The Secret Soldier (A John Wells Novel)

The Secret Soldier is a excellent read. It keeps your interest until you can't put it down. It came in a timely manner and just as advertised. Definetly a keeper. I will and have ordered more of Alex Berenson.

Secret Solider is the next installment in Alex Berenson's series about John Wells, an unconventional CIA operative. Wells has now left the agency and is trying to build a personal life with some normalcy. Not to be! He is recruited by the king of Saudi Arabia to uncover plots against the monarchy and ultimately against the US. Wells and his partner chase the terrorists from Lebannon back to Saudi Arabia without the full support of the CIA. They deal with assassinations, kidnappings and other terrorist plots. Let me say that this novel moves right along and in my mind seemed to be ripped from the headlines and unfortunately not particularly farfetched. In addition to the action in the Mid East, Berenson takes the time to give the reader a background in Saudi Arabian history, the different sects of Islam and other cultural details. I don't want to give away plot details here as they are the meat and potatoes of this genre but Wells is a credible hero with a meaningful back-story. Additionally the story scored points with me with an ending that was not predictable.

This was the first book I read in this series and it read just fine as a standalone story. In the international spy thriller genre, Berenson, and his protagonist John Wells are now on my reading list.

Alex Berenson is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. Thus far I have read The Faithful Spy, The Ghost War, The Silent Man, Midnight House, The Secret Soldier and The Night Ranger. I read them all in series except for the Night Ranger. I've really enjoyed all his books and I have came to really like John Well's, Shafer, Excely, and even Duto. If I could give one bit of advice to Berenson is slow down with the ages of Well's and Shafer. I believe Well's could be the next Alex Cross. Hopefully that is considered a compliment because James Patterson has made a butt load of money with Alex and the 20 + books. Now that I've established that Berenson is a stud I would honestly say the Secret Soldier is probably my least favorite book so far. I loved the Midnight House as well as all of Well's adventures. Anyway have purchased the rest of Berenson Books from the store and they are waiting for me on my Kindle Paper White. By the way I have never read a book that I rated a 5 star. I like it because it keeps me searching for that 5 star gem. I've read a few 4.8 books such as Saving Jacob by William Landay, Sharp Object by Gillian Finn as well as A Time to Kill by John Grisham. Keep it up Mr. Berenson and stop getting Well's beat up or a year older. Pretty soon he will be 60 years old.

The fifth book in the John Wells series was better than the previous two in many ways. I liked the underlying storyline of this novel. I enjoyed learning a little about the Saudi Royal famil. I enjoyed the various travels by air and seas. But, for me, the key to whether I like a book is always character development. John Wells is a richly developed protagonist. This book let me learn more about his life and his past. I always like when there are bits of story told through flashbacks.

However, I took away one star due to the ending which was horrible. The story fell apart and it left me wanting more - but not in the good way. Bummer. Nevertheless, number six is definitely in my queue.

Alex Berenson is simply the master of the spy novel. And with The Secret Soldier, he takes it to the next level. John Wells has left the CIA and gets a job with an old friend, the King of Saudi Arabia. What an amazing concept that pulled me in right from the start. John jumps at the chance and is soon in way over his head. The plot moves in every possible direction with a lot of false leads. Alex does a wonderful job of taking the reader down the rabbit hole to have John come out on top. This was a fantastic book that I was really impressed with.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel that I was fortunate enough to receive from an early readers program. The research and attention to detail breathes to life an Arab world that is both thrilling and complicated.

Retired CIA Agent John Wells is called upon by the King of Saudi Arabia to investigate a series of terrorist attacks that may or may not have ties to the Saudi royal family. Just as the King doesn't know who to trust, Wells soon finds out that he can't be sure who to trust, either in Arabia or in Washington.

This is a first-rate action thriller. The pace is wonderful, with great action sequences and great character development. The villains and heroes are not cliches. They have real depth and motivations; some simple, some complex. The author takes the time to let the plot develop and increase your investment in the story. A story that is as topical as it is exciting. The ending is perhaps not what you would expect, but it is ultimately what turns this novel from good, but forgettable to great and memorable. It is gratifying to see this type of story in the hands of a truly gifted writer. Any fan of spy or action thrillers will be sure to enjoy this latest from Alex Berenson. Highly recommended.

