The latest thriller from the New York Times–bestselling author of Twelve Days, Alex Berenson.
John Wells has just barely managed to stop an operation designed to drive the United States and Iran into war, but the instigator himself disappeared behind an impenetrable war of security. Now it’s time for him to pay, and Wells has made it his personal mission. There are plenty of crosscurrents at work, though. The White House doesn’t want anybody stirring the pot; his old CIA bosses have their own agendas; other countries are starting to sniff around, sensing something unusual. It is when Russia and China enter the mix, however, that the whole affair is set to combust. With alarming speed, Wells is once again on his own . . . and the wolves are closing in.
**Review
*Praise for Twelve Days
“Lots of thriller writers know how to work a ticking clock, and lots more come to the genre with some experience in international politics, but few put the two together as effectively as Berenson does in this compelling, globe-trotting time bomb of a novel. Action fans will get all they came for . . . but those looking for genuine insight into the subtleties of the geopolitical chess game will be equally satisfied.” —Booklist (starred review)
“This well-written and fast-moving novel delivers more than a good plot. It illustrated how in the midst of regional chaos, a great power can jump to calamitous conclusions. This one is well worth the thriller enthusiast’s time, which holds true for all the novels Berenson has written to date.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A fast-paced, enthralling fight to the finish . . . the sort of spy thriller that locks you in a fast and ferocious grip and won’t let you go.” —Associated Press
“An extremely suspenseful read that fans will not forget any time soon.” —Suspense Magazine
“All espionage thrillers should be this good. This is a series that you should—must—be reading.” —Bookreporter.com
About the Author
This is Alex Berenson’s tenth novel featuring John Wells. As a reporter for The New York Times, Berenson covered topics ranging from the occupation of Iraq—where he was stationed for three months—to the flooding of New Orleans to the world pharmaceutical industry to the financial crimes of Bernard Madoff. He graduated from Yale University in 1994 with degrees in history and economics, and lives in New York City. The Faithful Spy won the 2007 Edgar Award for best first novel. Views: 21
In 1980, the mysterious A.W. Mykel came out of nowhere with this brilliantly inventive espionage thriller. It became an overnight, international bestseller...astonishing readers with its daringly imaginative plot, larger-than-life characters, and outstanding action...becoming one of the most entertaining and beloved spy novels of the century.America has a secret: our espionage operations are run by Sentinel, an intelligent super computer that communicates with spies through an implant in their brains that massively expands their intellectual capabilities. But the power comes with a price. The implants are also explosives that Sentinel can ignite at its whim. Now one of Sentinel's creators is defecting to Russia with plans to create a red Sentinel twin and must be stopped. Superspy Justin Chaple is assigned to the mission, pitting him against the KGB's top assassins and, as a shocking conspiracy is revealed, the all-knowing, explosive killer hiding in his own skull. Views: 17
In Saudi Arabia, a series of terrorist attacks has put the Kingdom on edge. King Abdullah is losing his hold, and his own secret police cannot be trusted. With nowhere to turn, the king asks for ex-CIA agent John Wells's help. Views: 16
August Busch IV had everything -- or seemed to. In 2006, Busch became the chief executive of Anheuser-Busch, the sixth member of his family to control the legendary brewery. At age 42, Busch was handsome, wealthy, married to a beautiful woman, and running one of the biggest companies in America.Two years later, Busch lost control of Anheuser-Busch. Soon he was jobless, divorced, and struggling with alcohol and drugs. Then he woke to find his girlfriend, a waitress named Adrienne Martin, dead in his bed. From prize-winning novelist and former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson, The Prince of Beers is the true story of the secrets, lies, addiction, and family dysfunction behind Martin's death and Busch's shocking downfall.Amazon.com ReviewThe Fourth was no Third, and he knew it. August Busch IV, the coked up, reckless son of August III, was a man-child whose love of expensive toys, drugs, and women helped drag down the family empire, Anheuser-Busch. Alex Berenson's aggressively reported story--part murder mystery, part Shakespearean tragedy--catches up with August the Fourth two years after his doomed 18-month reign as CEO of his family's company, which ended in 2008 when the 150-year-old family business fell into the hands of its Brazilian rival, InBev. Berenson, spy novelist, former New York Times reporter, and author of the Kindle Single Lost in Kandahar, dutifully cites the works of those who've covered similar ground, but focuses primarily on a girlfriend's mysterious death, revealing how hubris, hard living, and greed led to the foreign takeover of America's beer. Ultimately, The Prince of Beers is a father and son story. The Fourth's father was Anheuser-Busch's greatest modern leader, the brains behind Bud Light and the man responsible for making Budweiser a powerhouse. Like all the Busches, August III championed a chest-thumping family culture that valued competition, guns and fishing, and women and drinking--all of which, over the years, resulted in messy divorces, squandered millions, and shattered families. Maybe it was inevitable that one Busch would go too far. Two years after losing control of the company, The Fourth was worth $100 million but was jobless, struggling to shoulder the burden of losing the family business. He indulged in expensive cars, guns, drugs, and women, one of whom died at his mansion in 2010. Berenson uses the investigation of Adrienne Martin's death to profile a flawed and doomed son, his too-tough father, and the dethroning of the King of Beers. --Neal Thompson Views: 15
