The Walk-In: A Novel [Paperback]

Gary Berntsen (Author), Ralph Pezzullo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 2009

A diabolical plot, a lone operative, and a threat far larger than anyone imagines . . .

Writing with award-winning novelist Ralph Pezzullo, Gary Berntsen–longtime CIA operative and the field commander who cornered Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan–offers in this electric thriller debut a terrifying vision of where the next threat to America may come from.

When a highly placed Iranian intelligence operative walks into a U.S. embassy claiming to possess explosive information, counterterrorism officer Matt Freed is dispatched to interview him . . . and is warned of an impending Iranian attack on the United States that could kill millions.

With a possible catastrophe looming in less than two weeks, Matt’s superiors reluctantly prepare for the assault, but Matt obeys his instincts and launches his own unsanctioned investigation. Ultimately, his efforts brand him as an out-of-control renegade, and he finds himself left out in the cold.

Yet he may be the only one with the knowledge needed to avert unimaginable chaos.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This novel is what thrillers aspire to be. Authors Berntsen and Pezzullo deliver a story that steams and dances like water on a red-hot skillet. The Walk-In is Tom Clancy for our era."
—Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Collector, The Sleeping Doll and The Broken Window

"The Walk-In is packed with what so many books lack: authenticity.  This is a thriller full of thrills, and while you're page-turning and nail-biting, be comforted by the fact that what's in it is fiction.  At least, so far..."
—SJ Rozan, Edgar-award winning author of In This Rain

“Gary Berntsen knows scary stuff the rest of us can only guess at, and he shares some of his dangerous expertise in The Walk-In . . . The Walk-In roars across the hotspots of the globe and right to our front door . . . I couldn’t put it down.”
— Peter Spiegelman, award-winning author of Red Cat


Praise for the nonfiction thriller JAWBREAKER

“Gripping . . . this honest account doesn’t do the president any favors.”
— Frank Rich, New York Times

“A true and amazing story of how the war [in Afghanistan] was fought.”
— Oliver Stone

“A thrilling read . . . Berntsen did his best to try to get bin Laden; many in Washington have yet to do theirs.”
—Washington Post

“A real page turner . . . Berntsen is brave and bold and a true American hero.”
—Cofer Black, former Chief of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Counterterrorism Center

“A compelling first-person, fly-on-the-wall account [and] a story that Berntsen had to fight to tell.”
—Washington Monthly


From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

GARY BERNTSEN served for more than two decades in the Central Intelligence Agency. He operated at the highest levels in the Middle East and Latin America and led the CIA’s major counterterrorist deployments in East Africa following the attacks on the U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. In hunting down Osama Bin Laden, he also commanded the most successful CIA paramilitary team ever assembled, a tale spellbindingly told in the New York Times bestseller Jawbreaker. Berntsen is a recipient of the CIA’s distinguished Intelligence Medal and Intelligence Star.

RALPH PEZZULLO is a former journalist, an award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and poet, and the author of At the Fall of Somoza, Plunging into Haiti, and the mystery novel Eve Missing. His novel The Resurrection of Thomas Lear was a semifinalist for the Faulkner Prize.


From the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (September 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307394824
• ISBN-13: 978-0307394828
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,335,351 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Thriller Written in Years, August 12, 2008

By 

JP (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Walk-In: A Novel (Hardcover)

For years all kinds of writers have been trying to tackle a realistic and fictional story related to the war on terrorism. Books and even movies, such as the The Sum of All Fears, failed in imagination and were tip of the iceberg doomsday concepts with few substantive ideas of where a possible threat to the United States might come from? Who are the perpetrators, and how do they plan on carrying out their plans for mass murder?

Where all the other stories have failed, The Walk-In provides everything this kind of a story needs and more. The book is the story of Matt Freed, an aggresive counterterrorism officer, who receives a tip from a walk-in at a U.S. embassy. It is up to Freed to follow this lead, find out if this guy is for real, and chase down the people who are plotting to kill innocent lives.

Bertnsen and Pezzullo have created a wild and plausible plot that shows exactly where and how potential threats may materialize. A lot of the reasons 9/11 wasn't prevented had to do with human failures and counterproductive beauracratic structures that impede the efforts of brave individuals who bear the brunt of having to protect America under extremely difficult circumstances. The Walk-In is written brilliantly and conincingly, and you will be surprised how much you can learn about the threats we face from a work of fiction. Anyone interested in this subject, or just enjoys a fun and exciting plot will do themselves justice by picking up this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written Novel of fiction, May 28, 2009

By 

Bob Green "gadget guy" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Walk-In: A Novel (Hardcover)

I had never heard of this book until I saw it recommended on Amazon. It is fast paced and exciting. I am looking forward to the next book by the authors.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good, Quick, Realistic Contemporary Novel, April 28, 2009

By 

L. Jacobsen "blu-turtle" (DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Walk-In: A Novel (Hardcover)

Gary, with his years of service in the CIA and Ralph have crafted a fine novel. It is an easy read, is entertaining at the same time it has a pertinence in the modern world. Who do you trust to pass secrets back and forth about the games nations/countries play? Gary and Ralph test your ability to determine who is a good source and who is a bad one.