Intelligence: A Novel of the CIA

By: Susan Hasler

Narrated by: Susan Hasler (introduction), Joe Barrett, Rachel Butera, Catlin Davies, Terry Donnolly, Peter Ganim, L J Ganser, Gayle Hendrix, Bryan Kennedy, Ken Kliban

Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

A team of intelligence agents tries to prevent an impending terrorist attack, but is thwarted by bureaucratic hurdles in this darkly humorous debut by former CIA agent Susan Hasler.

Maddie James and her colleagues are terrorism experts working in a crumbling intelligence agency. They are certain another big terrorist attack is coming, but in a post-9/11 election year, the administration is stressing its victories in the War on Terror, and few want to hear the team's warnings.

Maddie is given a team of five analysts to focus on the impending threat. The crew labors through bureaucratic obstacles, personal problems, and a blossoming romance between its senior members, Doc and Fran. They come heartbreakingly close to stopping the attack, but fail to predict a surprising twist in the terrorists’ plot.

In the wake of tragedy, the administration pins blame on Iran, despite a lack of evidence—so Maddie and her team try to investigate. With dark humor and a razor-sharp tone, they fight back against office politics, government cover-ups, and blackmail in order to set the record straight. A keenly crafted debut that could only be written by an ex-CIA agent, Intelligence will please fans of Wag the Dog and Primary Colors.

The excellent cast of narrators includes Joe Barrett, Dina Perlman, Suzanne Toren, Marc Vietor, Peter Ganim, Elisabeth Rodgers, L J Ganser, Caitlin Davies, Rachel Butera, Ken Kilban, Terry Donnolly, Eileen Stevens, Gabra Zackman, Kevin Pariseau, Joshua Swanson, Gayle Hendrix, Anthony Salerno, and Bryan Kennedy.

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an introduction written and read by author Susan Hasler.

©2010 Susan Hasler (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A biting satire of the agency [Hasler] once called home….It’s a very funny book about a deeply unfunny slice of recent history. Read it and weep – but you’ll be laughing, too." ( The Washington Post)

"Often laugh-out-loud funny, Intelligence even manages to squeeze in a genuinely sweet romance. Susan Hasler does for the folks at the CIA what Joseph Wambaugh accomplishes with cops: she gives them human dimension. Sometimes sad, sometimes stupid, sometimes scary and at other times heroic, Hasler’s characters always seem achingly real." ( January magazine, Best Crime Fiction of 2010)

"There have been many books written about the CIA, some of them by ex-agents of the clandestine organization. But none of them have been anything like Susan Hasler’s Intelligence. For one thing, it’s refreshing to get a female point of view. For another, Hasler’s mordant wit makes reading this novel an unalloyed delight. Not since Catch-22 has a novel with such trenchantly mordant wit illuminated the inherent insanity of institutionalized war. Intelligence is funny, sad, and frightening. It’s a book to keep you up at night, one you won’t soon forget." (Eric Van Lustbader)

Great Story, Vivid Characters, Laughed Out Loud

This is a well paced novel told from many points of view. The characters are fun, interesting and well developed.The plot is "ripped from the headlines." Subtle jokes take you by surprise and make you laugh out loud.

Unlike the usual spy novel, this one paints a picture of the most secretive government agency as anything but glamorous - a place where the carpet squares are peeling, the server is sluggish, and workers covet the cubicle with a window.

Roaringly Funny and Very Satisfying

I enjoyed this book immensely and couldn't wait to get back to it.
The "acting" style of narration, where each speaker was done by a different voice truly enhanced the presentation.

There are many things this book is not. It is not an action/thriller tale. It was not written by a high-level player on the national-security scene. And, in the dubious interest of so-called "fairness", the author has not checked her opinions at her word processor.

This book is a hamster-eye view of those who run on the wheel deep in the CIA. The characters are regular people with regular foibles, even the bosses. Problems ensue when the bosses are asked to tailor the analysts' product to the policymakers' chosen party-line. Bosses being bosses, they cave in to the pressure - not that they really have a choice. Hasler presents a very believable view of how this kind of pressure can actually help the terrorists: by diverting resources better used in fighting them.

Another reviewer commented on the author's politics. The issue is bigger than mere "politics". It's about the safety of the American people at home. In a very entertaining way, Susan Hasler has shown the peril of taking our eyes off that prize.

Alonzo

This is a humorous book, the various narrators were excellent,the story started slowly and in my view only became interesting about half way through the first period. I bought this book on the strength of earlier readers reviews and the book certainly lived up to their assessments . Well worth a read

Lots of insight

I really enjoyed this book. It's not an action thriller but has plenty of intrigue and cerebral action. The book gave me a lot of insight into the workings of US intelligence, and there were some caper-style laughs towards the end of the book. All in all - a very entertaining read.

So Unbelievable that deep down you KNOW it's TRUE

Would you listen to Intelligence: A Novel of the CIA again? Why?

Yes I would READ (I don't listen to audiobooks, I read them--that's my explanation and I'm sticking to it!) this book again because it's a great story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Intelligence: A Novel of the CIA?

The revelation the characters all discovered that FEAR and PANIC is a powerful weapon.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Maddie J was testifying in court! She's a tough B!

If you could take any character from Intelligence: A Novel of the CIA out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Maddie J of course! She's a straight shooter who's eyes are no longer "wide shut".

Great book

I enjoyed this book so much. Good characters, interesting plot, and dark humor. I highly recommend it.

Great

It is about time someone wrote a book from the alchemist. point of view. Love it I could relate to their point of view. Haven't most of us worked with people like the characters potrayed in the book.

Not your usual spy story.

Any additional comments?

Well written and well narrated by a full cast. This is an author to keep an eye on because she's going places. An inside look at the CIA by a former employee written in the guise of fiction, full of black humor and satire. Some readers will think it's over the top but If you've ever worked for the government you will recognize your department in these pages.

Plot takes backseat to anger, apology

I really wanted to like this book. I'm a big fan of both fiction and non-fiction espionage. I'd heard the author interviewed twice and found her interesting. But the book traded plot for rage at the bureaucracy that partially enabled the terrorists and apologies for not being able to work more effectively. Much of the dialogue is internal, switching from character to character. Mid-novel, I was tired of hearing their every thought and just wanted something to happen. When it did, it was too late and too sparsely described for me to care. It is "a novel of the CIA" as workplace rather than a center of intelligence. While there was one, possibly two, "darkly humorous" threads, they were not enough to save the book.

Too politically biased

Interesting story, but I felt as though it was just a vehicle to trash Bush. Have no idea what the author was going for with her sections of dialog from a dead guy.