The Prisoner

(Paperback)

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Description

To unmask a CIA mole spying for ISIS, John Wells must return to his roots and go undercover as an Arab jihadi-and hope he can survive it-in the new cutting-edge novel from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author. It is the most dangerous mission of John Wells's career. Evidence is mounting that someone high up in the CIA is doing the unthinkable-passing messages to ISIS, alerting them to planned operations. Finding out the mole's identity without alerting him, however, will be very hard, and to accomplish it, Wells will have to do something he thought he'd left behind forever. He will have to reassume his former identity as a hardened jihadi, be captured, and get put next to an ISIS prisoner in a secret Bulgarian prison. Many years before, Wells was the only American agent ever to penetrate al Qaeda, but times have changed drastically. The terrorist organizations have multiplied- gotten bigger, crueler, more ambitious and powerful. Wells knows it may well be his death sentence. But there is no one else.

Reviews

Praise for The Prisoner

Berenson delivers some surprises along the way...Another strong mix of finely turned suspense and subtle character development.Booklist

Deeply researched, fast-paced, and believable.Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The Prisoner reinforces Berensons status as one of todays steadiest practitioners of quality spy fiction...The action culminates smartly [and] Wells is an appealing combination of brains and brawn.Publishers Weekly

The John Wells series never gets old ... Berenson is a marvel, purely and simply." Bookreporter.com

[Takes] readers beyond where journalism can take them, even if the scenes and plots are imagined. The San Antonio Express News

Berenson delivers another strong mix of finely tuned suspense and subtle character development in this latest book. Crossville-Chronicle

"[A] riveting thriller that channels the very best of both John le Carr and Frederick Forsyth. This is a thinking mans (or womans) thriller, distinguished by a combination of pitch perfect plotting and chillingly on-point geopolitical issues. A throwback to the golden age of spy novels, THE PRISONER is also an existential study of the price of duty and its inevitable toll. A stunning success in all respects. Providence Sunday Journal


Praise for The Wolves

Exhilarating...when the call of duty summons, Wells rises to the occasion; his emotions may be mixed, but he still puts on a great show for readers.Publishers Weekly

[An] adrenaline-filled thriller...Fans of the John Wells series wont be disappointed. Theyll agree with his enemies that if Wells isnt Superman, hes super something.Kirkus Reviews

As always, Berenson brilliantly blends global politics into an adrenaline-pulsing spy novel. But, most of all, there is Wells, a stone-cold killer who nevertheless does what we all wish we could do: stand up to the powerful and make them pay.Booklist

Masterful...The Wolves is driven by a terrific and well-executed plot, but where Berenson truly shines is in his explanation of how certain parts of the world work. These would include spycraft and the dark tradeoffs made by governments at the highest and lowest levels.Bookreporter.com

Berensons John Wells series has lost none of its power, novelty, and excitement. Wells is unique in contemporary thriller fiction [and] has become a richer character with each new story.Connecticut Post

Berensons style is as seductive as his storytelling, and The Wolves has a bite that doesnt let go from the first page straight through to the last.The Providence Journal

Author Bio

This is Alex Berenson's eleventh novel featuring John Wells. As a reporter for The New York Times, Berenson covered topics ranging from the occupation of Iraq--where he was stationed for three months-to the flooding of New Orleans, to the world pharmaceutical industry, to the financial crimes of Bernard Madoff. He graduated from Yale University in 1994 with degrees in history and economics, and lives in New York City. The Faithful Spy won the 2007 Edgar Award for best first novel.