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John Wells #4
The Midnight House
CIA agent John Wells returns in a cutting-edge novel of modern suspense from the #1 New York Times-bestselling writer.
Early one morning, a former CIA agent is shot to death in the street. That night, an army vet is gunned down in his doorway. The next day, John Wells gets a phone call. Come to Langley. Now.
The two victims were part of an eleven-member interrogation team that operated out of a secret base in Poland called the Midnight House. For two years, they put the screws to the toughest jihadis, men thought to have knowledge of imminent threats. The interrogators used whatever means necessary. When they were disbanded in the wake of public controversy, they were given medals for their heroism, Prozac for their nightmares. Now Wells must find out who is killing them. Islamic terrorists are the likeliest explanation, and Wells is uniquely qualified to go undercover after them. But the trail of blood he discovers will lead him and his boss, Ellis Shafer, to a place they wouldn't have imagined-and leave Wells facing the hardest of questions about the men of the Midnight House.
Early one morning, a former CIA agent is shot to death in the street. That night, an army vet is gunned down in his doorway. The next day, John Wells gets a phone call. Come to Langley. Now.
The two victims were part of an eleven-member interrogation team that operated out of a secret base in Poland called the Midnight House. For two years, they put the screws to the toughest jihadis, men thought to have knowledge of imminent threats. The interrogators used whatever means necessary. When they were disbanded in the wake of public controversy, they were given medals for their heroism, Prozac for their nightmares. Now Wells must find out who is killing them. Islamic terrorists are the likeliest explanation, and Wells is uniquely qualified to go undercover after them. But the trail of blood he discovers will lead him and his boss, Ellis Shafer, to a place they wouldn't have imagined-and leave Wells facing the hardest of questions about the men of the Midnight House.
385 pages, Hardcover
First published January 12, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 406 reviews
June 18, 2020
This is good enough that I will have to go back and read earlier John Wells novels, yet irritatingly flawed.
It's a whodunnit mystery masquerading as a jihadist thriller. The soldiers and spooks assigned to interrogate/torture high-value jihad prisoners are being killed by unknown enemies. John Wells, our hero, is assigned to investigate, even though the FBI is already on the job.
The mystery aspects are well done. Wells questions people, in and out of the CIA, army, and NSA. His investigation leads to the conclusion that something happened at the interrogations. Duh. Eventually, it leads to a nice twist, a satisfying resolution to the mystery.
But it's all history, all investigation. What happened, happened, and there's no bigger threat. This is a letdown if the reader expects a thriller.
And the path is jarring. The scenes jump back and forth in time, between interrogators and investigators, between bad guys and good guys. Eventually everything is explained, but the reasons turn out to be somewhat pedestrian. Everyone has embraced the multiple-storyline concept: we see what's going on back then, we see what's going on now, and eventually they merge. Unfortunately, the impact of the past actions is more of a 'is that what it was' than a 'OMG! Do something' moment. And then it stops; we understand what happened, and we understand that no further action is required. Or we could have skipped the entire story and things would turn out about the same. Every scene is vivid and tense, but the overall result is 'meh.'
It's a whodunnit mystery masquerading as a jihadist thriller. The soldiers and spooks assigned to interrogate/torture high-value jihad prisoners are being killed by unknown enemies. John Wells, our hero, is assigned to investigate, even though the FBI is already on the job.
The mystery aspects are well done. Wells questions people, in and out of the CIA, army, and NSA. His investigation leads to the conclusion that something happened at the interrogations. Duh. Eventually, it leads to a nice twist, a satisfying resolution to the mystery.
But it's all history, all investigation. What happened, happened, and there's no bigger threat. This is a letdown if the reader expects a thriller.
