THE
COUNTERFEIT AGENT
by Alex Berenson
KIRKUS REVIEW
from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/alex-berenson/counterfeit-agent/
“In this newest John
Wells novel from Berenson (The Night Ranger, 2013, etc.), the superagent
tries to foil a plot to force the U.S. into a war with Iran.
John Wells’ girlfriend
responded to his marriage proposal with a counteroffer: Stop doing work for the
CIA, or it’s over. Unfortunately for Wells’ love life, Vinny Duto—who
recently traded his post as CIA director for a seat in the Senate—chooses that
moment to call and ask for a meeting. He’s gotten a tip from a former associate
that someone—allegedly a CIA case officer—is out to assassinate a station
chief. Meanwhile, the agency station in Istanbul has been talking to an
anonymous source who claims to be a Revolutionary Guard colonel. The source
mentions an attack on a CIA station chief and insists his fellow Iranians are
behind the plot. When the attack happens, the agency takes the source’s next
claim—that the Iranians are planning to smuggle enriched nuclear material into
the U.S.—very seriously. But Wells, Duto and Wells’ former boss, Ellis Shafer,
aren’t sure. Unfortunately, Ellis is on the outs at the agency, and as a
freshman senator, Duto doesn’t have any sway at Langley anymore. If the three
of them are going to figure this out, they’re going to have to do it without
the agency's help. Fans of Berenson's John Wells series will happily find more
of the same here. Wells gets himself out of scrape after scrape using his
considerable brains and brawn, while Ellis Shafer lets loose his usual
array of dry zingers. But as always, 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. The dialogue
is occasionally wooden but less so than most novels in the genre. And in a
series first, the novel's end leaves plenty of loose threads dangling,
allowing copious room for a sequel.
Another well-crafted
entry in Berenson's excellent John Wells series.”
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