An Ordinary Spy
A Novel
By Joseph Weisberg
January 2008
$23.95
288 pp
6.125 x 9.25 in
Hardcover
ISBN-13: 9781596913769
ISBN-10: 1596913762
ISBN-10: 1596913762
An Ordinary Spy
A Novel
By Joseph Weisberg
A former CIA case officer's novel about two embattled spies who go to extraordinary lengths to keep their informants out of harm's way, published as vetted by the agency itself.
Mark Ruttenberg may not be fit for the CIA. Early in his tenure with the agency, he learns about a former operative, Bobby Goldstein, and becomes curious about the case that led to his termination. Before he can get to the bottom of what happened, however, he's shipped off to ?, where he hobnobs with foreign diplomats and informants, who have access to ? information and contacts like the powerful General ?, in the hopes of recruiting them as agents. But, when he falls for the wrong woman, he's quickly sent back to ted-States, with nothing to show for his secretive work but a mysterious postcard with an unknown address on it. Who sent the postcard, and where is it supposed to lead him? Could this all be an ops test, with Mark's future hanging in the balance? Soon, he'll have to decide if righting an old wrong is worth taking a terrible and very personal risk. Published with redacted material throughout the novel, An Ordinary Spy is a riveting and dramatic portrait of modern espionage, filled with suspense, intrigue, and betrayal.Advance praise for An Ordinary Spy:
"I have never read an espionage novel with quite the sense of authenticity Joe Weisberg achieves in An Ordinary Spy. He has crafted not only an engrossing and highly-original work, but a fascinating journey into a world most of us will never encounter. Chances are you'll never think about the CIA in quite the same way again."-- Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha
"It's tempting to say that An Ordinary Spy is extraordinary, but I'm afraid that doesn't begin to do this novel justice. In a world where everyone is always promising to reinvent genres and subgenres, Joseph Weisberg hijacks the espionage thriller and finds the grave beauty in the quotidian-and dares to write about one of the most dangerous topics of all, the search for a meaningful yet moral life."-New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman
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Advance praise for An Ordinary Spy:
"I have never read an espionage novel with quite the sense of authenticity Joe Weisberg achieves in An Ordinary Spy. He has crafted not only an engrossing and highly-original work, but a fascinating journey into a world most of us will never encounter. Chances are you'll never think about the CIA in quite the same way again."-- Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha
"It's tempting to say that An Ordinary Spy is extraordinary, but I'm afraid that doesn't begin to do this novel justice. In a world where everyone is always promising to reinvent genres and subgenres, Joseph Weisberg hijacks the espionage thriller and finds the grave beauty in the quotidian-and dares to write about one of the most dangerous topics of all, the search for a meaningful yet moral life."-New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman
"I have never read an espionage novel with quite the sense of authenticity Joe Weisberg achieves in An Ordinary Spy. He has crafted not only an engrossing and highly-original work, but a fascinating journey into a world most of us will never encounter. Chances are you'll never think about the CIA in quite the same way again."-- Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha
"It's tempting to say that An Ordinary Spy is extraordinary, but I'm afraid that doesn't begin to do this novel justice. In a world where everyone is always promising to reinvent genres and subgenres, Joseph Weisberg hijacks the espionage thriller and finds the grave beauty in the quotidian-and dares to write about one of the most dangerous topics of all, the search for a meaningful yet moral life."-New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman