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    The Secret Soldier
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    The Secret Soldier
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    The Secret Soldier
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Secret Soldier

    Written by Alex Berenson

    Narrated by George Guidall

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    John Wells goes undercover in Saudi Arabia in a cutting-edge novel of modern suspense from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author.

    John Wells may have left the CIA, but it hasn't left him. A mysterious call brings a surprise meeting with the aged monarch of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah. "My kingdom is on a precipice," he tells Wells. "Powerful factions are plotting against me, and my own family is in danger. I don't know who I can trust, but I'm told I can trust you."

    Reluctantly, and with the secret blessing of the CIA, Wells goes undercover; but the more he learns, the more complicated things become, and soon he, too, is unsure whom to trust, in Saudi Arabia or Washington. One thing, however, is clear: If the conspirators prevail, it will mean more than the fall of a monarch-it may be the beginning of the final conflagration between America and Islam.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateFeb 8, 2011
    ISBN9781101484524
    Unavailable
    The Secret Soldier
    Author

    Alex Berenson

    Alex Berenson is a former New York Times reporter and award-winning novelist. He attended Yale University and joined the Times in 1999, where he covered everything from the drug industry to Hurricane Katrina and served as a correspondent in Iraq. In 2006, The Faithful Spy, his debut novel, won the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best First Novel. He has since written twelve more novels and a nonfiction book, Tell Your Children. Currently, he lives in the Hudson Valley with his wife and children.

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    Reviews for The Secret Soldier

