The Night Ranger

A John Wells Novel, Book 7

By: Alex Berenson

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

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 best-selling 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.

©2013 Alex Berenson (P)2013 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“Don't miss this one.” (The Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

“A tense thriller that relies equally on bravery, wit, and 21st-century American firepower.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Taut prose, plausible action, and plenty of plot surprises.” (Publishers Weekly)

Simple plot but it works

I'm running out of books from my favorite authors and discovered this book which I was pleasantly surprised to read. The plot is fairly straightforward and John Wells is the hero who is half detective, and full on kick ass commando. Not too many meaningless and unnecessary threads like some books. I wasn't into the John Wells is a Muslim thing, it just doesn't work and frankly feels pointless and preachy.

George Guidall is a pleasure to listen to. He could probably read a cook book and still keep it interesting, he's that good.

Overall it's excellent, but I just couldn't give it a full 5 stars. I would give it 4.5 stars if possible. I'm sort of conflicted over the issue because it's not nearly the best of the genre in my opinion, yet 4 stars doesn't quite do it justice either.

It would have been nice to hear about some reconciliation between Wells and his son after the mission. Then again I guess it doesn't really matter. Thankfully the whole hostage thing was handled nicely and the reader (me) didn't have to feel agonized and tortured like so many hostage situations in books and movies make you feel.

Bottom line, it's a great book and I will be listening to more in the series.

Not quite as good as previous books

I enjoyed this but it didn't seem up to previous standards. The story was okay if a little less exciting than some other adventures John Wells has had. The narration was perfect by the incomparable George Guidall. Overall, a decent read/listen.

Does not diappoint

Would you consider the audio edition of The Night Ranger to be better than the print version?

Did not read the book, so cannot comment.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Night Ranger?

The basis of the story was a good change up from the usual plotline involving Middle Eastern terrorists. Don't want to give too much away, but most of the characters are more than cardboard cutouts. Look, if you've read the rest of the series until this one - read it. You will like. If you haven't read the other books, start with #1 and work your way through.

Which character – as performed by George Guidall – was your favorite?

Obviously - John Wells.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I could have; but not practical - too long.

Don't Look Past Berenson's John Wells

Alex Berenson is a seasoned reporter who has seen current combat theaters first hand - and transfers a lot of his experience through a "kick-butt" protagonist, John Wells. Wells' exploits are realistic - not supernatural - and his supporting cast should also keep a reader's interest while progressing through the seven books Berenson has written.

Furthermore, Berenson is a really good writer. He knows how to explain the undercurrents of America's fight against extremism - and weave the many details and subplots together to create an interesting, informative book.

Lastly, George Guidall brings this book to life with an excellent performance. I hope Berenson and Guidall continue with John Wells and cast.

Loved It

What did you love best about The Night Ranger?

Fast paced.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All of them. The narrator put a nice comical twist on some of their conversations.

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

He's one of the best.

John Wells At His Best

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

Yes, if I knew that my friend was either a fan of military/suspense or open to reading different genres. This was just a great book overall; very well written. There was some human interest there with the young aid workers and a few scenes with John Wells that were a bit surprising. It was also pretty cool to see Wells operating out of his comfort zone, on different continent in very different setting.

And I guess that's a part of what makes men like John Wells so fun to read, they don't let the fear of the unknown hinder them. They are trained to operate on their own, trust their instincts, and react quickly to some really sticky situations that the average man would need a couple of days to figure out.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Night Ranger?

The first time Wells comes face to face with the hyenas in the hut where the four aid workers had been held. I've heard about how vicious hyenas are, but something about that scene really gave me a different perspective. It was pretty gruesome.

Which scene was your favorite?

Things started to look really bleak after Wells has been in Africa a couple of days and, at one point, he began to feel a bit hopeless and decided to call some folk back home. He called his son and his son unexpectedly threw him a lifeline in the form hope. Hope that he was wanted to open the lines of communication between he and his father and possibly start rebuilding their relationship. I remember smiling and feeling a burst of happiness. Wells had been wanting that for so long. Now I'm looking forward to seeing how the relationship between father and son is repaired in the coming books.

Any additional comments?

This is a great series to read. John Wells is a complex, yet simple man. And this was my favorite book in the series.

hero does it again

it was great to hear John step out of his usual espionage and go mainstream

John Wells never disappoints

This is yet another thriller by Alex Berenson involving John Wells that does not disappoint. Also, I cannot imagine anyone other than George Guidall narrating these stories. Guidall brings Wells to life.

This story involves 4 Americans who are kidnapped while volunteering at an African refugee camp. The characters are well rounded. As is typical, Berenson provides character history so that we can understand a character's responses and thoughts.

Wells continues to be a complex figure with superhuman recon skills. I love it.

Up to date

History repeats itself until we evolve enough to overcome hatred and discrimination. Sharing, anything, never works well in life though, only in theory. Time and again Alex Berenson proves greed, mistrust, political and monetary corruption win. Yet he always pulls out the last minute hero. Way to go home team! Making you believe maybe we can win. We also learn some cool insider tricks. These books are eye opening lessons into today's issues. Even though he has taken a fare share of Creative Liberty along the way. Enjoy ;-)

Enjoyable and entertaining

I could listen to George Guidall read a phone book.
Not great but good+. John Wells is no Mitch Rapp, but still solid.