The Wolves

Aaron Duberman, who tried to lure the United States into war with Iran, has gone into hiding, protected by layers of impenetrable security. But John Wells, who foiled his plot, has seen men with money and influence escape the responsibility when their schemes crumble; he’s determined the Duberman will not escape the consequences of his actions.

Aaron Duberman, with powerful friends and influence as high as the White House, isn’t going down without a fight. And with the president hiding the truth from the public, Wells decides to go after the billionaire on his own.

The resulting cat-and-mouse game will keep readers guessing as the plot unfolds. Character development, impressive technical details, and a focus on the consequences of show more actions and the cost of revenge work together to give readers insight into John’s frustrations as current events weave themselves into the fast-paced narrative readers are certain to find compelling.

Recommended. show less

Not my favorite John Wells book. First, there just wasn't that much for him to do. Second, the politics at the heart of the story didn't ring true. Finally, I'll admit that I've remained a bit uncomfortable by the villain and his plot in both this book and the preceding volume in the series. That being said, I think Berenson handled that subject quite well

A rare John Wells series novel from Berenson that was below expectations. A little too far fetched on the plot, dialogue not quite up to snuff, some unrealistic action sequences. Wells ends up mostly in one piece and there’s a giant tease at the end, so let’s hope the next installment will be a reset.

The Wolves, John Wells #10, Alex Berenson, narrated by George Guidall
When the novel begins, the reader learns that a planned invasion of Iran by the United States had been thwarted, just in time. The effort to start this war was engineered by an American, Aaron Duberman, who was married to an Israeli supermodel. He was a billionaire who owned many casinos. In order to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, which he considered dangerous to the safety and security of Israel, he devised a plan to trick the United States President into invading Iran. He succeeded in convincing the President that Iran intended to smuggle a nuclear weapon into the country, but Duberman’s deception was discovered and stopped in the 11th hour, by John show more Wells, a former undercover CIA agent, Senator Vinny Duto and Ellis Shafer, a CIA agent.

The very wealthy Duberman was a large contributor to the current President’s war chest, and he was therefore easily able to convince him that treachery was afoot in Iran. When his disloyalty was discovered, the President did not want his own part in the failed, illegal plan to get out; it would be political suicide for him. Hence, he attempted to protect Duberman and put out a false statement to the public about the invasion which had been canceled. As the plot played out, the reader is exposed to the hypocrisy and power of the government as it went to great lengths in its attempts to keep the truth from the public eye and to prevent anyone else from exposing it.

As Wells attempted to catch up with Aaron Duberman to administer his own form of justice, the reader is taken all over land and sea following him in his search for revenge. Duberman’s body guards are former Mossad agents, but they seem to be no match for Wells who carefully planned his actions. People were threatened, coerced and murdered. However, someone eventually betrayed Wells. Who would do that? Was it friend or enemy? Before long the British, Chinese, Russians, Israelis and Americans all have a hand in this thriller which at times lost all credibility. I found that the details of excessive violence and the unnecessarily descriptive sexual encounters diminished the power of the story itself. Still, I always wondered if Wells would get his man and read on. The narrator did a fine job of presenting each character and event with clarity. show less

Following The Counterfeit Agent and Twelve Days, this is the third book in a series focused on billionaire Aaron Duberman. Duberman, who is Jewish but an American citizen, tried to use stolen nuclear materials to start a war between Iran and America in order to protect Israel. Here, John Wells decides to seek vengeance himself when the U.S. President refuses to act. Wells manages to get Duberman and his family kicked out of Israel, and they flee to Hong Kong, where they seek asylum from other superpower nations. Despite Herculean efforts to thwart Wells on many fronts, he manages to find a sufficient number of allies to pursue his dogged mission. One of the unique aspects about Wells is his Muslim faith, although I found it strangely show more dormant in this novel. show less

This is Alex Berenson's 10th novel featuring John Wells. His novel, "The Faithful Spy: won the Edgar Award in 2007 for the best first novel.

"The Wolves" follows the action in "Twelve Days," where billionaire Aaron Duterman tried to get the U.S. and Israel to invade Iran. Needless to say, this would be a moneymaker for Duterman. In that novel, Wells works with Vinny Duto and Ellis Shaffer.

In "The Wolves" Wells is again helped by Shafer who is now the CIA director. Duterman is now in Hong Kong and still wants revenge against Wells.

Wells decides to go after Duterman.

Prior to his trip to Hong Kong, Wells visits with his son, Evan and they talk about Evan going into the Company when he finishes college. It seems like Wells wants to tie up show more loose ends before changing careers to something less threatening.

Alex Berenson is a skilled story-teller. He creates realistic scenarios and his stories are suspenseful and compelling.

I'm anxious to see what John Wells does in his next adventure. show less

Great start to end. Don't know why I'm into the Chinese theme.