Vivian, happily married mother of four, is a Russian analyst with the CIA. Her assignment to uncover the leaders of a Russian sleeper cell becomes something else entirely when she finally accesses the computer of a suspected Russian operative...and finds pictures of five members of a sleeper cell.

Her thrilling sense of success is shattered when she realizes one of the pictures is that of her husband Matt. Instead of immediately notifying her superior, Viv, stunned and disbelieving, hesitates.

Need to Know is a tense and frightening account of a dilemma no one could really expect. Loyalty to country or family? Whom to trust?

I did not know what to expect from this novel, but I could not stop turning the pages. And the end? Whoa.

"Karen Cleveland spent eight years as a CIA analyst, the last six in counterterrorism. She has master’s degrees from Trinity College Dublin, where she studied as a Fulbright Scholar, and from Harvard University. She lives in northern Virginia with her husband and two young kids."

This is not an action thriller. There is no Jason Bourne. Need to Know is an espionage novel of another type entirely, yet my heart was in my mouth as I struggled through each tension-laden page.

Read in Oct.; blog review scheduled for Jan. 8, 2018.

NetGalley/Random House/Ballentine

Espionage/Suspense. Jan. 23, 2018. Print length: 304 pages.

What a fun read this was! It grabs you from the first page and keeps you up late at night reading. I finished this in two days and only wished it was longer. You love the main character even when you want to scream at her and you never know who to trust throughout. All the way to the end. Sure, there are bits that are a little hard to believe, and some inconsistencies in the circumstances, but those were not a deal breaker. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for this unbiased review.

Need to Know by Karen Cleveland is a thriller about Vivian, a CIA analyst whose job it is to uncover Russian sleeper cells in the United States.

I read this book in one day. I couldn’t put it down. It keeps you guessing until the end. When Russians get in touch with Vivian using blackmail, will Vivian do what it takes to save her family? Will she betray the country she has sworn to protect? This is a thriller that is definitely worth a read. There were a few minor plot holes but they were easily overlooked, due to the overall content. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers and espionage. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to recieve a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley...and sat in awe when I finished it.

Throughout the whole book, starting with the amazing "I cant put it down" chapter - through the end I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I often wondered what I would do if I found out my life as I knew it was all a lie. How much loyalty would I give my husband, my country - my family. My family is my world, how would I be able to protect them?

Vivian Miller is a CIA analyst who uncovers some frightening information on the Russians and in doing so has put her family in jeopardy. What she has uncovered has put her and her family in danger and she must figure out a way to keep them safe while finding these Russian sleepers who are living among them.

A page turner that will keep you wanting more.

Between three and four stars. Easy to skim through the first half. Not really all that interested in putting kids to bed, etc., but it really picks up in the second half. A spy thriller with the added suspense of the agony of personal choices -- do I commit treason to save fellow USA agents, or do I save my family? What would you or I do? Unfortunately, I felt the last plot twist was only there to hype the ending. It was a bit of a stretch and not particularly believable.

Thanks to NetGallery for this ARC.

Need To Know is a don’t read this at night can’t put it down kind of tale that will leave the reader’s hair standing on end and looking over his or her shoulder all the time.

Vivian Miller, a happily married woman and mother of four young children, is a CIA analyst working on finding Russian spies and their handlers in the US. She is happily married to Matt, the man of her dreams that she met by literally running in to him and spilling his coffee as she moved into her apartment near the Washington, DC, zoo. Love at first sight.

At least that’s how it seemed. Vivian and her group at the CIA have developed a sophisticated algorithm that is designed mirror the computers of known Russian spy-handlers. Early in the story, Vivian manages to penetrate the computer of a man known only as Yury, one of the handlers the CIA is looking for. She sees a file called Friends on his computer, clicks on it, and photos of five faces appear.

One of those faces is that of Vivian’s husband, Matt. When she confronts him about it, he tells her that indeed he is a Russian agent, having been recruited as a 16-year old orphan. To say that she is astonished, horrified, and flabbergasted is an understatement. Her settled World has flipped 180 degrees on its axis.

I can’t say more because doing so would reveal spoilers. Suffice to say that the twists and turns and dangerous situations Vivian finds herself in as this unravels will have to chewing your nails to the quick. I will say one thing: there is one character that I suspected all along, although the clues, if there were any, were not obvious - I just had a feeling. I was right.

I highly recommend this book. I received Need To Know as an ARC from NetGalley. I look forward to more books by Karen Cleveland.

Need to Know is about a CIA operative who discovers a family member is working for the Russians. Her response and reaction were unrealistic and made the main character unlikable. I didn’t enjoy the book for that reason. Wishy-washy female lead who believes everything she’s told.

