The thrilling true story of one man who risked his life to infiltrate the most dangerous neo-Nazi group in the United States, an “urgent and exciting look into the life of an FBI undercover agent” (Joe Pistone) by “one of the top undercover agents in the Bureau” (Joaquin “Jack” Garcia).

When Scott Payne was growing up, an ‘80s kid with a big attitude and a taste for sleeveless shirts, he could never have envisioned where he’d find himself on Halloween night 2019. Having transformed into “Pale Horse” and infiltrated the nation's most dangerous, fastest-growing white supremacy group, The Base, he was huddled with a cell of neo-Nazis in the backwoods of Georgia as they slaughtered a goat and drank its blood in a ritual sacrifice.

A decorated agent dubbed the “Hillbilly Donnie Brasco,” Payne takes readers along with him on some of the most terrifying and riskiest assignments in FBI history. He went deep undercover with the lethal Outlaw Motorcycle Club in Massachusetts; to the front lines of the opioid epidemic in Tennessee; and infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama. Through it all, he stayed married to the love of his life, raised two girls, and spent his Sundays at church, sustained by family and faith.

Timely and unputdownable, Code Name: Pale Horse is a hard look a some of the most pressing threats facing America today. Honest and inspiring, it’s the story of a hero determined to take down a hateful army—before the unthinkable could come to pass.

Scott Payne is a retired FBI Special Agent who spent twenty-eight years in law enforcement investigating cases against drug trafficking organizations, human traffickers, outlaw motorcycle clubs, gangs, public corruption, and domestic terrorists. He was also a SWAT team operator and instructor for firearms, tactics, and undercover operations. He lives in the southeast with his wife, two daughters, and dogs.

Scott Payne's profile page

Michelle Shephard is the Toronto Star's national security reporter and speaks frequently on issues concerning terrorism and civil rights. She has appeared on CNN, NBC, Al Jazeera, BBC, and CBC and has contributed to or been quoted in the New York Times and Guardian as well as other television, radio, newspaper and magazines throughout Canada, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. Shephard has won Canada's top two newspaper awards -- the National Newspaper Award for Investigations and the Governor General's Michener Award for public service journalism. Her first book, Guantanamo's Child: The Untold Story of Omar Khadr, was published in March 2008 to wide acclaim.

Michelle Shephard's profile page

“A fast-paced, riveting account of what white nationalist terror cells look like from the inside. Scott Payne’s first-hand experience and Michelle Shephard’s expert storytelling make a formidable combination.”
—Spencer Ackerman, Pulitzer Prize and National Magazine Award–winning reporter and author of Reign of Terror: How The 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump

“I raced through it. When Payne lifts up the rock to show what’s underneath, you can’t look away. A gripping read.”
—Linwood Barclay, New York Times bestselling author

“The world of an undercover cop has never been more compelling. Payne's firsthand experience puts readers in the front row, observing the setbacks, triumphs, and inner workings of undercover operations. An enlightening, harrowing, and ultimately fulfilling read.”
—Booklist

“Both exhilarating and frightening, this is former FBI agent Scott Payne’s account of discovering and ferreting out America’s Nazis, one of the largest and most insidious domestic terror groups in US history. The tradecraft on display is a true example of the undercover agent’s mantra, ‘Befriend and Betray.’ The book reads like a novel but, shockingly, is all true!”
—Robert K. Wittman, founder of the FBI Art Crime Team and New York Times bestselling author of Priceless and The Devil’s Diary

"In this gripping debut memoir... Payne nimbly juggles a pulse-pounding account of his undercover efforts with a poignant glimpse at the toll his work took on his wife and young daughter. Fans of Joseph Pistone’s Donnie Brasco should snap this up."
—Publishers Weekly

“Code Name: Pale Horse offers an urgent and exciting look into the life of an FBI undercover agent, placing the reader deep inside Payne’s most dangerous and thrilling undercover situations, and showcasing both the hardships he endured and his steely mental resolve.”
—Joe Pistone, New York Times bestselling author of Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia

“A fascinating account of one man's journey into the evil dregs of the criminal underworld. Ride along with Payne as he takes you through the kinds of challenging and dangerous assignments that most undercover agents would never even consider, delivering a masterful tour de force! Truly a captivating story from one of the top undercover agents in the Bureau. His story will simply astound you.”
—Joaquin “Jack” Garcia, retired FBI agent and New York Times bestselling author of Making Jack Falcone

“[A] tough-as-nails account… An eye-opening look at the small but eminently dangerous radical right-wing fringe out there in the shadows.”
—Kirkus Reviews