Shadow Cell
An Insider Account of America's New Spy War
Contributors
Formats and Prices
- On Sale
- Sep 9, 2025
- Page Count
- 272 pages
- Publisher
- Little, Brown and Company
- ISBN-13
- 9780316572149
Price
$32.00Price
$41.00 CADFormat
Format:
- Hardcover $32.00 $41.00 CAD
- ebook $15.99 $20.99 CAD
- Audiobook Download (Unabridged) $27.99 $35.99 CAD
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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.
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"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
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“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
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"The Bustamantes write with a frank, conversational tone that is easy to follow and welcomes the reader into their world...an excellent account of real-world spy games and an entertaining and informative look at the logistics of modern intelligence work."Booklist
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"A tense thriller in which Andrew and Jihi Bustamante are both the hunters and the hunted in a cat-and-mouse game with a dangerous double agent working in the heart of the CIA. Every page is more gripping than the last, propelling the reader to its exciting finale."Robert Verkaik, author of The Traitor of Colditz and Jihadi John
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"This is a uniquely compelling spy memoir. Two former CIA field operatives take turns to recount clandestine life in the world’s hot spots. Together they reveal the latest CIA techniques, including building their own look-alike terrorist cell. It is a behind-the-scenes story of a secret war that blends love, mystery and betrayal."Richard J. Aldrich, author of GCHQ
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“A pacy and fascinating read. I suspect the closest an outsider will get to sitting in on CIA training in agent-running.”Professor Sir David Omand, former British Security and Intelligence Coordinator
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“Hair-raising… an alluring crash-course on spycraft…the authors pack in plenty of suspense, providing the cliffhangers and paranoid atmosphere of a John le Carré novel.”Publishers Weekly
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“A fast-paced account of an effort to root out a mole and recruit double agents in an unnamed enemy nation...The adventures and misadventures are plentiful here, but of equally great interest to readers are the authors’ lucid explanations of how spycraft proceeds to begin with...A gripping espionage yarn that happily contradicts the authors’ advice for crafting a cover story: ‘Make it boring as hell.’”Kirkus (starred review)
