The Shadow Patrol (John Wells Series Book 6)

I'm disappointed at Alex Berenson for writing such a soulless book. The plot of "The Shadow Patrol" is just an average with hardly any twists and surprises. I could see where Alex Berenson wanted to go with this book but he really missed it by miles. I also felt that the characterization of John Wells is beginning to get repetitive and annoying. The only good and enjoyable parts in the book were the plots which contained Ellis Shafer, ex-CIA boss of John Wells.

Overall, I wouldn't really recommend buying this espionage book since it's missing all the key ingredients- good plot and good characters.

See "The Secret Soldier" review. Alex Berenson's knowledge of the Middle East and world politics, in general, and his experience as a reporter for the New York Times enabled him to weave an intriguing series of spy novels.

Another excellent story from Mr. Berenson. John Wells seems so real that you can almost sense his presence. I strongly recommend this book as well as his earlier ones to readers who like fast paced, almost true, fiction.

John Wells is "the bomb" - both metaphorically and literally. But you really need to read the series in chronological order in order to understand the minor plot lines and other personalities. Well worth the reads.

Usual fast pace, gripping and a real page turner. Berenson knows how to entice you in and keep you guessing as to the end result. It is my guess he has actually spent time in Afganistan and used the miriad of weapons detailed throughout the book. Good stuff , cant wait for the next one.

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.

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.

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.

Alex Berenson has produced a novel with a very well developed plot which takes us across the dangerous places on the globe. His plot seems reasonable rather than the opposite, which is not always the case with thrillers. His characters do what we would expect them to do and yet have enough depth to them for us to understand why they do what they do. In some cases the what is pretty grim stuff so we need to know the why in order to appreciate the characters.
Alex Berenson also has a good feel for close in combat, mano a mano, when the action gets up close and personal he takes us right into the thick of it, which is exactly what we want for this sort of a novel.
So good, complex plot and well described characters, a good book and that's it? Not at all.
This guy car really write. The following is a toss off, a side issue of no great importance to the story, just something extra Berenson put in for our benefit. "....Alaa Thuwani had ordered two Shia prisoners to run through a minefield where rotting goat carcasses la like the devil's own mascots." He has a nice way with words.
He also has a wide knowledge of Afgan culture. When we get into the high dusty places we feel like we know what's going on there with the people we meet. Ditto the inner workings of the US military. We dip into and out of the camps and lives of men we almost shake hands with, real soldiers in genuine, well described settings.
This makes a novel that is well above the run of the press for techno- thrillers.

In 2009, the CIA recruited a Jordanian doctor to infiltrate al-Qaeda. Initially the doctor offered some valuable information that led to the execution of mid-level insurgents. Then, in a twist of fate, the doctor strapped explosives to his body and killed, in the process, high functionaries of CIA's Kabul station in a military compound where a meeting was going to take place.

Two years later the Kabul station is still reeling from the loss. They have been left behind in the search for high level al-Qaeda operatives. The director of the CIA believes there's a mole that has infiltrated Kabul station, but no one is talking. Vinny Dutto, the CIA director, sends former CIA agent John Wells to Afghanistan to investigate, and what he uncovers is enough to question friends and foes alike.

Oh boy! I wanted to read something different and I got more than I bargained for. I'm not sure I liked The Shadow Patrol enough, but it was rather due to its subject than any fault of the author. The pacing was steady and the action unpredictable most times, and the characters were fleshed out and credible. As a thriller, this novel was a solid four, but I feel I spent this last week in a war zone, that being the double edge sword that makes me feel torn as I finished The Shadow Patrol.

War is brutal, I know that, but I got a full immersion in the Afghan war, complete with Army acronyms, homicidal Special Forces snipers, and major drug trafficking between mid-level al-Qaeda members and crooked army officers. I know there are bad apples anywhere, but I hold the US Army and its members in great esteem, and to imagine army personnel in that kind of scenario is simply something I'd rather not do. That being said, if you are willing to overlook that plot detail, it is possible that you gain more insight into the Afghan war than you ever did through the evening news.