John Wells, who has resigned from the CIA, receives a commission form the King of Saudi Arabia, to act a a mercenary and track down a band of terrorists who threaten to undermine the peace and stability of the Kingdom through a series of well-planned orchestrated attacks. these attacks include the assassination of King Abdullah's granddaughter, Princess Alia. John accepts the assignment when he understands that a destabilized Saudi Arabia is not in the best interest of the United states.

Enlisting the aid of another merc, John begins the process of tracking down the terrorists but not before the cell leader, embarking upon his own agenda undertakes the most daring plot yet. This involves the kidnapping of the American Ambassador.

As always the author provides great detail in covering all facets of the the characters involved.

I recommend this book.

In The Secret Soldier, John Wells has left the CIA, but he hasn't left the high-stakes world of espionage, where hidden battles determine the fate of nations. The basis of the plot revolves around King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in risk of losing his hold on his family and his people. More specifically, a series of terrorist attacks has put the kingdom on edge. Further, powerful factions are plotting against Abdullah, and his secret police cannot be trusted. So, with nowhere to turn, the aged king asks for Wells' help. Reluctantly, with the secret blessing of his former boss at the CIA, Wells agrees and goes undercover to investigate. Soon Wells, too, is unsure whom to trust in Saudi Arabia or in Washington.

Similar to the first four books in Berenson's John Wells series, The Secret Soldier is entertaining, well-researched, well-plotted and an above average page-turner. That said, on a comparative basis, The Secret Service falls a tad short in terms of dimensionizing 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. Further, unlike most of the others in this series, the plot tends to drag a too much at various times during the middle of the book. Despite these comparative flaws The Secret Soldier is a worthwhile read and one that I think espionage/spy genre readers will enjoy. I'd suggest, however, that before reading The Secret Soldier you go back and read The Faithful Spy and at least one of the other books in the John Wells series to enhance your understanding and appreciation of the characters you will meet in this book.

Alex Berenson gives us another decent John Wells story with just enough intrigue to keep us turning the pages in spite of weaknesses in plot device plausibility and the inclusion of a semi-likable sidekick.

What makes The Secret Soldier, like other John Wells stories, interesting is the fact that the political scenarios are plausible even if the way the story unfolds is less so. As a reader who follows current events, I enjoy these stories because the situations on display resonate with today's bogeymen - militant Islam, the passive aggressive behavior of our allies and, frankly, our own political ineptness at dealing with both. However, Mr Berenson's writing is like the stereotypical Chinese meal - you'll be hungry for something more substantial shortly after finishing the book, as evidenced by the fact that I had trouble recalling his previous work (important, because there were several references to The Midnight House in this book).

It's unclear how close Mr Berenson is to this topic, as he seems to be doing primarily business reporting for the NY Times these days. His experience as an embedded reporter in Iraq has aged, and this reveals itself in an increasingly less-interesting main character.

The Secret Soldier is a good "beach read". If you're a first time Berenson reader, I recommend picking up The Faithful Spy before others as it does a nice job of developing the John Wells backstory that underpins all the other novels.

This book takes awhile to get going...but makes up for it in the second half. I enjoyed learning all about The Kingdom. I've read a lot on Afghanistan and Pakistan...but never on The Kingdom. This book inspired me to read into it more.

The book was great...but I do have some cons. The character introduced in the beginning really has nothing to do with the rest of the story. Also, the first few chapters with Wells and Gaffan in Jamaica have nothing to do with the rest of the story. My theory is Alex wrote the main story and realized it wasn't long enough and had to come up with more material to make it a bigger book. The Jamaica chapters does close a door left open from The Ghost War...though not very well. It would've been better if Alex created a Kindle single specifically devoted to the Jamaica mission. But no biggie. There are errors in every book from every author.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next book in the series The Shadow Patrol. I was happy Alex brought out more about the conflict within Wells and I'm liking the relationship developing with Anne. Keep up the good work Alex. Thank you for your continued support to us troops.

