The Midnight House
"A masterpiece of modern spy fiction.."
Synopsis:
A former CIA agent and an army veteran are shot dead on the same day. The next day, agent John Wells is instructed come to Langley immediately. The two victims were part of a clandestine operation whose remit was to interrogate captured Jihadi warriors at a secret US airbase in Poland known as “The Midnight House”. These were no ordinary prisoners, they were the ones who had information the coalition forces needed and the remit of The Midnight House was basically, get the information but don't leave a mark on the prisoners.
The prisoners who have survived their incarceration and been released are the obvious suspects and it is up to Wells to track them down and bring the killer to justice. Wells and his boss Elliott Shafer have to battle bureaucracy as they try to uncover the identities and whereabouts of the prisoners so that they can begin their hunt.
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Review:
A masterpiece of modern spy fiction sees Wells pursue the killer behind the slayings of The Midnight House's guards and interrogators. This is a deeply thought provoking tome which has the reader questioning both the pros and cons of torture. It gets information that can save lives, they would do it to our troops – yet it is barbaric and makes us no better than the people we are fighting. While there is no mention of such physical torture as thumbscrews or amputation, methods such as water boarding, isolation, sleep deprivation or a good old fashioned beating are employed by the interrogators. It requires a very brave author to bring such actions to the reader from the supposed good guys and Alex Berenson does this with a sublime skill which makes the torture a background element rather than a graphically horrific set piece. The plot is labyrinthine as the trail of the killer twists back and forth with each layer being slowly revealed before the killer is unmasked and Wells' loyalty and allegiances are sorely tested. The depiction of all characters is done with panache and the insights into the minds of the prisoners, their guards and the service men fighting are outstanding in its detail. This is an author to watch out for and follow if you enjoy high stakes espionage and strong moral questioning introspection.