<I>*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review *</i > 
<b>4 stars </b> 

The Unexpected Spy recounts Tracy Walder (née Schandler)'s journey from California sorority girl to the CIA, the FBI and later teaching.

This was a very insightful and compelling read, especially pertaining to the struggles faced by women particularly in the intelligence community.

However, some of the redactions were rather bothersome, and seemed to cut out essential parts of the story (although I understand why they had to be put into place).

At points, it feels almost like she’s trying to justify some of the more questionable acts of the CIA, which feels like she's been rather indoctrinated by the CIA (which would not be surprising). This book in mant instances mirrors the idea that the US is responsible for everything everywhere in the world (which is still baffling to most non-Americans)!

I really enjoyed this book! Even though large portions of the book were blanked out by the CIA, this was not too distracting and I was still able to enjoy the read. It was fast paced and completely engrossing. I am so impressed by Walder's life story and the grace with which she tells it. Five stars from me and be sure to pick up this title when it comes out on February 25th! I'll be thinking about this book for a long time!

I'm usually not partial to memoirs, but I love spy stories. I was hoping this book would read like a spy novel ... it doesn't. But it is the most wonderful telling of an incredible life. Tracy is a strong person that has such dedication to helping people of all races and cultures. Throughout her life, she has had challenges that were so much beyond her years, but she handles herself with such grace and wisdom. I loved delving into her missions and assignments and reading about the way she was perceived by people of other cultures. She is a great role model for young women everywhere! Not only is this memoir well written and entertaining, but it is also inspiring and leaves you with a sense of hope! A definite must read for anyone who likes to read!

This is an enjoyable and informative read about a young sorority girl who decides to apply for a job with the CIA. She quickly finds herself embroiled in war zones, dealing with the most dangerous of terrorists. From her career with the CIA to her move to the FBI Tracy gives the reader a clear eyed look at the agencies and their work to keep our nation safe in an insecure world . As a reader, I think this book would best be categorized as a Young Adult crossover book. It should provide an inspiration for many young women who would like entrance into this male dominated world.

I was lucky enough to be requested to read a copy of this book through NetGalley, needless to say I started it that same night.

I think first and foremost, I would give a hugh credit to the author for simply being who she is. The work that she has done through the CIA, then through the FBI is exemplary, and for this, I give my whole hearted thank you to you and your colleagues.

The book is very well written, and a wonderful read. Moves at a great pace and gives enough information before moving forward again. I liked the style and open nature of the writing. A modern way of saying what you think and putting it on paper.

Overall a great book. I would certaily buy this and 100% recommend it to anyone who likes a full on approach to life.

When I think about all of the different horrific things that could possibly happen (have happened, are happening, will happen) in this world I feel terrified. I’m lucky enough to live in a place that is relatively safe, and where, if I want to, I can shut the news off and pretend nothing is happening. (I don’t do that because I like to know what is going on, but technically I could if I wanted to). As I was reading The Unexpected Spy I was acutely aware of how terrifying it must be to actually know what certain people are planning, but not being able to predict where and when. I’m sure most people who work in counterterrorism must be so sleep deprived… How could one really sleep when you have this direct knowledge constantly right in front of you?

I found this memoir quite interesting! I have a love/hate relationship with my personal interest in all things spy related, mainly because I don’t know if we can balance the terrible with the good when it comes to agencies such as the CIA. But reading this book was quite interesting, even though any of the really gritty content was actually redacted by the CIA, and left in the narrative as redacted. Tracy Walder writes in a conversational style that is easy to follow, and you can see why her job within the CIA was perfect for her, and why she did so well in it. There are some instances which are a little too “America!!!” for me, but I guess that is to be expected. (Phrases such as “we were trying to save the whole wide world” were a bit too much for me, but I suppose that is what she really believed, so we can’t fault her for that). Also the references to “Europeans” grated on me a little - we are not all the same! Europe is comprised of many different countries, languages, and cultures, and we are all quite different! I understand that the author couldn’t refer to actual countries, but it is a pet peeve of mine, to group “Europe” into one uniform country, in the same way as it really annoys me when people refer to the continent of Africa as one huge country.

I enjoyed reading on how the author became an operative in the CIA, and how she moved around within the agency, and then ended up working for the FBI. The work itself sounds like it was absolutely grueling, terrifying, and extremely taxing on both mental and physical health. I remember when I was living in Israel in the early 2000’s and someone told me that for every terrorist that made it through, Mossad caught 99 who didn’t, but we would never hear about those stories. I guess the same is correct elsewhere: unless the US needs a good propaganda boost we most likely don’t hear about half of the potential attacks. People such as Tracy spend their lives doing work that we will never hear about, and that itself is kind of fascinating.

All in all this is a pretty straightforward read, with some intriguing information on what it was like to be a CIA operative involved in counterterrorism after 9/11. I do wish that the redacted content had been removed… It didn’t bother me too much, but there are parts that are practically completely redacted, what was the point in even keeping it? There are also a few stereotypes that I think the author added to provide more insight into the location where she was at the time, but they annoyed me more than anything (it’s not hard to figure out which European country she is referring to with the “bland food” and the cabbies that automatically spoke to her in English). There are a few others that pop up through-out the memoir too. I think this would be a good read for people interested in learning more about counterterrorism and the CIA, but not if you are looking for a deep, hard fact-based read on the agency itself. There is also some good information on the transition from CIA to FBI which I thought was quite intriguing.

