New York Times Bestselling author Alex Berenson is Author of the Month at VJ Books
“The world is a different place since the events of 9-11, and new heroes have entered the stage to root out the evil before it once again falls upon us. We can all sleep a little better knowing that Alex Berenson’s “faithful spy,” John Wells is still on the job. The Counterfeit Agent is a must read thriller that shows us just how in touch Berenson really is with the events of the day” reports John Hutchinson, owner, VJ Books, specializing in signed and collectible mysteries, science fiction, adventure and horror titles.
Alex Berenson was born in New York in 1973 and grew up in Englewood, N.J. After graduating from Yale University in 1994 with degrees in history and economics, he joined the Denver Post as a reporter. In 1996, he became one of the first employees at TheStreet.com, the groundbreaking financial news Website.
In 1999, he joined The New York Times. At the Times, he covered everything from the drug industry to Hurricane Katrina; in 2003 and 2004, he served two stints as a correspondent in Iraq, an experience that led him to write The Faithful Spy, his debut novel, which won the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best First Novel.
He has now written seven John Wells novels and one work of non-fiction, The Number. He left the Times in 2010 to devote himself to writing fiction, though he still contributes occasionally to the Times.
About “The Counterfeit Agent”
In an Istanbul hotel, a deep source warns a CIA agent that Iran intends to kill a CIA station chief. Quickly, John Wells is called in to investigate, but before he can get far, the tip comes true–which means that the next warning the source gives will be taken very seriously indeed. And it’s a big one. We’ve put a package on a ship from Dubai to the United States. A radioactive one. A bomb? Not yet. It’s a test run.
As the threat level jumps and the government mobilizes, something still doesn’t smell right to Wells’ old CIA boss Ellis Shafer, and so he sends Wells on a private mission to find out what’s going on. But the two of them are swimming against the tide. From Guatemala to Thailand to Hong Kong to Istanbul, Wells uses every skill he has, including his ability to go undercover in the Arab world, to chase down leads. But it might not be enough. Soon, there might be nothing anyone can do to pull the United States back from the brink of war.
Praise for:
“Berenson’s strength is his deep understanding of geopolitics and of the shoddy compromises it demands. He clearly has excellent contacts in the world of shadows. Wells is a complex and satisfying protagonist, tackling bad guys across the world’s conflict zones.”–The New York Times Book Review
“[A] volcanic shocker . . . Working with plot elements that are terrifyingly realistic, research that rings as true as today’s headlines, and characters that brim with integrity and swagger, Berenson puts John Wells right up there with the best of espionage fiction’s greatest heroes.”—Library Journal
VJ Books is offering autographed copies of The Counterfeit Agent, as well as many other signed titles by Alex Berenson, many at special “Author of the Month” pricing.
