The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson is a solid read and was clearly well-crafted back in 2006. Personally, I don't enjoy deep-cover spy thrillers quite as much as I like reading about the analysts behind the scenes. Since so much history has unfolded since the book's initial publication, it does feel a tiny bit dated now. That said, I’m looking forward to diving into the rest of the series. Government bureaucracy always makes for an excellent foil in a suspense novel.

A solid start to the John Wells series. I’ve read one other book in the series out of order, and even though it was good, I didn’t quite feel a connection to the main character. The Faithful Spy provides the perfect backstory, and it’s officially another series I’ll be following. John Wells is a CIA operative who successfully infiltrated Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, living among them for years. He’s been deep undercover and hasn't had contact with the agency for two years. Then, 9/11 happens. He was...

I’ve been a fan of Alex Berenson since his days at the New York Times, and I’ve always found his takes on COVID-19 fascinating. I finally decided to dive into his fiction, and I was genuinely impressed with The Faithful Spy. In terms of content, the language and action felt like a solid PG rating to me. It was a real page-turner; I actually had to set aside the other books I was currently reading just to finish this one. I’m definitely going to pick up the next installment in the series and shar...

My rating: 3 ½ terrorists. John Wells is a complicated man, a man of irony. Living in Afghanistan and Pakistan among tribal members, a Muslim convert, an absent father, and an American—all these layers make for an incredibly interesting plot. The first three-quarters of The Faithful Spy were absolutely fantastic, though the pace slowed down a bit toward the end. Still, Alex Berenson has crafted a fun, gripping read that is well worth checking out if you are looking for a top-tier spy thriller.

Hang in there; if you enjoy The Faithful Spy, the first book in the John Wells series, you are going to absolutely love the second one. I’m currently reading the third installment in the John Wells series by Alex Berenson, and I have been thoroughly impressed with his writing style, the way he develops his characters, and how he crafts his plots. This series is a real treat for fans of Vince Flynn, myself included.

Well... if you’re the type who just wants the bottom line, I’d say The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson is "not bad." I’m not exactly thrilled, but I’m not really disappointed either. I'll get into the details below, but I know some people like to get the verdict right up front.So, what works and what doesn't? The story covers some familiar ground, though it adds a fresh twist. John Wells is a deep-cover CIA agent—the only one the agency has ever successfully placed inside al-Qaeda. Unfortunately, ...

Alex Berenson’s debut novel, The Faithful Spy, introduces us to a gripping new kind of operative in the war on terror. We meet John Wells, a CIA agent who goes deep undercover to infiltrate al-Qaeda before the 9/11 attacks. He successfully penetrates the terrorist organization, proving his mettle in the harsh terrains of Chechnya, Afghanistan, and Iraq. While embedded, Wells finds himself drawn to Islam and eventually converts. A native of Montana, Wells remains fiercely loyal to his country, bu...

I gave up on excellent spy novels years ago when my craving for Le Carré couldn't be satisfied by anyone else. So, I decided to take a chance on The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson. If nothing else, this novel has restored my faith in the genre as something relevant, vital, and a vehicle for truly top-tier writing. I’m convinced that Alex Berenson is every bit as talented as the best authors in the thriller space. I now have to check out other writers of contemporary spy fiction, but not right awa...

Alex Berenson crafts John Wells, our 'faithful spy,' with such vivid detail that I could easily imagine sitting across from him over steaks and beers, just chatting about his life. It’s an incredible achievement to make a character feel this fully fleshed out within the pages of such a taut thriller. We catch up with Wells after he’s deeply embedded in al-Qaeda, forced to sacrifice every man in his cell just to make contact with the Americans. He’s been cut off from his CIA handlers, yet his loy...

The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson started off somewhat interesting, diving into characters caught between the urgent need for intelligence and the rights of suspects in a post-9/11 world. I suspected I might disagree with the book's politics, but I was still hoping for a solid thriller. Halfway through, however, it devolved from a political thriller into a cringeworthy romance novel where I found myself praying that the protagonist and his handler/love interest would never cross paths again. She...