Synopses & Reviews
Berensons strength is his deep understanding of geopolitics and of the shoddy compromises it demands. He clearly has excellent contacts in the world of shadows. Wells is a complex and satisfying protagonist, tackling bad guys across the worlds conflict zones.”--The New York Times Book Review
John Wells goes undercover as the threat of nuclear war skyrockets between the United States and Iran, in the cutting-edge new novel from the #1 New York Timesbestselling author.
In an Istanbul hotel, a deep source warns a CIA agent that Iran intends to kill a CIA station chief. Quickly, John Wells is called in to investigate, but before he can get far, the tip comes true. Which means that the next warning the source gives will be taken very seriously indeed. And its a big one. Weve put a package on a ship from Dubai to the United States. A radioactive one. A bomb? Not yet. Its a test run.
As the threat level jumps and the government mobilizes, something still doesnt smell right to Wellss old CIA boss Ellis Shafer, and so he sends Wells on a private mission to find out whats going on. But the two of them are swimming against the tide. From Guatemala to Thailand to Hong Kong to Istanbul, Wells uses every skill he has, including his ability to go undercover in the Arab world, to chase down leads. But it might not be enough. Soon there might be nothing anyone can do to pull the United States back from the brink of war.
Review
Praise for Brad Taylor and his novels
“Fresh plot, great action, and Taylor clearly knows what he is writing about. . . . When it comes to tactics and hardware he is spot-on.”
—Vince Flynn on All Necessary Force
“[Brad Taylor} knows how to unveil the behind-the-scenes action....[A] terrific, fast-paced read."
—Associated Press on Days of Rage
“Bestseller Taylors fifth Pike Logan thriller takes all the energy of the previous installments and multiplies it by a force factor of 10… A great premise, nonstop action, and one of the baddest villains in the genre... make this a winner.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Polaris Protocol
"A Pike Logan thriller filled with heart-thumping action and insane heroics....A fun, satisfying adventure."
—Kirkus Reviews on Days of Rage (starred review)
"Taylor continues to tell exciting action stories with the authenticity of someone who knows the world of special ops. He also has the chops to create terrific characters whom readers will root for. This series just gets better and better."
— Booklist on The Polaris Protocol
"Admirers of the late Tom Clancy will enjoy this and other works in the series."
— Kirkus Reviews on The Polaris Protocol
“Readers of novels set in the world of Special Forces have many choices, but Taylor is one of the best.” —Booklist on Enemy of Mine
“Satisfies from start to finish.”
—Kirkus Reviews on Enemy of Mine
Review
Praise for The Counterfeit Agent
“The Counterfeit Agent is as topical as any of Berensons books and, with its sharp details and knowingness, gives you the distinct impression that the author has talked to more than enough people to know of what he speaks... The plot is every bit the thrill ride it sounds like, [and then] there is Wells. He is, necessarily, a dashing, hard-to-defeat fellow. But he is deeply human, frustrated as often by love and his own personal demons as by the villains around him. He is a morally complex protagonist, an entertaining guy to hang out with. He alone makes The Counterfeit Agent worth the read.”—Associated Press
“Whatever real-world geopolitical threat you're following, chances are the fictional John Wells has already handled it in his ripped-from-the-headlines adventures.”—NPR books
“With each [book] Alex Berensons idiosyncratic invention, John Wells, a US secret-ops agent and convert to Islam, finds himself getting older and fighting harder for higher stakes in a novel that earns your attention and delivers an intriguing catch at the end . . . [Berensons] clean, clear prose and solid grasp of global geopolitics make for compelling, believable scenes and chapters.”—The Boston Globe
“From the opening gambit in Istanbul to the fetid streets of Thailand and the Philippines, Guatemala and Panama, the pace never lets up. Moreover, the characters weve come to expect in Berensons stories — Ellis Shafer, Wells wisecracking old boss, and Vinny Duto, the opportunistic ex-CIA director turned U.S. senator — are on hand and in especially fine form. The author excels at limning the shadowy world of international espionage, and his feel for the locales in which Wells operates is top-notch. This is an intelligent thriller of the first order, an exciting, satisfying and rewarding read.”—Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“A geo-political thriller that is action packed, mimics the real world, and is full of surprises.”—Crimespree Magazine
“[A] volcanic shocker . . . Working with plot elements that are terrifyingly realistic, research that rings as true as todays headlines, and characters that brim with integrity and swagger, Berenson puts John Wells right up there with the best of espionage fictions greatest heroes.”—Library Journal
“Berenson ratchets the tension ever higher, combining plenty of vividly detailed bloodletting with a fascinating look at geopolitics and the self-serving quagmire of governmental bureaucracy. Wells stands outside all that, a Rambo with a brain who cant resist the call to action. The clock is ticking loudly this time, though, and fans will have to wait until the next book to see if Wells saves the world one more time.”—Booklist
“Berenson sets this series apart by doing his homework. The locations are meticulously researched and exceptionally well-realized. Berenson also clearly knows his spycraft, and his knowledge of the inner workings at Langley adds an additional layer of detail . . . Another well-crafted entry in Berenson's excellent John Wells series.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Action-packed . . . Thriller fans will eagerly await the return of the estimable Wells.”—Publishers Weekly
Praise for The Night Ranger
“[A] taut thriller offers plenty of twists and turns, told in the bestselling author's fast-paced style.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
"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 Weekly
Synopsis
In the eighth action-packed thriller in the New York Times bestselling Pike Logan series, ISIS, the most maniacal terrorist organization the modern world has ever seen, is poised to make their most audacious strike yet. The United States has anticipated and averted countless attacks from terrorist groupsthanks in large part to the extralegal counterterrorist unit known as the Taskforce. But in The Insider Threat, a much more insidious evil is about to shatter the false sense of safety surrounding civilized nations. While world powers combat ISIS on the battlefield, a different threat is set in motion by the groupone that cant be defeated by an airstrike. Off the radar of every Western intelligence organization, able to penetrate America or any European state, they intend to commit an act of unimaginable barbarity. Only Pike Logan and the Taskforce stand in the way of an attack no one anticipates, a grand deception that will wreak unthinkable chaos and reverberate throughout the Western world.
About the Author
BRAD TAYLOR is the New York Times bestselling author of six previous Pike Logan novels. He served for more than twenty years in the US Army, including eight years in 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, commonly known as Delta Force. He retired as a Special Forces lieutenant colonel and now lives in Charleston, South Carolina.