Intelligence: a novel of the CIA

Being ex-CIA -- specifically, a counter-terrorism analyst working for the Agency on September 11 -- Hasler has insider knowledge of what it was like to be an intelligence analyst following one of the most dramatic events to occur on U.S. soil this century. Over the course of the novel, her characters try to head off a similar event they feel certain is coming -- a quest that invokes memories of the September 11th attacks. For me, this aspect of the book was particularly compelling; learning about the reaction to the attacks and the political wrangling that followed was both fascinating and disturbing. At a time when many people are questioning the effectiveness of our leaders, the idea that our elected officials are primarily concerned with posturing and political gain is more than a little galling.

The novel is told via a shifting first-person narrative, passing the role of storyteller among different characters with each chapter; mostly, the story is told by a handful of CIA analysts, but one of the terrorists also has narrative control for a number of short interludes. I found this technique slightly disconcerting at first, but I eventually understood its purpose; by giving us the plotter's point of view, we're able to make connections before the CIA agents.

This book isn't for everyone. Some fans of thriller fiction will be disappointed by the lack of gunfights, car chases, sultry foreign spies, and dangerous missions. This book isn't about the exploits of field agents; it's about the in-house intelligence community and how they operate. If that interests you, if you want to peel back the curtain and see what it's like to be a CIA analyst, then this book is for you.

According to Ms. Hasler, she has a second CIA novel completed and with her publisher. I believe at least some of the same characters will appear in the sequel.

No word on a release date yet, but I'll update this page as soon as I have more information.

Hopefully there will be many more CIA novels to come!

Intelligence product photo from Amazon.com; other images used under license from Stock.XCHNG.