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The Shadow Patrol  By  cover art

The Shadow Patrol

By: Alex Berenson
Narrated by: George Guidall
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Publisher's summary

In 2009, the CIA's Kabul Station fell for a source who promised to lead it to Bin Laden, but instead he blew himself up, taking the station's most senior officers with him. Now, more than two years later, the station is still floundering, agents are dying, and at Langley the CIA's chiefs wonder if the unthinkable has happened, if somehow the Taliban has infiltrated the station.

When they ask John Wells to investigate, he reluctantly agrees to return to the country where his career as an undercover operative began. But there, he finds a vipers' nest of hostility and mistrust-and clues that hint at a drug-trafficking operation involving the Agency, the military, and the Taliban. Americans are dying, and an American is responsible. And only John Wells stands in his way... for now.

©2012 Alex Berenson (P)2012 Penguin

Critic reviews

“Superbly paced action sequences and the kind of background that suggests a better-than-average understanding of what soldiers on the ground actually see in Afghanistan.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“The book never lets up as it exposes the terrors and boredom of war on the front lines.” (Providence Journal)

“This thriller pours on the blood and guts.” (Library Journal)

What listeners say about The Shadow Patrol

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

John Wells -- A new American Hero

A warning first, this is a series with a lead character who is developed more in each novel. John Wells is flawed, complicated and you need to start from the beginning. The author does not waste pages and pages (hours and hours as you listen) repeating his character development and the events that have shaped who he is now.

That said, I downloaded this book the day it was released. I started reading Peterson's books as a result of a recommendation from other authors I had read -- Vince Flynn, David Baldacci, Brad Thor. I haven't stopped since. The stories are well-written. The characters are not cookie cutter Good Guys and Bad Guys. You root for Wells and his mission, but you understand why his life is so full of shades of grey.

In this most recent novel, Wells is tasked to finding the source and purpose of drug dealers within the American military in Afghanistan. Are these men just acting for profit? Is there a mole in the CIA (for whom Wells privately works on occasion)? Is there more to these dealings than just greed? The story flows beautifully and Wells continues to work on his own growth as an individual. Great way to escape for a few hours.

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15 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding espionage thriller!

First, a reminder than The Wolves which is Book 10 in the John Wells series will be released on Feb. 9, 2016 and is available for preorder at Audible.

I'm a Fan of Berenson's John Wells series of espionage thrillers. The Shadow Patrol may be my favorite. The novel is set mostly in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012. As I mentioned in a prior review Wells is one of the more interesting of the espionage thriller protagonists.

The novel and the narration earn 5 stars.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Wells in back in classic form

John Wells returns to roots in "The Shadow patrol" doing what he does best which is to out-man and out-gun his adversaries. The plot begins in a straightforward fashion: events in Afghanistan suggest the possibility of a CIA mole. Wells is sent to investigate in his typical poking around strategy. Eventually he stumbles into a military heroin smuggling ring. Along the way, Wells employs every trick in his tradecraft. Ellis Scheaffer is also involved stateside and displays a flair for acting and exploiting social media in creative ways.

The pacing is tight and the action is continual and well timed. There's a sense of urgency that adds to the dramatic tension. Of particular note is that Berenson recognizes and appreciates that the various sets of players are not always using the same playbook and have sets of non-identical priorities that makes for legitimate conflict. While the introspective aspects of his personality are downplayed, Wells appears to be accepting his lot in life and displays a sense of ownership and resignation for what he must do.

The narration is superb. Guidall is perfectly suited for a cloak and dagger delivery that involves messy resolutions. John Wells is a national asset and this installment further cements his standing.

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not bad

This book doesn't live up to the Faithful Spy as far as intrigue and in dept believable story content. It was just alright for me. John Wells, is the Dirty Harry solider that can blend in with the insurgents and take out the bad guys even if they are Americans. The narration by George Guidall is always worth the credit. If you have read any of the other Wells saga's than you may agree with me... if you have not.... I still recommend this book if you can get it on sale.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

As always Guidal does a great job

The reader made the book better than it was. This story just fades away toward the end. The door started out and I thought this was going to be really good, but in the end it just didn't deliver much excitement.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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This contemporary thriller stands alone.

This is John Wells #6. If you haven't read #1-5 (your loss) you are ok. Interesting to see social media used in the spy game.

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

George Guidall is a Master!

I have enjoyed all of the first six books and am looking forward to #7, which I have already purchased. However, I did find that this one was less entertaining than the past five. Mr Berenson used fewer flashbacks which in the past have highlighted John's life and loves and allowed the reader to make a deeper connection with his character. I missed that aspect of the stories as I am a reader who enjoys knowing the protagonists. The plot was interesting and there were some of the standard twists and surprises one expects in a spy novel, but it wasn't enough to make me give four or five stars.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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George does it again!

This is another good book from Alex Berenson. The plot is not as entertaining as previous John Wells novels, but it has a lot of military info. George Guidall makes another fantastic performance. Even if this book was not interesting, George would still keep you listening. He is a master at getting just the right tone and speed for the character's delivery. He tells the story just as I imagine it was intended to be by Berenson. You can't go wrong with any John Wells novel...

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Listened all of them so far, and this may be the b

What did you love best about The Shadow Patrol?

Berenson continues to develop characters, write smart, on target dialogue, and craft interesting plot twists despite heroics that more than strain credulity. I like the sense of striving for a moral center in the face of relevant ethical complexity, what I think are authentic descriptions of cultures and places, and challenging some conventional thinking here in the US of A.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Not up to par

Any additional comments?

First the only saving grace it the reading of George Guidall, which as usual is superb. The plot is slow and boring, in that it has so many minutias, that I could not keep focus. Most of the time it did not matter, as these small details were not necessary in the whole picture. When you are listening, the minutia only detract from the plot.

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