And the path is jarring. The scenes jump back and forth in time, between interrogators and investigators, between bad guys and good guys. Eventually everything is explained, but the reasons turn out to be somewhat pedestrian. Everyone has embraced the multiple-storyline concept: we see what's going on back then, we see what's going on now, and eventually they merge. Unfortunately, the impact of the past actions is more of a 'is that what it was' than a 'OMG! Do something' moment. And then it stops; we understand what happened, and we understand that no further action is required. Or we could have skipped the entire story and things would turn out about the same. Every scene is vivid and tense, but the overall result is 'meh.'
May 10, 2015
PROTAGONIST: John Wells, CIA
SERIES: #4 of 4
RATING: 3.75
The subject of enhanced interrogation has provided headlines in the world news for the past few years. Those in favor of using these techniques feel that they provide information that would not be obtained using gentler methods. Breaking terrorism suspects might help dismantle terrorist networks responsible for thousands of deaths. There are others who feel that treating terrorism suspects more humanely results in more accurate and credible information. THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE provides some real food for thought for the reader, most notably around the impact on the interrogators over a prolonged period of time.
There’s a unit of ten people who have been assigned to run an interrogation center at an obscure military base in Poland. They are known as “The Midnight House” and are following the prescribed and legal methods of interrogating suspects, more or less. The actions of the questioners are overseen by a doctor named Rachel Callar. As time goes on, she sees the integrity of the operation disintegrating and moving more into the realm of torture. Ultimately, two of the terrorism suspects “disappear”, a fact that is covered up by leaders in the US.
The unit has disbanded and returned to the States. Over a period of time, seven of the ten are killed or missing, with the rest in mortal danger. It falls to CIA agent John Wells and his boss, Ellis Shafer, to investigate the suspicious deaths. In a very interesting turn of events, Wells goes undercover in Cairo, passing himself off as a Kuwaiti. What he finds out implicates some very important people in the power chain. In addition to the murders and two detainees missing, millions of dollars can’t be accounted for.
Berenson skillfully raises many questions about interrogation techniques and leaves it up to the reader to determine what is right or wrong. He takes a relatively neutral stance on the interrogation situation. It is clear that The Midnight House members were unraveling as their operation wound down. Fortunately, he minimized the amount of graphic descriptions of the acts that were performed by the team.
The character of John Wells definitely took a back seat to other characters in the book, most notably Rachel Callar, who struggled with the morality of what was happening at the camp in Poland. Beyond the interrogation focus, the back story of Wells’ struggle to accept the fact that his relationship with agent Jennifer Exley was over seemed trivial compared to the other events in the book. In addition, I found that the person who was actually the killer a curious choice, as he didn’t seem to have the necessary skill and motivation to perform the murderous acts.
THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE was a compelling read, made more so because of the author’s objective presentation of the highly emotional topic of interrogation and most especially, its impact over time on the interrogators. Berenson handled a controversial subject extremely well.
SERIES: #4 of 4
RATING: 3.75
The subject of enhanced interrogation has provided headlines in the world news for the past few years. Those in favor of using these techniques feel that they provide information that would not be obtained using gentler methods. Breaking terrorism suspects might help dismantle terrorist networks responsible for thousands of deaths. There are others who feel that treating terrorism suspects more humanely results in more accurate and credible information. THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE provides some real food for thought for the reader, most notably around the impact on the interrogators over a prolonged period of time.
There’s a unit of ten people who have been assigned to run an interrogation center at an obscure military base in Poland. They are known as “The Midnight House” and are following the prescribed and legal methods of interrogating suspects, more or less. The actions of the questioners are overseen by a doctor named Rachel Callar. As time goes on, she sees the integrity of the operation disintegrating and moving more into the realm of torture. Ultimately, two of the terrorism suspects “disappear”, a fact that is covered up by leaders in the US.
The unit has disbanded and returned to the States. Over a period of time, seven of the ten are killed or missing, with the rest in mortal danger. It falls to CIA agent John Wells and his boss, Ellis Shafer, to investigate the suspicious deaths. In a very interesting turn of events, Wells goes undercover in Cairo, passing himself off as a Kuwaiti. What he finds out implicates some very important people in the power chain. In addition to the murders and two detainees missing, millions of dollars can’t be accounted for.
