Shannen Rossmiller doesn’t look like your typical Islamic terrorist. But somehow the blonde mother of three from Montana figured out a way to fit in, posing a terrorist in jihadist chat rooms to help law enforcement hunt enemies of America.

Ten years after 9/11 inspired her to study Islamic culture and teach herself Arabic, Rossmiller is telling the amazing story of her foray into cyber-counterintelligence. Her work paved the way for the FBI and other law-enforcement agencies to find terrorists and disrupt their plots.

Rossmiller spoke at Heritage this week about her new book, “The Unexpected Patriot: How an Ordinary American Mother Is Bringing Terrorists to Justice.” She also sat down with us.

Listen to our interview with Shannen Rossmiller on Scribecast

Rossmiller kept her work secret from even her husband. It was only after the high-profile case of Ryan G. Anderson made national headlines when her neighbors discovered her work. Anderson was a National Guardsman and Muslim convert who was arrested in 2004 and later found guilty for attempting to engage in espionage for al-Qaeda.

The podcast runs about six minutes. It was produced by Hannah Sternberg. Listen to previous interviews on Scribecast or subscribe to future episodes.