Vivian is one of the CIA’s strongest analysts. For years she’s been working on Russian sleepers and now she is close to digging out a complete cell. When she finally enters the document with the information she has been searching for for such a long time, her heart skips a beat: she knows one of the five sleepers. She knows him very well. He shares her life with him. He is her husband and father of their four kids. Looking back at the years they have spent together, a lot of things now appear in a completely new light. What is to be done? Can she really turn her husband in or is there a way out?

Karen Cleveland has written a masterful debut with a very classic setting that combines the typical spy and double agent/sleeper plot with a very personal dilemma which cannot really be solved. You can hardly put down the novel since it moves at such a high pace adding one crisis to the next that, quite often, you just wish for the protagonist that everything is just over.

At the centre of the novel is a very cleverly created catch-22 dilemma. Vivian can be either loyal to her employer and her country or to her husband – whom she cannot actually trust anymore, but he is the father of her kids. Once fallen into the trap of the Russians herself, she cannot get out without risking not only to lose her husband but also her kids and go to jail. It is a vicious circle, the more she tries to get out of it all, the deeper she entangles herself in it all. Apart from this great impasse, Cleveland has some interesting turns to offer which come unexpected and hit you hard.

Fabulous book. Thoroughly loved. Highly recommend!

2.5 stars
I know I'm in the minority again with another must read debut of 2018 and while I did like a couple things about this story, there were many I had issues with that prevented me from giving this a higher rating. A case of it's not you it's me...possibly. This CIA thriller is narrated by our main character Viv, an overwhelmed mom of 4 kids who's an analyst for the CIA. When Viv comes across a picture of someone close to her in the computer of a Russian being investigated, her world pretty much implodes. This premise was great! What nagged me right from the get go, however, was that when she confronts the person, they immediately spill their secrets...just like that, no arguing, no lying, just matter of fact. Considering they've been lying to her for years already I found this odd. The scene felt very inauthentic to me and set the tone for the rest of the story unfortunately.

What I did find that worked fairly well was the overall pace and the CIA details and background. I enjoy anything that gives me a peek into the world of the CIA. In the end, what basically led to my low rating were several things that didn't work for me: the first person narrative...there's a TON of introspection going on by VIV and I'm not sure most of it was relevant; the abundance of domestic details which took away from the thriller aspect of the story; the fact that Viv seemed to miss a lot of basic details about people and situations which seemed odd for someone in the CIA, and the use of flashbacks mid- scene which brought the action to a halt. As the movie rights have been sold, I do think this might work better for me on the big screen so I'm not opposed to giving it a try when it comes out.

This is a well-written thriller that is hard to put down. The ending is tantalizing, and yes, it does read like a movie script. The plot seems absurd, but the reality, unfortunately, is stranger than fiction.

3.5 Stars. I’m generally left unsatisfied by thrillers, particularly ones that incorporate espionage, but this was fast-paced and “unputdownable”, full of twists. Knowing the author was herself a CIA analyst leant authenticity to this story. It immediately reminded me of a book version of The Americans meets The Blacklist. The main characters were well developed and though I did have to suspend disbelief a few times I thought the decisions the characters made and their reasoning for those choices were (mostly) believable. This is a fast read, perfect for a weekend or plane ride.

When I need to break out of a reading slump, I usually choose thrillers: their fast pace and clever plots keep me turning the pages (or pressing the arrow on my Kindle), which I what I need to get back in the groove. I had been on a run of domestic thrillers (anything with Wife/Girl/Woman in the title), and as a spy thriller, Need to Know made me veer a little outside my routine, with happy results! Need to Know is definitely worth the hype: a gripping suspense novel featuring Russian spies that manages to be both apolitical and topical.

Side note on the Russia angle: no matter your political persuasion, you can find something to enjoy in this novel. Karen Cleveland, a former CIA analyst herself, has written a completely believable "what if" scenario: what if the Russian spy is a member of your own family? Cleveland shows how the Russians (or any spy network, really) could use tiny inroads to prey on weaknesses and worm their way deep into the U.S. government. Our heroine Vivian Miller, is a CIA analyst working on Russia who uncovers some disturbing information about a sleeper cell she's been tracking: she is intimately involved with one of the sleepers.

The plot revolves around Vivian's reactions to this development: how did this happen? what classified information has she revealed? and what can she do to redress this situation and get out with her family intact? Amid our culture's current literary love affair with unreliable narrators, Vivian is refreshingly reliable: she is a strong, successful mother of 4, accomplished at her job, yet with all the self-doubts that working mothers face: am I doing a good enough job as a mom? am I shortchanging my employer or my children? do my kids love the nanny more than me? If this could happen to her, it could happen to anyone.

The only part of the book that caused me any grief was Cleveland's portrayal of Viv in the immediate aftermath of her sleeper cell discovery. In her panic, Vivian makes some truly boneheaded decisions that it's hard to imagine a woman of her accomplishments and temperament actually making. It's hard to reconcile the savvy CIA analyst who has worked her way up to the most prestigious posting with the panic-stricken, sloppy behavior that further enmeshes her in the espionage scheme.

