3.5 stars. The story was very slow and took awhile, about half the book, to get interesting. After about 30% of the way in, I was starting to get worried the author would let readers down and make nothing out of a bored suburban woman’s obsession, but that wasn’t the case.

I really enjoyed the writing and although I wasn’t satisfied with the pacing, I would definitely recommend this book and would read more by this author.

I was intrigued by the summary, but about 25% of the way through, I found myself losing interest and had trouble picking it back up again. Once I did, I felt the story pick up, and overall I rounded up to 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a nice cozy mystery/thriller about a FBI Agent, who is living her new married life. She happens to come across some strange behavior by her neighbor. She is bored with life, so she has to focus her time and energy somewhere.
I enjoyed the read, I wasn't all ampted up about itd. As I soon became bored, not long after reading a few chapters. However, someone else might enjoy this read.
Thank you Netgalley for a copy for my honest review.

I am starting to get into mystery and thrillers more. This was a good one to read. I was hooked at the back story and what will happen. Go find out.

An intriguing premise that left a little something to be desired.

“Takes One to Know One” wasn’t quite what I expected. Corie Geller retired from her life as an FBI agent to be a stay at home mother. Taking a job as a freelancer for publishers she reads Arabic novels and makes recommendations as to the novels she thinks should be translated into English, while also doing a few side jobs for the FBI. It’s not quite as exciting as her old life but it’s something. Needing to be a bit social she joins a group of people who meet once a week for lunch. She doesn’t feel like she fits in until she notices someone like her, someone who acts like her. Pete Delaney. Is he an agent or is he someone Corie Geller should fear? Time will tell.

While Corie could be funny at times, I felt like she was trying to hard and I never quite warmed to her personality. Her investigations into Peter were somewhat amusing but never made sense to me. Though this had promise it just didn’t work for me. I think I was simply the wrong reader for this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the arc.

I was excited to have the opportunity to read Takes One to Know One in advance of publication because it was written by Susan Isaacs, who I remember fondly from her 1970's novel Compromising Positions. So I'm sorry to report that it was . .. . boring. I was absolutely shocked to discover that it was a mere 288 pages because it took me days and days to slog my way through it. The problem is that 95% of the book is a boring first person recital of a woman (Corie Geller) who is suspicious of an average Joe who attends a Wednesday luncheon group for people who work from home. Corie is a former FBI analyst who now reads books written in Arabic to recommend which should be published in English. After an exciting career with the FBI, she's now married to a rich man and living in the suburbs. In other words, she's bored. Which is the only explanation for her obsession with Peter Delaney. Her suspicion is aroused by the fact that Peter always sits in the same spot at their Wednesday lunches in order to keep watch over his car in the parking lot. Oh, and he seems to change cell phones more frequently than most. Suspicious, right?!?!? In her quest to discover the truth about Peter, Corie enlists her father, ex-NYPD, her best friend, and some former FBI workmates.

Corie makes leap after leap after leap in logic and comes to the conclusion that Peter is actually a hitman. Ludicrous and again . . . boring. The research/investigation takes up 95% of the novel, and then there is 5% of mild excitement. And sadly, unlike Compromising Positions, Ms. Isaacs injects absolutely no humor. If she had done so, I think the book would have been infinitely more readable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for an advance digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Corie Geller has stared a new life with her husband and adopted daughter after leaving her life with the FBI mostly behind her. In her effort to make new friends and fit into her new life, she joins a Wednesday lunch group comprised of fellow home business owners where she meets Pete, a packaging designer with some curious habits. Corie’s instincts tell her something isn’t quite adding up with Pete but can she prove it before she becomes his next victim?

This is the first book I have read by Susan Isaacs and it was well written but slow to develop. The story didn’t hold my interest well and only picked up the pace in the last 15% of the story. If you enjoy a well written story with a slow burn style, then you will likely enjoy Takes One to Know One but for me it was just too slow.

This was my first read from Susan Isaacs. The premise sounded amazing and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations.

Corrie Geller wants to find her happy ever after. She leaves the FBI and marries the man of her dreams. Unfortunately can an agent ever retire? Or are their instincts always on alert...even in the suburbs.

This was an extremely slow moving storyline that just failed to hold me. As short as the book was it felt like it took forever to finish.

Will I pick up another book by this author?🤷🏻‍♀️. Her reputation is top notch. Perhaps this was her one off.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for an ARC to read and review.

