An Ordinary Spy

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 [REDACTED], where he hobnobs with foreign diplomats and informants, who have access to [REDACTED] information and contacts like the powerful General [REDACTED], in the hopes of recruiting them as agents. But, when he falls for the wrong woman, he's quickly sent back to [REDACTED], 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.

Genres: Fiction, Espionage, Mystery, Thriller, Spy Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Book Club

288 pages, Hardcover

First published December 26, 2007

Reviews

[Elizabeth Sulzby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am reading this book because it is by the former-CIA agent and author Joseph Weinberg who is behind the creation of the FX television series, The Americans. I was not prepared to find a book with key words blacked out, "masked" as if the novel were censored in its entirely by the CIA. In a review, I read that some of these items were indeed blocked by the CIA; OK, I get that. But the review said that others were created by the author as part of his "art." That is most annoying to me as a reader. One of my shelves for this book is "historical fiction," but that is a shelf with multisession continua. OK, this has the CIA and details about being a new agent and being stationed outside the USA. It has events about other countries but these are fictionalized. It has a guy who could well be like a real "new agent." But it is boring because it is so loosely connected to events in history at a LEVEL that I care about. Unsatisfied reader of this novel, I am.
P.S. It should be a page turner, this brief novel. But it is a drag, put on my "drudgery-to-read" shelf. In this instance, the maskings throw me off base. I put down the book and if it flips shut without a bookmark, I have a hard time figuring out where I left off. And it is not just the masking--it is boring and non-memorable. (OK, rant over.)

[Kathleen (itpdx) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weisberg evidently worked for the CIA for a time and the story feels like there is a basis of truth to it. The bits about training and spy craft just feel right in their ordinariness, routine and goals. The first assignment cover of working in a US embassy in a friendly country and mingling with staff from other embassies I think is well known. Weisberg builds a suspenseful and touching story on this base of two spies who let their humanity and ambition get in the way of their jobs.
The book is presented as having been vetted by the CIA (which is a known requirement for books about the agency by former employees) and is full of redactions. I had to get past my desire to try to guess what had been redacted to get into and through the story.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also known as "that spy book that used the black marks to blot out whole sections of prose, as a narrative gimmick that pretends to be a CIA censor's marks." But I thought the device worked well and, more importantly, the book is a very human story that cuts past the cliches about high-stakes espionage, drilling down into the reality of what it's like to gather intelligence about another country, another society, another person. An interesting and very unusual book.

[Marcie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, I'm sure this would be a great book, but I just couldn't get past all of the blacked out sections interrupting the flow of the story. I didn't finish it because of this. I'm sure it was meant to give the reader the impression that this book was more clandestine or classified, but to me it was just annoying. I didn't finish the book as a result.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree wholeheartedly with the review at https://www.cia.gov/library/center-fo...

[Corny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a weird read because you are constantly distracted by the "CIA redacting". The premise is interesting but the book does not deliver much. I was at times bored and irritated by the black lining which soon loses its novelty. Perhaps, the book has achieved its purpose by showing us how humdrum the life of a CIA agent really is. No James Bond or George Smiley here!! The annoying thing is that because of the redacting you never learn anything interesting about procedures and practices and are left with the bare lives of the agents which are indeed bare!

[Joebacca · Rating 1 out of 5]

once you get past the redactions, its still not very good

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, but Weisberg made much better use of his CIA experience in his excellent tv show The Americans.

[Brad Feld · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like spy books AND great writing, this one is for you.

[John Fullerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a novel, but it's easy to forget - it oozes authenticity and it follows no spy thriller arc and few if any of the conventions of commercial fiction. It's also riveting and I didn't put it down except to eat and sleep.
The characters are very human in their hopes, failings and anxieties. Reacher and Bond do not feature in any shape or form (thankfully). The characters won't save the world - like most of us, they have enough trouble getting through the day and saving themselves and their careers.
This is about the choices we make in our lives, specifically the lives of CIA case officers, or COs - the ordinary spies of the title - operating under diplomatic cover out of a CIA station in an embassy located in an undisclosed country. The book has been redacted by the CIA, as are many espionage novels written by former CIA officers. I amused myself by trying - and failing - to locate the country and city concerned, picking out the few clues that haven't been censored: the climate, the terrain, the food - though even the recipes have been redacted. There are mountains but no mention of the sea, it's tropical monsoon country, there's widespread poverty and urban squalor, the government is corrupt and authoritarian, the military is powerful, the security services brutal, and there are secret discussions relating to nuclear weapons. Ring any bells?
The theme is the professional and private conflict between the need for personal initiative in targeting and recruiting sources of intelligence - something emphasised during training - and the necessity of following the rules of Agency tradecraft - the legal and professional constraints on what a CO is permitted to do. Can he recruit an 11-year-old who brings him intel? Absolutely not, legally or morally. Is it acceptable for an agent runner to go to bed with an attractive employee of a target embassy he's trying to recruit even if that person reciprocates the affection and desire? No, it isn't. How can he be sure that these two people aren't deceiving him? How does he know the agent he manages to relocate to the US hasn't been playing him all along?
The author's tale is told in the first person, and one of the most striking elements is the self-analysis, extent to which he rigorously questions everything - not only what he sees and hears, but his own options, his responses to other people, his sense of right and wrong, the likely consequences of the actions he's contemplating.
The collegial atmosphere in the fictional CIA station, the mutual support, the extent to which COs discuss their professional issues with one another, the comradeship, the willingness to help each other out, from the tough female station chief down to the newest arrival, all of it seemed genuine and impressive. Perhaps it reflects U.S. culture generally - I might be wrong, but I can't imagine the SVR and Guoanbu equivalents being anything like this.

