The Faithful Spy

By: Alex Berenson

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

“A well-crafted page-turner that addresses the most important issue of our time. It will keep you reading well into the night.” (Vince Flynn)

A New York Times reporter has drawn upon his experience covering the occupation in Iraq to write the most gripping and chillingly plausible thriller of the post-9/11 era. Alex Berenson’s debut novel of suspense, The Faithful Spy, is a sharp, explosive story that takes listeners inside the war on terror as fiction has never done before.

John Wells is the only American CIA agent ever to penetrate al Qaeda. Since before the attacks in 2001, Wells has been hiding in the mountains of Pakistan, biding his time, building his cover. Now, on the orders of Omar Khadri - the malicious mastermind plotting more al Qaeda strikes on America - Wells is coming home. Neither Khadri nor Jennifer Exley, Wells’s superior at Langley, knows quite what to expect. For Wells has changed during his years in the mountains. He has become a Muslim. He finds the United States decadent and shallow.

Yet he hates al Qaeda and the way it uses Islam to justify its murderous assaults on innocents. He is a man alone, and the CIA - still reeling from its failure to predict 9/11 or find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq - does not know whether to trust him. Among his handlers at Langley, only Exley believes in him, and even she sometimes wonders. And so the agency freezes Wells out, preferring to rely on high-tech means for gathering intelligence. But as that strategy fails and Khadri moves closer to unleashing the most devastating terrorist attack in history, Wells and Exley must somehow find a way to stop him, with or without the government’s consent.

From secret American military bases where suspects are held and “interrogated” to basement laboratories where al Qaeda’s scientists grow the deadliest of biological weapons, The Faithful Spy is a riveting and cautionary tale, as affecting in its personal stories as it is sophisticated in its political details. The first spy thriller to grapple squarely with the complexities and terrors of today’s world, this is a uniquely exciting and unnerving novel by an author who truly knows his territory.

©2006 Alex Berenson (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

“A well-crafted page-turner that addresses the most important issue of our time. It will keep you reading well into the night.” (Vince Flynn)

“Berenson offers a very American story - a sort of terrorist High Noon...exciting.” (The New York Times)

“A hold-your-breath thriller...a grabber.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Pretty good book but not a favorite.

Would you listen to The Faithful Spy again? Why?

No. It was enjoyable but I wouldn't spend any more time on it.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Made it more realistic.

What does Robertson Dean bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His performance was good. I just wasn't intrigued by the story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no

Wow!

I was listening in the car and went back out to run a couple of errands that were not critical just to hear the last few minutes -- because it is not resolved until then. Absolutely gripping. I have read his before and will again -- but not immediately, because I need a break from the tension. No first-hand knowledge, but seems like a pretty realistic story of spydom with all the moral and other quandaries. Highly recommended -- but probably no great bedtime reading.

Great story, New perspective, & Oh so Satisfing

The characters are great. I love the way we get to know them slowly as the novel progresses. I love the mental debates that illustrate personal struggles. And I especially enjoyed the different perspective. There is action but also mental stimulation. The novel satisfies on so many levels.

Fun Ride

I thoroughly enjoyed this, my first read of this author. The book kept my interest throughout and was a satisfying fiction adventure. I look forward to reading more of his books.

Believable premise, and often gripping

This is a modern day terrorist suspense story, and was more like 3.5 stars.I don't read a lot of spy novels, but other people seemed to like this one, so I thought I would give it a try. I was glad I did. The plot itself is gripping, and is the real draw here. It seemed plausible, and as a side note, all the references to NSA were interesting. The book seemed to lag at the parts about the love story, and at some of the parts about the character's interior lives. Most characters came off as a little cardboard. But still, the author tried to make them at least somewhat human, and he avoided outright caricatures. The narration was fine, but it's hard for macho-sounding guys to have to suddenly do female voices.

Amazing

This was a great book. Reminds me of Mitch Wrapp and the Vince Flynn novels. Great suspense and excellent read. I'm certainly going to continue the series.

John Wells Is A True Undercover Spy

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys espionage stories about the CIA and in this case going under cover in Afghanistan, Pakistan, looking for Jihadists. It is a thrilling book and you feel sorry for John Wells.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the constant intensity of John Wells as a spy but with the integrity of a man. The story is intense and the reader can feel his loneliness and always looking over his shoulder for acceptance by the bad guys and the CIA. Neither group trusts him, except for Jenn.

Have you listened to any of Robertson Dean’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, this was my first listen to Robertson Dean. He delivered a good performance so I will be on the lookout for other books read by him.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Don't judge a book by the cover. In this case, the spy's cover.

Okay

On the one hand, the author devoted a lot of thought to the terrorists point of view, really. The struggle for me here is that I found it difficult to connect with the main character, or find him realistic. He was like ultra manly hero, who didn't even let the reader in. I think that I would have found him more realistic if he had more vulnerability. I think that the author attempted this, but it almost seems like he didn't succeed because he doesn't make himself really approachable, or something. If you don't know how to let anyone in, how would you know how to write about it? So instead, we get this very manly, super soldier situation with extra violence and some talked-about sex scenes, to keep everyone "happy".
If you want a shoot-em-up book and don't care if it's super unique or deep, then maybe you would like this book. I definitely don't feel excited about a second book.

excellent and outstanding novel

I loved everything about it
Interesting and unexpected plot
Great character development, which in my experience is very rare
Excellent narration
Highly recommended

Familiar plot but good company

Nice way to pass the evening, good story. The white hats we on, of course.