Alex Berenson
Hardcover | Pages: 334 pages Rating: 4 | 14411 Users | 854 Reviews
Mention Books Supposing The Faithful Spy (John Wells #1)
| Original Title: | The Faithful Spy |
| ISBN: | 0345478991 (ISBN13: 9780345478993) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | John Wells #1 |
| Characters: | John Wells |
| Literary Awards: | Barry Award Nominee for Best First Novel (2007), Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American Author (2007) |
Rendition Conducive To Books The Faithful Spy (John Wells #1)
Well...I think for you bottom line types I'd say this one is, "not bad". I'm not thrilled about it but neither am I really disappointed. I'll give some details below but I know some like an answer of sorts "up front".Now what's good and what's not. Well the story is treading some well trodden ground though with a new twist. John Wells is a deep, deep cover CIA agent. He is the only agent CIA has ever place in al-Qaeda. Sadly there's a lot of doubt about him "back in Washington" as he doesn't check in very often (we're talking years here).
The story has for me a couple of real problems. First John having been under for SOOOOO LONG he's lonely and goes on and on about it. He's angsty and frankly annoying at times. (I'll mention one of the reasons for the angst later but it's not a big part of the problem...the angsty slowness is). There's also a sort of left handed romance with his CIA handler (whom as mentioned he hasn't seen in years). They had the magnetic attraction before he went undercover...now they're both divorced and we get the dancing around it all. Now there's also his suffering over leaving his wife (who divorced him when he left for an undetermined time and has since remarried) and his son who of course has no memory of him...
All in all the plot suffers from at times being pretty much submerged under John's personal problems. Maybe just me but I'd like to see more plot development and less angst.
Now there's one other thing I was asked about and no one else in a review has addressed it (that I saw anyway).
Yes Our hero John is a Muslim. I think the point in this in the book is largely to say, "see all Muslims aren't radicals". Now for those who worry, John is never tempted to change sides. He's very much of the Islam is a religion of peace. Though as things go on John "talks about" how he sees Islam more as a way of life than a religion.
There is some misrepresentation of Christianity and it's teachings. That could be (as it often is) simply lack of knowledge on the part of the writer. Religions are often misrepresented when they are written about.
So, the book is very PC and there's probably a hope on the part of the writer to show how war can be self-sustaining through injuries done by each side...
On these points I'd say decide for yourself. The story is on the whole (as I said) not bad while being a little slow moving and angsty. So, maybe try it for yourself. I may get to others in the series but probably not right away.
Itemize About Books The Faithful Spy (John Wells #1)
| Title | : | The Faithful Spy (John Wells #1) |
| Author | : | Alex Berenson |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 334 pages |
| Published | : | April 25th 2006 by Random House (NY) |
| Categories | : | Thriller. Fiction. Spy Thriller. Espionage. Mystery |
Rating About Books The Faithful Spy (John Wells #1)
Ratings: 4 From 14411 Users | 854 ReviewsAppraise About Books The Faithful Spy (John Wells #1)
This was a great read. The thrill factor is high and the story is very well-done. I am definitely moving on in the series. I can't wait to see what happens in the next in the series. I am knocking it down a star though for a part in the story that I found to be so irrelevant except to maybe the author. (view spoiler)[There is a scene that happens between the 2 MCs that is utterly ridiculous and useless and as a woman, I just can't get over it. It seems completely self-indulgent on the author'sThis is the kind of book where you breathe a sigh of relief when it is over. Don't take this the wrong way, I was really drawn in and the writing is excellent, it is only that the story is so real that it is quite frightening. The story centers around a CIA agent who has infiltrated Al Quaeda and gets involved in their plans. The writing is both to-the-point and elegant and the plot is so intricately plotted it just feels as though this really happened, which is the scary part. I've read a few
Well...I think for you bottom line types I'd say this one is, "not bad". I'm not thrilled about it but neither am I really disappointed. I'll give some details below but I know some like an answer of sorts "up front".Now what's good and what's not. Well the story is treading some well trodden ground though with a new twist. John Wells is a deep, deep cover CIA agent. He is the only agent CIA has ever place in al-Qaeda. Sadly there's a lot of doubt about him "back in Washington" as he doesn't
A nuanced, gruesome spy thriller.The basic idea is original if not easily believable. A CIA agent manages to infiltrate Al Qaeda and then quite sincerely becomes a Muslim without however losing his basic patriotism and loyalty to America. The result is that his CIA bosses no longer trust him while his Al Qaeda bosses do not completely trust him either. He is a man in danger of being lost between two worlds. This part of the book is subtle and nuanced. Berenson describes the psychology of the
The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson is a novel following a man who was a CIA asset in al Qaeda. The novel takes place in Afghanistan and the United States.John Wells is the only CIA agent managed to infiltrate al Qaeda, in the process he has become a faithful Muslim but still an American patriot. Understandably, Johns al Qaeda bosses dont fully trust him, but as a result of his long absence and finding a new religion, his CIA bosses dont trust him either.Trying to prove himself as a patriot and
This is book 1 of 11 in the John Wells spy thriller series. It's 352 pages, rated 3.96 / 5.0 on GoodReads and I rated it 4.0. This novel was nominated for the Barry and Edgar award for Best First novel, and I'd agree that it was a good opening for Alex Berenson. This book is about an American agent who is deeply embedded with Islamic extremists who want to destroy the USA. There's a constant back and forth with John Wells trying to prove his loyalty to both sides, a love interest, and a
The horrific events of 9/11 have changed the espionage thriller genre and new authors with huge followings have taken up the war on terror. Among these popular authors is Alex Berenson. He brilliantly introduces readers to John Wells, a CIA operative who has given up his family, parents, wife, and son to successfully infiltrate al Qaeda. Both his agency and the terrorists are wary of him. He has spent 10 years proving himself to UBL and al Zawahiri in the desolate plateaus of Pakistan and in
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