From Spy Master to Story Teller
BOOK REVIEW: The Traitor’s Tale: A Novel of Treachery Within the CIA
By James C. Lawler / BookBaby
Reviewed by: Joseph Augustyn
The Reviewer — Joseph Augustyn is a 28-year veteran of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations and once served as Deputy Division Chief of East Asia Division, and Chief of Staff for the Deputy Director for Operations. He is also a Cipher Brief expert.
REVIEW — While no one can say for sure, there have probably been thousands of spy novels published in recent years. The majority of them have dealt with the ever-popular theme of spy versus spy, and specifically the nefarious Russian intelligence service matched against the indomitable CIA. Thematically, many of these novels have focused on the presence of a mole embedded in Langley, a storyline that has captivated readers for decades. Of those books worthy of acclaim, it is this reviewer’s opinion that the best are those written by former intelligence officers who can talk-the-talk and write with authority and conviction based on years of operational and intelligence experience. Think David McCloskey and Jason Matthews, for example. Now add to that list relative newcomer James “Jim” Lawler. His book, “The Traitor’s Tale: a Novel of Treachery within the CIA,’” showcases Lawler’s prowess as a true spy master. During his time at CIA, among other things, Lawler was Chief of the A. Q. Khan Takedown Team and is credited with dismantling and destroying the most dangerous nuclear weapons proliferation program in history.
This is Lawler’s third novel. His first two works, Living Lies, and In the Twinkling of an Eye, give Lawler his spy writer’s credibility, The Traitor’s Tale takes him to the next level. Yes, The Traitor’s Tale” is about a mole in the CIA and, yes, the novel is filled with twists and turns, betrayal, revenge, brutal killings and exciting chase scenes. But, this book is more than that. It is also a love story. A love story between a hotshot case officer named Ambrose Knight, a south Texas-born 6’4” Black officer, and Shawnee Chasing Hawk, a stunning Lakota Indian from South Dakota, who was also a descendent of legendary Indian Chief Crazy Horse. Like Knight, Shawnee is portrayed as a gifted spy recruiter who, by necessity, is assigned to Russia House (the CIA component responsible for Russian operations) to help ferret out a mole within the Agency responsible for the loss of twenty Russian agents in a two-year span. Before working at CIA, Shawnee starred in Wild West shows as an expert archer where she made contacts who would play pivotal roles in her life, especially at the conclusion of the novel.
The story starts in Bern, Switzerland, with Knight meeting and then eventually recruiting SVR Colonel Andrei Kukushkin, the stepson of General Dmitri ‘Dima’ Grishin, a crusty and bloodthirsty retired KGB officer and de facto head of counterintelligence for the Russian service. Kukushkin, who remains a central character throughout the novel, betrays his motherland in part out of revenge against Grishin who Kukushkin blames for the death of his father and brother. Juxtaposed with Grishin is Brian Bannock, Knight’s mentor and CIA Chief of Counterintelligence and acting head of Russia House at CIA Headquarters. While Knight, Shawnee and Kukushkin are the action figures in the field throughout the book, it is Bannock and Grishin who move the pieces and dictate the rules of the game for their respective sides.
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The search for the mole moves quickly with startling surprises. Lawler takes us behind the scenes and vividly describes the machinations and complexity of spy hunting, all along giving us his philosophy and personal insights into what makes for a good recruiter, what motivates someone to betray their country, and what CIA case officers feel emotionally and physically while doing a job that is often thankless but vitally important. For example, in describing Ambrose Knight, the successful, experienced and highly respected operations officer, Lawler reflects on what it is like to be a Black officer at CIA. Although Knight says he never felt discrimination at the Agency, Lawler describes how Knight felt he was always held to a higher standard because of his skin color. Regardless, love has no bounds, and Lawler enticingly describes Knight’s growing attraction and eventual romantic relationship with Shawnee. Their attachment evolves over the course of the book and culminates at the end in a dramatic escape and rescue operation that will leave the reader mesmerized and disappointed that the story has ended.
But, before that, Lawler takes us on a rollercoaster of surprises and page turning twists, especially when it comes to Regina Rojas, one of the main characters in the book. As a senior, beautiful and seductive FBI agent, Rojas is a mercurial figure working the mole problem for the Bureau alongside CIA’s chief spy hunter Bannock. Lawler masterfully describes how Rojas manipulates her bosses, her peers, and even initially Bannock, and details how she eventually secures the position as Bannock’s deputy and head of the Counter Espionage Group in CIA’s Counterintelligence Center. She first appears in the novel after accusing Knight of being the mole based on circumstantial evidence, reminiscent of what the FBI did in real life to CIA officer Brian Kelley. (Kelley was accused of spying for the Russians and being a mole when, in fact, it was the Bureau’s own Robert Hanssen in 2001). Rojas is the catalyst in the novel who precipitates the flow of events throughout.
As the search for the mole heats up, Bannock convinces Knight to offer himself up to the Russians as a double agent with the help of CIA recruited asset Kukushkin. Fodder to convince the Russians and Grishin of Knight’s utility is the promise of information about a quantum computing system that allegedly would render all Russian encrypted messages useless. The significance for the Russians would be enormous if true, and Grishin has no choice but to pursue the opportunity, but not before vetting Knight in a scene I believe would prove shocking and extreme even among today’s most experienced and hardened case officers. At the end of the novel, the mole is unearthed, but not before the reader is exposed to the biggest surprise of all. While there is a happy ending to The Traitor’s Tale, it would be unfair to the reader to reveal the culprit(s).
Jim Lawler has written an intriguing and captivating novel that should satisfy the appetite of any spy novel enthusiast. His character descriptions are impressive, his knowledge of the Agency, its bureaucracy and its inner workings is deep, and his operational savvy is on display throughout. Impressive too is his understanding of the dynamics of personal relationships, both professional and personal, which he calls the “metaphysics” of spying. I look forward to more from Jim Lawler…he has arrived.
Editors note: Be sure to check out our recent Cover Stories podcast interview with author James Lawler.
The Traitor’s Tale earns a prestigious 4 out of 4 trench coats
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