The Saudi government is in trouble. One of the princes of the kingdom is undermining the King in an effort to seize the throne. So, who do the King and his trusted henchmen turn to? Former CIA operative John Wells. This demonstrates the fiction in this incredulous turn of events; as the prince says "You think this pleases us? To ask an American we don't know for help." What else would you do though when your own secret service is compromised?
Once Wells gets his head in the game, he and his partner Brett Gaffan go deep undercover, with literally a king's ransom at their disposal, to race to find out who the secret operatives are, where they are and what diabolical plot they're hatching against the government. From New Hampshire to Montego Bay, South of France to Milan, or Lebanon to Cyprus the pair race against time to discover the truth.
When the leader of the rebel force goes rogue and inflicts pain not only on the king, but on `the American infidels,' the CIA gives it's blessing to send in the secret soldier while government red tape holds up any involvement from a Delta Force unit confined to the embassy grounds. Using the latest satellite technology they are able to pinpoint the location of the missing Ambassador. Since a video of impossible demands has already been broadcast over the airways through Al Jazeera, it is a race against time before a video of his decapitation is shown next, leading to the scenario of an American invasion and the downfall of aging King Abdullah.
Berensen takes his time establishing his characters credentials in an effort to make this a fine stand-alone novel for those not already introduced to his protagonist John Wells. His work is as much a historical and political fact finding tour of the Middle East as is it a spellbinding page turner and espionage thriller, one that his hard to put down.

Rough men stand guard so we can sleep peaceably.
Excellent read in all respects. Alex Berenson gets better with each novel he writes. Main character John Wells is a thinking man's Rambo. A combination of Mitch Rapp, Jack Reacher, and John Corey all rolled into the ultimate black ops "operator". Wells is a very complex man. A very deep cover operative, Wells, at his core, is a deeply honorable man who loves his country and will not hesitate to do extreme violence on those who would attack her. A white male American who is a practicing Muslim and speaks flawless Arabic, he is able to move easily in the violent world of Islamic terrorism. A fearless operator, he does not hesitate to inject himself in the most difficult and extreme situations. This all combines to result in a most fascinating read of stealth, mayhem, intrigue, deceit, lies, and suspense. John Wells is everyman's fantasy hero; yet there is a darkness within his soul that attracts the reader like a moth to a flame. Well done Mr. Berenson for creating an amazing character we can all like, while at the same time being just a little afraid of.
John Wells has left the CIA: But the CIA has not left John Wells. His integrity and philosophical differences with the very highest American Intelligence leadership has forced Wells to become his own man and leave the bureaucratic CIA. As a quasi-independent operator he becomes involved with the highest levels of the Saudi government to find who is attempting to overthrow King Abdullah and bring down the House of Saud. Going underground with fellow independent operator known simply as Gaffan, they use their wiles to slowly discover who the Saudi conspirators and terrorists and are. In the middle of all this intrigue, Wells must also hunt down a CIA traitor in Jamaica. A back-story to the main Saudi intrigue, it allows the reader to better understand just who John Wells really is; complexity to the max, as his latest love interest is also a part of the story if only as an aside. Still, all this adds spice to the intricate Wells character. Action follows action to a dramatic conclusion where tragedy is a part of Wells' heroic struggle. Does Macbeth come to mind?
A very well done suspense thriller with plenty of action, complex characters, and vignettes of excellent analysis of both the Muslim religion and Saudi history. Mr. Berenson does a terrific literary job of weaving all this into a perfectly balanced realistic tale of International intrigue at the highest state levels.
Some graphic violence. No gratuitous sex or language. Although the violence is graphic at times it is germane to the plot and well portrayed.
Character development was absolutely superb. The complexity of the John Wells character carries the story and provides realism that makes everything work. In Wells we have honor meeting reality and I personally enjoyed watching how he resolved the dilemma at times. I also like how Mr. Berenson wove in Wells' love interest to soften the hardness of John Wells. It provides the reader with additional insight into the complexity of John Wells. I hope Mr. Berenson develops the Gaffan character as he could be a treasure trove of human interest. I also enjoyed the sub-story involving the CIA traitor Keith Robinson and his wife Janice. It provided additional insight into the amazing Wells' character.
Strong Recommend. Well done in all respects. If you like special operations suspense thrillers you will definitely like this novel. Kudos Mr. Berenson: I am eagerly looking forward to the next John Wells installment.

It's time once again to enter the isolation reading room. Alex Berenson's fifth John Wells novel has been published, and it demands your immediate and focused attention. Berenson's writing, plotting and characterization are darkly brilliant and instructional, an incidental manual, as it were, on the topic of spy tradecraft. He also makes an effort, as few do, to get the history of Islam, and the differences that roil within the religion, correct without losing objectivity. The book would be worth reading just for the few pages that present this, but there is much more here that is worth your while --- from the tight plotting to the true-to-life action to the believable characterization.

