The Counterfeit Agent (A John Wells Novel) by Alex Berenson (2015-01-27)

Great book as usual by Berenson. Good characters and interesting plot. Berenson always makes you feel like you are in the places he describes. I really always look forward to another John Wells novel.

If you like espionage books, and you are not reading this series, you are missing out on one of the best. I have been reading thrillers and espionage books for years, starting with Ludlum, Frederick Forsyth, Ken Follett, just to name some of the older ones.....The new ones, Silva, Clancy, Flynn, Greaney, I could keep going. My point? Alex Berenson is up there with the best. His character, John Wells, is very different than your normal character, the first book found him under deep cover with Islamist extremists, and he converted to Islam after so many years undercover. That is way different than the expected hero. Then circumstances bring him back into the world, and the series takes off.
This latest book is different than the others in that the story is a little slow to get going, but when you reach the end, you understand why. The author leaves you at a point that you must read the next book, there is so much more story to go. At first in reading the book, I was wondering why there seemed so much background rather than action, then I understood. The author was not done with me!
I would suggest reading this series from the beginning, you get to know the main character so well, and really get to like him and appreciate what he has sacrificed for the country. However, if you are new to the series, and want to start with this book, it is still a really good read, just not as much appreciation for where the character has been and may be going.
I highly recommend this book and this series, I am so glad I found him. I came late to the series, and was able to read the books one after another, what a treat that was! Read this author, John Wells is a favorite, well developed character, and I would hate for you to miss him.

Alex Berenson continues to hold his readers captive with stories filled with suspense, mystery and action. John Wells travels the works performing acts of courage and bravery with just enough luck and realism to make the story believable and keep the reader hungry for more.

He has a good, writing style which captures the reader. His story was interesting, and somewhat different from other writers who have these type of story lines. David Baldacci gets into a pattern and the writer begins to figure out what will happen. Berenson still is a writer who is fresh enough for me to keep the book interesting.

I have enjoyed all his books…excited to read this one..at the end I thought it was a mistake…the ending did not give any closure then I find it is one of two books…all his other books had closure but you could expect to find the same characters in the next book. I am so glad I did not pay $28.00 for this book instead I purchased it for a kindle..very disappointed with the ending.

I've enjoyed many of Berenson's John Wells novels, but this is not one of them. In fact, it's not really a novel at all. A novel has a plot that takes us to a resolution of the conflict that drives the story. Counterfeit Agent is really just the first half of a novel. It simply sets the stage for the rest of the story with an ending that is little more than an ad for the next installment. Even if the story stood on it's own, it is a weak effort in the action thriller genre. The first half of the book is downright boring. One Berenson finally gets his hero, John Wells, into some significant action halfway through, Berenson delivers the kind of action and suspense he's capable of writing. Unfortunately, all that action leaves us right back where we started on page one. All that's been accomplished in the narrative is that we now know who the villain is and an element of suspense has finally been generated. Berenson's first Wells books were riveting. The decline in the quality of his work is saddening. Riveting has turned into comatose. Had Berenson combined this with the obvious sequel and done some serious editing, this could have been a great book. I feel cheated. I've been invited to shell out more money to get the last half of the book. I won't.

Good book while it lasts but a very unsatisfying ending. It just stops. I wasn't looking for a serial where you have to wait for next year to see how the story wraps up. Unless, of course, we just get another episode. Then I'll be done with John Wells.

Suspense. Very real. Shows exactly who rules the world and which group has a direct access to the American President. I recommend this book to everybody who is interested in teh Middle East and the intrigues of Middle Eastern politics.

Complicated, complex and conflicted, John Wells is an awesome hero! While his actions are not always admirable, his character has been nicely fleshed out by a skilled author. Look forward to further entries in the series.

The basic story could have been written in about half the number of pages. A lot of extraneous detail that didn't necessarily contribute to the story line. I like Berenson's work but this was not his best effort, in my opinion.