series. But this not at all a bad thing. Wells is a little calmer, a little more thoughtful and not as reckless as at times in the past. I feel this is a good progression for the character as years pass between the books and it seems he could go either completely mad or find some inner peace, as I think he has. I won't summarize the plot, as that is done quite well already. The story is quick moving and shows readers a different view of the military based in Afghanistan. I know very little about military life and I feel I learned a lot, which is always the case with Berenson's books, though they are never preachy. Another great addition to a strong series.
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Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
June 11, 2012
This time John Wells is sent to Afghanistan to fix what ails the local CIA station there. I still enjoyed this one but felt a noticeable drop off in quality to the earlier books by Berenson. It just felt and additional month or so of work would have given the story some of the nuance that marked his earlier efforts and more time to tie up the plot.
April 3, 2014
Failed to see what all the excitement is about. Main character not sympathetic at all. Plot seemed mechanical and wandering. Mostly accurate military writing and description but the bad guys were not at all believable, except the non-US ones. 2 Stars.
April 12, 2012
Second in a row that was just pretty mediocre.
March 27, 2022
Another above-average spy thriller involving John Wells.
March 2022: Re-read.
March 2022: Re-read.
November 29, 2024
5.9/10
I think this is going to be the mode review of Berenson's Wells series at this point.
Very little if any of his prejudice toward gentiles was showing so his NYC Jewishness at this point is being eclipsed by being a typical NYC liberal since we're firmly in the Obama Era with this series and nearly every positive military character we encounter (where we know at least their name) is a hyper-competent Black guy. This is a lot like what Rush Limbaugh was talking about at the time when he mentioned the term "magical negro" (a supporting stock character in fiction who, by means of special insight or powers often of a supernatural or quasi-mystical nature, helps the White protagonist get out of trouble) as it related to libs' worshipful treatment of Obama. I know take it to be where a minority character (but especially Black) is the mirror opposite of nearly every stereotype to make the liberal (non-Black) author feel better about themselves. It's all so tiresome.
The plot was decent. The big twist at the end I could see coming from about halfway through, but the "way" to the reveal had its own minor twists that I didn't anticipate and actually mildly appreciated.
Another thing that is "waxing" along with afrolatry is wife worship. I cannot tell you how much I cringed at the international high-flying spy character being pussywhipped by his live-in girlfriend because he doesn't cater to her every whim while he's killing bad guys around the world. Are. You. Kidding. Me??
John Wells doesn't have to be James Bond in his love life, but come on, nearly every wife/SO in the military/intel sector knows what they're in for when they get into it. If he wants to portray it, he should portray it as NEGATIVE and UNREALISTIC for a female love interest to be complaining about a high-level intel guy's unpredictable schedule, not like he should actually drop everything and just "hang out" with her or whatever.
He actually had this vignette in the book with regards to Wells' boss who answers to the head of the CIA and has been married to the same woman for multiple decades, all of a sudden playing the sullen teenage girl that wants attention while he's on call at all hours doing stressful, high-level intel work.
Very very apparent Berenson's actual wife started nagging him to be included in this series LOL absolutely pathetic
I think this is going to be the mode review of Berenson's Wells series at this point.
Very little if any of his prejudice toward gentiles was showing so his NYC Jewishness at this point is being eclipsed by being a typical NYC liberal since we're firmly in the Obama Era with this series and nearly every positive military character we encounter (where we know at least their name) is a hyper-competent Black guy. This is a lot like what Rush Limbaugh was talking about at the time when he mentioned the term "magical negro" (a supporting stock character in fiction who, by means of special insight or powers often of a supernatural or quasi-mystical nature, helps the White protagonist get out of trouble) as it related to libs' worshipful treatment of Obama. I know take it to be where a minority character (but especially Black) is the mirror opposite of nearly every stereotype to make the liberal (non-Black) author feel better about themselves. It's all so tiresome.
The plot was decent. The big twist at the end I could see coming from about halfway through, but the "way" to the reveal had its own minor twists that I didn't anticipate and actually mildly appreciated.
Another thing that is "waxing" along with afrolatry is wife worship. I cannot tell you how much I cringed at the international high-flying spy character being pussywhipped by his live-in girlfriend because he doesn't cater to her every whim while he's killing bad guys around the world. Are. You. Kidding. Me??
John Wells doesn't have to be James Bond in his love life, but come on, nearly every wife/SO in the military/intel sector knows what they're in for when they get into it. If he wants to portray it, he should portray it as NEGATIVE and UNREALISTIC for a female love interest to be complaining about a high-level intel guy's unpredictable schedule, not like he should actually drop everything and just "hang out" with her or whatever.
He actually had this vignette in the book with regards to Wells' boss who answers to the head of the CIA and has been married to the same woman for multiple decades, all of a sudden playing the sullen teenage girl that wants attention while he's on call at all hours doing stressful, high-level intel work.