THE SECRET SOLDIER begins with Wells having left the CIA in disgust. But the world of espionage has not left him. So it is that Wells is drawn back into the world of spycraft from an unanticipated direction. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is losing his hold on life, and with it the tenuous grasp he maintains upon his kingdom. A series of terrorist attacks, carried out by other than the usual suspects, leads back to his front door, and Abdullah believes that the instigators are part of his own royal family with ties to the radical fringes of Islam. Abdullah, through an unexpected intermediary, reaches out to Wells for help. Wells reluctantly agrees, drawn not only by the potential danger to the United States but also to his own Islamic faith.

Wells's investigation leads him into places he never expected. There is indeed a plot, but it involves more than the line of succession to the Saudi Arabian monarchy. What had started as a treacherous jockeying for position of power is turning into a scheme to bring about a dangerous --- and final --- conflagration between America and Islam. The CIA is there to help, but only up to a point, and soon Wells is not sure if he can even trust his erstwhile employer, upon whose head the crown of rule rests more uneasily by the day. When a direct attack is made upon the American presence in the region, it is only Wells, aided ably by Gaffan, his stolid and occasionally difficult protégé, who stands between a runaway plan and worldwide chaos. And Wells, while never too little, may be too late.

The brilliance of Berenson's work is his ability to make Wells's accomplishments credible. This is particularly true here, where Wells does with the equivalent of spit and sealing wax what the might and majesty of two governments are unable to accomplish, and without any MacGyver sort of derring-do. But what is extraordinary is that Berenson manages yet again to create a work that seems to have benefited from an advance peek at next week's headlines. I started to read THE SECRET SOLDIER just as unrest boiled over in Egypt. Yes, yes, I know --- different country, different form of government. All of the same players, though, were in place and present, and for the same reasons.

If you want to understand what is going on there, you need the backdrop of history, and there are few who present it quite as well as Berenson. Not to be missed.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

A good journalist might attempt to make clear sense of the causes and effects of real people, places, and circumstances mingling in a real time or place. A good fiction writer might create some of those things. Alex Berenson nicely does both in the Secret Soldier, his fifth John Wells thriller.
John Wells is a former CIA operative who is trying to be retired in New Hampshire, but still has the reputation, contacts, skills, and motivation that conspire to keep him in the field, if not in the traditional chain of command. We quickly learn that he became a committed, as opposed to fanatical, Muslim while undercover in Afghanistan. He also became distrustful of, and distrusted by some of his superiors; recognized as a hero by others, beaten, tortured, shot...all referenced to the previous four novels which I will absolutely be reading soon.
In The Secret Soldier, Berenson lays out a number of moving parts that lead Wells and Saudi King Abdullah to a clandestine meeting and a tenuous mercenary alliance in which Wells will try to help the King root out his own trouble in Denmark, or...the desert. There are terrorist attacks; duplicitous Princes, princelings, insurgents, agency chiefs (American and foreign); and also less conniving, even sincere players. As in the real world Berenson's characters are not black and white, and their motives are complex and multi-faceted. Even our mercenary is not in it for the money. The action is fast and believable and, if not quite ripped from the headlines, perhaps we can imagine what headlines the story helped to prevent. At the risk of spoiling anything let me point out that this book was printed before January 2011.
The Secret Soldier leaves enough on the table that when I finish the first four John Wells novels I will anxiously await the next one. There are threads dangling that I hope Berenson will pick up and weave further.

Oh my. What an unfortunate effort.
Enough. No mas. Please, I'm beggiing you Mr.Berenson.
It IS time to leave the John Wells party. When disbelief cannot be suspended or
sustained any longer and the reader feels as if they are being mocked; it is time
to walk away with whatever riches you have gained; before you pee the reader off too much.
The Secret Soldier is a prime example of what happens when a singers voice goes, or a writer's
MOJO spslits.

Update: 12/20/2011
In the spirit of the fairness, and establishing a secong glance mode for those works I have tagged
with a poor or worse review, I tried this Berenson book again.
Again I was repelled. Sadly I was not wrong the first time.
How unfortunate.

I read thrillers for the action and read the same authors for both story and characters I like.... this is my first Alex Berenson/John Wells novel. I almost didn't read it because it looks so much like another Islamic terrorist story. I'm glad I did.

The John Wells character has some depth and interesting characters around him. He is not the ultimate of anything, and makes mistakes.

One of the interesting parts of the story was all the history on the Saud family and how Saudi Arabia runs with this family in charge. I don't know if the author got all of it right, but it sure authenticated the story and highlights how we (the U.S.) can continue to make all the mistakes we have in this part of the world, despite projecting the most powerful fighting forces and technology in the world today!