What I found the most interesting is how Tracy was treated in both the CIA and the FBI (spoiler alert, the FBI appears to be a lot more misogynistic than the FBI), and how she is now using those experiences to empower and inspire young women to go for the top jobs they deserve. Her classes sound awesome!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

Tracy Walder has crafted an engrossing page turner of a read in The Unexpected Spy. Well worth the read!

This is a memoir of the author from her childhood till her present life. Told in an easy way it reads like a thriller. We get to see the real work done by undercover agents across the world and a big salute to them. The discrimination in the FBI was very bad and her exit a loss to the agency. The author’s determination through the hard days in foreign countries and in homeland is commendable. Wishing good luck for the movie.

The Unexpected Spy is told in a linear fashion with only a few backtracks when appropriate for setting the scene. Given the nature of Walder’s career in counterintelligence, there is a lot of information missing. I can’t decide if I agree with the decision to leave the obvious ~ to mark the redacted information in the book, though I understand why.

Readers spend most of their time in and around Walder’s career with the Central Intelligence Agency as a counterintelligence operative. This is followed by a much smaller section involving her time with the FBI. I wish there was more information about Walder’s time in the FBI but considering the length of her time in service and the role she served, it also shows readers why she was compelled to leave the bureau. We have seen a necessary uptick in stories revolving around women in traditionally male-dominated careers and their efforts to succeed and advance. Walder’s story, unfortunately, isn’t an anomaly. I applaud her effort to not only share her story to the greater public but also to take her life experiences and use them to arm the next generation of women with the information they can use to succeed.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this read even if I didn’t binge it due to sensitivity to some of the material covered. While it isn’t anything gruesome, as a military spouse I tend to be a bit sensitive to some of the topics that Walder covered. I think out of the entire book, the epilogue was my favorite simply because of the heartwarming scenes with her students. I think her goal to educate and uplift female students is fantastic. If you enjoyed Jet Girls by Caroline Johnson, then I strongly suspect you will enjoy Walder’s story of her time with the CIA and FBI.

Thoroughly enjoyable book. Stays with her professional story. Very little personal. Interesting portrait of our intelligence community. The author is a skilled writer, very knowledgeable about her area of expertise, and an effective story teller. I have been effusive in my praise as I recommended it to friends and acquaintances.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for inviting me to read this memoir, pre-publication. Unfortunately I only got about 40% in before deciding not to finish. Although I have great respect for the author’s service, I don’t find her memoir very compelling. As another reviewer mentioned, the author chose to leave large redacted-by-the-Agency sections in the book instead of doing some kind of re-write to lessen the impacts of those areas. They were jarring, aggravating, and also seemed in some way to be boasting, if that makes any sense. I never got to her time in the FBI, but find it interesting that the book blurb discusses the rampant sexism she encountered there and then says she is currently educating young women about making careers in the FBI, CIA, etc. That seems like a disconnect. Overall I think the CIA part of the book would have been more fascinating if written 10 or 15 years ago. Now, after so many revelations, books, movies, etc and the passage of almost 20 years, it’s just not that interesting to me.

An interesting read. The lack of specificity throughout the book was somewhat disappointing, but learning about Tracy all along the way kept it interesting. I found her FBI experience, sadly, confirmation of some of my own conclusions about the agency. The FBI is in great need of an overhaul to get rid of the ol' boys and politicos and return to the best, pure investigative service in the world. In particular, the shadow government elements need to be surgically removed. But, I digress. This is a good read telling a good story and sharing the life of an individual and how she grew through her unusual experiences. I found the epilogue to be most engaging, but it needs the rest of the book to make it soar, so do not skip to the end. I am glad I read it.

I'm not a huge reader memoirs of 'regular' people or historical figures because usually they are kind of boring as they plod from one significant event to another. That was so not the case in the Unexpected Spy. This was a fascinating, engrossing read that moved at a fast clip through her time in the CIA to the FBI all the while dealing with sexism that no doubt still remains. I want to say it didn't read like memoir as if it reading like a memoir is a bad thing, but it's not and it's the memoir aspects, the thrill of what she achieved, the lows of dealing with unfair B.S. from people who judged her for being a woman brings everything into a sharper light.
Great writing, great story, I highly recommend.

Tracy Walder began life with hypotonia, known as a “floppy baby syndrome”. The odds of her walking were nearly impossible, and the odds of her becoming a dancer, a sorority girl, a CIA agent or an FBI agent were too crazy to consider. Yet, that is exactly what she did. But not without determination, hard work and confidence in herself.

Her mother can be credited with never giving up when doctors did. She worked with Tracy until she got stronger and finally walked on her own. Unfortunately, the kids at school were not kind to her. She had few friends and kept to herself. Her mind was and is brilliant, so it was no surprise that she entered USC and became a member of a sorority. What does come as a surprise to her and everyone else is that on a whim she filled out a card at a job fair for the CIA. Even more surprising is they called her back and recruited her.