Very very apparent Berenson's actual wife started nagging him to be included in this series LOL absolutely pathetic
January 9, 2022
Contrary to the many reviews saying Shadow Patrol pales in comparison to previous John Wells novels, I thought it was actually a step up. The thing that put me off previous JW titles was the author's propensity to wrap everything up with a all-hands-on-deck, good ol' fashioned shoot-em-up, or some equally ridiculous device. The Shadow Patrol does not do this, and I suspect this is what the "not as good as before" crowd misses.
I am not a CIA operative, and I do not play one on TV, but I'm guessing covert missions are less like Bruce Willis vs the World in Die Hard 27, and more like the 15ish minute SEAL strike to take out bin Laden (yes, I know SEALs aren't CIA, but you get the point). Shadow Patrol is long on the set up and context, and light on actual action. The final scene is smart and plausible - it is not Hollywood.
First time readers complain about the lack of paper developing John Wells' character. True. Mr Berenson assumes the reader knows him from previous books, so doesn't bother rehashing that territory. First time Berenson readers should start with The Faithful Spy for JW's back story.
If you appreciate a more deliberately-paced book that trades the flash and sizzle of entirely implausible Hollywood endings for my perception of what realism might look like in this context, this book is a good one. If you want the flash-bang, look elsewhere.
I am not a CIA operative, and I do not play one on TV, but I'm guessing covert missions are less like Bruce Willis vs the World in Die Hard 27, and more like the 15ish minute SEAL strike to take out bin Laden (yes, I know SEALs aren't CIA, but you get the point). Shadow Patrol is long on the set up and context, and light on actual action. The final scene is smart and plausible - it is not Hollywood.
First time readers complain about the lack of paper developing John Wells' character. True. Mr Berenson assumes the reader knows him from previous books, so doesn't bother rehashing that territory. First time Berenson readers should start with The Faithful Spy for JW's back story.
If you appreciate a more deliberately-paced book that trades the flash and sizzle of entirely implausible Hollywood endings for my perception of what realism might look like in this context, this book is a good one. If you want the flash-bang, look elsewhere.
April 25, 2023
Caution: some spoilers in the review.
Six-word Review: Wells actioner with less violence, more thinking.
This, the sixth book in the series has far less violence and more detective work.
Wells returns to Afghanistan as a CIA contractor to assess the Kabul operation and uncover drug dealing as well as a possible plot to assassinate the head of the CIA. He must assume his undercover persona from time to time while building some credibility with the troops so he can find out what's going on.
He manages to do what he sets out to do but must kill some fellow Americans to do it. He, also, must uncover the CIA agent who is honchoing the drug trafficking and may be behind the alleged assassination plot. Neither the CIA folks nor the military are happy to see him.
This book does a nice job of exploring Afghan rural society as well as the state of the military based in a remote part of Afghanistan. The opening chapters which chronicle the cultivation of a Taliban informer are very well done.
While the story drags a little with the back-stories of some of the characters, it is an enjoyable read and I do recommend it.
Six-word Review: Wells actioner with less violence, more thinking.
This, the sixth book in the series has far less violence and more detective work.
Wells returns to Afghanistan as a CIA contractor to assess the Kabul operation and uncover drug dealing as well as a possible plot to assassinate the head of the CIA. He must assume his undercover persona from time to time while building some credibility with the troops so he can find out what's going on.
He manages to do what he sets out to do but must kill some fellow Americans to do it. He, also, must uncover the CIA agent who is honchoing the drug trafficking and may be behind the alleged assassination plot. Neither the CIA folks nor the military are happy to see him.
This book does a nice job of exploring Afghan rural society as well as the state of the military based in a remote part of Afghanistan. The opening chapters which chronicle the cultivation of a Taliban informer are very well done.
While the story drags a little with the back-stories of some of the characters, it is an enjoyable read and I do recommend it.
April 14, 2024
This is the author’s sixth installment in the John Wells thriller series. John is a CIA agent or perhaps a CIA contractor at this point in the series. He doesn’t seem to work full-time with the CIA, nor does he seem to work for anyone else. I guess he is an “as needed” employee for the CIA. In this story John is engaged by the CIA to investigate possible suspicious activity by a CIA employee in Afghanistan. From that standpoint, this story has the traits of a mystery. John’s investigation does uncover clues that point to illegal activity by either or both military personnel and CIA personnel. With everyone in Afghanistan having weapons and weapons training, this undercover investigation places John at risk. For my preference, I would have preferred that this novel have more emphasis on action rather than the investigation. The characters are interesting people and the dialogue fits the personnel and the times. In short, the story is realistic and interesting. The capabilities of the technology that the Army and CIA use to assist our personnel in Afghanistan is very interesting as well.
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