True Spies: 11 Must-Read Books By FBI Agents

Sometimes you have to play a criminal to catch one. These FBI operatives have infiltrated mafia crime families, caught Russian spies, and brought down Mexican drug lords. Here are 11 of their bestsellers to put you in the middle of the action.

If you still haven’t got your crime fix, you can listen in on the authors’ True Spies podcast interviews. Each week, SPYSCAPE brings you an eclectic mix of FBI, CIA, and real-life spy stories told through the eyes of the agents behind the world’s most daring operations.

Making Jack Falcone by Jack Garcia

With little more than his wits, a wire, and an encyclopedic knowledge of Italian food, Jack Garcia infiltrated New York's Gambino crime family. Jack lays out life with the mob on SPYSCAPE’s podcast True Spies: Making Jack Falcone.

The Last Undercover by Bob Hamer‍

In 26 years with the FBI, SPYEX’s Bob Hamer posed as a contract killer, a drug kingpin, and an arms dealer. But Bob could never shake off his descent into the twisted world of Nambla. Hear more in SPYSCAPE’s True Spies: Inside Nambla.

How to Catch a Russian Spy by Naveed Jamali

Hoping to impress the FBI, Naveed Jamali used family connections to set himself up as a self-taught double agent and fooled the Russians into revealing their US operations. Naveed’s story is the focus of SPYSCAPE’s podcast True Spies: Burgers & Spies.

The Unexpected Spy by Tracy Walder‍

Tracy Walder was a CIA officer and an FBI agent specializing in Chinese counterintelligence. Now a SPYEX consultant, Walder reveals her chilling stories in SPYSCAPE’s True Spies: The Rookie and bin Laden.

Gray Day by Eric O’Neill

Senior FBI counterintelligence officer Robert Hanssen was a KGB double agent. Eric O’Neill was the FBI rookie assigned to bring Hanssen down. The SPYEX consultant shares his thrilling tale in SPYSCAPE’s podcast True Spies: Gray Suit & The Ghost.

Ghost by Michael McGowan‍

To trap Mexican drug lord El Chapo, ex-FBI undercover agent Michael McGowan needed to convince the murderous gangster they were in the same business. His thrilling story is revealed in SPYSCAPE’s podcast True Spies: The Purple Bathrobe.

Thinking Like a Terrorist by Mike German

The US was reeling from the L.A. race riots in the ‘90s and the far-right was preparing for all-out war. Blond-haired, blue-eyed Mike German was the FBI agent who infiltrated the neo-Nazis. Hear his tale in True Spies: A Spy Among Skinheads.

What Every Body is Saying by Joe Navarro‍

What secrets do you give away with the twitch of an eyelid or the tap of a finger? Ex-FBI agent Joe Navarro knows. His gift for reading body language brought down traitor Rod Ramsay. Hear the inside story on True Spies: The Armageddon Papers.

Priceless by Robert K. Wittman

Robert Wittman had already retrieved millions of dollars worth of stolen art so when a priceless Rembrandt was stolen the FBI relied on him to take on Europe's criminal underworld and get it back. Listen to his high-stakes hunt in True Spies: Operation Bullwinkle.

Giovanni’s Ring by Giovanni Rocco

FBI agent Giovanni Rocco grew up playing in the backyards of New Jersey's criminal class. As an adult, he went undercover to take them down. Listen to Giovanni's descent into the violent mafia underworld: True Spies: The Real Sopranos.

The FBI Way by Frank Figliuzzi‍

Frank Figliuzzi was charged with overseeing the FBI’s sensitive internal inquiries. So when a woman was murdered, Frank tracked down the chief suspect: an employee of a hostile embassy. Hear his thrilling tale in True Spies: The Code Clerk.