The CIA was intense, but Tracy loved the fact that she was making a difference even if no one would ever be able to know the specifics of her job. But the intensity became too much, 9/11 weighed heavily on her and tracking terrorists left her sleepless. When she saw recruiting literature for the FBI she thought about having a home and family instead of the travel the CIA required. Again, she sent in her resume and was recruited. But the FBI has a different mindset when it comes to women operatives. After a few years, she decided to leave the bureau and begin the career she had dreamed about since she was a child, teaching.

Tracy’s fascinating story gives readers an inside glimpse of the CIA, FBI and what it is to be a woman in these male dominated professions. Part of her story has been redacted, there are many pages with ~~~~~~~~~~ in place of words. These signify information that is classified. Tracy submitted The Unexpected Spy to the CIA’s Publications Review Board. It was approved with the aforementioned redactions.

The Unexpected Spy reads like a spy novel, but is so much more impactful to the reader because it is based upon her life and the true events in our recent history. I loved it and am in awe of this courageous and adventurous woman.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2020 Laura Hartman

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com

The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World’s Most Notorious Terrorists by Tracy Walder and Jessica Anya Blau is an account of Ms. Walder who went straight from being a college sorority girl to the CIA. After her stint at the CIA, Ms. Walder joined the FBI for a short time, and is now a teacher.

This memoir by Tracy Walder nee Tracy Schandler tells of her time in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which recruited her right out of college. Ms. Schandler worked in counterterrorism after the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the insights she gives about the work her and her fellow patriots did at the CIA before and after. Throughout the story, Ms. Schandler recounts pivotal moments from her upbringing, especially her school years, which influenced her later decisions.

After some time in the CIA, Ms. Schandler decided she might be able to contribute more to the safety of the nation by joining the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). The experience in the FBI, however, was not as what she expected. Her instructors at the academy were misogynists and anti-Semites, which made the three months training period even more difficult. Afterwards, Ms. Schandler felt marginalized and left the FBI after only 15 months.
It was a sad statement that the FBI would user its academy to filter out people who are not in the “club”, according to Ms. Schandler. Several high profile law suits against the FBI might have changed all that.

The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World’s Most Notorious Terrorists by Tracy Walder and Jessica Anya Blau was an easy read, relatable and straightforward. I found the author’s insights fascinating, especially about the day-to-day activities of her job. In the book, which was cleared with both agencies, the author left the redacted parts in (blank, of course) which I thought was a good choice since the reader had some idea why certain things were missing. For those of us who keep up with politics and international affairs we could make an educated guess of what was not included.

WOW what an amazing young woman. Thanks so much for all your work in the government. I found the book to be entertaining while giving the public more information on life in government work. To give up so much freedom to serve is truly amazing. Thank you for sharing your story.

This really was unexpected. It was a great read. Although I am still surprised how badly people and big organisations like the FBI behavs. I allready know that people are jealous and that men can behave despicable. but it still surprises me. I would have loved to see some characters getting there behinds kicked but... Thanks to #Netgalley, #StMartinsPress and Sara Beth Haring for reaching out to me for an opinion on this memoir about a piece of CIA and FBI I actually didn't know much about. What an amazing worklife and wonderfully described settings. It was very hard to put down and I read it in two sitting. I would love to know more.

An eyeopening look inside the post 9/11 CIA and then a brief look at the inner workings of the FBI. I was particularly intrigued by the continuing challenges of being a woman in a predominately male world of espionage and Federal law enforcement. It was a quick, easy read that was well written and captivating from beginning to end. Highly recommended

"The Unexpected Spy" is a thoroughly entertaining recollection of a young woman's time in the CIA and FBI. I enjoyed reading about the challenges she faced and the way that she overcame them. I was inspired by her love for her country and how she wants to inspire the young women who will follow in her footsteps. I highly recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

An amazing true life story of Tracy Walder’s time in the CIA and later the FBI, spending long hours struggling to stay ahead of the terrorists intent upon harming the United States. The work wasn’t fun, and it wasn’t easy, but Tracy overcame all obstacles she encountered, persevering to get the job done. Her courage and stamina to take on every challenge, not only with the job itself but the numerous training exercises in which she competed with herself and against other trainees was amazing.

Tracy also gives us a look into the inside workings of actual CIA covert operations. She explains the purpose of her missions, some of the methods used to gain information, and the personalities of some of the people she worked with. Those people included not only other trainees and instructors but high-ranking government officials, right up to President George W. Bush himself. There is no rough-and-tumble action, except that provided by the training itself, and I have to give Tracy kudos for tolerating some of her instructors.

This is not a hold-your-breath type of story. It is an honest portrayal of what a CIA or FBI agent really does and the importance of their missions to keep our country safe. I learned the seriousness of the missions, the risks these agents take to complete their assignments, and the humor that can be part of the vigorous training exercises mandated by the job. A very interesting and informative tome.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me an advanced copy of the book for an honest review.