The Nature of the Game by James Grady

In this classic thriller, presented with a new introduction by the author, a down-and-out ex-CIA operative runs from his former masters and propels us like a bullet through the secret spy history of America

Jud is not too drunk to recognize the assassin. How the hit man found him in this hard-bitten roadhouse, Jud isn’t sure, but he’s not going to go down without a fight. His hands shaking too much for close combat, Jud perches himself on the bar’s roof and drops on the assassin when he steps into the darkness. Though Jud only meant to stun, the man is dead. Jud doesn’t care.

Quitting the CIA has not proven as easy as he hoped. Once one of the Agency’s top killers, Jud’s skills have been dulled by civilian life, and his only chance is to go into hiding. Before he disappears off the grid, he makes a call to Nick Kelley, a D.C. journalist who is one of the only men Jud can trust. Between the two of them, they have a shot at stopping the rot at the heart of the CIA. That is, if the rot doesn’t kill them first.

“Brutal, moving . . . claims your soul and nails it to the wall.” —James Ellroy

“What a pleasure to be in the hands of a master storyteller.” —Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River

“A brooding, ambitious . . . wrap-up of everything awful in the American spy business.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Grady is a master of intrigue.” —John Grisham