However the rest of the plot moves along with realistic detail, and there are plenty of surprises that will keep you from feeling you have it all figured out. The ending provides some clever shocks and makes me believe there will be sequels, in addition to the inevitable movie adaptation, said to be starring Charlize Theron as Vivian.

Given the questions simmering about Russian involvement in the U.S. elections, possibly Cleveland's greatest achievement is that her book does not come off as partisan in any way. She lifts the cloak on a world that most Americans do not know intimately and shows us the potential dagger that awaits. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing an advance e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

“..I blink at it, once, twice, my mind struggling to bridge what I’m seeing … what it means. I swear that time stops. Icy fingers close around my heart and squeeze, and all I can hear is the whoosh of blood in my ears. I’m staring into the face of my husband.” Vivian Miller’s life is about to change after seeing the face of her husband in an unexpected place.

What a great twisty spy thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Nagging questions about betrayal and loyalty keeping me guessing. Numerous spy thrillers I’ve read have had confusing complexity but not so here. Cleveland does a great job providing insight into the secret world of counterterrorism in an easily digestible way. A little far-fetched in the last quarter of the book having to do with wrapping up a hostage situation but this did not diminish my enjoyment; I’m not sure how I would have changed the scene.

Cleveland is a master at ending her chapters. Unexpected last sentences that propelled me forward. It was hard to put down this book and I finished it in two days.

*Will post in additional online venues (Amazon, B&N, Powells) upon book's publication.

If Tom Clancy were writing more family-based psychological dramas in the vein of Gone Girl, this is the book he might have written.

What do you do when you work for the CIA's counterintelligence and discover that your engaging husband of many years, the devoted father of your four children, is a Russian sleeper agent? Your marriage is a lie, your children are at risk, and to top it off, there's a mole at work. Is that too many things to focus on at one time?

A very fun read, I doubtless would have given it four stars had I not been paying attention to the clues (thanks to all my Tom Clancy reading) and seen the ending coming a mile away. (I can't judge how many people will be surprised by the 'twist'). Despite that, I kept mentally yelling at the main character much as if it were a live show, so you can see I did thoroughly enjoy myself. A nice change from the regular abusive spouse trope we've been seeing in stories in recent years.

This is a spy novel written by a real former CIA analyst, and will be adapted to a movie starring Charlize Theron.

Spy novels, movies, and TV shows are becoming a renewed trend in recent years. There are a bunch of spy movies coming out in the next 2 to 3 years, including both commercial ones, independent films, and biopics. Need to Know comes at a great time for spy novels, with the former CIA author, it stands out from a bunch popular fictions as "the authentic one".

This is a delightful read overall, with not very complicated plots and not very surprising plot twists. It's actually not as exciting as some of the bestselling spy novels, the pure fiction ones. What I think it has over other spy novels, is the readability of it, especially for readers who are not actually into spy novel, and are not familiar with the genre. This could be the entry-level spy novel for them.

As for the movie adaptation, I think it would be something like Angelina Jolie 's Salt, a satisfying and entertaining spy movie.

I think this has the potential to do really well in the rising market of commercial spy novels. Hopefully the sequel will be more exciting than the first one.

A CIA espionage novel that will hook you from page one. I couldn't put it down. It kept surprising me till the end.

I was actually blown away with this book. Fast paced edge of your seat action.

Netgalley has provided me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Need to know is a compelling story with a title that describes exactly how I felt reading it. I needed to know EVERYTHING! Who can you trust? In the beginning, I felt tense with anxiety due to the fear that the one person you trust for life, your husband, has been deceiving you for more than ten years. As the story develops I felt like I was on a roller coaster where my emotions twisted and turned with multitudes of doubt. Who can you trust? I kept saying this over and over again.

Karen Cleveland's novel Need to Know is a must read thriller where you are kept guessing throughout the entire story. I must admit the story did read like a screenplay for a movie and the scenes played out in my mind. I am sure this will be a blockbuster.

A thrilling breath of fresh air! Just like many of you I am a thriller junkie.... and with the market so saturated with so many thrillers, this book stands apart and strong!

Vivian is a CIA operative focusing on Russia and in particular finding sleeper cells..... but even more importantly she is a mother of four young children..... so when a few clicks of the computer leads to putting her family in jeopardy... you definitely see Vivian’s mama bear come out..... Vivian and I probably have very little in common however we are both mothers and I could just relate so well to her need to protect her children at all costs.....

Truthfully when I first read the blurb to this book I wasn’t all that interested, just The idea of the CIA was a turn off..... fortunately I read some very favorable reviews from people that I trust the opinions of and decided I’d take a chance on this book..... I am so grateful that I did! This is a thriller with all those twists and turns that we all love, but with a brand new fresh approach.... I even found the spy stuff super intriguing and very authentic.....

I believe the plan is to turn this book into a movie? And if so I think it will make a fantastic movie..... very fast-paced, action-packed, definitely kept me on pins and needles......

Strongly recommend this! I realize I didn’t say much about the plot, but I want you to enjoy the journey as much as I did!