[Dimitrije Vojnov · Rating 2 out of 5]

Joe Weisberg je penzionisani CIAš koji je kreirao seriju AMERICANS, monumentalno delo savremene američke televizije. Posle napuštanja Agencije, a pre serije napisao je nekoliko knjiga među kojima je AN ORDINARY SPY.
Kuriozitet ove knjige jeste između ostalog to da je recenzirana u jednom biltenu koji pravi sama CIA i obrađuje kako se predstavlja Agencija u javnoj literature.
Kritika koju je potpisao kolega je bila negativna i to nažalost s pravom.
Weisberg pravi jedno zanimljivo rešenje. Naime, on knjigu piše kao redacted document u kom su mnogi delovi zatamnjeni i precrtani. Pa tako misija glavnih junaka, obojice agenata CIAe na početku karijere stiže u redacted formi sa krupnim delovima koji su obrisani, pra recimo ne znamo gde se misija dešava, i tek naslužujemo podneblje, neke procedura su nam učinjene nedostupnim i sl.
Po tome se ovaj roman razlikuje od sličnih knjiga ali problem ostaje to što nam se na taj način ubija osećaj atmosfere i mesta dešavanja a cilj je očigledno da se stvar svede na psihološku dimenziju i odnose među likovima, da McGuffin bude totalan.
Nažalost, tek u ovom romanu vidimo značajnu ulogu koju je Joel Fields imao u nastanku AMERICANSa.
Bez konkretizacije dešavanja, roman je slab u atmosferi, zbog pseudodokumentarnosti nije previše napet što je i logično jer je posao agenata da izbegavaju napete situacije i sve one faze kad nešto pođe naopako, a što je okosnica špijunskog romana.
Konačno hepiend - za razliku od onog "uslovnog" u AMERICANSima je skroz nezaslužen i neubedljiv.
Ipak, roman je pitak koliko god bio stilski skroman i teško je biti fan AMERICANSa i ne pročitati ga.

[Ben M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't see what all the fuss is about this book? I bought this because it was supposed to be THE spy novel. It was praised by ex-CIA operatives and such, so I thought I'd give it a shot. My mistake. I think the reason these folks like it is because they actually can understand what's going on. Unlike the rest of us who are on the outside looking in.

I got about halfway through and then stopped. This is a very uneven read. There are parts that are engaging, but most of it meanders without any specific story. After 150 pages, I still had no idea what the main plot point of this book was. And the main character - I couldn't care less about this guy. Now, add that to the fact that about 20% of the book is blacked out because the CIA, yes, THE CIA, thought it was too sensitive, and you find yourself not only lost but trying to fill in the blanks.

[Mirjam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been a minute since I got my clutches on a book that made me not want to put it down.

That, first of all.

Second, yes, if you dig "The Americans," you'll love this. Never mind all the authentic-feeling spy craft and tricks and tools and lingo of the trade, it's the heart and humanity of the story combined with the, you know, spy stuff that really, really works ... ala that show on FX. It's such a human story, delivered at a swift pace and yet methodically. Super fun.

I'm struck by how not elaborate it was. How much espionage feels like a job. And, then, how real it felt, that realization that this is actually happening around the world. Again: Super fun.

[Angus Ho · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refreshing story of the much less hollywood-esque world of real spycraft. Shows the typical work of a case officer working abroad and the moral dilemmas they fall into.

It takes a little bit to get used to the blacked out confidential style but I felt it sometimes added to the mood of the story. Bit of a slow burn with no real climax which feels suited to a more realistic look at espionage. Overall quite enjoyable and engrossing second half.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusually-structured book, plot-wise, organized around an odd gimmick whereby large passages of the text are blotted out, as though the CIA review board had censored it. Various other touches are included to blur the line between fiction and reality. The writing itself feels stilted and almost childlike at first, but as one grows accustomed to the voice it's less so.

[MARK. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually liked the overall story, even though the first half of the book was dull and boring.
Could have got more stars, but no clue as to what book editor thought the "redacted by the CIA censors" premise was a good one.IT WAS NOT.(mho)It was distracting, and extremely annoying. Guess I'm lucky the used book store had this on thier 99 cent shelf.