Berenson skillfully raises many questions about interrogation techniques and leaves it up to the reader to determine what is right or wrong. He takes a relatively neutral stance on the interrogation situation. It is clear that The Midnight House members were unraveling as their operation wound down. Fortunately, he minimized the amount of graphic descriptions of the acts that were performed by the team.
The character of John Wells definitely took a back seat to other characters in the book, most notably Rachel Callar, who struggled with the morality of what was happening at the camp in Poland. Beyond the interrogation focus, the back story of Wells’ struggle to accept the fact that his relationship with agent Jennifer Exley was over seemed trivial compared to the other events in the book. In addition, I found that the person who was actually the killer a curious choice, as he didn’t seem to have the necessary skill and motivation to perform the murderous acts.
THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE was a compelling read, made more so because of the author’s objective presentation of the highly emotional topic of interrogation and most especially, its impact over time on the interrogators. Berenson handled a controversial subject extremely well.
May 12, 2018
Another emergency - enter John Wells. JW is off the leash, looking for the culprit who has been hunting and killing the members of a secret intelligence group. The dead guys have returned from an intelligence operation getting info from jihads.
The action goes from now to flashbacks to Poland, where the baddies were held in "The Midnight House". Good procedural and interchange between Wells and Shaffer.
The action goes from now to flashbacks to Poland, where the baddies were held in "The Midnight House". Good procedural and interchange between Wells and Shaffer.
October 7, 2021
Confusing and shorter than most but longer than a short story. I'll be setting this author aside for a while.
October 24, 2020
Wells is summoned to Langley to participate in an off-the-books mission that is unusual even for him. It appears that someone is taking out members of a secret interrogation squad that was stationed at a black site in Poland dubbed the Midnight House (and we all know what "interrogation" and "black site" mean), and Wells and Shafer are charged with finding the killer. While revenge by a former detainee seems the most likely motive, the trail soon leads somewhere else entirely - somewhere a lot closer to home.
If ever there was a murder mystery in which the murder victims well and truly had it coming, this is it. Another gripping read, and the lack of irritating romance subplot made this a better read for me than the previous books.
If ever there was a murder mystery in which the murder victims well and truly had it coming, this is it. Another gripping read, and the lack of irritating romance subplot made this a better read for me than the previous books.
June 14, 2020
The Midnight House was a black site prison. The people that worked for it are being killed, one by one. John Wells, has to try to find the culprit, which takes him to Egypt, among other places. Not all that exciting.
November 4, 2014
A good but not spectacular read. Perfect for my "break" reading after hours of research and writing.
April 6, 2017
The CIA and the Pentagon Take a Lot of Punishment in This Novel of Rendition and Torture
The Midnight House of the title is a secret site in Poland where high-value prisoners in the “war on terror” are clandestinely flown to be interrogated outside the jurisdiction of U.S. law and even the U.S. Military Code of Justice. The term of art for this process is, of course, rendition, and the tactics employed by the secret team assembled by the CIA and the Pentagon can only be called torture. There’s nothing subtle about this novel.
The events that take place in the Midnight House over a two-month period in 2008 are so explosive, and so shocking, that they lead to an upheaval in relations between the U.S. and Pakistan, end the career of a senior U.S. intelligence official, and spark a series of brutal murders. As I say, there’s nothing subtle about this novel.
Berenson writes from an omniscient perspective, revealing the thoughts of a long series of minor characters as the story moves forward, but his soldier-spy-hero, John Wells, dominates the tale. Called back into action from an escapist vacation in the mountains of northern New Hampshire, Wells is maneuvered into investigating what appears to be the sequential murder of the members of the top-secret team that operated the Midnight House. Together with his nominal boss, Ellis Shafer, Wells soon finds himself enmeshed in a bewilderingly political set of tense, interlocking relationships among the principal figures in the story. As it turns out, nothing is what it seems.
The Midnight House is the fourth of Berenson’s six John Wells novels to date. There’s no sign he’s slowing down.
