For nearly two decades, one of the world’s most successful spies hid in plain sight. Ana Montes, a “superstar” employee for the Defense Intelligence Agency, was a highly decorated and well-respected analyst on Latin American affairs. But as Peter J. Lapp and Kelly Kennedy recount in their new book, Queen of Cuba, Montes’s loyalty was to Fidel Castro’s Cuba, not the United States.

These authors tell the story like no one else could. Lapp is a retired FBI agent who was intimately involved in the case. He brings an insider’s perspective and a sense of humor. Co-writer Kennedy is a veteran reporter of national security affairs and a talented wordsmith. Together, the two have authored a book that is highly readable and informative. It is also deeply disturbing.