CarlAlves

The Ghost War features CIA agent John Wells, who much like Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp character, is the kind of agent that doesn't play nicely with others, but does manage to get things done when others can't. The novel starts off with a sequence of events that are seemingly unrelated. First is the killing of a North Korean scientist who is a mole for the US, along with a top CIA agent, a secret deal between a Chinese general and the Iranians, a double agent in the CIA feeding the Chinese sensitive information, and the training of Taliban fighters by Russians. Wells gets in the middle of the action trying to uncover the plot. He starts off the story reckless and nearly suicidal after foiling an al-Qaeda plot in Times Square, and needs to get back into the action. Focusing his energy against terrorists is a means of survival for him.
The action in this novel is very strong. There is a good deal of political intrigue, back door deals, and treachery. Wells has to go off the books to get things done. Although he kills when he has to, it's not something he takes lightly and haunts him afterward. Wells comes off as a believable character, as well as many of the villainous characters, who come off as more human than most bad guy characters. The novel finishes in a fiery conclusion that is satisfying.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street