(From www.malwarwickonbooks.com)
The Midnight House of the title is a secret site in Poland where high-value prisoners in the “war on terror” are clandestinely flown to be interrogated outside the jurisdiction of U.S. law and even the U.S. Military Code of Justice. The term of art for this process is, of course, rendition, and the tactics employed by the secret team assembled by the CIA and the Pentagon can only be called torture. There’s nothing subtle about this novel.
The events that take place in the Midnight House over a two-month period in 2008 are so explosive, and so shocking, that they lead to an upheaval in relations between the U.S. and Pakistan, end the career of a senior U.S. intelligence official, and spark a series of brutal murders. As I say, there’s nothing subtle about this novel.
Berenson writes from an omniscient perspective, revealing the thoughts of a long series of minor characters as the story moves forward, but his soldier-spy-hero, John Wells, dominates the tale. Called back into action from an escapist vacation in the mountains of northern New Hampshire, Wells is maneuvered into investigating what appears to be the sequential murder of the members of the top-secret team that operated the Midnight House. Together with his nominal boss, Ellis Shafer, Wells soon finds himself enmeshed in a bewilderingly political set of tense, interlocking relationships among the principal figures in the story. As it turns out, nothing is what it seems.
The Midnight House is the fourth of Berenson’s six John Wells novels to date. There’s no sign he’s slowing down.
(From www.malwarwickonbooks.com)
February 3, 2016
When two men, both part of an eleven man ‘interrogation’ team at a secret outpost in Poland, known as the Midnight House, are murdered; CIA agent John Wells is called into action to not simply find the murderers, but to also find the story of the Midnight House. A letter to the Attorney General indicated that two prisoners had seemingly vanished. If this assignment isn’t tricky enough since the CIA is to nothing on home turf, to many alphabet investigative teams are involved, and many facts, including the letter to the AG have been pulled from the investigation.
What Wells learns about the Midnight House is sickening; so sickening that it appears Wells may be thinking that these men deserve their fates. These interrogators have used any means necessary, so long as no physical evidence is left on the prisoner. When controversy disbands such a secret facility, the men receive medals for heroism and drugs for the nightmares that have become their lives. Now, disgusted or not, Wells must traverse the grounds that have led to murder to decipher who the murderer is. Could it be a former prisoner, someone whose family member was caught up in the horror that was the Midnight House, or could it be worse?
Can John get to the truth before the murderer strikes again? If he ever completes the assignment will he look at the CIA with indifference or intolerance?
What Wells learns about the Midnight House is sickening; so sickening that it appears Wells may be thinking that these men deserve their fates. These interrogators have used any means necessary, so long as no physical evidence is left on the prisoner. When controversy disbands such a secret facility, the men receive medals for heroism and drugs for the nightmares that have become their lives. Now, disgusted or not, Wells must traverse the grounds that have led to murder to decipher who the murderer is. Could it be a former prisoner, someone whose family member was caught up in the horror that was the Midnight House, or could it be worse?
Can John get to the truth before the murderer strikes again? If he ever completes the assignment will he look at the CIA with indifference or intolerance?
February 9, 2013
This could have been more interesting and exciting had the author and editor not chosen to be repetitive throughout. As a result, the story bogs down in the middle. 5 of 10 stars
September 15, 2011
I've enjoyed the John Wells series immensely. And how could I not like an author who went to Yale, but makes his hero/protagonist a Dartmouth grad? This book is a dramatic change of pace from the rest of the series. Things slow down as Wells spends this book investigating a crime rather than fighting terrorists. The author goes to great length (sometimes too great) to flesh out even the minor characters and sometimes the book drags a bit, which didn't really happen earlier in the series. That said, it was a quick read and I was eager to continue. My feeling is that Berenson went back to his roots as an NYT reporter a bit here. This book is an exploration of the treatment of prisoners and the moral dilemmas inherent in our endless war on terror. While it was a good effort, I found Michael Gruber's The Good Son a better examination of this issue, though that book was more from the side of the terrorists, this one presented the problems faced by Americans trying to achieve a balance in how prisoners are treated vs protecting the security of Americans and our allies. I am looking forward to the next book and hoping it has a little more action.
