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36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Satisfying -- But A Few Notches Below The Early Books In This Series!, January 1, 2012
This review is from: The Shadow Patrol (A John Wells Novel) (Hardcover)
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In The Shadow Patrol, John Wells is again asked to serve as a freelance troubleshooter for the CIA, his former employer. The basis of the plot revolves around Wells going undercover in Afghanistan to investigate if somehow the Taliban has infiltrated the Kabul station. Once there, Wells enters a web of mistrust and uncovers clues that suggest that a drug trafficking operation is in effect that involves the agency, the military and the Taliban. As a result of the operation, American soldiers are dying -- and only Wells stands in the way of those responsible. Similar to the first five books in Berenson's John Wells series, The Shadow Patrol is entertaining and well-researched. However, relative to the other books, The Shadow Patrol is not quite as well-plotted, nor is it as much of a page-turner. Further on a comparative basis, The Shadow Patrol falls somewhat short in terms of dimensionalizing his main character and particularly his supportive characters; to the point that readers that have not read any of this author's previous books might feel that they don't know the characters as well as they would have liked in order to care more about them. Additionally, the plot tends to drag too much at various times during the middle of the book. Despite these comparative flaws The Shadow Patrol is a worthwhile read and one that I think espionage/spy genre readers will enjoy. I'd suggest, however, that before reading The Shadow Patrol new readers to the series begin with The Faithful Spy and at least one of the other John Wells books to enhance their understanding and appreciation of the characters they will meet in this book.
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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Reminiscent of Nelson DeMille's military novels, December 26, 2011
This review is from: The Shadow Patrol (A John Wells Novel) (Hardcover)
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John Wells, Alex Berenson's "Reluctant Spy", is back again in this novel that successfully mixes genres. Ever since leaving the CIA, Wells has found himself working more as a freelancing troubleshooter than a spy, last time for the Saudi royal family, this time for his old bosses at the Agency. An agency op in Afghanistan goes badly wrong, leaving several case officers dead and the resident office in an administrative shambles. An army Stryker unit - a platoon-sized outfit of mechanized infantry - is involved in moving drugs from Afghan Taliban suppliers through to the States, with the help of a couple of Delta snipers and another American who seems to have his own agenda. Wells is called on to go to Afghanistan as an "unofficial" representative of his old CIA boss Vinnie Duto to assess the effectiveness of the resident office as a viable force, and in doing so he stumbles onto the problems arising from the disaster that wiped out so many of the local Agency operatives. How this evolves, and Well's actions in addressing these problems, form the crux of the story. Berenson weaves an intricate and involving story here that blends the espionage and military genres masterfully. In many ways this book is evocative of the military novels of Nelson DeMille - particularly "The General's Daughter" - though the crimes at its heart are of a very different nature. The characters are well-realized and three-dimensional; it's well-plotted; and I found it to be thoroughly enjoyable. In other words, what we've come to expect from Berenson. A very solid four stars; maybe 4 ½.
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18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Well written but with no sense of urgency, December 27, 2011
This review is from: The Shadow Patrol (A John Wells Novel) (Hardcover)
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While the subject of this novel is troubling - drug trafficking by US troops - it never reaches a fever pitch of excitement. Okay, soldiers have been dealing in the black market since WWI albeit not with sixteen kilos of heroin but this is not an earth threatening issue and that's the problem with this novel, the topic is too mundane for a novel. Would be a great expose if it was a true story but it seems highly unlikely the government would dispatch a high powered operative like Wells to deal with this type problem. Berenson writes with his usual flair, the dialogue is enthralling and the book is nicely paced but it left me feeling like the climax never developed. Espionage novels should deal with huge issues like nuclear weapons, terrorists attacks, biological threats, etc.. This one never gets there and reads like a manuscript that may have been sitting in the drawer for a while and got pulled out so the author could submit something to their publisher on time. If this was a $1 Kindle book from a first time author, I'd give it four stars and say the author had a future with better developed plot and story lines. Since it's from an established author who has already proven he can write five star novels, it gets only a passing grade.
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