Good story. Alex and John are the newest additions to my "read" list. Give them a chance!

For people who enjoy the Vince Flynn, Clive Cussler, and Tom Clancy international terrorism type books this is great entertainment. The fact that John Wells is a muslim while operating like Mitch Rapp in the Middle East does create a lot of interesting psychological conflicts and even some lack of support from U.S. agencies. Some of the near impossible situations Wells solves like finding the terrorist camp in Lebanon and terrorists in Jeddah when nobody else can does strain the story's credibility but it is fun anyway. This is the third Berenson book I have read and I will be reading the others. Keep up the good work.

The Secret Soldier is a fast-paced, good, international intrigue thriller. It is well-written, and author Alex Berenson places his one-dimensional characters in some exciting post-9/11 situations. The author is a former New York Times reporter, who still writes journalistic pieces. The Secret Soldier rises above many books of its kind by the information the author provides about Saudi Arabia and the CIA. I "read" this book as an audio book. It is easy to follow during stop-and-go listening while traveling, and it makes a good traveling companion. Its best virtue is that it is good entertainment.

This past week Islamic terrorist attempted to blow up a gas field in Algeria and to murder every foreign worker at the facility. All did not go as planned for them, but many innocent people died. I completed reading The Secret Soldier today. The plot did not seem as far-fetched as it might have a month ago. Brensen's story line and the real life plot have too much in common for comfort. The world is a dangerous place with fanatics threatening world peace. Wells is a strong character and Brenson's writing interesting.

The secret soldier is the 4th berenson book I have enjoyed. Spell binding and intriguing to the end. Like Flynn's Mitch Rapp, Greenspan's john wells is equally intriguing. I have read all of Flynn's books; now I am glad to know that berenson has many other books available for me to enjoy! May he live a long life and continue writing these espionage masterpieces and not die an untimely death as did my friend Vince Flynn. [email protected].

Alex Berenson keeps getting better as an author (and I already liked his work)! In a genre not known for its subtlety, Alex Berenson brings us an introspective but still very tough leading man, a tough-as-nails hero who can see his own flaws. There's nuance and subtlety in his story, and that's what makes this book special. It's not the simplistic good guy-bad guy story that usually dominates this genre; instead, we feel the complexity of the real world and the difficulty of truly deadly situations. The good guys don't always come out on top, and the heroes aren't perfect, but there's plenty to cheer for in this terrific book!

It is sometimes unbelievable to me How an Author can be so near what is happenening every day in our world. I am sure everything we are reading as fiction has a more than ninety per cent factor of actual truth. After all just look at this Bengazi mess. Our leadership has stuck their heads in the sand just as in this novel. Until we have read the whole book we then see exactly what is so probable that is going on in this ten year debacle that has been hidden from the American Public. If I were in government and read this Novel I would go cold inside. It may be so called fiction but I will promise you it will make your mind really work. It is a great book I highly enjoyed it and I am sure most action readers would also.

Berenson tries to capture current events in this middle east mystery . The story and plot is good as well as some of the history related. However it misses by being overly detailed and confusing. The ending is a surprise. I will read the next book because I liked Wells, the main character.

Estranged CIA agent John Wells is recruited by the aging king of Saudi Arabia to help him in discovering a possible rogue element that's putting his kingdom at risk with possible confrontation with the US.
Berenson's thrillers always seem to be topical and well researched. This one is no exception. The intricate plotting and the characters are all well done. I, for one, was not a big fan of the ending, which left a little to be desired.
Just an aside: When bad characters torture there victims, I would love to see them die in a similar fashion, but rarely does that happen. Bummer.

Berenson is back on his game in The Secret Soldier, which is an improvement over The Midnight House.

Berenson has done a better job than Tom Clancy of handling the problems of promotion for his hero, but it's a four-star novel, not a five-star, because he just won't be able to equal the drama of the first go around.

Worth noting: Berenson is a thriller writer who takes religion seriously.

This book is the newest in the "John Wells" series. It is another great book by a wonderful author.

If you haven't yet discovered John Wells then do yourself a favor a buy this book. You will soon be wanting to go back and read all the books in order.

Enjoy!

Topical. Well written. Able to get me past some of the belief stretching plot turns and escapes. Absolutely page turning. And with some real fine touches with a hostage and family. As good as it gets in this genre. you will enjoy.