    4/5

    33 ratings25 reviews

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    • 5/5
      John Wells adventure.
    • 5/5
      Another excellent book about John Wells. Made a very long trip to NC seem much shorter!
    • 1/5
      The sound keeps breaking up making it difficult to listen to
    • 3/5
      The Saudi government is in trouble. One of the princes of the kingdom is undermining the King in an effort to seize the throne. So, who do the King and his trusted henchmen turn to? Former CIA operative John Wells. This demonstrates the fiction in this incredulous turn of events; as the prince says “You think this pleases us? To ask an American we don’t know for help.” What else would you do though when your own secret service is compromised?
      Once Wells gets his head in the game, he and his partner Brett Gaffan go deep undercover, with literally a king’s ransom at their disposal, to race to find out who the secret operatives are, where they are and what diabolical plot they’re hatching against the government. From New Hampshire to Montego Bay, South of France to Milan, or Lebanon to Cyprus the pair race against time to discover the truth.
      When the leader of the rebel force goes rogue and inflicts pain not only on the king, but on ‘the American infidels,’ the CIA gives it’s blessing to send in the secret soldier while government red tape holds up any involvement from a Delta Force unit confined to the embassy grounds. Using the latest satellite technology they are able to pinpoint the location of the missing Ambassador. Since a video of impossible demands has already been broadcast over the airways through Al Jazeera, it is a race against time before a video of his decapitation is shown next, leading to the scenario of an American invasion and the downfall of aging King Abdullah.
      Berensen takes his time establishing his characters credentials in an effort to make this a fine stand-alone novel for those not already introduced to his protagonist John Wells. His work is as much a historical and political fact finding tour of the Middle East as is it a spellbinding page turner and espionage thriller, one that his hard to put down.
    • 4/5
      Another very good John Wells story, this one offering Wells much more of a chance to, well, be John Wells. By now, the relationship between Wells and his boss has also become quite entertaining. 
    • 3/5
      I wasn’t happy with Alex Berenson’s last John Wells book “The Midnight House” and am not much happier with his latest, “The Secret Soldier.” Wells was such a great character in his first novel, “The Faithful Spy,” but those things that made him great just haven’t been there in the past two stories.“The Secret Soldier” tells the story of the king of Saudi Arabia wanting his son to replace him upon the king’s death. But one of the king’s brothers, Saaed, wants his son to assume the throne. So Saaed recruits several bad guys to cause mayhem and madness, one of whom decides to go rogue and not only cause localized problems for the king, but to try and force the US and Saudi Arabia to go to war. And even though Wells doesn’t work for the CIA any more, he gets involved.The end was not bad, but getting there took a while. It’s too bad Berenson couldn’t make Wells’ character grow over the last several books. As was the problem with “The Midnight House,” it really could’ve been anyone doing what Wells does. Other than speaking Arabic, he doesn’t display any unique skills that really require him to be involved.
    • 4/5
      Another solid thriller featuring (now former) CIA operative John Wells. Wells seems to want to retire into the mountains in New Hampshire but gets pulled back in. I really like the John Wells books and would describe them as the "thinking man's thriller" as compared to some of the others out there (I'm looking at you, Mitch Rapp). The Wells character doesn't just go into a situation guns blazing and kill all of the bad guys. He gathers intelligence, makes mistakes, and refines his strategies and feels conflicted about some of the things he is doing. A couple of sentences towards the end of the book suggest that we haven't heard the last of John Wells--count me as a big fan.
    • 4/5
      Fast paced spy thriller set in the Middle East. Interesting because of supposed "palace intrigue" in the the House of Saud. If you were reluctant to enter diplomatic service in the Middle East before reading this book this will cement the deal.
    • 3/5
      This is the first novel I've read by Alex Berenson. I found the plot line a little too far fetched to get more then just 3 stars. I did however find the reading easy going and enjoyable. There were few times, if any, where the plot didn't keep me interested.
    • 5/5
      I admit it, I have been smitten with John Wells since my first encounter with him in "The Faithful Spy." This is Wells' fifth adventure from the pen of Alex Berenson and if you have enjoyed the previous four, this one will not disappoint. In essence, John Wells (a former Special Ops soldier and an ex CIA operative) is hired to stop a gang of terrorists intent on getting the United States to attack Saudi Arabia creating war on Arabian soil. The prose is not for the feint of heart. Berenson's descriptions can be violent and graphic but then again so is the subject he is writing about. The book is filled with historical fact mixed in with a story that is scary because it is not that far from reality. The book takes us from the hills of New Hampshire, to the heart of Jamaica, finally ending in the holy city of Mecca. Thank goodness John Wells is on our side!
    • 5/5
      John Wells is in action once again to save the US from another mess. He goes where the "official Channels" can't and using intel provided from both the Saudis and the CIA, saves the middle east from a total meltdown. Highly recommend this book. It's a real page turner.
    • 2/5
      I hate to say it, but this book is horrible. It's as if the author took every thriller cliche, the stoic hero who feels that he's slipping into a love of violence, can't communicate with his lover and has been betrayed by his bosses at the CIA, and then tries to find a twist. In this case its that the hero practices Islam. Intriguing for all of about 10 minutes but the writing is even more cliched then the plot. Their are a few mildly interesting insights into Saudi Arabia and the book reads easily but time lost here could be better spent on a Danial Silva book. Next!
    • 5/5
      This is a very good book. It is about a former CIA agent dealing with his past and a plot against the King of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. The story's pace keeps you from putting down the book. There are several twists to the plot that keeps you on your toes about what is going to happen next. If you love thrillers about espionage you will love this book.
