The Faithful Spy
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| Products | Books |
The Faithful Spy is a 2006 novel authored by The New York Times journalist Alex Berenson and published by Random House. This debut work, recipient of the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel, centers on CIA operative John Wells, who has infiltrated Al Qaeda and endeavors to thwart a terrorist plot on American soil years after the events of 9/11.
Plot
Taking place several months following the September 11th terrorist attacks, the story follows undercover CIA operative John Wells embedded within Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Having previously operated in regions such as Chechnya, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, Wells intervenes to disrupt an Al Qaeda assault targeting U.S. Marines, covertly signaling his CIA contact, Jennifer Exley.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Exley attempts to gather information on Wells, who has been out of contact for two years. After Al Qaeda orchestrates truck bomb explosions in Los Angeles resulting in hundreds of casualties, Wells returns stateside on a mission but encounters mistrust from fellow CIA agents due to his failure to anticipate the attacks. He successfully passes a polygraph examination and is placed in protective custody in Washington, DC; however, he escapes to resume his covert operations.
Wells takes refuge in Atlanta before receiving orders to assassinate a former U.S. Army general and eliminate other Al Qaeda members. Subsequently, he travels to Canada to recover a suitcase from an Al Qaeda scientist working on plague bacteria. Unknowingly infected with the plague himself, Wells uncovers Al Qaeda's scheme to unleash a pandemic across the United States through infected agents.
With assistance from Exley, Wells neutralizes the infected terrorists along with their leader Khadri, effectively averting the biological attack and safeguarding national security.
Characters
- John Wells
- Jennifer Exley
- Vinny Duto
- Omar Khadri
- Shafer-
External links
- LCCN Listing [1]
- The New York Times Review [2]