The Wolves

December 7, 2015
Edgar-winner Berenson’s exhilarating 10th spy thriller featuring ex-CIA agent John Wells wraps up a trilogy within the series that started with 2014’s The Counterfeit Agent. With the tacit approval of the U.S. president, Wells sets out to kill American billionaire Aaron Duberman, who almost tricked the U.S. into invading Iran in 2015’s Twelve Days. Duberman, a casino magnate with vast holdings in Macao, is now hiding out in his mansion high atop Hong Kong’s Victoria Peak. Wells, deeply undercover and using the latest in surveillance technology as well as gut-level tradecraft, spends weeks trying to find a crack in Duberman’s security armor. It finally comes when the Chinese and the Russians both become intrigued by the prospect of exploiting Duberman’s vulnerability. Typically unflappable in tight situations, Wells uncharacteristically freezes up at one point. Yet 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. Author tour. Agent: Bob Barnett, Williams & Connolly.

Narrator George Guidall provides another outstanding listen in this tenth John Wells mystery. Guidall has perfect-pitch timing and pacing for this type of thriller. He imbues the characters with distinctive voices by adding powerful unwritten features such as a gravelly undertone or a tone of coarse indifference. Ellis Shafer, John's former CIA boss, comes across as crusty and cynical. The villain of the story sounds just as one would expect a billionaire gambling mogul to sound. Guidall achieves these traits more through the specific power of his voice than from the dialogue itself or the use of individual character voices. Guidall's extensive experience with the main character, John Wells, doesn't hurt either. But no worries, this audiobook also works as a standalone. M.C. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine