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greathornedowl's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
jacki_f's review against another edition
4.0
This is the fourth book in Alex Berenson's series about CIA agent John Wells, which started with The Faithful Spy. It's not necessary to have read all the previous books - in fact, this is a significantly better book than installments 2 and 3. If you're new to the series, all that you need to know is that John Wells is a fluent Arabic speaker who spent several years undercover for the CIA infiltrating the Taliban and then became a national hero after averting a terrorist attack in New York. Since then he has worked for the CIA when they need someone to help with "special problems" that require them to operate outside their usual channels.
The Midnight House which gives this book its name is a secret US interrogation centre based in Poland, set up to deal with terrorists. Around a year after the centre was disbanded, someone is killing off the team members one by one. John Wells is called in to find out who is responsible, which is a difficult task because so many details about what went on at the Midnight House are shrouded in secrecy. Parts of the story are set during the operation of the Midnight House, so that the answers gradually emerge from dual storylines.
This is an enjoyable thriller which is grounded in current events and therefore feels more realistic and credible than books of this genre often do. While there are some exciting action sequences, Berenson has also written an intelligent story with rounded characters. I didn't guess how the book would end, but it's a satisfying and logical conclusion.
The Midnight House which gives this book its name is a secret US interrogation centre based in Poland, set up to deal with terrorists. Around a year after the centre was disbanded, someone is killing off the team members one by one. John Wells is called in to find out who is responsible, which is a difficult task because so many details about what went on at the Midnight House are shrouded in secrecy. Parts of the story are set during the operation of the Midnight House, so that the answers gradually emerge from dual storylines.
This is an enjoyable thriller which is grounded in current events and therefore feels more realistic and credible than books of this genre often do. While there are some exciting action sequences, Berenson has also written an intelligent story with rounded characters. I didn't guess how the book would end, but it's a satisfying and logical conclusion.
sandin954's review against another edition
2.0
Not nearly as good as the previous books in the series. John Wells, super agent for the CIA, seemed to be off his game and just kind of floundered around during the entire book. The ending was a bit flat and, I thought, highly predictable too. Listened to the audio version read by George Guidall who did his usual excellent job.
carlylottsofbookz's review against another edition
3.0
This is the 4th of the John Wells novels, and I brought me back to what I enjoyed about the 1st novel.
There still seem to be random acts of violence that are excused only because John is a CIA agent (and thus make the book harder for me to swallow).
But an enjoyable read. :)
There still seem to be random acts of violence that are excused only because John is a CIA agent (and thus make the book harder for me to swallow).
But an enjoyable read. :)
kstumpf's review against another edition
3.0
It sure what this book was missing, but it was something. Plot was ok, characters were ok, it just did not draw me in like the other John Wells books.
jwillis81's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, I thought this book was just okay. The characters were okay, the plot was okay, the dialogue was okay. What didn't really work for me was the fact that this is ultimately really a mystery story, not a thriller. The pacing is slow and the narrative is basically the protagonist running around questioning people and looking into things without any real sense of urgency or danger, so it wasn't really a "thriller" per se.
A number of people have suggested Alex Berenson books to me over the years and this was the first one I happened to read. I didn't think it was particularly great, but based on some of the other reviews here, it also seems like this might be a bit of a departure from the other books in this series, and other books the author has written. For that reason I might give another one of his books a try sometimes, but this one in particular was a bit forgettable.
A number of people have suggested Alex Berenson books to me over the years and this was the first one I happened to read. I didn't think it was particularly great, but based on some of the other reviews here, it also seems like this might be a bit of a departure from the other books in this series, and other books the author has written. For that reason I might give another one of his books a try sometimes, but this one in particular was a bit forgettable.
joestewart's review against another edition
4.0
Now that I've read 3 or 4 of Berneson's books, I can anticipate the flow of the story, though not the details. Because he writes well, the story reman engaging, so much so that I'm off to the library to pick up a couple more.
This particular story had several confusing twists that added to the suspense and mystery around what's going to happen next.
I liked it.
This particular story had several confusing twists that added to the suspense and mystery around what's going to happen next.
I liked it.
eldiente's review
3.0
A deviation for the John Walls character and a set-up for another book. I like the humanizing of the character and found the pondering of current military dilemnas to be interesting.
cfl97's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75