The Spy Next Door: The Extraordinary Secret Life of Robert Philip Hanssen, the Most Damaging FBI Agent in U.S. History

Having read both books I have no trepidation in commending this one to readers interested in Hanssen's treachery. The writers were very detailed in their explantions of Hanssen's actions as well as what the Soviets thought of him. The most interesting part concerns the FBI's hunt for a mole inside of the Bureau and the break that led to his capture. A quick and entertaing read.

I just finished the two Hanssen books, this one and The Bureau and the Mole, and there is no comparison. I heard a lot from Vise on the radio, but his book is essentially a quickie padded with psychobabble guessing about Hanssen's thoughts and motives. Vise has a few sexy stories and fills around them with chapters of inexplicable praise for Louis Freeh, who must have helped Vise a lot to get such favorable treatment himself when he was being drummed out of the FBI. The Spy Next Door, on the other hand, is carefully researched and beautifully written. The authors work hard trying to explain why anyone with Hanssen's all-American background would commit such heinous crimes, but in the end, they refuse to speculate, laying out what they learned (a lot) and stopping before they go too far. It's a sad tale, but an important one. An easy read, too. Highly recommended.

The book reads like a spy novel and keeps the reader's interest all the way til the end. It was extremely informative as well as entertaining and very depressing to learn about the inadequacies of the FBI and our intelligence services. A terrific read!

The Weekly Standard and The Washington Post don't agree on much, but they do agree The Spy Next Door is the best of the Hanssen books. See their reviews in the Jan. 19 and Jan. 20 book review sections.

I loved every word. The Spy Next Door reads like the great spy book it is. Bob Hanssen is dissected with a scalpel by two skilled and meticulous writers who probe the traitor's life from childhood through his suspenseful and long-overdue capture by fellow FBI agents. After reading the book, I think I finally understand Hanssen well enough to know why he betrayed his country, but like any good mystery, there is no single, simple explanation. Shannon and Blackman explore every avenue and come up with some fascinating clues.