Takes One to Know One is a slow burn mystery/domestic suspense novel with a strong women’s fiction tone, about Corie, a retired FBI agent now living in suburbia with her federal judge husband and teenage daughter, who becomes focused on the potentially odd behavior of an acquaintance, convinced he may be more than he appears.

I enjoyed the novel and think the retired FBI agent concept is a great hook that could be turned into a series, though the book certainly stands alone. The characters are interesting and we learn a lot particularly about Corie. The author’s descriptions are very detailed. If the author writes a sequel I’d be interested to see how Corie, her family and best friend Wynne are doing and what they’ve gotten themselves into – mainly Corie and her retired NYPD detective father.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #TakesOneToKnowOne #mystery #suspense

I hadn’t read any books by Susan Isaacs but I liked it. I would probably read more by her. The book was a decent read.

Takes One to Know One is a mystery/thriller about a retired FBI agent, Corie who marries a widowed judge with a daughter in order to have a more normal life. Corie has moved from catching terrorists to reading and reviewing Arabic books. She works from home and starts a networking group of area residents that also work at home. In this group, Corie gets weird vibes from Pete, Something is off and her FBI observation training kicks in. She decides to enlist her father, a retired NYPD detective, to help her figure out what Pete is up to. The first half of the novel is slow paced with Corie and her father investigating Pete. The latter part of the book picks up and is more compelling. I did not feel any of the characters were well developed. The relationship between Corie and her father was a high point, working together to solve the mystery.. Corie's relationship with her husband and daughter were somewhat was lacking in depth until the end. This is a fast read with an interesting twist. Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for allowing me to read the novel and give an honest review.

This was my first Susan Isaacs novel and did not stand out as a compelling read to me. The main character is an intelligence agent that finds herself out of her element for love, in a suburban neighborhood. She focuses in on a man she has a "gut feeling" about and then proceeds to basically stalk him. I didn't find this to make for a riveting plot line. I can't recommend.

I enjoyed this mystery. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut instinct and that is what Corie does when she suspects something is not quite right about one of her luncheon members. This story was very engaging and kept me entertained.
Many thanks to Grove Atlantic and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have been a big fan of Susan Issacs for years, and I was really looking forward to enjoying her latest book, Takes One to Know One. Unfortunately, I did not. It was a painfully slow read. The protagonist is an intelligence agent who finds herself mired in upper-class suburbia after giving up her career to marry a perfectly wonderful guy. Lest you think he is at the heart of the mystery, stop thinking. We live inside the agent’s head for over half the book as she searches for a crime to attach to a guy she barely know but has “a feeling” about. What I found mysterious was why she wasn’t picked up for stalking!
Although I cannot recommend this book, there are many other Susan Isaacs novels I have enjoyed. She can turn a phrase, and take a satirical look at social mores. Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic of Atlantic Monthly Press for the opportunity to read and electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's the first book I read by this author and I found it entertaining and engrossing.
I liked the MC, well written and interesting, and I think that there's a lot of character development and most of the characters are likeable and relatable.
The plot kept my attention even if I preferred the first part, more humorous and entertaining.
it's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Corie Gellor is a bit bored with her new life as a stepmom and reviewer of Arabic fiction books. When she notices one of her Wednesday lunch mates acting oddly, she doesn't know if she is just finding an issue to chase or if something is really up with this guy. Whatever the case may be, she just cannot let it go. So, down the rabbit hole it is!

I will admit that it took me awhile to get into this story. Don't get me wrong, I like Corie. Initially I did think she was just chasing after something that really didn't exist. So the first half of the book was a bit of a struggle. BUT, do not despair. The second half and ending more than made up for the first half. I was totally caught off guard by what happens to Corie and could not race through the book fast enough to see if she survives. Bravo Ms. Isaacs!

My thanks to Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for this ARC.

I really expected to love this book. In the past, many of her books were among my favorites. I can’t highly recommend this book as it barely had an effect o me at all- not awful, just meh!

I had to nope the heck out of this one. I love Susan Isaacs, but I did not love Takes One to Know One. In fact, I didn't enjoy it at all.

I love Susan Isaac! She is a fabulous writer and Takes One to Know One is no exception!
Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I remember reading and really liking Susan Isaacs' books years ago so I was looking forward to this one. I have to admit, I'm disappointed. The characters were well done but the plot moved along soooooo sloooowly. I found myself getting bored because nothing much was happening. Then I reached the point where I didn't really care if anything ever happened - just get this book over with. I'll still give the book 2.5 rounded up to 3 for the characterizations and descriptions; but I can't rate it any higher than that because it was just pretty boring.