June 25, 2018
Books that I can't wait to get back to reading are worth 4 or 5 stars. This one, while it was entertaining and full of interesting little subplots, was not one I had to keep reading. The book was with me wherever I traveled over the weekend, and yet I didn't have to find out whether or not John Wells uncovered the mystery behind a rogue unit of American soldiers, up to no good at a Polish prison and on the ground in Pakistan. Don't get me wrong - I'll read all of Berenson's John Wells books (trying to do so in order), but this one was not a "must finish today" kind of book.
April 20, 2018
Color me surprised but this was a pretty good read. More of a murder mystery with some military stuff thrown in. I think I’d read another!
October 14, 2024
6/10
Finally read the first book in this series I'm not going to burn for egregious anti-White blood libel! It was written in the first years of the Obama administration though so the afrolatry is more out of control than it usually is for Berenson. Not only are there multiple high-functioning straight-laced Black characters, but there's also a Hurricane Katrina mini morality play where the main character that's obviously the jock fantasy of Berenson himself apologizes for being White (despite both him and his character being Semitic).
The Black woman he bends the knee to is really ridiculous. Berenson cycles through at least 5 different Black stereotypes in 3 paragraphs introducing her, but they're all perfect inversions of reality. She's a stickler for being on time, puts her kids to bed early, etc. You half-expect her to be changing out the batteries in her smoke detector before the scene is over.
All this is pretty standard for Berenson's universe of understanding as a NYC Jewish liberal who believes all his minority pets are actually extremely high functioning and responsible citizens as opposed to knuckle-dragging Slavs and Southerners, his traditional foils for everything wrong in the world. However...in this fourth book Berenson has the self-control to only mention the Confederacy and the klan once each, his disdain for Slavs is transferred from Russians to Poles (as opposed to the last two books) and is downgraded from "subhuman" to "backwards but harmless," and - most importantly - the twist in his spy novels is markedly better.
Not only was I surprised by it as a seasoned reader in general, let alone of his series, but also of the reveal. Without giving too much away, it was actually very realistic, leaning more on incompetence, CYA-ism, and coincidence than the over-arching highly-competent vast conspiracies spy novels typically trade in.
So bravo, Berenson, this one's surviving the burn pile and being donated to be read again.
Finally read the first book in this series I'm not going to burn for egregious anti-White blood libel! It was written in the first years of the Obama administration though so the afrolatry is more out of control than it usually is for Berenson. Not only are there multiple high-functioning straight-laced Black characters, but there's also a Hurricane Katrina mini morality play where the main character that's obviously the jock fantasy of Berenson himself apologizes for being White (despite both him and his character being Semitic).
The Black woman he bends the knee to is really ridiculous. Berenson cycles through at least 5 different Black stereotypes in 3 paragraphs introducing her, but they're all perfect inversions of reality. She's a stickler for being on time, puts her kids to bed early, etc. You half-expect her to be changing out the batteries in her smoke detector before the scene is over.
All this is pretty standard for Berenson's universe of understanding as a NYC Jewish liberal who believes all his minority pets are actually extremely high functioning and responsible citizens as opposed to knuckle-dragging Slavs and Southerners, his traditional foils for everything wrong in the world. However...in this fourth book Berenson has the self-control to only mention the Confederacy and the klan once each, his disdain for Slavs is transferred from Russians to Poles (as opposed to the last two books) and is downgraded from "subhuman" to "backwards but harmless," and - most importantly - the twist in his spy novels is markedly better.
Not only was I surprised by it as a seasoned reader in general, let alone of his series, but also of the reveal. Without giving too much away, it was actually very realistic, leaning more on incompetence, CYA-ism, and coincidence than the over-arching highly-competent vast conspiracies spy novels typically trade in.
