A biography of Matt Cvetic, FBI mole and professional witness during the Red Scare years. It juxtaposes Cvetic's real life with his reel life, chronicling his fall from grace, yet admitting that his life offers insights into the creation and merchandising of a reckless professional witness.

Leab also writes about Cvetic's life prior to his involvement with the FBI, his glory days, and shows that there is much to be learned from the story of an "anti-communist icon".