The good news is that I'm not done with Alex Berenson yet.

The Shadow Patrol is a well-crafted suspense thriller that is hard to put down but ends in the most dissatisfying way possible. It's not a true suspense-thriller but more of a crime mystery involving drug-dealing soldiers, corrupt spies and Taliban. It features the return (and one hopes, the retirement) of Berenson's long-running protagonist, John Wells. Wells was an interesting character through much of the series though I never found him likable or sympathetic. The idea of an American agent convert to Islam as undercover Taliban would have made for a great single novel but he seems less than realistic with every new book -- unconvincingly wearing his religion on his sleeve while literally serving the Great Satan. Fits a liberal eye view of "moderate Islam" no doubt, but not reality. Wells is particularly hard to like in this book. His only solution to every crisis situation is to kill somebody, and that's largely how the book ends, with a bunch of dead people and Wells the last one standing. That being said, Berenson's writing style is addictive and his "boots on the ground" research on the war is persuasive. The book moves along nicely despite Wells... only to end with a small bang... and a lot of loose ends wrapped up with literary duct tape. I read a column once where Berenson said that the first John Wells novel, The Faithful Spy, was meant to be a single deal, stand alone book. But like most new novelists, Berenson's publisher demanded more. Hopefully we've reached the the end of "more" as Berenson is an established novelist now. He should move on.

Alex Berenson has again come up with a situation that only a person with John Wells background could solve. This story is complex, gritty and gets deep into what it takes to solve a complex local problem. There is some really great dialog and interaction between wells and the locals. Overall this is a really intriguing idea and it gets into how to deal with people you should trust, but still suspect them of being traitors. A lot of good action and suspense. This was a really good book to read.

The situations talked about in this political thriller are so topical it makes it really hit home. I have not read any novels by Alex Berenson before and I definitely enjoyed this one. Even though his John Wells character appears in previous novels the author handled those past situations so well they were never a problem with me understanding what was happening now, in this book.

Wells is no longer actively connected with the CIA, but when he is called in to go to Afghanistan to find out why a CIA office there is having such difficulties he agrees to take on the mission, partially because it also involves trying to track down the possibility of American soldiers involved in a heroin drug ring. As with all novels involving American clandestine operations there are multiple layers of what the bureaucrats publicly declare the mission to be and what the hidden agenda might be. I liked the way this author kept so many plot threads going at the same time and yet kept them all connected to the main character and the main story by giving them all equal importance. I also found it very refreshing that Wells wasn't a twenty year old anti-social misfit but an older man who was still able to perform his job well. The men who make up the group who call themselves the shadow patrol are frightening examples of how good intentions can go horribly wrong.

Were there some instances when coincidence seemed to play an unusually fortunate role? Well, yes, but after all, this is a fiction novel and if not for the coincidences it would be much too close to real life where things take forever to come to fruition. We don't want to read a boring book so we give the author permission to stretch realism far beyond the norm. I like the character of John Wells and am interested now in reading earlier novels to find out how he reached this point in his life. An American agent working in the Middle East who is a Muslim was quite an unusual situation and I want to see how that evolved. Now I have some additional books to add to my reading list.

This is the sixth book in the John Wells series. The earlier books are The Faithful Spy,The Ghost War,The Silent Man,The Midnight House, and The Secret Soldier. It probably helps to have read the earlier books in the series, but the story in this book isn't the continuation of the earlier books so it isn't critical. Before I started this book, I thought I had read one of the earlier books but as I got into it, I realized this was all new to me. There are references to the character's actions in earlier books and I'm sure I would have a better sense of his relationship with his old boss at the CIA and other characters if I had read all the earlier books, but the story was enjoyable even without having read the earlier books.

