“A well-crafted page-turner that addresses the most important issue of our time. It will keep you reading well into the night.”–Vince Flynn A New York Times reporter has drawn upon his experience covering the occupation in Iraq to write the most gripping and chillingly plausible thriller of the post-9/11 era. Alex Berenson’s debut novel of suspense, The Faithful Spy, is a sharp, explosive story that takes readers inside the war on terror as fiction has never done before. John Wells is the only American CIA agent ever to penetrate al Qaeda. Since before the attacks in 2001, Wells has been hiding in the mountains of Pakistan, biding his time, building his cover. Now, on the orders of Omar Khadri–the malicious mastermind plotting more al Qaeda strikes on America–Wells is coming home. Neither Khadri nor Jennifer Exley, Wells’s superior at Langley, knows quite what to expect. For Wells has changed during his years in the mountains. He has become a Muslim. He finds the United States decadent and shallow. Yet he hates al Qaeda and the way it uses Islam to justify its murderous assaults on innocents. He is a man alone, and the CIA–still reeling from its failure to predict 9/11 or find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq–does not know whether to trust him. Among his handlers at Langley, only Exley believes in him, and even she sometimes wonders. And so the agency freezes Wells out, preferring to rely on high-tech means for gathering intelligence. But as that strategy fails and Khadri moves closer to unleashing the most devastating terrorist attack in history, Wells and Exley must somehow find a way to stop him, with or without the government’s consent. From secret American military bases where suspects are held and “interrogated” to basement laboratories where al Qaeda’s scientists grow the deadliest of biological weapons, The Faithful Spy is a riveting and cautionary tale, as affecting in its personal stories as it is sophisticated in its political details. The first spy thriller to grapple squarely with the complexities and terrors of today’s world, this is a uniquely exciting and unnerving novel by an author who truly knows his territory.
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"OK. I picked this up at the airport. Was looking for a light airplane read, spy thriller. I got a great thriller and a very engaging read, but not exactly light. You could read it that way if you don't read the newspapers. This one is literally "ripped from the headlines". About a CIA agent under cover with jihadi Islamic extremists trying to prevent the next big attack. We all know it is coming. We all know there are sleepers in the US. This book, although fiction, is a credible and very plausible potential path. The Islamist are not irrational crazies. They are people, deeply hurt, intelligent, just misguided. These people are out there. They won't go away if you sit down and have tea with them. Obama should read this." — Martin (5 out of 5 stars)
"OK. I picked this up at the airport. Was looking for a light airplane read, spy thriller. I got a great thriller and a very engaging read, but not exactly light. You could read it that way if you don't read the newspapers. This one is literally "ripped from the headlines". About a CIA agent under cover with jihadi Islamic extremists trying to prevent the next big attack. We all know it is coming. We all know there are sleepers in the US. This book, although fiction, is a credible and very plausible potential path. The Islamist are not irrational crazies. They are people, deeply hurt, intelligent, just misguided. These people are out there. They won't go away if you sit down and have tea with them. Obama should read this."
“The Faithful Spy offers a well-informed, often chilling look at how al-Qaeda might launch a major new attack in the United States—and how one intrepid undercover agent might do his darnedest to foil it…The Faithful Spy is a first-rate thriller.”
“A thriller worthy of Le Carré.”
“An intriguing thriller studded with alarming possibilities.”
“One could hardly ask for a more skillful, timely, and well-rounded translation of our worst fears into satisfying thrills; a sure bet for fans of Jack Higgins and Vince Flynn.”