So bravo, Berenson, this one's surviving the burn pile and being donated to be read again.
February 23, 2018
six twenty-three ay em, the morning of the 23rd of february 2018, friday...still dark here, snow falling, a bit of a storm but winter is on the way out...246" of snowfall this winter...and i finished this one. good read, four stars really liked it kindle library loaner. this one, might help the experience to know there's time shifts to the past, place in poland, the midnight house...other places. in the beginning, the story-line takes up with unknowns...to the series...guys from the midnight house and the story jumps around from scene to scene, time to time, and in the end all things are well and all manner of things are well...after a fashion anyway. ummmm...thought the scream at the end could have done with some additional detail...as i paused a bit when i read that...scream? really? and only after some thought, yeah, okay, i get it. and too, initially, the time shifts threw me a bit, even though there's dates at the begin of the chapters...2008, whatever, in bold even. all in all good story.
November 4, 2017
This is the first Alex Berensen book I have read and I enjoyed it. I have two reservations - lots of acronymns, and I didn't know what half of them stood for; and a complete absence of punctuation for speech, which makes it hard to know who's saying what. I haven't marked it down, though, because it's a good spy thriller.If younwant to know what it's about, other reviewers have described the plot, often at great length, so there's no need for me to repeat it.
October 17, 2022
The book starts off as a real page turner and then it loses track of the plot and becomes a meandering slithering serpent, only to come together in the end. This book required a lot more focus as the reader gets lost in the inconsequential. I'm hoping the next one in the series shows some improvement because I do enjoy Berenson's style of writing and the audiobook version as always does an amazing job reading the book. 3.5 stars
January 17, 2018
Great series if like CIA spy stuff.
April 26, 2020
John Wells always a good escapist read. What defines torture and does the end justify the means?
February 6, 2023
Fast paced...
A "I need to know storyline"...
Detailed...
In-depth character descriptions...
Loved it
A "I need to know storyline"...
Detailed...
In-depth character descriptions...
Loved it
February 11, 2023
Favorite of the Wells series so far. Mostly set domestically to uncover a cover up so deep you will be left amazed.
December 2, 2010
Finished the book last night, sorry it was over. Alex leaves us with an ominous tease at the end. Subplots and back-story are weaved seamlessly by Berenson by jumping to the past and back to the present setting us up for the finish. But is it the end? No, it's not. Love the way he brings it all home but leaves us with, like Wells, our bags packed both personally and professionally. Can't wait for the release of The Secret Soldier early next year!
I'm a little better than halfway through The Midnight House and at this point the tension is building, John Wells is up to his ears in high drama and intrigue, and it's still a whodunnit that could go in any direction. Berenson does a great job of keeping it real and keeping us guessing.... I'll let you know AB Fans!
FINALLY! I have a hard copy of Alex Berenson's latest thriller "The Midnight House". In looking over the first few pages I can tell I'm in for a wild ride. Alex's signature openings in his books grab you by the throat and don't let you go till the last word of the last page. I'll let you know what I'm thinking as I range through this highly anticipated 4th book in the 'John Wells' series. I'm excited, and, if I'm being honest here, I usually wait till the paperback releases of new bestsellers but this time I couldn't wait. I'll let you know, but if, right now, you're thinking about your next read, go grab a copy or a download and get 'er done!
April 2, 2010
2 1/2 stars.
John Wells is a CIA agent who is currently recharging his energy after his last activity for the government.
He's called back to Langley when two members of a ten member interrogation unit are killed within twenty four hours of each other.
This unit worked in a secret location in Poland known as the Midnight House and was known to use the harshest treatment on the most hardened jihadis, to get the information that they thought the jihadis possessed.
When these two members of the unit are killed, the authorities check and find that all but a few of the members in the unit have died recently and the other deaths may have been caused.
Wells is asked to go undercover, find out who is killing the members of the unit, why they are doing so and to stop them.
