Do you like spy novels? Then you probably know how rare it is to read a true spy novel. Most are mysteries with characters who can pull off super human feats (think James Bond or Jason Bourne).

True spies are a lot more boring than that. True, they risk their lives and take huge risks. But the risks often involve the simplicity of dropping a letter in the mailbox and hoping nobody sees you. Car chases are for Hollywood.

But if you do like true spy stories, you’ll appreciate A Time to Betray: A Gripping True Spy Story of Betrayal, Fear, and Courage by Reza Kahlili. That’s not his real name, of course. But then you would expect an alias from a spy, right?

Reza (let’s assume that’s his name) was a member of the Revolutionary Guard in Iran. He was a student at USC during the Shah of Iran’s reign, but moved back to Iran to take part in the revolution that through the Shah out of the country. His support for the Ayatollah was something he soon regretted as he saw friends and innocents arrested, tortured, and executed.

Maintaining his position within the elite Revolutionary Guard, Reza found reason to visit a sick aunt in Los Angeles. While there he approached the FBI, who turned him over to the CIA, and he became a spy. The books makes it sound about that simple, actually. And perhaps it was. Or perhaps there are details missing.

At any rate, the rest of the book is about his exploits (as mild as they might be) and his inner turmoil of spying against his own country. Especially difficult was not telling his wife, whom he clearly loved.

Eventually he “came out of the cold” and found asylum in the USA via Great Britain. Today, he claims, he is the proud father of a son in college in the States.

His story is a good one. Not great, and not filled with earth shattering insights, but good. Perhaps the most significant part is the damning way he portrays the current regime in Iran. Yet another book that puts that country to shame. Or at least the leaders of that country.

Worth reading if you like true spy stories. Not so much if you want your spy to drink shaken not stirred martinis.