For The 231 Club, a New CIA Memoir, It’s About the Thought Process Behind the Path To the Unknown

The Journey From Therapist to CIA Courier and Sanctioned Kills

LOS ANGELES:  After a successful therapist is recruited to become a courier for the CIA, his ordered world descends down a dark path leading to sanctioned kills and questioned loyalties, forever altering his concept of self and country.  This is the true story of J Bartell in a newly published book by Bijou Entertainment.

The 231 Club 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 lead to J Bartell becoming part of a small group that handled off-book assignments, meaning no record, so there’s plausible deniability.

The group, an extension of the CIA’s black ops division referred to as Executive Action which was created in the 1950s, consisted of Bartell, his CIA handler Chauncey Holt and former U.S. Marine, Michael Harries, best known for having created the famous Harries Flashlight Technique used by law enforcement around the world for handling arms in low-light conditions.

What’s interesting about J Bartell’s decision to move forward was how he explored his options and even thought about the importance of the work and how it could possibly affect people’s lives if he didn’t act to help rid the world of “bad guys”.

As a result of his increased involvement, Bartell experienced everything from weapons deals and covert training missions to helping ruthless killers, hiding behind positions of power, get their due.

On the subject of his black ops assignments, J was previously interviewed by award winning investigative reporter Judd McIlvain, a winner of eight golden mike awards and two Emmy Awards and award winning investigative journalist/crime reporter Peter R. de Vries of the Netherlands.

The significance of the book’s title is that once J Bartell becomes truly engaged in black ops, his handler Chauncey Holt welcomed him into The 231 Club — 231 being the name of the gun powder for their weapon of choice, the 45 caliber Colt 1911.

J Bartell wrote The 231 Club with Ginger Marin, a former writer/producer with NBC News, New York.  Read more at 231club.com

Watch video interviews by author J Bartell by visiting his YouTube Channel.

Visit Ginger Marin’s Author Page on AMAZON.COM