    • 5/5
      I have read and enjoyed the previous Alex Berenson thrillers, so I was excited when I received the Secret Soldier through the Early Reviewers program. The Secret Soldier was a great read, the continuing saga of John Wells a former CIA, Muslim convert fighting terrorism in the Muslim world. The book was difficult to put down, the action was always exciting and the ending was superb. It tells the story of a fictional ex-CIA operative trying to battle the latest crisis. Many of the twists and turns are not one would expect in reality, but that's okay, that why we choose to read these books. However, the larger context of the story and the resolution is very much real world politics. I loved the book, and avidly await the next chapter.
    • 4/5
      This book was made available to me through Library Thing Early Reviewers. I had not read any of Mr. Berenson's books and though I liked it, it did not seem to be as suspenseful as some of the other spy novels I have read. I also felt the main character's being Muslim was an issue that was mentioned once in a while. The author seems to want us to know about his faith and the conflicts he and others have with it but doesn't develop it enough within the story. All that being said, I was intrigued enough that I went to my library and checked out all of Mr. Berenson's previous books. They are GREAT!
    • 4/5
      Ok, I think the first John Wells book was terrific. The next couple were good solid books. This latest novel--back to terrific!Alex Berenson takes on a difficult subject in this book--the intrigues and double dealings in the Saudi royal family. He not only exposes the troublesome aspects of the regime and educates on the history of the nation, he also shows why America needs them. A very troubling subject in many ways.The character John Wells continues to evolve--not always in pretty ways. The tension in the plot is kept at a fevered pitch through most of the book and that does help you skip over some of the more unlikely parts.
    • 4/5
      This is another solid entry in the series of books that NY Times business journalist Alex Berenson has crafted around the exploits of his anti-hero hero, John Wells. Ostensibly, Wells has left the spook business, disillusioned by the evil stuff that his bosses expected him to do in the line of duty, but he keeps being sucked back in.The opening of this book seemed a bit disjointed and unnecessary; Wells heads off to the Caribbean to track down a rogue spy and bring him to justice, just as dramatic events are gaining momentum in and near Saudi Arabia. I found those first chapters a distraction, however, and even though they helped establish Wells's own discomfort with who he has become, they didn't do much to move forward what is, in essence, a plot-driven suspense novel. Things really get moving -- and interesting -- when an unexpected duo from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recruit Wells to figure out who is really behind a mysterious series of terrorist attacks (a bloody one opens the book, before the action inexplicably shifts to Wells in the Caribbean.) Berenson has a fluid writing style and is able to maintain the required level of suspense, helping the reader to overcome any skepticism about the rapidity with which Wells is able to put together the pieces and come up with the right answer. Indeed, things move along so briskly that I ended up caring more about moving on to the next page than with questions about plausibility or how anyone could add 2 and 2 and come up with 14 instead of 4. It helps that Berenson's characters are all flawed humans, rather than perfect supermen; a kidnap victim is a hero, but a reluctant one who finds strength and courage to endure rather than fight back a la movie action hero. Despite a slow start, this turns into a "thumping good read" that has the extra benefit of making the reader think -- at least for a few minutes -- of all the complexities of Saudi Arabia and our relationship with that nation. Recommended to suspense story fans of authors like Daniel Silva, etcetera, although I'd suggest reading through the series from the beginning rather than starting here or you won't understand the nuances and offhand references. 4.1 stars.I obtained an advance review copy from the Early Reviewers program.
    • 5/5
      Alex Berenson revisits his John Wells character in The Secret Soldier, maybe his best episode to-date. Wells is a severely disaffected ex-CIA operative with too little respect for authority to have stayed in the agency.The story line is surprisingly realistic, and courageous, in the way it deals, very frankly, with the more troublesome aspects of US support for the Saudi royal family. Anyone with even a casual grasp Middle Eastern politics over the past twenty years, or so, will marvel at how openly, honestly and realistically Berenson dilineates the very real issues of Saudi Arabian politics and society.Divisions between the high-living royal princes and a repressed population, between "Westernized" members of the royal family and devout followers of the fundamentalist Wahhabi sect of Islam make for a seething mix of political intrigue and terrorist violence. Into this bubbling cauldron comes John Wells, a reluctant interloper who discovers, almost too late, an even more dire threat to peace and stability than he, or anyone, ever suspected.The story plunges along at an alarming pace. Berenson is very adept at switching scenes to keep us up on each of the main character's progress toward the ultimate clash. Surpise, tension and believability are three elements that are hard to deliver in combination in a geopolitical thriller. Alex Berenson has done it, here, in another excellent outing for John Wells.
    • 4/5
      A good journalist might attempt to make clear sense of the causes and effects of real people, places, and circumstances mingling in a real time or place. A good fiction writer might create some of those things. Alex Berenson nicely does both in the Secret Soldier, his fifth John Wells thriller.John Wells is a former CIA operative who is trying to be retired in New Hampshire, but still has the reputation, contacts, skills, and motivation that conspire to keep him in the field, if not in the traditional chain of command. We quickly learn that he became a committed, as opposed to fanatical, Muslim while undercover in Afghanistan. He also became distrustful of, and distrusted by some of his superiors; recognized as a hero by others, beaten, tortured, shot…all referenced to the previous four novels which I will absolutely be reading soon. In The Secret Soldier, Berenson lays out a number of moving parts that lead Wells and Saudi King Abdullah to a clandestine meeting and a tenuous mercenary alliance in which Wells will try to help the King root out his own trouble in Denmark, or…the desert. There are terrorist attacks; duplicitous Princes, princelings, insurgents, agency chiefs (American and foreign); and also less conniving, even sincere players. As in the real world Berenson’s characters are not black and white, and their motives are complex and multi-faceted. Even our mercenary is not in it for the money. The action is fast and believable and, if not quite ripped from the headlines, perhaps we can imagine what headlines the story helped to prevent. At the risk of spoiling anything let me point out that this book was printed before January 2011.The Secret Soldier leaves enough on the table that when I finish the first four John Wells novels I will anxiously await the next one. There are threads dangling that I hope Berenson will pick up and weave further.
