The Triple Agent

June 13, 2011
Warrick, a Pulitzer Prizeâwinning journalist for the Washington Post, untangles the knotty story of Humam Khalil al-Balawi, the Jordanian al-Qaeda double agent responsible for the 2009 suicide bombing of a facility in Khost, Afghanistan, in this accessible and fast-paced debut. A rising star in American espionage, al-Balawi had seemed to insinuate himself into the highest levels of al-Qaeda with remarkable swiftness and ease and had committed to assassinating Osama Bin Laden's deputy. Instead, his real mission was accomplished when he detonated a bomb strapped to his chest, killing seven CIA operatives, the agency's greatest loss of life in decades. Warrick builds a case for the military and institutional miscommunications that failed to sniff out al-Balawi's deceptions with meticulous detail and the atmosphere of a political thriller. While he introduces a who's who of terrorist figures and organizations and ably conveys the high-pressure world of international espionage in the bureaucracy of the CIA, he also gives the story a cinematic feel with suspenseful foreshadowing, rich character developmentâespecially of the murdered agents and their familiesâand a remarkable amount of heart.

August 29, 2011
In December 2009, members of al-Qaeda infiltrated the CIA’s Forward Operating Base Chapman in Afghanistan and succeeded in killing seven agency operatives. Warrick explores the events surrounding this infamous suicide bombing and analyzes American intelligence failures leading up to the attack. With clear, smooth narration that is never histrionic, Sunil Malhotra complements both the author’s approach and his style. Malhotra’s pronunciation of Middle Eastern names—as well as his transition between English and regional languages—is consistently flawless. He creates an impressive range of distinct voices and regional accents for the book’s characters. And his energetic narration not only captures the tension of suspenseful scenes but maintains listener attention during moments of exposition and analysis. A Doubleday hardcover.