The Operative

Ryan Kealey, Book 5

By: Andrew Britton

Narrated by: Christopher Lane

Finally settling into a peaceful life after more than a decade on the deadly frontlines of the war on terror, Ryan Kealey believes he’s put danger behind him - and some of his demons to rest. But his calm is shattered when he’s swept into a highly organized and merciless terror attack during a charity gala in downtown Baltimore. Dozens are dead and critically injured, including the wife of CIA Deputy Director John Harper, whose investigation of the ambush is hampered by suspicion that one or more intelligence agencies has been compromised. With normal channels obstructed, Harper turns to Kealey, the one man with the resources, expertise, and - not least of all - freedom from government interference to pursue the awful truth.

Following a string of secrets and violence, Kealey blazes a trail from the confines of the innermost chambers of government and big business to the dimmest reaches of the human psyche, forced to match wits with a new nemesis aided by new allies, each with his or her own agenda. Slowly, Kealey unspools an unimaginable conspiracy that suggests America may in fact be its own worst enemy.

With minute after minute of unrelenting action and explosive revelations, The Operative blends political deception and global intrigue at their highest levels with covert psychological manipulations at their deepest and most devastating.

©2012 Andrew Britton (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

I really loved this book

What made the experience of listening to The Operative the most enjoyable?

The narrator is one of my favorites. Of course I also liked the content of the book.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. Although I knew at the beginning who the bad guy was, there were many twists and turns that were interesting and surprising.
I liked how we were able to get into the mind of the bad guys to see what their motives were.

Which character – as performed by Christopher Lane – was your favorite?

I liked Jonathan Harper...I pretty much like every character Christopher Lane performs. He brings all the characters to life and makes them very believable.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

A bit.....right at the end I got a bit of a lump in my throat.

Any additional comments?

I get a bit annoyed when people pick apart something that should just be enjoyed.
Too many people are hyper critical about the ghostwriter. I think the ghostwriter has done a terrific job with these books.
Admittedly, I hesitated to listen to the rest of the series after reading the critical reviews of the books written by the ghostwriter. I'm very glad I decided to listen to them. I really like how all the characters in the book have developed and have gotten attached to them.

Good book until the next one.

When I find a good writer, I look forward to their next book so I can live in their imagination/words again.

Good read

A bit too descriptive of all the details of destruction. And a bit of a disconnected story line. But otherwise an enjoyable read. The justification of the antagonist was weak and this left me feeling uncertain of the real motivations.