    • 5/5
      John Wells is back in the game again. A rogue group of Saudi fundamentalists not associated with Al Qaeda, and thus off the U.S. intelligence radar, is attempting to destabalize the House of Saud and its ruler, King Abdullah. A brother of the king is involved because Abdullah wants his son to succeed him on the throne and to not pass rule on to his generation.Wells and an associate are hired to get to the root of the plot and expose the guilty parties before King Abdullah is deposed in a coup or looses support of the U.S. government for appearing weak and out of touch. There is plenty of action in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon's Bekaa Valley and Jamaica. I found the book very interesting for its background information on Saudi Arabia and the action filled plot.
    • 4/5
      This book is an excellent example of a tightly plotted, topical, complicated spy thriller. John Wells, an ex-CIA operative, finds himself back in action starting in Jamaica completing one mission and moving to Saudi Arabia on his next mission investigating terrorist attacks which may have connections to the Saudi Royal family. There is interesting character development, the setting is intriguing, the action is very fast-paced, detailed, exciting, and sometimes violent and keeps the reader engaged until the very end. I enjoyed reading this novel and would recommend it as an absorbing example of its genre.
    • 5/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The research and attention to detail breathes to life an Arab world that is both thrilling and complicated. Retired CIA Agent John Wells is called upon by the King of Saudi Arabia to investigate a series of terrorist attacks that may or may not have ties to the Saudi royal family. Just as the King doesn't know who to trust, Wells soon finds out that he can't be sure who to trust, either in Arabia or in Washington.This is a first-rate action thriller. The pace is wonderful, with great action sequences and great character development. The villains and heroes are not cliches. They have real depth and motivations; some simple, some complex. The author takes the time to let the plot develop and increase your investment in the story. A story that is as topical as it is exciting. The ending is perhaps not what you would expect, but it is ultimately what turns this novel from good, but forgettable to great and memorable. It is gratifying to see this type of story in the hands of a truly gifted writer. Any fan of spy or action thrillers will be sure to enjoy this latest from Alex Berenson. Highly recommended.
    • 3/5
      Thanks LT for another early reviewers book.I found this book to be well paced and a good read. It is another fine entry in the John Wells series. I particularly enjoyed the history of Saudi leadership that was woven into and played a large part of the story. In addition, I liked the fact that the story was set in a different location than the usual Pakistan,etc. often associated with these types of tales.I was a bit disappointed in the ending. It seemed like the whole thing was hastily wrapped-up in the epilogue. Other than that, I very much enjoyed The Secret Soldier and would rank it right at the top of the series.Again, a good and enjoyable read!
    • 4/5
      This review is of the "Uncorrected Proof" and, as such, may not reflect the final released version.My first Berenson novel turned out to be an enjoyable and interesting read. Berenson provides excellent pacing, character development, and a finely woven plot-line.One of the more interesting facets of "The Secret Soldier" - for me at least - was the setting. As an avid reader of spy, techno-thriller, and espionage novels, I found it very interesting to read a novel set in Saudi Arabia as opposed to the much more common Iran/Iraq/Afghanistan scenario so prevalent in most of today's releases.As mentioned previously, this is my first reading of Berenson. Even so, I found John Wells to be a fully developed character with enough background and character development within this novel to enjoy it fully. While on the surface Wells may be lumped in with such protagonists as Mitch Rapp, Cotton Malone, and Alex Hawke, this is a superficial comparison at best. Wells possesses all of the super-spy and military acumen as his contemporaries in the genre. However, his emotional involvement in the plot and Berenson's depth of development of the character set him apart.Berenson's storyline provides an interesting (if fictional) view of the palace intrigue within the Saudi royal family as well as the illustrating the interdependence between the US Government and the House of Saud. The Saudi characters run the gamut from the despicable palace plotter to the sympathetic aging monarch. The novel contains enough background and setting development to put all of these characters in context.While all-in-all a fun and enjoyable read, "The Secret Soldier" does experience a few hiccups along the way. Continuity is an issue at times with the plot jumping forward in time without a reasonable transition requiring an even larger suspension of belief for the reader than usual in a spy novel. Additionally, are a couple of sidebars within the story that lend little, if any, to the overall plot and would have been better off avoided.That being said, I'm happy to have found a new author in a favorite genre that I'm sure I'll enjoy going forward. I'm now looking forward to catching up on the exploits of John Wells until the next Berenson novel arrives.4 stars out of 5
    • 5/5
      WOW!!!! Once I started this book, I could not put it down--I lost sleep to finish it. The action was non stop, descriptive but not gory. The characters were well developed, flawed and real. Things didn't always go as planned which made this a more believable story. If you like action, thriller, spy novels this is a must read.