Shadow Cell

An Insider Account of America's New Spy War

De: Andrew Bustamante, Jihi Bustamante

Narrado por: Andrew Bustamante, Jihi Bustamante

A thrilling firsthand account by husband-and-wife CIA operatives who, against all odds, triumphed in a deadly cat-and-mouse game against a mole within the agency—an unprecedented insider account of 21st-century spycraft in the tradition of Argo and Black Ops.

Andrew and Jihi Bustamante were a “tandem couple”: married spies who’d dedicated their lives to the CIA. They met as trainees at Langley, and got married while hunting terrorists across the globe. Then, suddenly, they were assigned to a mission so sensitive and explosive that the CIA still has never acknowledged it. The CIA’s source network in a country code-named "Falcon"—one of America’s most formidable rivals—had been compromised by a mole, and the agency needed a new way to collect intelligence there. Young newlyweds, the Bustamantes were considered safe choices for this daunting task precisely because they had no experience in Falcon. They were also loyal, forgettable, and completely disposable—operatives who could help to strengthen the CIA’s position in Falcon while simultaneously serving as bait for the mole.

But although their superiors at the CIA didn’t realize it, the Bustamantes also brought another advantage to the table: a granular understanding of how terrorist cells operate, and how the agency could exploit those same tactics to keep America safe. Assembling a rag-tag team of fellow operatives and recruiting new sources from Falcon, the Bustamantes pioneered a new way of spying by building a cell of their own—right at the heart of the CIA.

The propulsive, untold tale of one of history’s greatest intelligence crises and the unlikely band of agents who were sent in to clean up the mess, Shadow Cell allows us to peer behind the curtain to see how today’s spy wars are being fought—and won.

©2024 Andrew Bustamante and Jihi Bustamante (P)2024 Little, Brown & Company

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Shadow Cell rips the curtain off the modern spy game with the kind of insider access only two former CIA operatives could provide. It’s a rare glimpse into the shadow war of the 21st century, where loyalty is tested, trust is weaponized, and victory comes at a personal cost."—Jack Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Sky Mourning

“The ‘Shadow Cell’ operation is arguably one of the most esoteric, innovative and successful by CIA to date. It is also proof of how important fresh blood is to any organization. As you will read, the selection of these two young officers was a gamble that not only paid off but also exceeded everyone's expectations. Reads like a novel, educates like a thesis. I truly enjoyed the read and even learned a trick or two."—Ric Prado, New York Times bestselling author of Black Ops, and former Chief of Operations at CIA's Counterterrorism Center

Would recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. It held my interest and felt realistic. I'm glad the authors were the ones to read it.

Not much new if you're seen them on YouTube

I was really looking forward to this book being released, but I am rather disappointed. I've watched all of their Everyday Spy podcast as well as about 20 interviews of Andy on YouTube. I also am on the Everyday Spy email list. Andy has already told many of the plotpoints on the podcasts. On Julian Dorey, he even reveals the climax of the book! I think John Kiriakou's CIA memoir, The Reluctant Spy, is more compeling and is not as redundant of what he's said on podcasts.

MINOR SPOILER ALERT: One thing I don't like is that the book implies that they left CIA shortly after the events of this book, and that this was Andy's first field mission. However, Andy has claimed elsewhere to have had a field mission in Central America in the jungle and another in Africa, where he had to interact with a warlord with child soldiers. Also, they have said that their first child was born in a foreign hospital during a mission, but that doesn't fit the implied timeline of the book, either. Andy always claims on podcasts that his job title was Foreign Officer. However, the book says he wasn't an official Foreign Officer during the events in this book. When was he promoted to that title? I hope they will clarify these seeming inconsistencies on YouTube.

Otherwise, this is a well-written book that gives a eye-opening view of CIA's structure.

A gripping spy story that reads like the best espionage thriller, except it actually happened.

Shadow Cell is a rare look inside a real undercover CIA operation, told by a married “tandem couple” of intelligence officers who lived it. Having followed Andrew Bustamante’s work for years, this book brings his lessons to life in a story of real risk, danger, and consequence. Your training either works or you don’t come home. Essential reading for fans of espionage fiction who want to know what the life of a spy actually looks like.

Thank you to the authors for the advance manuscript, generously provided as a gift for preordering. Check out EveryDay Spy for more info on how to learn these skills and mindsets to improve your own lives.

I want to join CIA now

This is perhaps one of the best relived moments in an operating theatre. It’s simply wonderful to get some of the scoop for what and how CIA lifestyle and work/life could look like and as a married couple who’s both are in the Agency. Amazing YouTube channels as well. Thank you for making my day with this wonderful content! You both are rockstars everyday/spy

Wow! Better than a movie.

Great book! I knocked it out in one shot. I wish they could go more into detail. But, its understandable. Thank you for your service! Much respect.

The CIA actually let them release the book

A solid story about how out of the box thinking is used to solve problems, and in this case, restructuring of the traditional CIA cell organization.

Great details

Andy and Jihi did an awesome job pulling back the curtain on a watershed moment within the CIA. It’s definitely worth a listen.

Engaging story

I saw an interview with the authors on A Diary of a CEO and decided to buy the book. It was an excellent choice. I really enjoyed the story, and both of the authors are excellent narrators.

Slightly anti climatic but still a great book.

Would definitely recommend for fans of books about the intelligence community.

I appreciate how they minimized the fluff and kept the story authentic without unnecessary drama. Very well told, but after two years of hype on various podcasts I expected the story to go down a slightly more exciting path, but at least they didn’t exaggerate for the sake of entertainment.

Props for authenticity and personal transparency of failures and lessons.

Entertaining, intriguing

A few nuggets in this book. Though I got bored when the wife started speaking. Other than that I loved it.