Based on the case of Frank Olson, an Army scientist who worked in biological warfare and jumped or was pushed to his death by the CIA in 1953, this is an engrossing novel about how the incident was portrayed and covered up during the mid-seventies, soon after Nixon’s resignation and the brief presidency of Gerald Ford. It’s a well-written fictionalized account, and the characters, primarily at the Agency, presented with an artful, if ultimately futile attempt to portray their shaky moral compasses and the conflicts they face in probing the organization to which they have pledged their fealty and is now in danger of being exposed, unflatteringly, to the light of day. The story’s been told before in a multitude of media and there’s nothing new here, but it’s nicely told anyway.

The story was interesting enough, but, in my opinion, the writing could have seen many improvements. The structure of the plot was awkward, and the pacing lacking in suspense.