The secretary of state has been murdered in his home. It looks like a robbery gone wrong. It seems the prime suspect is the politician's gardener. But in Washington, D.C., nothing is as it seems. Justice Department lawyer Ben Hartwell is assigned the unenviable task of finding the truth. His greatest obstacle—and ally—is the lawyer for the accused. Together they uncover a lifetime of political intrigues, private indiscretions, personal ememies-and questionable ties to the Chinese Government—in the victim's high-level career. But was the secretary of state merely a puppet in a vast conspiracy? And if so, who cut the strings? The answers could expose America's darkest secrets—and silence anyone who digs too deep. Views: 14
Filled with thrills, twists, and danger, The Russian Endgame showcases best-selling author Allan Topol’s talent for delivering electrifying, gripping expeditions into the world of international intrigue. Following on the heels of The China Gambit and The Spanish Revenge, The Russian Endgame offers a riveting new chapter in a dangerous game of international conspiracy, politics, and greed. Views: 10
John Wells enters new territory, as he goes underground in East Africa to track four kidnapped Americans and the Somali bandits who snatched them, in the tough, thoughtful, electrifying new novel from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author.Four friends, recent college graduates, travel to Kenya to work at a giant refugee camp for Somalis. Two men, two women, each with their own reasons for being there. But after twelve weeks, they’re ready for a break and pile into a Land Cruiser for an adventure.They get more than they bargained for. Bandits hijack them. They wake up in a hut, hooded, bound, no food or water. Hostages. As a personal favor, John Wells is asked to try to find them, but he does so reluctantly. East Africa isn’t his usual playing field. And when he arrives, he finds that the truth behind the kidnappings is far more complex than he imagined.The clock is ticking. The White House is edging closer to an invasion of Somalia. Wells has a unique ability to go undercover, and to make things happen, but if he can’t find the hostages soon, they’ll be dead – and the U.S. may be in a war it never should have begun.ReviewPraise for THE NIGHT RANGER"A tense thriller that relies equally on bravery, wit, and 21st-century American firepower . . . Berenson gives readers top-notch, fast-paced excitement in a part of the world unfamiliar to many Americans. John Wells is a worthy hero readers can count on."—Kirkus Reviews"The chaos of East Africa and the complex realities of relief efforts in that region form the backdrop for Edgar-winner Berenson's gripping seventh thriller . . . Taut prose, plausible action, and plenty of plot surprises ensure another winner for this perennial bestseller."—Publishers WeeklyPraise for Alex Berenson“Alex Berenson is writing first-rate commercial fiction on a par with Daniel Silva.”—The Washington Post“Berenson is one of the best writers in the espionage genre today.”—Chicago Sun-Times“Berenson’s series of espionage thrillers featuring John Wells are among the most well-written, carefully-researched and meticulously plotted novels one is likely to encounter in any genre”—Bookreporter“Berenson rises above the thriller genre.”—St. Louis Post–DispatchAbout the AuthorAs a reporter for The New York Times, ALEX BERENSON covered topics ranging from the occupation of Iraq to the crimes of Bernie Madoff. His six previous John Wells novels include The Faithful Spy, winner of the 2007 Edgar Award for best first novel. He lives in New York City. Views: 9
The CIA knows the best way to insure that North Korea's nuclear weapons aspirations is slowed down considerably is to abduct leading scientist Dr. Sung Kwan from the rogue state. The snatch plan is perfect and the team succeeds in a grabbing Kwan; however, the CIA unit and the Korean scientist are killed during the escape. Someone from within the intelligence community sold out the mission. Agent Jennifer Exley is assigned to find out whom. Views: 7
A tight, tense, heartstopping novel of modern warfare, where the stakes are high and the price is life in the tradition of le Carre's Absolute Friends Las Vegas, Nevada. Young Australian computer programmer Daniel Carter has arrived at the heart of the American war machine - the drone program at Creech Air Force Base, Indian Springs.Naive, untested, but keen to make a difference, he is plunged headlong into America's surreal battle against its enemies in the Middle East - a battle fought at a distance of 7,000 miles from a city where nothing is real.As geographic and political boundaries blur, Daniel enters into an unlikely romance with a professional poker player, Ania. But when the hunt for an Al Qaeda master-mind ramps up in the skies over Peshawar, and American pilots begin to die in the suburbs of Las Vegas, events take a devastating turn.A novel of a new kind of war, of love and connection in the modern age, Midnight Empire is a powerful thriller that... Views: 7
