FBI Files: Catching a Russian Spy: Agent Leslie G. Wiser Jr. and the Case of Aldrich Ames

FBI Files

by Bryan Denson

Catching a Russian Spy is the story of the FBI's investigation of Aldrich Ames, CIA agent who turned Russian spy, and the agent who helped bring him to justice.
Aldrich H. Rick Ames was a 31-year veteran of the CIA. He was also a Russian spy. By the time Ames was arrested in 1994, he had betrayed the identities of dozens and caused the deaths of ten agents. The notorious KGB (and later the Russian intelligence service, SVR) paid him millions of dollars.



Agent Leslie G. "Les" Wiser, Jr. ran the FBI's Nightmover investigation tasked with uncovering a mole in the CIA. The team worked night and day to collect evidence--sneaking into Ames' home, hiding a homing beacon in his Jaguar, and installing a video camera above his desk. But the spy kept one step ahead, even after agents followed him to Bogota, Colombia. In a crazy twist, the FBI would score its biggest clue from inside Ames' garbage can.

At the time of his arrest on February 21, 1994, he had compromised more highly-classified CIA assets than any other agent in history.

Go behind the scences of some of the FBI's most interesting cases in award-winning journalist Bryan Denson's FBI Files series, featuring the investigations of the Unabomber, al-Qaeda member Mohamed Mohamud, and Michael Young's diamong theft ring. Each book includes photographs, a glossary, a note from the author, and other detailed backmatter on the subject of the investigation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Middle Grade, Childrens

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 21, 2020

About the author

Bryan Denson is the author of "The Spy's Son: The True Story of the Highest-Ranking CIA Officer Ever Convicted of Espionage and the Son He Trained to Spy for Russia."

The book is available for purchase now, but hits bookstores in the USA and Canada May 5, 2015. The Spy's Son also will be published in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand in June 2015. Rights also have sold in Poland and Estonia.

Movie rights to the book were sold to Paramount Pictures. The studio has attached Robert De Niro and Shia LaBeouf to play the father-son spy duo. The film is to be directed by D.J. Caruso. The screenplay was written by Kario Salem, a guy with a genius understanding of narrative.

Denson is a veteran journalist who has worked on the East, Gulf, and West coasts of the United States at five daily newspapers. He currently works for The Oregonian newspaper and OregonLive, where he covers the federal courts.

Reviews

[Sara H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read Ben Macintyre’s non fiction Cold War spy thriller “The Spy and The Traitor”. While Macintyre’s main character was a KGB agent working for MI6, the story of one Aldrich Ames, an American CIA agent who gave his services to Russia in exchange for millions of dollars, was a fairly significant part of the story. So when I saw this middle grade non-fiction, “Catching a Russian Spy” in the bargain section I decided to pick it up. The entire story focused on how the CIA and FBI tracked down and caught Ames. It was a very easy read and had a lot of good information that acted as a side quest or rabbit hole to my enjoyment of “The Spy and the Traitor”.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catching a Russian Spy (FBI Files) by Bryan Denson, 150 pages. NON-FICTION. Roaring Book Press (Macmillan), 2020, $8.

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Rick Ames worked for the CIA for 31 years, but due to an expensive divorce and a mistress he later married that burned through money, he decided an easy way to make money would be to spy for Russia. Ames eventually made nearly 4.6 million dollars, but his betrayal cost the lives of ten agents and he betrayed the identities of dozens of others. Ames compromised more highly classified CIA assets than any other agent in American History at the time of his arrest.

This story follows the involved investigation that led to his arrest before he could skip the country. Highly researched but easy to follow, this book is a fast read. Denson keeps the action moving and if you like real crime drama, this book is a fascinating look into the inner workings of the FBI.

Michelle in the Middle
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2020...

