While this is a novel--a work of fiction--it is also a glimpse into part of the world of the intelligence operations carried out by the United States of America. It is not the stuff of James Bond or Jack Ryan. It is the stuff of real people that work their jobs, often with long hours, sometimes with their lives at risk, almost always without any public recognition. It is usually a satisfying job, but one still rife with bureaucracy and the normal government politics.