" fantastic book and a great character. I keep reading (listening to these books!!!! "
" Well-written, interesting characters, fast-paced. Really enjoyed this and passed it onto my 17-year-old son who is now hooked on Berenson's books. "
" So I finally read the first book of the series - Amazing! If you like spy novels and action books this series if for you.It is a perfect kickoff to the series, and is well worth the purchase. I own it on Kindle so if you want to borrow let me know. "
" This was an okay book to me. At times it seemed to drag on at points to me. It is a new author to me so it will be interesting to see where he takes the characters from here. "
" Awesome for what it is. Wish I had saved it for a plane. Will make a great movie. "
" Eh. Another spy book. A CIA agent infiltrates a terrorist cell in Afghanistan. The Cell sends him on a mission in the United States. The CIA wants to know if they can still trust him... The Cell wants to know if they can trust him... Etc. Etc. "
" Great book. John wells is another hero America needs more of. This is the type of book that could keep you up at night wondering when and where the terrorists may strike again. "
" Fantastic spy novel. Could hardly put it down. Can't wait to read the next John Wells story. "
" Wow - This is without question the best spy/thriller novel I've read in a number of years... "
" Excellent, excellent spy novel. Conflicted characters in a gray world try to locate a moral center as they are called to serve their country. John Wells, our hero, could be a cowboy: watch for the "shot-out" at the end. "
" Liked it. Cold war meets Al Qaeda. Hero saves the day. "
" Listened to the audiobook from Audible. I enjoyed it. Quick, plausible, entertaining, and occasionally frightening. I plan on reading the next book in the series eventually. "
" I picked this book at random since I like spy books and really enjoyed it. It was a great fix of realistic fiction and entertainment. Can't wait to read book 2! "
" Fun thriller. It was fairly predictable, but the story was still interesting and worth the read. "
" I wish I could give this one 3.5 stars. It was better than 'I liked it' but not quite up to 'I really liked it'. I plan to read the next one in the series. "
" It did win the Edgar Award. "
" This is about the CIA trying to penetrate al Qaeda. Very exciting "
" Good suspense and very timely. Will appeal to high school readers especially those who want military and war stories. "
" One of the best new spy novels I've read in a long time and it was very timely.... Love John Wells. "
" John Wells is no Mitch Rapp, but he can probably fill the void until the next Mitch Rapp book comes out. I'll read the next one in the series... maybe he'll grow on me. "
" Fast and entertaining. I can see similarities (plot, characterization) between this and Frederick Forsyth's The Afghan, but in my opinion Alex Berenson did it much better. "
" This book was fantastic. A completely immersive read even more incredible when you realize was the first novel for this author. "
" A fun page-turner that seemed terrifyingly realistic! Fun for a quick thriller. "
" Audio Book. It was pretty depressing. A CIA operative infiltrates Qaida and lives in Afghanistan for years. It sounds like a rough existence. Then he gets sent on a mission by Bin Laden but not told what the mission is. He goes home where his mom is "
" Espionage and violence in the age of Islamist terrorism. Berenson's protagonist is in the Jack Reacher mold. Good airplane reading, but not as good as the espionage masters like Furst and Ambler. "
" USA's fears of al-Qaeda available in this book's content "
" Readable, but not too exciting account of a deep cover spy on the Taliban, and what happens when he finally comes home.A little draggy in spots. "
" If you like Vince Flynn books, you will love The Faithful Spy. several twists & very "24" like. I can't wait to dive into Alex Berenson's second book "
" Berenson does a good job of staying away from the controversial political issues and focuses on the fictional intrigue. He incorporates a smart interpretation of Islam and makes John's struggles with faith believable. Overall, this is a good read and I'm willing to give Number 2 a shot. "
" Better than 3 stars, but couldn't really justify 4. Probably would not have won an Edgar on my vote. "
Alex Berenson is the American author of several works of nonfiction and nearly a dozen suspense novels in the John Wells series, of which eight have made the New York Times bestseller list. The first novel in the series, The Faithful Spy, won the 2007 Edgar Award for best first novel. A former reporter for the Denver Post and the New York Times, he covered topics ranging from the occupation of Iraq to the flooding of New Orleans to the financial crimes of Bernie Madoff. He graduated from Yale University in 1994 with degrees in history and economics.
Robertson Dean has played leading roles on and off Broadway and at dozens of regional theaters throughout the country. He has a BA from Tufts University and an MFA from Yale. His audiobook narration has garnered ten AudioFile Earphones Awards. He now lives in Los Angeles, where he works in film and television in addition to narrating.
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