honestly, i feel like it was just kind of a mess and so much of this book just didn't make sense to me. and i feel like it was just something that i couldn't really like and some of it i just didn't really like. and i really wished i liked this book since so many people hyped this book up and i mean, i think it could have been so much better.

You Can Run should be the next thriller you pick up!!! Unputdownable!! I've been in such a mood for intense thrillers and this absolutely delivered! Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

Jill is a CIA analyst - since her son was born she changed from being a field agent to a desk job and it's her job to vet new CIA sources. She gets a cable about vetting a source called Falcon - but takes a break first to eat her lunch. She goes out to her car and gets a call that her baby's been taken from daycare. The anonymous voice on the phone tells her that he will be returned unharmed - if she just approves Falcon without looking into it. But if she tells anyone - ANYONE - they will know and her son will die.

I love a story like this - that really pushes you to think about what you would do if you were put in a similar situation. I always end up landing that I am very glad I don't have a job where this would happen - and while I love reading about spies and espionage and all the intrigue involved, I would absolutely not be cut out for it to be my life.

The author - Karen Cleveland - spent 8 years as a CIA analyst, most of that time in counterterrorism. She knows what she's writing about and I always feel like it adds an extra layer when you know about an author's connection to a story!

If you enjoy spy stories or fast paced thrillers - pick up You Can Run when you have some time because once you start you won't want to stop! I think this will be on my favorite books of 2021 list!

This is fun and exciting novel that involves a CIA analyst and an investigative journalist. The CIA agent, Jill, gets the call no parent wants, "We have your son." She must make a split decision to save her son, or save the country. Once the decision is made, she must live with the consequences, or must she?

You Can Run
September 15, 2021
Book Review
You Can Run
Karen Cleveland
reviewed by Lou Jacobs

readersremains.com | Goodreads

“We have your son. Breathe a word of this to anyone and you’ll never see him again.” With this robotic voice proclamation Jill Bailey’s life will never be the same.
Jill is a senior CIA analyst whose job is vetting potential double agents, to ensure field agents haven’t been compromised or coerced into recruiting a foreign source. The mechanical voice instructs her to approve the report involving a Syrian defense official, attached to the covert biowarfare program, known by code name: Falcon. Jill does as she is told, and her son is returned to the daycare unharmed. She suspects she’s been compromised forever, and it’s a matter of time before “they” come at her again.
Realizing that she has compromised both family and country, she impulsively resigns her hard-earned position and career. She realizes that Falcon is most likely a “dangle;” a planted double agent from an adversarial country. Put in place to plant misinformation or obtain knowledge of our agents working in the field, leading to their elimination. Her husband, Drew Smith, is convinced by a vague argument to relocate their home and his legal career to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He has followed her faithfully on several foreign postings when she was a field agent. An uncomfortable four years has passed, with her teaching part-time both Mandarin and Turkish, and giving birth to a beautiful girl, Mia. Drew even says one day over breakfast, “We’re acting like we’re on the run.” She has left nothing to chance and used every tactic she learned in CIA training. All to no avail. One day she receives a simple note, in block letters and black marker: “YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE.”
She senses and identifies a young black woman, late twenties, and quite statuesque with short black hair, who is following her in the grocery store. With her life unravelling, she is approached by this woman. She is an investigative journalist and wants to talk to her about Falcon. Alex Charles is eager to investigate a reliable tip regarding the CIA’s Syrian source. Not only to ferret out the truth, but also to break a blockbuster story and garner a Pulitzer for herself. This tipster tells Alex to find “Jill Bailey,” and everything will fall into place. Have the Syrians really developed a super strain of anthrax? One so lethal that it would kill ninety percent of those exposed. Who is Alex’s source and how is she privy to this inside intel?
Karen Cleveland weaves a complex and convoluted thriller that escalates inexorably with bursting tension and intrigue, as Jill and Alex eventually team-up to investigate who’s behind the insertion of this dangle , known as Falcon. They uncover a vast conspiracy that stretches into the depths of highly placed senior CIA officers. Only someone who has actually been a former CIA analyst, like Karen Cleveland, can provide the authenticity that exudes through every page. The ultimate reveal in the exciting denouement is chilling and decidedly unexpected … and without any breadcrumbs.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing – Ballantine for providing an uncorrected proof of this gem, in exchange for an honest review.
Available on Amazon ..... Published at Mystery And Suspense Magazine .....

