The Case Officer

In the murky world of espionage, where shadowy intelligence operatives struggle against one another to gain tactical advantage, things can often go very, very wrong. This is one such story. Told by a former master CIA spy, truth is woven with fiction to create a gripping yet authentic action packed tale of real intelligence operatives at war.

From Somalia, to Ethiopia, to Hong Kong, to Paris, we follow the path of CIA case officer "Mac" MacMurphy as he uncovers an intricate Iranian plot to draw China into a terrorist alliance against America. But when organizational inertia within the CIA hierarchy disrupts his operational plans, he must resort to unconventional methods to achieve his goals.
The unintended consequences of his actions pits MacMurphy against an unstable Chinese case officer in a gritty crescendo of action where only one will survive.
The book the CIA tried to keep off the bookshelves!
In an early letter to the author, the CIA's Publications Review Board said in part:
"The Publications Review Board has completed its review of your manuscript entitled The Case Officer. Unfortunately, after a lengthy consultation...the Board determined that we must deny your request to publish this novel. As you are aware, the book...is based in large part on classified information obtained by you while employed by the CIA..."
Accolades for The Case Officer:
"Retired CIA case officer Fred Rustmann has written a novel that rings with authenticity -- a story replete with field cunning and tradecraft...(He) draws upon his decades of experience in CIA's clandestine service to craft a story that likely had a modified counterpart in real life...The Case Officer is a book that warrants a five-cloak, five-dagger rating." Joseph C. Goulden -- Washington Times
"Too many spy novels are written by those with little real-world espionage knowledge or experience. Fred Rustmann, a career CIA operations officer, steps out of the shadows in The Case Officer, a book steeped in tradecraft, espionage, betrayal, and the life-and-death risks an officer or his agent face. Novel or thinly-veiled nonfiction? Like the profession itself - you will be caught up in the action with little time to ponder the question. Nor will you care. Authentic and fast-paced."
S. Eugene Poteat President Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO)
"Chockfull of real tradecraft tricks, written by a master spy, engrossing page turner inhabited by folks I knew when I was in the clandestine world!"
William Askins Best Selling Author and CIA Case Officer (Ret.)
"How do CIA field operatives find clandestine sources? Answer: with patience, hard work, and above all - smarts. Street smarts and people smarts. In The Case Officer, you'll accompany a master operative step by step in his tradecraft-rich pursuit of a high value target. But be prepared for surprises as Rustmann's brisk narrative hurtles along to its unexpected but all-too-realistic resolution."
Peter Earnest Executive Director International Spy Museum
"If you want to know how to make a martini or woo a woman, read James Bond. If you want to know what it's sometimes like in the real world of espionage, read The Case Officer. Rustmann didn't just write it, he lived it."
Phillip Jennings Author of Nam-A-Rama and Goodbye Mexico