[Elysia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know why, but I enjoy spy novels that get into the daily routine and drudgery of it all. This delivers. It’s a great story. Direct, well written, no purple prose. I’m curious whether anybody online has attempted to unredact some of the redactions? I was tempted to start trying, but then I’d have never finished the book.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Alyssa Geary · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.5/10. Some of the decisions made by the spies were pretty stupid and hard to believe. The redactions were pretty annoying to start but once I got used to them it was fine.

[Gabe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gave it 50 pages, it didn’t grab me. I don’t mind the redaction gimmick, but the day-to-day as described just wasn’t that interesting. It seemed well-informed, just dry and matter-of-fact.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its really hard to pin this book down as its really not a spy novel more like two separate stories about spies and what happens to their sources and themselves when they were sent overseas spying. One agent falls in love with his source. Another agent finds that keeping a source is difficult and that not everyone is what it may seem. The story drags a little, but is interesting because it seems to cover real spycraft and not James Bond work.

An interesting side angle is that the CIA reviews all publications by former agents, and went through the book and redacted place names and other information that could have revealed where the agents were. The author, either to make the point that these stories were very close to real stories or because it would be too hard to re-write the book to delete the redactions, kept them in the story. They are distracting but do not take away from the story.

[Dr. Barrett Dylan Brown, Phd · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Awesome Novel! After my second reading I come away just as full of emotion and contentment as the first reading. One of my most favorite memoirs ever.

Unlike any other Spy Novel I have ever read, Weisberg writes about his time in The Company like he is reporting on data entry; Flat, beauracratic, and noticably human. Rather than trying to surprise or embellish the author describes CIA life in all it's most boring aspects.

And of course, rather than rewriting his memoir, Weisburg simply publishes his story "as-is" including Black Redaction Marks inserted by the CIA. This choice could have been very irritating and bad for the reader, but instead to me it only serves to add to the mystery of the story and give the reader a practical lesson in secretive thinking.

(p.s. I think he was posted in South America)

[JS Found · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a conventional spy thriller. Weisberg, who worked for the CIA, isn't interested in confirming pop culture stereotypes. He's written more a literary examination of what being in the CIA does to people and their relationships. The main story doesn't even get started until midway through. The narrator we thought we would spend time with as he started working at the CIA, wraps up his time there, and then relates the story of a more experienced agent. Both experiences are thematically linked to working in a highly secretive and paranoid organization that makes it impossible to carry out honest and real relationships. A minor flaw is the gimmick--the novel as true memoir was examined by the CIA before publication and all the sensitive material was redacted, in the form of black rectangular blots. This gets tiring after a while, and there's too much of it. We get the point. A good book.

[Jackson Vick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't waste your time on this book. In the beginning a statement from the CIA leads the reader to believe they have blacked out so many words & paragraphs. But today I read the author did it himself! How absurd, how strange this author is, & how ridiculous the editor & publisher must be.
It was Very difficult to get interested in this novel. I was so frustrated with all the blacked out names, places & actions (sometimes whole pages!) that I set it aside more than once, thinking I just didn't care to finish it. But finally by skipping chapters I read the end during a blackout, when I had little else to occupy me.
I've read many fascinating spy stories & true accounts. This one was just a waste of time.

[Zhiqing · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! A spy novel written by a former CIA officer. Brings to mind John Le Carre's The Honorable Schoolboy! Nothing flashy, but every bit as thrilling and touching. Can a good spy be a decent human being with a good conscience at the same time? I loved the way Joseph Weisberg tells the story (2 separate stories broken down into four parts). Tradecraft hasn't been this interesting since Le Carre's George Smiley/Karla trilogy.

[Coral · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. Redacting is distracting. And the novel reads like a report. I probably would have given it a 3 star rating if the style had been different, and if the jacket description had been more accurate (the novel covers Goldstein and his story more than anything else).

Those wanting a fast-paced, can't-put-it-down spy thriller will be disappointed. Those looking for something more realistic and less James Bond-ish will probably like the novel.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of the book is that you are reading a bunch of declassified documents about an secret agent's mission gone awry. So, a lot of the text looks like old government classified documents with ommissions and blacked out sections. I didn't find this particularly annoying, but it did interrupt the pace of the story at times, I thought. Also, this isn't as much a spy/thriller sort of novel as much as it is a novel about human nature and friendship. That said, I did enjoy it.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

My latest experiment in judging a book by its cover from the library shelf.

Truly irritating: Author pretends to have novel reviewed by the CIA, leaving all specific place-names and other details "redacted" in big black swaths.

That said, it was an interesting, quiet little story that I wanted to finish immediately. So, mixed goodness.

[Peppelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Discovered this while waiting for Weisberg's magnificent TV show "The Americans" to return for its 4th season. This is an interesting, anti-glamorous look at the spy trade. Very quick and entertaining read. The infamous faux redactions are sometimes annoying, sometimes amusing; they did cause me to imagine what might lie beneath those black bars . . !

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat unusual "spy novel" - had phrases & sentences (& occasionally whole paragraphs) blacked out. Apparently, the author, a former CIA agent himself, subjected this fictional account to CIA review before publication. We end up with a low-key, very realistic & believable tale.