John Wells is in some ways the typical action thriller hero and in other ways, very surprising. He is the super skilled lone wolf who has a hard time maintaining relationships with women because of his work that often populate the ranks of action thriller heroes. Like the typical spy thriller hero, he kills multiple bad guys who get in his way. But the characteristic that really surprised me is that the character converted to Islam at some point in his earlier activities in Iraq/Afghanistan. I wasn't expecting that at all; this type of character is not often religious at all and to have him be a convert to the same religion as the people he is working against was most unexpected.

In this book, Wells is an independent contractor asked by the CIA to look for a bad apple in the Kabul station. Although there is plenty of action, Wells doesn't do all the work physically. He interviews people and encourages people who know something to talk to him so it is part action part mystery solving. The book is written from a point of view that allows the reader to see into the thoughts and actions of not only Wells but also several of his main adversaries to see the different motivations for their actions.

I really enjoyed this book -- it was a fast read and the pace kept me entertained enough that I didn't skip ahead to the end to see what happened. Now I want to go back and read the earlier books to understand how the main character became the man he is in this book.

John Wells returns in The Shadow Patrol, and Alex Berenson has delivered another great thriller. Berenson's knowledge of the Middle East and Afghanistan adds a level of grittiness and reality to the story for a depth that isn't always there in other thrillers.

In Shadow Patrol, John Wells must look for a mole in the CIA's operations in Afghanistan. A drug trafficking conspiracy involving the military, the CIA and the Taliban leave Wells once again uncertain who he can rely on. Hidden agendas lie under the motives on all sides, and lives will continue to be lost unless Wells can uncover the secrets.

John Wells is one of the most complex and interesting characters around. He struggles with his decisions and the morals of his actions. As in real life, nothing is ever black and white and things rarely neatly resolve themselves. He is smart, skilled, and athletic, but he is not perfect. He has limitations and he makes mistakes. Plans don't always work out perfectly, and there are consequences when they don't.

The complex characters and detailed descriptions of the locales and operations involved make this book a cut above most thrillers and spy novels. The pacing isn't breakneck, but it is steady and keeps the pages turning. There is real tension in the action sequences that keep you guessing how things will turn out. You may or may not be able to guess some of the secrets, but even if you do, the journey to get to them is rewarding in itself.

Alex Berenson has become a must read author, and John Wells an iconic character. I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of The Shadow Patrol, and it has cemented Berenson's well-deserved reputation. Highly recommended for any fan of thrillers and spy novels.

Contrary to the many reviews saying Shadow Patrol pales in comparison to previous John Wells novels, I thought it was actually a step up. The thing that put me off previous JW titles was the author's propensity to wrap everything up with a all-hands-on-deck, good ol' fashioned shoot-em-up, or some equally ridiculous device. The Shadow Patrol does not do this, and I suspect this is what the "not as good as before" crowd misses.

I am not a CIA operative, and I do not play one on TV, but I'm guessing covert missions are less like Bruce Willis vs the World in Die Hard 27, and more like the 15ish minute SEAL strike to take out bin Laden (yes, I know SEALs aren't CIA, but you get the point). Shadow Patrol is long on the set up and context, and light on actual action. The final scene is smart and plausible - it is not Hollywood.

First time readers complain about the lack of paper developing John Wells' character. True. Mr Berenson assumes the reader knows him from previous books, so doesn't bother rehashing that territory. First time Berenson readers should start with The Faithful Spy for JW's back story.

If you appreciate a more deliberately-paced book that trades the flash and sizzle of entirely implausible Hollywood endings for my perception of what realism might look like in this context, this book is a good one. If you want the flash-bang, look elsewhere.

I read "The Shadow Patrol (John Wells) all the way to the end but I'm not sure why I finished it. Probably I found some of the "local color" interesting, but few of the characters were sympathetic or even believable. I had encountered John Wells before (in "The Midnight House" which incidentally was a much better story), so was hoping for more. Sure, it gives our protagonist an opportunity for some deductive reasoning, and some really great risk taking, but seriously-- a GPS tracking device that reports every 45 minutes and then shuts off for good after 45 minutes without moving? Come on. Snipers operate from "positions," or "hides," or "nests" -- they don't build a "metal shooting platform." Grapes generally grow on vines, and/or in vineyards, which I've visited all over the world. I have never seen a grape field." I know it's a sign of age, but I really hate having the flow of a story interrupted by simple mistakes that any reader can see and any editor should be fired for missing.