Although John Wells has been an exciting character in the past novels by Berenson, in this work, the author must have assumed that the reader had read the previous novels with John Wells. There is little character development and Wells comes across as a one dementional character and is just not interesting.
The subject of torture of roughened jihadis has been done in the past and doesn't have the uniqueness that it once had.
John Wells is a CIA agent who is currently recharging his energy after his last activity for the government.
He's called back to Langley when two members of a ten member interrogation unit are killed within twenty four hours of each other.
This unit worked in a secret location in Poland known as the Midnight House and was known to use the harshest treatment on the most hardened jihadis, to get the information that they thought the jihadis possessed.
When these two members of the unit are killed, the authorities check and find that all but a few of the members in the unit have died recently and the other deaths may have been caused.
Wells is asked to go undercover, find out who is killing the members of the unit, why they are doing so and to stop them.
Although John Wells has been an exciting character in the past novels by Berenson, in this work, the author must have assumed that the reader had read the previous novels with John Wells. There is little character development and Wells comes across as a one dementional character and is just not interesting.
The subject of torture of roughened jihadis has been done in the past and doesn't have the uniqueness that it once had.
July 12, 2013
3.75 stars. An international spy thriller. CIA agents, terrorists, corruption in government, fist fights, macho guys, tradecraft, all that fun stuff (fun to read about, I mean, seriously awful in real life.) It's a genre I enjoy, and this is better than a lot of the books in the genre because of the political sophistication of the international story. Terrorist are not always cardboard cut-out bad guys. They are real people with their own stories, as often as not. Sometimes bad guys get tortured. Sometimes innocent people get tortured. I liked the balance in that, the realism of it. No bad guy thinks he's the bad guy, after all. And there is good writing at the line level here.
I think I may have read the first book in this series back when but no others. This stood alone, but it probably would have been better if I had read the series in order. I may go back and do that next year--this one was good enough to suggest to me that it would be an enjoyable few weeks of reading.
Another of my two-dollars-for-a bag used books. Pretty good random snatch on this one.
I think I may have read the first book in this series back when but no others. This stood alone, but it probably would have been better if I had read the series in order. I may go back and do that next year--this one was good enough to suggest to me that it would be an enjoyable few weeks of reading.
Another of my two-dollars-for-a bag used books. Pretty good random snatch on this one.
June 5, 2010
CIA Agent John Wells is called back after a voluntary leave of absence. A retired operative of the CIA is murdered, a former friend of Wells and 5 other that have been killed are all related to an interrogation of prisioner group that operated out of the a base in Poland called "The Midnight House". I did not like to much the going back in time where they were recanting the two prisioners confessions and how they had extracted the verification information given. This information was related to murder of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan and the USA had put the lid on it in exchange for information and confirmation on where the Pakistan nuclear sites were located. I would say that start to finish this book moves with a an intriguin pace.
May 30, 2013
Great book. This was the first one of Berenson's I read and now I'm almost finished with the whole list. He's the best thriller writer I can remember since Le Carre was young. Not only are the plots up-to-date with the Muslim hook, but the stories are from actual events. You needn't know the real stories to be totally engrossed. I can't remember the last time I was so hooked into an author that I had to read the whole batch at once.
The one thing that absolutely astonishes me is how young Berenson is. How can someone that young have all this to write as if from experience?
The one thing that absolutely astonishes me is how young Berenson is. How can someone that young have all this to write as if from experience?
January 6, 2015
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.
February 23, 2014
Midnight House is a revealing insight into the dark side of our war on terror. The gathering of intelligence though interrogation is not a pretty business. Alex Berenson is still the great story teller; Midnight House is filled with intrigue and excitement. John Wells and Ellis Schaffer unwind the tightly wound and highly protected secrets of Midnight House.
August 29, 2017
Though it is number four in the series, this was the first John Wells book I read. I have since read five others and just ordered a sixth. That should tell you what I think of the series:)
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
April 29, 2025
3.75 stars, worth the read if you like this genre.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 406 reviews