The Maverick Experiment

by Drew Berquist

Breaking all the rules, a battle-hardened group of fighters confront Afghan terrorists on their own terms. In wartime, some operations have to be conducted outside the normal lines of authority. Nowhere is this more true than in modern Afghanistan, the setting for this riveting military thriller. Derek Stevens is an experienced interrogator fluent in multiple languages and highly trained in weapons and escape and evasion techniques. He is the ideal candidate to lead a crew on a top-secret mission into Afghanistan to neutralize Taliban leaders. That mission, as it turns out, is much more challenging than even he had expected. Stevens' assignment leads him and his maverick warriors through the most dangerous prison in Kabul and into the Pakistani heartland of the terrorist resistance. Working deep undercover, they deliver tough justice to the world's toughest terrorists. Drawn from the author's own experiences with the U.S. intelligence and Special Operations communities, The Maverick Experiment reveals the inner workings of the international intelligence machine and the gritty, blood-soaked reality of life on the front lines of the war in Afghanistan.

Genres: Fiction, Adventure, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks, Espionage

245 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Drew Berquist is an author and senior intelligence consultant for United States government with operational training from multiple intelligence agencies including the CIA, DIA and NSA.

Over the course of 16 deployments to Afghanistan and the surrounding region, he has conducted counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations in support of a special access program in Afghanistan. Prior to this position, he served as an officer with the U.S. Department of Defense, where he conducted intelligence and special operations.

Berquist is trained in Arabic and speaks to audiences as an expert on Afghanistan and the Global War on Terror. Berquist currently lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife and children.

Reviews

[Shannon Russell Pennington · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were so many typos that it was difficult to follow at times and the storyline was like a low quality version of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan but with choppy, ridiculous dialog and unbelievably ignorant wives and girlfriends.

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was rather straight-forward, not particularly deep, but entertaining. There was a while at the beginning when I was a little concerned about how flippantly this team killed people who were in their way, but I got over it. I'm not sure if that's good or not.

I know I've read lots of other books with lots of dead people. The wars in various fantasy and historical fiction stories I've read, but something about this one made the killing seem more immediate and terrible. Maybe because it took place in the modern day and not some other world or time; maybe because the author described the people in a more human way before the main characters killed them. It kinda made me think of all those FPS games that I don't play. I'm not completely sure how that's relevant, but it made me wonder I was reacting so strongly to these people being killed when entertainment based on war/killing is so popular. Or something.

Anyway, back to the book. There were people, they did things, there was excitement and action and such. As I said, entertaining, but not deep. There wasn't much character development or anything. The story started, these people were put together, they finished their mission and went home, giving the impression that it was going to happen again and that this would become a series of books. So, not much to say about there.

But I did enjoy the book. The writing of the action was good; it was quick but descriptive. It gave the impression that the author knew what he was writing about, which is good. And that was that.

One other thing that bothered me was how they know someone to take care of anything. I've mentioned that in a previous book. Need something? Luckily we have a connection! Just seems too convenient all the time.

[Jenny Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Maverick Experiment by Drew Berquist is about a secret team of the best soldiers who act outside the rules. Though they are formed and hired by the CIA, they don’t really exist and nobody knows what they are doing where. While the idea is thrilling and exciting, the action becomes so fast-paced that it can be hard to follow. Is this supposed to be some far-fetched idea of the author as the only way to get certain things done? Or is Berquist giving us a peak into the way the government really works? Either way, I think the presentation is too much information, a little too honest. Once the men on this Maverick team are given a vague assignment, they seem to act through anger and passion in the heat of the moment rather than with logic. There is way too much crude language even for a war novel.


I discovered this as a free e-book and I’m glad the only thing I’m out is some time. I wouldn’t spend money on this book and I would not recommend it to anyone. In fact, if you’re interested in a military thriller, check out Michael Angley (Child Finder series) or James R. Hannibal (Wraith). Both are much better written and much cleaner.

[_yay_ · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a senior intelligence consultant for the United States government Berquist might know what he's talking about, but he clearly isn't good at writing. Certain words are repeatedly used (which is annoying), the plot is practically non-existent, the dialogue flat and the attempt(s) at humor not even worth a mention. I'm all for giving credit where it's due and normally it doesn't take much for me to enjoy a read, but in this case I struggled - hard - to finish it. All these shortcomings make me wonder if the author's intent was to bring a political message across, rather than write a book. 1 (0) stars for The Maverick Experiment.
Also, it's never a good sign if one sentence alone drives me (as the reader) up the wall:
Beware of Spoilers!

"Who is it, honey?" [...] "It's business, honey."
-
"It's not easy [...] when you're in places we're fighting a war with, like Afghanistan..."
-"Well, honey, technically, we aren't fighting Afghanistan."

