A disgraced former CIA operative must go back in the field with only his ex-wife as his handler in this electrifying thriller from a former intelligence officer.

Meredith Morris-Dale is a CIA case officer and a damn good one...even if this last mission did go terribly wrong. Now she has been summoned back to Langley where she expects to be fired. Instead, she is met by the Deputy Director with stunning news. 

A single well-placed CIA mole in Iran’s uranium enrichment program has kept the terrorist nation from building a bomb by sabotaging the performance of their covert centrifuge arrays. But after losing his daughter in an airliner shootdown, the mole wants out—leaving the world on the brink. His one demand: a reunion with the only handler he ever trusted, John Dale—Meredith's disgraced, fired, wayward ex-husband. As Meredith and John struggle through their fraught relationship, a craven CIA political hierarchy, Russian interference, and the rogue spy’s manipulation, they must reach deep within their shared connection to maintain, recover, or kill the asset.

A disgraced former CIA operative must go back in the field with only his ex-wife as his handler in this electrifying thriller from a former intelligence officer.

Meredith Dale is a CIA agent and a damn good one…even if this last mission did go terribly wrong. Now she's been summoned back to Langley where she expects to be fired. Instead, she's met by the Deputy Director with stunning news.



A single well-placed CIA mole in Iran's uranium enrichment program has been staving off a nuclear response by sabotaging centrifuge performance. But after losing his daughter in the Ukrainian airliner shootdown, the mole wants out-leaving the world on the brink. His one demand: a reunion with the only handler he ever trusted, John Dale-Meredith's disgraced, fired, wayward ex-husband. As Meredith and John struggle through their fraught relationship, a craven CIA political hierarchy, Russian interference, and the rogue spy's manipulation, they must reach deep within their shared connection to maintain, recover, or kill the asset.

Story Locale: Washington State, Iran, Turkey

Series Overview: Meredith and John Dale weren't good as husband and wife, but as handler and agent, they are unbeatable.

"A brilliant thriller...This is one you don't want to miss."
—Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Gray Man series

"In this immersive, action-packed thriller we follow Senior CIA officer Meredith Morris-Dale as she is forced to recruit her former colleague and ex-husband, to run an asset for in a case with enormous stakes. Woodward does everything right: he creates complicated and compelling characters—the beating heart of all great spy novels—and puts them in a gripping and authentic narrative that will have you hooked right to the last page."
—Carlton Cuse, co-creator of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan and writer/showrunner of Lost.

"A spectacular tale, brimming with intrigue, suspense, and richly-drawn characters. Fantastic storytelling."
—Marc Cameron, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Clancy Chain of Command

"The Handler is the finest kind of story—a tale that knocks the breath from your lungs and leaves you screaming for more. Simply the best debut I’ve read in years."
—Don Bentley, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Clancy Target Acquired and the Matt Drake series.

"Packed with twists, turns, and jaw-dropping surprises, The Handler is a smart, expertly-crafted, electrifying debut that's not to be missed."
—The Real Book Spy