Lost Son

An American Family Trapped Inside the FBI's Secret Wars

By: Brett Forrest

Narrated by: Brett Forrest

A young American lost in Russia. An FBI-cover up. A mystery leading from Washington to the heart of the Kremlin's war in Ukraine.

When Billy Reilly vanished, his parents embarked on a desperate search for answers. Was their son’s disappearance connected to his mysterious work for the FBI, or was it a personal quest gone wrong? Only when Wall Street Journal reporter Brett Forrest embarks on his own investigation does a picture emerge: of the FBI's exploitation of US citizens through a secretive intelligence program, a young man's lust for adventure within the world's conflicts, and the costs of a rising clash between Moscow and Washington.

Sept. 11th roused Billy Reilly's curiosity for religions, war, and the world and its people beyond his small town near Detroit. Online, Billy taught himself Arabic and Russian. His passions led him into jihadi Internet forums, attracting the interest of the FBI.

An amateur drawn into professional intelligence, Billy became a Confidential Human Source, one of thousands of civilians who assist FBI agents with investigative work, often at great hazard and with little recourse. When Russia stirred rebellion in Ukraine, Billy set out to make his mark.

In Russia, Billy's communications dropped. His parents, frantic, asked the FBI for help but struggled to find answers. Grasping for clues, the Reilly family turned to Brett Forrest. Commencing a quest of his own, Forrest applied years' worth of research, along with decades of extensive experience in Russia, illuminating the inner workings of the national-security machine that enmeshed Billy and his family, picking up the lost son's trail.

A masterwork of reporting, composed like a thriller, blending political maneuvering and international espionage, Lost Son illustrates one man's coming of age amid new global dangers.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Brett Forrest (P)2022 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

"Brett Forest's emotional and globe-trotting investigation into the life and times of a young FBI freelancer immediately reminds me of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild. Lost Son is as much about the youthful dream to make a difference in the world as it is about the utter failure of the US government to protect one of its own contractors and the heartbreaking search by parents for their son. What I loved most is feeling like I was riding shotgun with Brett as he searches for answers."—Bradley Hope, New York Times bestselling co-author of Billion Dollar Whale and author of The Rebel and the Kingdom

“With the stunning tale of Billy Reilly, Brett Forrest has achieved something remarkable. He has brought together both the post-9/11 war on terror and the war in Ukraine and shown their fateful impact on a young American who wanted something more from life than suburban Detroit could deliver. Reading this amazing story, I kept thinking that Billy was like a character in a 19th Century Russian novel, caught up in the uncontrollable tide of history."—James Risen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Last Honest Man

“A young American, desperate for purpose after 9/11, finds himself embroiled in the war on terror as a ‘keyboard commando’ for the FBI, then quickly in over his head operating undercover in the field. In a reportorial masterpiece, Forrest tracks Billy Reilly’s disappearance within the bloody conflict between Russia and Ukraine, becoming part of the story—and personally invested—himself. A mesmerizing narrative.”—Neal Bascomb, New York Times-bestselling author of The Winter Fortress and The Perfect Mile

FBI secrets shielded family from knowing their son had been killed.

Good details and description of historical background of Billy’s home town that explained his interest and how a person could become radicalized leading to actively visiting Russia. His parents did not understand his being drawn to the FBI or how the FBI could fail their son. Billy was naive to think he would not stand out in Russia or that he would be able to obtain information from operatives there.

Moving story of

Part spy thriller, mystery, and coming of age, the core of this story is a deeply human and personal examination of what happens when the elephants tussle. Few instances of journalism manage to change the lives of their subjects … this accomplished that.

An exhilarating tale

Brett Forrest’s narration keeps you on the edge of your seat during this thrilling recounting of Billy’s life.

It’s difficult to categorize this book—it’s equal parts espionage, thriller, geopolitics, and at times a meaningful critique of the FBI’s intelligence gathering methods. Most importantly, this book is a story of a man’s search for meaning in life.

Be ready for some twists and turns and to have your expectations subverted!

Cancel all your plans, read this book.

This book restored my faith in journalism. This is why a free and fair press is so important in our world.