Alex Berenson's latest novel "Shadow Patrol" is his sixth novel and I have read them all. The plot was not as far reaching or gripping as his previous novels; therefore in my opinion, it wasn't the can't-put-it-down page turner I have come to expect. Nonetheless, it is well crafted, tightly written and the plot is filled with military and criminal detail which makes it highly credible.

Mr. Berenson's star character, Special Operations pro John Wells returns once again to the service of his country. The CIA's station in Afghanistan is penetrated by Al Qaeda and destroyed by a suicide bomber who the CIA thought was loyal to them. Mr Wells is asked to investigate to see if there was a mole involved. In the course of his investigation he stumbles upon an Army drug ring, terrorism and more than enough violent and dangerous situations, which as usual, he handles summarily. The ending is tight and draws everything together perfectly.

I highly recommend this book and if this is your first exposure to Mr. Berenson, I promise you will want to read the rest of his work. I look forward to his next effort.

Right from the beginning the reader is hooked as the events of the disaster at the CIA base unfold and even though we suspect what will happen, Berenson creates the appropriate suspense and tension. For most of the novel, the author maintains this fast pace, planting clues as to the identity of the mole, setting up page-turning situations, and introducing interesting characters.

Many of the secondary characters making appearances throughout the novel are downright fascinating and after a while manage to take over the story. John Wells, the protagonist, makes his sixth appearance in the series, but appears tired in this installment. Yes, there are instances of daring-do on his part, but it's the supporting cast, both good-guys and villains, who carry the story. They get my nomination. Pity that many of them don't survive, for I'd welcome their return in Berenson's next episode.

The author has a strong feel for the CIA bureaucracy and I don't mean just his familiarity with the corridors of the Langley headquarters. The CIA after-action report on the bombing at Kabul is chilling; the victims take the blame for the operational failure, not the higher-ups--the dead can't defend themselves. It ends with a particular touch of nastiness, when it implies the deceased female CIA officer had succumbed to the double agent's charms.

The timing of Alex Berenson's latest John Wells novel could not be better. Set in Afghanistan, The Shadow Patrol explores the duplicity and self-interest of a variety of players in the military, the CIA, and among Afghans. In some ways, this novel seems to come straight from the nightly news. The lively writing made me think that Berenson had fun writing it. Making the code name of a CIA operative, "Stan," was just outright funny. While Berenson continues to present Wells as a heroic figure whose skills are superior to all other humans, there are enough aspects of his life that come through in this installment that readers can see him as one of us. Fans of action novels are those most likely to enjoy this book.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)

Alex Berenson delivers a great read and this book is one more proof. It is authentic, visceral and its tightly woven plot and colorful array of characters are guaranteed to please serious thriller fans. Looking forward to the rest of the series - what a treat!

Alex Berenson has created the best espionage series since LeCarre's Smiley novels. This latest is up to the standard I've come to expect from him.

An informant/double agent blows up most of the CIA's leadership in Afganistan, leaving a rudderless ship. After a series of disasterous personel moves, the CIA comes to believe that not only is the operation dysfunctional, but it may have a leak. Enter John Wells. Our hero returns to Afganistan to investigate on behalf of the Director of the CIA. He finds a drug operation that .....well you read the rest.

Overall a page turner, great plot, highly recommend. Looking forward to the next installment of the story

THE SHADOW PATROL has been my first experience with the John Wells series [#6 in the series] of fictionalized modern-day war stories - this based in Afghanistan and features the CIA working to break a heroin smuggling ring operating through Kandahar. Fun, quick page turning story. Never over the reader's head. Never under the reader's expectation. I will recommend to my circle of war fiction friends.

