Black Ops: Presidential Agent Novel 05

• Publisher:   Putnam Adult
• Number Of Pages:   464
• Publication Date:   2008-12-30
• ISBN-10 / ASIN:   0399155171
• ISBN-13 / EAN:   9780399155178

The Russian bear is stirring—and it’s hungry— in the #1 New York Times–bestselling series’ thrilling fifth novel. The first disturbing reports reached Delta Force Lieutenant Colonel Charley Castillo in the form of backchannel messages concerning covert U.S. intelligence assets working for a variety of agencies suddenly gone missing and then, suddenly, inexplicably, found dying. Or dead. One in Budapest, Hungary. One in Kiev, Ukraine. One in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, mere klicks from the Iran border. And then one in Virginia, along the Potomac River, practically in the shadow of CIA headquarters. Castillo finds the information both infuriating and fascinating, particularly after a recent experience with two CIA traitors whose own deaths were swift and suspicious. Despite there being some similarities, though, he thinks there’s something different with these new cases, something he can’t quite put his finger on. At first, it’s idle thought, but Castillo expects it’s only a matter of time before the commander in chief assigns him and his group of troubleshooters in the innocuously named Office of Organizational Analysis to look into the deaths while all those intel agencies fight among themselves trying to put the pieces together. Meanwhile, Castillo has problems of his own—fallout from recent missions involving a clandestine rescue of a DEA agent from South American drug runners, and the confiscation of some fifty million dollars from thieves in the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal. He’s made more than a few enemies, he knows—both foreign and domestic. And then comes another back-channel message, this one delivered personally by his lethal friend, the Russian mobster arms dealer. All that has happened so far, he says, is just a warm-up for what’s about to come out of the Kremlin. Could sabers be rattling for a new Cold War? Or worse? Presidential Agent C. G. Castillo is about to find out. . . . Filled with Griffin’s trademark rich characters and cutting-edge drama, this is another exceptional novel in an exceptional series.

I was very impressed with Griffin in his writing of this novel. His attention to detail helped make this series very entertaining and worth the read. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good book.

"Book 1" consists of a long, choppy, series events with a bewildering cast of characters presenting the backstory, which readers may safely skip. The purpose of this detestable device (which has become "standard" in most popular novels) is to snag potential purchasers, who are skimming first chapters in bookstores, with up-front action. Although the events may be tied together later, readers will have forgotten the pertinent details by then. The actual story nominally begins with "Book 2" when US Army Colonel Carlos (Charley) Castillo's grandmother shows up at his home in Alexandria, VA, where a Christmas party is underway for the members of the Office of Organizational Analysis which was formed by a "presidential finding" to investigate the murder of a number of diplomats, law enforcement personnel, and intelligence agents. Thereafter, the plot plods along at a glacial pace. At points, the action picks up for several pages, but there are long dreary stretches in which nothing happens. The somnambulant audio version draws out the agony. For vague reasons, in Vienna, (Colonel) Dimitri Berzofski (the SVR Berlin station chief) and his sister (Lt. Colonel) Svetlana Alexiva defect to Castillo. It turns out that the Russians are nephew and niece of (former KGB) Alexander Pezner, a friend of Castillo, who is in residence in Argentina. Dimitri discloses an Iranian biological warfare facility in the Congo. The CIA are aware of the plant, but do not believe it to be a threat, so dealing with it falls to the OOA. That's the setup, albeit it takes fully half of the novel to get there. Actually that's pretty much the whole novel, because Griffin does not bother us with any details about how the plant was reconnoitered and ultimately destroyed. It appears to me that after more-or-less 100 novels, Griffin is a sufficiently good story teller that he can dictate hundreds of pages of "filler" into a recording machine, but has grown too lazy for the more intricate plotting necessary for action sequences. As is typical of Griffin novels, "old" characters are recycled from (the vastly superior) "The Corps" and "Brotherhood of War" series (and perhaps other Griffin series) with new names and corresponding slightly different personal histories. Some characters have appeared in at least three different guises. This recycling leaves old readers both hungry for the "real" stories of the characters, and confused by the conflicting details of the various incarnations. Then too, Griffin habitually presents exhaustive recapitulations of earlier stories in later novels. New readers, who have not have encountered these characters and their stories before, may be more captivated than those of us who may have heard the same tired story 6 or 8 times in different novels.

Too many poorly developed characters, too much "Conversation", and too little story line! I doubt this is the same author writing as before. Go back to the basics. I love dogs, but I have my own, I don't need MAX. WEBG used to write about things I could believe, this was pure trash, all BS! I was military for 30 years. The military in this book dosen't exist! If WEBG isn't writing the books now,Black Ops (Presidential Agent Novels) take his name off of the cover. GG

The same good book WEB Griffin had ever wrote. Looking forward to the next adventure of Col Castillo

I have read all the previous novels in this series and was anxiously waiting this final one. I was very disappointed in this novel. The other 3 were very exciting and very action packed. I do have to admire Mr Griffens attention to detail though. The only real likable part of the book was his new love interest and the possiblility of future books with the ever expanding list of characters. I listen to all of these on audio and Dick Hill makes it all worthwhile. I think if I had to sit down and read this last installment I would have probaly given up on it. I just got back from a long trip to Utah and listen to it going and coming back. Both my wife and I really had to stick it out to finish the book. I can't say it wasn't well written, I just expected a different story line.

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