Need to Know brings the reader along, feeling the emotions and tensions as choices are made and executed. Family values, everything you thought you understood are all turned upside down by a secret. While the reader travels the journey with the characters, every turn and twist; begs to ask, what would you do?

Just when you think you have your life planned, your routines established, your career on track, your priorities and ethics determined; just when you think you have it all figured out; you don't.

This was a super easy and quick read that kept me interested through the final page. The main character is fairly naive and doesn't always make the best decisions, but that didn't keep me from wanting to find out how this would be resolved. I was fairly satisfied with the story overall when I first finished, but then found some holes in the story as I thought about it further. So, it's not a perfect book, but it is worth a read if you like suspense and don't overthink it.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this one.

Need to Know is a fast paced spy novel that revolves around a CIA analyst and her family. Vivian works on the Russian desk, intent on finding sleeper Russian agents in the United States. Married with four young children, the novel first presents her as a slightly overwhelmed mom who just happens to work for the national spy agency. It isn't long, however, before readers learn that doing her job can bring her and her family into danger. Forced to question every aspect of her life, Vivian is thrust into dangerous and potentially deadly encounters with Russian agents.

This was a very fast book to read, mostly because it read more as a television show with double agents and potential mole(s) in the agency. Cleveland's overuse of Vivian's memory of facial expressions during heated and painful conversations became a touch predictable. Does anyone really remember another's facial expressions during conversations years in the past? How many times can someone see doubt or fear or apprehension in another's eyes?

Despite these faults, Need to Know was a fun read.

Very suspenseful, you keep going back and forth, if you should believe Vivian’s husband Matt or not. A little technical here and there, but in general, a quick read.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Nail bitter from the beginning to the end! Ms. Cleveland's way with words plot development sucked me right in and didn't let me go till the end. Hard to put down!

This is one of the best novels I've read this year!! Takes off like a rocket and keeps going. Great characters, fantastic story and a lot of fun to read!! Enjoy!

Full of suspense - a page turner. Really enjoyed this book. It was a nice change seeing different roles in parenting. Strong, unstoppable female character.

The writing was far from sophisticated and I found the outline kind of disorganized, but did enjoy this book - it was highly entertaining, even if a little out there.

WOW! What an amazing, thrilling, and scary book. It's a brilliant maze of did he, did he not and is she or is she not. A crazy ride that will have you glued to the edge of your seat and you'll never see it coming! Just when you think you have it figured out it will change and then change again and again. A fantastic suspense novel!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Need to Know would make a fantastic movie (thankfully the movie rights have already been sold to Universal Studios for Charlize Theron. Ms. Theron is not exactly how I envision Vivian, who is a mother to four children under the age of 8-but she will definitely up the "glam" factor). Need to Know is also timely and relevant (potential Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential election, anyone?). Vivian Miller is a CIA analyst charged with finding Russian "sleeper cells" hiding in America when she stumbles upon information suggesting her husband Matt may be involved in one. Vivian then faces a series of agonizing decisions-should she turn her husband in knowing it will tear her family apart, or protect Matt at the expense of her job and national security? Despite the heavy plotline Need to Know has a fast paced "breezy" feel that will lend itself well to the big screen. The scariest thing about Need to Know is there are CIA agents looking for Russian sleeper cells at this very moment-and the Russians have become so good at avoiding detection they literally could be the people next door. Vivian doesn't always make the best choices, and some of her fellow agents aren't much better-but you can feel her angst and desire to protect her family bleed through every page. Need to Know has a very clever and unexpected ending, one that seems to suggest there's more to know about the Russians than we might think.

A fast-paced, intriguing story, Need to Know kept me reading - and reading, and reading... until I had turned the very last page. It kept me guessing right up to the end and made me wonder, more than once, what I would do if I had to choose between the ones I love and the truth. I fell short of giving it 5 starts simply because I found the ending lacking. It felt rushed in a way I can't quite put my finger on. Additionally, while I enjoyed reading the book, it's not likely to stay with me in any meaningful way.
Edited to add: I LOVE that there is little-to-no vulgarity in the writing. Today's novels tend to be littered with crude -usually unnecessary- language. Not the case with Karen Cleveland. Noticed and appreciated!

Wow! I simply loved this spy thriller that in many ways is so unlike any other spy thriller I have read (and there have been quite a few).
Karen Cleveland does a brilliant job describing the desperation, hopelessness and distrust going through the mind of the main character throughout the book. Cleveland also uses frequent flashbacks to help pieces of a complex puzzle fall into place.
The reader is in for a emotional and super exciting rollercoaster ride in the ruthless world of espionage and counterespionage, and I loved the book from cover to cover with all its twist and turns - including one at the very end (no spoilers!). I can't wait to read more from this very interesting and talented author!