I very much enjoy books written by Alex Berenson. His newest, The Shadow Patrol, was not an exception to that rule. I would describe Berenson's writing as authentic. When he describes exotic locations, such as Afghanistan, it appears that he is intimately acquainted with them; and perhaps he is.

In this book, Berenson's ex-CIA operative John Wells continues to fight between good and evil. He is sent to Kabul to find a mole in the Afghan capital's CIA station. Berenson's character development is such that all of his characters seem authentic. His dialogue is very well done and flows naturally.

If you enjoy books dealing with espionage, not knowing who to trust, then this book is for you.

It starts off with a big killing over in the middle east. Wells (now retired) is called in to do an assessment in person. Off the record of course.

As we all know, "off the record" means you are clandestine. On your own, no record of you, no diplomatic "official" backup, etc.

What Wells finds shows he could use help or else more killings will happen. Yet he is on his own.

Good book. The first I've read from Berenson and it will not be my last.

Simply not much else to say... I have not written a review in a while but this book is simply awesome. The character John Wells is a flawed, pained and incredible character. One of the realist heroes you can read...

This writing reminds me so much of Daniel Silva's work, I know that may sound strange but even though the characters are completely different John Wells and Gabriel Allon are probably two of my favorite characters of any series.

This book is as good as any spy or thriller novel you will read, I highly recommend it.

This is the best John Wells novel since the debut -- maybe the best ever. Part of what makes this so interesting is the setting -- we are all curious about Afghanistan. Berenson gives us views of the country from cars, from motorcycles, bikes, helicopters . . . But if he had just given us a map, I could have appreciated all this specificity.

Now I was reading from the VINE copy, so perhaps the real book has a map. If not, do what I finally did -- look the place up on Google and make a copy to read with.

One of the points of this novel is that we in the US insist on making nationalist distinctions between and among peoples who are essentially tribal. The artificiality of the borders drives this home. Moreover, Berenson suggests that we should refrain from making those same judgments and distinctions within our own population. It's worse than dangerous.

Unlike some other authors who pretty much recap all the previous books in their series in each book, Berenson seems to pretty much assume you have read his John Wells books in order (which thankfully I did). I have greatly enjoyed every one of them and also appreciate not having to re-live all the previous books in each book, unlike the Karp family stuff in another author's series I used to love.

Great character development and story lines characterize Berenson's books, and I always look forward to the next one.

My two favorite authors are Vince Flynn and Brad Thor. I thoroughly enjoy the Mitch Rapp and Scot Harvath characters.
That being said I was determined when starting this book, my first by Alex Berenson, NOT to compare it to those.

I have no problem reading a book that has a mediocre plot but is an easy read. Example: James Patterson or Catherine Coulter. Their stories are never really earth shattering or really that good. But they are quick and easy reads and I'll "suffer" thru a mediocre story if the writing is "readable."

I could only make it thru 45 pages of 'The Shadow Patrol.' Not only did the story not grab me but I--and this is just my opinion--didn't like his writing style.
His sentences are short. Choppy. Three words. Four. Five max ( see what I did there?)
I also found it strange that a "prologue" would be 40 pages. He spends the prologue giving backstory of some characters, developing some history of them so you can begin identifying with them. Then proceeds to have them killed.

Also, the dialogue would go back and forth like reading a play and you'd lose track of who was speaking. And even the dialogue was short choppy. "Honey. Hi. Good day? Busy at work? Slow? How about some dinner? Hungry?"

When I got to a page devoted to Papa Smurf, I decided I'd had enough.

Perhaps his other novels are good. Other reviews indicate this was not one of his better novels. However, I strongly doubt I will attempt another one of his novels--primarily because I don't like his stunted writing.

That's it. My review. Of a book. Shadow Patrol. An Alex Berenson novel

This mystery takes you into the Afghanistan war so you experience what is going on with both sides. As the story unfolds Wells gets deeper into a situation of drug smuggling and murder involving CIA, soldiers and the enemy. Alex Berenson does a great job pulling the mystery together with John Wells exposing the bad guys. I enjoyed this mystery.