The 231 Club, a CIA true story, encompasses intriguing personalities, an examination of the psyche behind the storyteller, exciting and unique espionage adventures at a time when wits were at play more than gadgets. It dissects how one man with a great career and fulfilling life takes a radical detour which turns his whole world upside down.

J Bartell was an instructor, lecturer and chief of staff of a large California-based therapy institute whose clients included people from all walks of life. But it was his worldwide travels on behalf of affluent clients, including heads-of-state, that put him on the radar of the CIA. What started out as simple courier work eventually led to Bartell becoming part of a small group that handled off-book assignments, meaning no record, so there’s “plausible deniability”.

The CIA covert black ops group consisted of Bartell, his CIA handler Chauncey Holt and former U.S. Marine, Michael Harries, who is best known for having created the famous Harries Flashlight Technique which is used by law enforcement around the world for handling weapons in low-light conditions. Additional support to the group came from master gunsmith Jim Boland and Jeff Cooper, who is considered to be the father of modern combat shooting and tactics.

As a result of Bartell’s increased involvement, a virtual trip down a forbidding rabbit hole, he experiences everything from weapons deals and covert training missions to helping ruthless killers, hiding behind positions of power, get their due.

This CIA memoir informs and excites with true tale CIA black ops assignments.