Those are just from the first few pages. I'm glad it was a Kindle freebie!

[Daniela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to actually go back and change my book review to 5 stars. At first I was skeptical about the subject matter, war, Afghanistan, terrorism, to be honest with you, I felt like I was quite saturated by the news with that kind of information. However, the writing style of this young man is so captivating that I could not put this book down and almost didn't put this book down in two days. That's all it took to read this one and it was a fascinating and very interesting read. An inside story on war, intelligence, doing unpopular jobs and making unpopular decisions to somehow come up with the greater good for all. You end up routing for these guys who have learned to brush off collateral damage and casualty amongst their own ranks to do a job that nobody else wants to do, nor is equipped to do.

[H.L. Reasby · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept is intriguing and the writing isn't bad, but this could have been a much stronger book. The only viewpoint we're really privvy to is that of the main character Derek. We're told that the relationships between the men are strong and that we should care about them, but we're never REALLY given any reason to care.

The book ends as a setup to a series so my hope for the next one is that the author steps it up a couple notches and gives us more insight into the other characters and allows us to really FEEL the bond between the guys rather than simply telling us about it.

[Kristi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started reading this book before I read the reviews. At first, I couldn't understand why people weren't die-hard fans, but after finishing the book, I can see why. I'll admit, the book starts out strong. I was very intrigued by the renegade maverick team, however, it loses steam in the middle and falls flat at the end. I kept waiting for something big to happen, but for me, it never did.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars

This is An action packed novel. The reader is plunged into the operations of a quasi legal team of undercover agents. The men on the team are likable but I'm not 100% sure i would approve if I knew our government had a team like this operating in real life. A fascinating perspective of the war on islamofascisn.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty quick read. Not a lot in the way of character development, but an interesting story of a black ops team of 5 American agents sent to do what the government can't officially do. It is left wide open for sequels.

[J. Ewbank · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book by Drew Berquist is a decent read and an enjoyable one. The characters are fleshed out well enough to enjoy them and the plot will keep your attention. Enjoyed it.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

[Readalot · Rating 2 out of 5]

The problem with this book is the author. The book is not the worst book I have ever read but it could have been so much more. It's ok. If you are stuck with the phone book and this book, then it's great. Otherwise, don't waste your time on this.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick, easy-to-read black-ops thriller, and while it had little in the way of character depth, it made up for that with break-neck pacing and high body counts, as well as an authentic feel for how operations in the U.S. military work.

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The irony of this book was, I read it at the same time as Bin Laden's death. Huge parallel in the story and true life. I'm retired military and love this style of writing. Not exactly Clancy... but a good substitute.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

This novel, if I may beg indulgence for my attempted eloquence, is a turd. Further, it is a turd of such epic size that it will require both plunger and professional help to purge it from you tank. Please avoid.

[Paul Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was rather straight-forward, you can get the plot teasers in the book description above. Entertaining, but not particularly deep.

I did enjoy the book. The writing of the action was well done. I get the the impression that the author knows what he is writing about.

[Layne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall it was a good book. Story line was well written. I didn't think the characters were well developed. Overall I thought the book lacked depth. It was interesting to take a diversion from non-fiction and read something just for fun, but this book didn't deliver like I hoped it would.

[Janis Knecht · Rating 2 out of 5]

Character development was lacking to some degree. The main character was developed pretty well but the rest were somewhat superficial. Several typos which made reading "bumpy" in places. Descriptive details were minimal. The basis were there but the story seemed to lack depth.

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my kind of book - macho adventure involving killing people - end justifies the means - America saves the world

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise, well thought out characters and a heap of detail about tactics and training. Read it right after the Pakistan raid, so I thought it was quite timely.

[Carol Preflatish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love CIA novels. The author's details were great. The plot kept my interest, and the characters were believable, but there were a lot of typos in the book and that distracted me.

[Nev Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK CIA type thriller

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good start, then not as good later.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a quick easy read and the story moved along quickly.

[Parth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A spy story by a former spy. Nothing like The Bourne books but still racy and intriguing. A definite page-turner.

[Addison · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a lot of indiscriminate killing, but I guess that was the intent. Other than some awkward dialog, it was well written. The action scenes were spot on.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but needs some editing.

The book is good. Fast action and a believable plot. The ebook version, however, needs to be looked at. Quite a few spelling errors.

[Jeff Hawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit too improbable for my taste

[Karin]

Page turner

Loved it, this book was a great action packed edge of your seat page turner. Hoping Drew writes more soon.

[Frank Corriveau · Rating 3 out of 5]

eBook. Just OK. Not great. Another brilliant U.S. military program against the evils of the Taliban. With all of these tales, you`d think USA was actually winning the war on terror.

[AH]

Kobo free download 4/1/11