[Karen Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed the entire series so far, and this one is my favorite of the bunch. The 5* rating is because:
* It is nonfiction but reads like a novel
* It's short enough to be readable to a reluctant reader, but still packed with details
* It shows the lengths the FBI went to catch a double-agent to stop the tremendous damage the spy was doing to the country
* Kids will learn about the Cold War
* Hopefully kids will be horrified to discover a person would betray his country for money.
* It's inspirational

[Erica Sonzogni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense, intrigue, and mystery- FBI Files: Catching a Russian Spy has it all. In this true story, Aldrich Hazen “Rick” Ames has been working for the CIA for thirty years. He catches spies for a living. When he gets a divorce, which puts him in over $30,000 in debt, Ames is desperate for cash. He contacts the Russians and asks to be a spy for them; he would give them confidential information that he receives at work about Russians who are spying for the United States. For this information, Ames requests an initial payment of $50,000. When the Russians agree, Ames begins his nine year stint working for Russia, and getting many patriotic spies killed in the process. The CIA and FBI catches on to Ames’ plan, and through years of surveillance and evidence tracking, they arrest him and his wife on charges of espionage and tax fraud.

Being that this novel is a true story, the action and suspense was even more authentic. It started out slow with lots of facts, dates, and locations. The book also mentioned short anecdotes from other CIA and FBI cases woven throughout the main event of the Rick Ames spy case which initially made it confusing. After the first few chapters, though, the story got moving and it was difficult to put down. Since the case involves deception between two rival nations, there is mild violence. The novel discusses how the Russians execute those identified as being spies for America and then are buried in unmarked graves. CIA-issued suicide pills are also mentioned for Russian spies that have been captured and do not want to be tortured. While the author’s writing is very factual, there are many old-fashioned and clichéd sayings that are interspersed throughout the writing. For example, one chapter states “there might not be enough soap and water in the world to wash the egg off Wiser’s face” and “His goose was cooked.” Younger readers might have difficulty interpreting these unpopular sayings. There is an extensive glossary at the end of the novel that would have been better suited at the beginning so readers would understand the terminology prior to reading. The story is exciting and young readers will love to learn about an unknown or unfamiliar piece of United States history.

[Carin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the FBI Files series for kids, I find these just utterly fascinating. The last one, The Unabomber, was about how the FBI works. This one is mostly about the CIA, and about the rather evil CIA operative, Aldrich Ames, who went to the Russians and offered to give them information if they paid him. His information lead to the death of dozens of American spies in Russia. The FBI got involved when the CIA figured out they had a mole and uncovered who it was. It turns out (I didn't know this!) that the CIA is not a law enforcement agency, so they can't arrest people. At that point they brought in the FBI, who worked with the CIA to discover evidence that would convict Ames, and to then arrest him before he could leave the country.

A single double agent can undercut and endanger the lives of dozens and scores of agents. One actually inside the primary spying organization of the United States was particularly dangerous. This book highlighted the problems, but also ended on a positive note as he was discovered and taken out. These books give kids an inside look at the FBI (and CIA) without glossing over the issues, and with an exciting and interesting story to go right along with it! Today, true crime is everywhere, and it's important for kids to have age-appropriate books they can turn to as well, so they don't end up watching Manhunter on Netflix and scaring the bejeezus out of themselves. As an added bonus, they'll learn some modern American history along the way.

[Ann-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of the capture of Aldrich Ames, written for younger readers. I appreciated the background given into the Cold War. The book itself was well written and had me up late several nights. It's a spy story about a spy. I had never considered the extreme caution, and tons of man hours that goes into trapping a spy in our own government. There were plenty of goofs and blunders along the way as well.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Young Readers edition of a book I read earlier this year I think. It is well written, easy to follow, and should be a great addition to our elementary library.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was surprisingly fun to read.

[sobvxczak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Niewiele lepsza niz poprzednia, ale chyba nie na tyle lepsza żeby dać jej 3 gwiazdki ://

[Library To-Go]

08/29/25-JDC-ES

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bryan Denson brings this true story to life with cinematic intensity. Perfect for anyone who loves espionage and true crime.