The Spy Who Knew Too Much

An Ex-CIA Officer’s Quest Through a Legacy of Betrayal

By: Howard Blum

Narrated by: Steve Hendrickson

“Howard Blum writes history books that read like thrillers.”—New York Times

A retired spy gets back into the game to solve a perplexing case—and reconcile with his daughter, a CIA officer who married into the very family that derailed his own CIA career—in this compulsive true-life tale of vindication and redemption, filled with drama, intrigue, and mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Goodnight, It’s a real-life thriller whose stunning conclusion will make headline news.

On a sunlit morning in September 1978, a sloop drifts aimlessly across the Chesapeake Bay. The cabin reveals signs of a struggle, and “classified” documents, live 9 mm cartridges, and a top-secret “burst” satellite communications transmitter are discovered aboard. But where is the boat’s owner, former CIA officer John Paisley?

One man may hold the key to finding out. Tennent “Pete” Bagley was once a rising star in America’s spy aristocracy, and many expected he’d eventually become CIA director. But the star that burned so brightly exploded when Bagley—who suspected a mole had burrowed deep into the agency’s core—was believed himself to be the mole. After a year-long investigation, Bagley was finally exonerated, but the accusations tarnished his reputation and tainted his career.

When Bagley’s daughter Christina, a CIA analyst, married another intelligence officer who was the son of the man who had played a key role in the investigation into Bagley, it caused a painful rift between the two. But then came Paisley’s strange death. A murder? Suicide? Or something else? Pete, now a retired spy, launches his own investigation that takes him deep into his own past and his own longtime hunt for a mole. What follows is a relentless pursuit to solve a spy story—and an inspiring tale of a man reclaiming his reputation and his family. It’s a very personal quest that leads to a shocking conclusion.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Howard Blum (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Great story

I couldn’t put this down and gulped it in a day, No Hollywood movies can play this real drama and tragedy of clandestine workers, so well written, this is my second book by this author and I am a big fan now

An outstanding puzzle assembled with meticulous research

This story is interesting in how the author managed to unpack the nesting dolls of a very neatly packaged cold war saga that has many threads. In the end, the institutional behavior determining our history may be the most interesting lesson for readers to take note of. This is a great account and body of research.

Fascinating story of the Cold War spy game

I enjoyed this book, although I found the beginning a bit hard to follow. Really interesting real life story that was pieced together through a lot of research and interviews. Maybe a little too long but the ending was well done.

honesty and truth rings out

loved the detail. it was hard to follow at times and I had to rewind and listen a second and sometimes third time

Fascinating and gripping

An excellent true spy story that reads like a thriller. I made excuses to find time to keep listening.

I will read it twice

After finishing this audio I realized that the extensive detail provided by the author was actually necessary to fully grasp and appreciate the arc of the narrative. This is a masterful work about not just the “great game” but about the failures of human institutions due to the cognitive biases from which even the most adept of us are not immune. I’d love to watch a serious adaptation of this on a streaming service.

Better than any fiction novel

True life story told with suspense from pg 1. Highly recommend for anyone into this genre.

Ex-spies do not exist

This book shows why. A gripping story with many casualties among those irreversibly involved in this multi-layered complicated world. Recommend book for those interested in this genre.

Moles in the CIA

This is a riveting account of one man’s efforts to identify a Russian mole in the CIA - one that caused incalculable damage to the US. But the CIA brass - under different leaders over the years - not only never wanted to find the mole but persecuted those who did. Why such vengeance? Very unsettling account of a critical US institution. Every US citizen concerned about the country’s security should read this book.

Interesting Perspective on How the CIA Operated

very well written. learned a lot about history of CIA during some very critical years.