The Shadow Patrol: Amazon.ca: Alex Berenson, George Guidall: Books

Product Description

Book Description

Unabridged, 9 CDs, 11 1/2 hours

Read by George Guidall

John Wells goes undercover in Afghanistan not only among the Taliban but among fellow Americans-in the electrifying new novel of modern suspense from the #1 New York Times-bestselling writer.

About the Author

As a reporter for The New York Times, Alex Berenson has covered topics ranging from the occupation of Iraq to the flooding of New Orleans to the financial crimes of Bernie Madoff. His previous novels include The Faithful Spy, winner of the 2007 Edgar Award, and The Ghost War. He lives in New York City.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com ^(beta)

Amazon.com: 4.0 out of 5 stars (57 customer reviews)

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying -- But A Few Notches Below The Early Books In This Series!, Jan 1 2012

By bobbewig - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: The Shadow Patrol (Hardcover)

Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program

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.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Reminiscent of Nelson DeMille's military novels, Dec 26 2011

By Brian Baker - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: The Shadow Patrol (Hardcover)

Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program

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 .

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not the quality of the preceding books, Feb 26 2012

By Dsdjd - Published on Amazon.com

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This review is from: The Shadow Patrol (Hardcover)

This book was the least interesting of the series. The sub-plots didn't fit together well. During most of the book I lost track of how the antagonist even fit into the story. It just all seemed too forced. I never felt my heart rate pick up, or really wondering about the resolution of the problem. I sort of didn't care if the bad guys won. All the preceding books were excellent..I was disappointed in this one.

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