PS: DasVindaniya.... pardon me if my Russian is incorrect, but this is my way of giving major props to the stellar epilog of this book! And doesn’t that sound prettier than goodbye? Seriously say it out loud!

*** i’d like to thank Net Galley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review ***

A brilliant and impossible to put down novel by Karen Cleveland coming out in early 2018 about a CIA analyst who suddenly comes across a document indicating her husband is a Russian spy. Is it true? Can she risk her family and her job to find out? This was one of my favorite books of the year, in part because of the great job the author does of moving between the details of family life and the stress experienced by the heroine as she agonizes about what to do.

A nifty thriller that fails on one critical level- Vivian thinks only about herself and not about the impact of her actions on others. She's a traitor. Sorry people but she is. The positives in this are that Cleveland doesn't have her running around assassinating people and the very well done sense of panic she feels when she finds her husband's photo. One the other hand- why does she never ask herself how Matt knew to target her? Those of you who think you know who was responsible, review the timeline for that individual and you'll see it can't be that one. (That's not a positive in terms of what was going on at CIA, btw.). I know this book had to go through the review process and to that extent Cleveland has done a good job of walking along the narrow line of what can and cannot turn up in a novel. However, I remain horrified at what Vivian did. Horrified. She thinks only of herself and not repeat not of all the others she might impact with her actions. She committed treason. AND, for those of you who think the end is cool- things just wouldn't happen that way. They can't and they don't. No witness protection on South Pacific Islands. This will make a good movie, I'm sure. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This novel is firmly placed in the middle of our modern concern of Russian involvement in American lives, but it also works on a deeper level as a novel of marriage and children, work and the hard choices parents have to make in order to do the right things - and how difficult the right thing can be to figure out.

Vivian is a career CIA agent working on a program to discover Russian agents in the US. She's also a married mother of four, who has the more reliable job, the one with the insurance, and she has the terror that comes with an infant born with a heart defect and the day to day issues of daycare pick ups, school drop offs and coordinating daily life with her husband, Matt. One day at the office changes the way she sees everything and gets her into the field on a case that means everything.

I could not put this book down - it resonated on so many levels. As a career bureaucrat, I loved how the granular details of Vivian's office life, such as PIV card, pins, swipes, server rooms and cubicles (down to posted childhood art!) were perfect. The backstory of one couple's life as they become a family was compelling and real. This novel poses real questions on how far people will go to save their families.

This is an excellent political thriller!

Vivian Miller works for the CIA and is assigned to the Russian division trying to uncover sleeper cells. One day, she is analyzing the computer of a known Russian operative and finds a folder named "Friends", when she opens it up her life is turned upside down and her family is immediately in danger.

This story is a suspense-filled journey. The story is told from the point of view of Vivian and it gives you a glimpse into the everyday life of a CIA analyst. The author worked for the CIA for a few years and the novel is being adapted into a movie.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and highly recommend the novel to readers of thrillers and contemporary fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.

I flew this fast-paced thriller in just a couple hours. I'd characterize it as a domestic spy thriller--it centers around espionage, but also Vivian and Matt's home life. There was a bit too much about daycare schedules and the like for my tastes, and it was a bit Lifetime Movie-ish, but it was certainly a fun read. It would be a perfect airplane book and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to get lost in a good thriller and doesn't mind a lot of details about family life and parenting.

Pretty exciting read but also a relatively predictable one. No spoiler but I guessed who the mole was early on in the story. My other issue was the backstory, which I felt stalled the other-wise fast-paced thriller. I found myself skimming pretty heavily through these parts. I got that she loved her husband and I got that she felt conflicted about not trusting him, her insecurity, and her fear. I got all this, and it made me wonder how Vivian could pass a psychological test to become a CIA counterterrorism operative. So three stars because I finished reading it. Possibly a good TV series.

5 stars - Not just “Need to Know” but also “Need to READ” 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Need to Know came highly recommended from several of my Goodreads friends. I read the blurb and wasn’t sure. To be honest, it sounded a little dry, based on my typical reading preferences, but this is not my typical genre. That said, I trusted my friends. Wow, were they ever right!

I thought several times while I was reading that the CIA angle felt authentic, and when I looked up the author’s bio, it clicked. She had been a CIA analyst! I also think this went beyond the typical spy story because Need to Know was family-driven. Vivian and Matt’s children were adorable and very much in the forefront of the story.

I’m walking a tightrope on what I want to tell you so I don’t spoil anything. I will say I was on the edge of my seat and completely paranoid worrying about what would happen to this family! Who was trustworthy? The suspense builds and builds, and I was reading chapters in that “oh just one more” way that we avid readers do. There was such an intricately woven web in this story that I second guessed myself throughout.

Even if you don’t typically enjoy spy or political thrillers, this is a fantastic read! I flew through the pages and wish I could do it all over again! Well-done, Karen Cleveland! I’m hoping there was enough of an opening that there’s room for a sequel or even a series. I loved Vivian as a strong female character and would love to see more from her!

Huge thanks to Karen Cleveland, Random House Ballentine, and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC.

Need to Know will be released on January 23, 2018.