The Silent Man (John Wells Series #3)

Alex Berenson continues to deliver top rate realistic tales on a par with Le Carre and Silva.

In the DC area CIA Agents John Wells and Jennifer Exley are driving to work when traffic comes to a standstill because of accidents on twoe bridge. John thinks it is too much of a happenstance and quickly is proven right when three assassins on motorcycles start shooting at them. They kill their attackers, but Exley is critically wounded in the crossfire. When he knows she will live, John goes to Russia to obtain proof that arms dealer Pierre Kowalski put out the hit on him for embarrassing him and marking his face in a duel years ago.

The mission fails but Kowalski is deathly afraid that Wells will come after him. In Russia, two nuclear warheads are stolen from the secure Facility in Ozersk and placed on board a freighter heading to Canada where Jihadists wait for the arrival to drive them into the States. They intend to nuke DC on Inauguration Day led by Sayyid Nadiji whose family was killed during the Iraq War and occupation. Kowalski is asked to deliver beryllium to give to a third party who will supply it to those targeting Washington. He tells Wells to maintain the peace between them. John runs with the information, which is the first step in finding and preventing Jihadists from devastating DC.

This is an invigorating thriller that will frighten readers as the scenario is plausible with the terrorists capable of the theft, delivery, and destruction on a scale that could make 9/11, London and Madrid seem minor. John is a dedicated agent risking his life to keep the world safe while his beloved Exley wants him out of the deadly field game that he cannot walk away from even if it means losing her. Fans will enjoy the latest spy thriller, as Alex Berenson continues to deliver top rate realistic tales (see THE GHOST WAR and FAITHFUL SPY) on a par with Le Carre and Silva.

Harriet Klausner

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Berenson's Best Yet?

If you are a fan of Alex Berenson and his character John Wells ("The Faithful Spy" "The Ghost War") then "The Silent Man" is an absolute must read. Berenson is able to develop the Wells character and the complications of the past which haunt him, while telling a timely and dramatic tale. The awful scenario presented in this story is all too possible in this time of political correctness and congressional infighting, bloated beauracracies and excessive concern for public appearance over substance in the intelligence community. Berenson is quickly becoming one of the most respected authors in the genre and "The Silent Man" is a prime example of his best work.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Exciting!

Mr. Berenson has done it again. I have read his previous books and find this one just as exciting. It move quickly and keeps my attention. It was difficult to put down.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Too Predictable

Book 3 in the John Wells series

The tale involves the theft of Russian made nuclear warheads to be used in an effort to trigger a U.S.-Russia conflict. Muslim terrorists calculate the ideal time and place would be Washington during the State of the Union address, payback for decades of Western domination and oppression.

The story is vividly told and plunges its readers into a scary minute-by- minute fictional account of how the militants steal two nuclear weapons, smuggle them into the U.S and on an isolated New York farm create a devise that will help bring them closer to the world they dream of.

Meanwhile, back in the States, an old nemesis from a previous encounter, Pierre Kowalski, mounts a deadly assault killing several people and severely injuring Exley, Wells' fiancé. This is sweet revenge; Wells had severely humiliated him in the previous novel, "The Ghost War". Wells has a strong suspicion as to who is behind the attack and due to personal interests and against the advice of his CIA superiors; he makes it his mission to bring the attackers and their mastermind to justice. Tracking them to Russia, he manages to kill several of the assassins but is unable to cut the head of the snake, his ultimate trophy. The cat and mouse game between himself and Kowalski rages on until Wells realises Kowalski has an important bargaining chip, information on the nuclear plot against the U.S.

This international intrigue is mildly enjoyable; I found the adventure lacks some of the rapid-fire pacing I like to experience in a thriller. However, it does provide some white-knuckle suspense and could be considered chillingly plausible. The plotting is very predictable for this day and age. John Wells, the main character, is still a complex blend of smarts and cynicism and Exley's role along with the romance between the two is weak and quite boring. The exploits of the secondary characters and those of the hero, in my opinion, place this novel in the class of a Jack Bauer "24 " series, very interesting at first but eventually loses its allure.

Needless to say my interest in this series is waning

Review of the Silent Man

This is an exciting book. This book is for fans of "24". John Wells is the literary Jack Bauer. I read the book in 4 days. If you read his other books, definitely read this one. The author was nice enough to answer me when i had a question about the book.

Silent Man is latest in a strong series by Alex Berenson.

I recommend that you read the first two Berenson novels in which he creates and fleshes out the characters in this book. Berenson understands the psyche of the peaceful Muslim better than any that I have read, without demonizing the forces that must detect and fight against the Islamic fascists. Be prepared for a hard fast ride, with several major twists and turns.
John Walls is one of the most believable characters I've come across in years of reading. Don't start this one late at night.....unless you have no plans for tomorrow.

like an old friend who kills

this third installment may not be as good as the first two but it is still a great read. i so enjoyed following the different twists and turns of each act in the book. the main character john wells is wonderful as he chases down leads and tries to find answers and justice. read all three of alex berenson's novels and you will be rewarded with a gripping time. sad thing is it will probably be another year to wait for his next book.

Berenson will be a superstar

His first two books easily rated five stars. He slipped a bit with this latest effort but I will buy every book he writes.

Great series

If you like spy thrillers, or military thrillers this is a great book! If you like Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Ted Bell, Tom Clancy, etc... you will like this author. This is the 3nd book in his John Wells series. The story line is a little repetitive but the action, and writing is great. I personally love this type of fiction. I read at work to kill the long hours and I finished this book in less then 48 hours, it is hard to put down, I had to force myself to leave it at work and not take it home LOL.

The Silent Man - remains silent

I have read the previous 2 Alex Berenson books - the first was GREAT.
The 2nd a little less and now the 3rd is my least favorite.
I think the author gave up character development for other aspects
of the plot. I very much enjoy his writing style.

Another great novel from Alex Berenson. . .

The Silent Man is another great book from Berenson that features the character John Wells. It is action-packed and suspenseful as the book is centered around the scare of a nuclear explosion. I really enjoy Alex Berenson's writing style, he has a way of keeping your interest throughout the entire book. Alex Berenson is the real deal, anyone who enjoys reading political thrillers should try his books. I will definitely be reading the next book from Alex Berenson.

A Thrill Every Two Minutes

Which means less than a thrill a minute. John Wells might be called John Wood in this novel, as his personality takes even less shape than in the first novel. It's an okay story, with several interesting moments, but it just does not rank in the top of thriller novels. For me 3 and one-half stars, but many good wishes for the next one.

Not quite up to the par of the previous books

Continuing the John Wells series from "The Faithful Spy" and "The Ghost War", author Alex Berenson pits Wells against jihadist fanatics intent on fabricating a nuclear weapon to deploy against the United States.

Though still entertaining as an entry in the Vince Flynn/Mitch Rapp genre, this novel doesn't encompass as wide a scope as Berenson's previous works. Gone are the upper level political machinations at governmental policy level that made the earlier books so exceptional.

This is a smaller story, surprisingly enough given the nature of the threat against the US, and there was a substantial missed opportunity in that Berenson touched on - but didn¿t explore at all - Russia's reaction to the theft of their nuclear material (I'm not giving away a spoiler, as this is the opening sequence of the novel).

This book spends much more time on Wells's relationship with his girlfriend Jenny, and the mechanics of creating a nuclear device. Interesting reading, but somehow not really enough; not satisfying.

Four stars.

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