Karen Cleveland blew me away with her debut thriller, Need to Know. Her inside knowledge from her work as a CIA analyst gives her books a degree of authenticity that appeals a lot to me. Cleveland is also a master of putting her protagonists in impossible dilemmas between their work obligations for the CIA and their private lives and careers.
This book is cut from the same cloth as her past books, but this time, the protagonist resigns from her job and tries to live on in another part of the country with her family that was put in jeopardy by her CIA job. That seems to be working fine for a while until a journalist finds her and tries to get her assistance uncovering a big conspiracy high up in the agency.
Cleveland loses the fifth star in my book along the way by letting her smart protagonist act irresponsibly irrationally and by wrapping up the story a little neatly and then adding yet another crazy plot twister in the very last pages of the book - a somewhat over-the-top trademark of Cleveland's that I am no great fan of.

This book packs a punch! Jill is a CIA officer. With the kidnapping of her son, she is forced to do something to have her son returned to her and she resigns from the CIA. Thinking that resigning and moving her family will keep them safe, she lives a quiet life. Fast forward and Alex, a reporter begins investigating things and thinks she might be involved. The book is told from both Jill’s and Alex’s perspectives which I feel makes it more interesting. I found the lesser characters very well written as well. There are lots of twists and turns and the ending – WOW!!!

Also reviewed on Kobo under the name IrishEyes430

Most of us would say we'd never betray our country, but what if, all of a sudden, you had a choice to obey that instruction or the unthinkable would happen to one you love? What if you then come up with a solution, but you spend your life looking over your shoulder? What if they find you anyway?

Good story that felt like it could happen and then what do you do? I like the way it was handled and enjoyed, again, one of her books and will continue to look forward to more of them.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

I was fortunate enough to read Karen Cleveland's second novel, Keep You Close, for review. When I saw her third book, You Can Run, was available, I jumped at the chance. It did not disappoint.

As with her second novel, this one also asks, "What would you do to protect your son. Would you betray your son or your country?" This difference between the two is now we are dealing with a kidnapped baby.

Cleveland's background as a CIA analyst with most of her time spent working in counterterrorism helps bring authenticity to her work. While she writes fiction, she is able to get into the mindset of CIA analyst Jill Bailey with ease.

Jill receives a call that shatters her world. Someone has her son. She is told she must not investigate a specific potential CIA source and rubber-stamp her approval of their vetting process. Once doing so, she realizes she is vulnerable for it to happen again, so she immediately resigns, changes her name, and moves her family somewhere safe. The past never stays past, and Jill must decide again if she should betray her country to save her family.

Karen Cleveland is on my "must-read author" list.

This 200-word review will be published on Philomathinphila.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I've read both of Ms. Cleveland's earlier books, and, like those, this one does not disappoint. The author's own CIA background certainly lends a note of authenticity to her books. Like her two earlier books, there's a central theme of a woman, Jill Bailey, trapped between the survival of her family and the demands of her job.

New to this book is the existence of an ally, reporter Alex Charles. The relationship is certainly not uncomplicated - Jill needs to determine the extent to which Alex is actually an ally and can be trusted. But this adds another dimension to the story, a possibility of help, but also a possibility of betrayal.

It's another nailbiter by Karen Cleveland - agonizing to follow the twist & turn so the plot, all the while worrying about her children. It certainly kept me on the edge of my seat, and I'm looking forward to another thriller by Ms. Cleveland!

A mother’s worst nightmare results in a question of faith. Faith in her instincts, in her training ,in an unlikely partner. A CIA anyalst knows the job carries risk , but family is off the table until it isn’t. Alex has seen it all in his years reporting the worst and seedy in the highest places. Now he and Jill must work to uncover who and why she was targeted. Along side the work a little danger heightens the spot they are in to the point of shallow breathing. The insight gives new meaning to day to day grind.

The plot was similar to her other novels. I still was blown away by the ending it was like watching a Albert Hitchcock movie. And the plot was believable .

“You Can Run” is about spies, counter spies, spies spying on each other until it is hard to know just who is working for whom. But more than that, why are they doing this? The story begins in a first person present tense narrative by Jill who pulls readers into the events; she makes everything urgent, consuming, dangerous. Events go back and forth in time, the opening, four years later, and then one week earlier. In later chapters, the story continues with Jill’s accounts alternating with those of another character, Alex.

Jill works for the CIA as a background investigator screening operatives, a searcher for facts and discrepancies. She talks to herself, second-guessing her own every move, watching everyone, terrified about a threat she has received. She quits her job, changes her name, and moves across several states, but she finds that she can run, but she cannot escape. Into her paranoid existence comes another, Alex, also a searcher for facts, but a journalist looking for that one big Pulitzer winning story.

Tension and anxiety pour from every page as these two unlikely partners seek to uncover a story of treachery, espionage and deception. There is not just a small band of criminals behind this; it involves a foreign intelligence and the corruption might just reach to the highest levels of this country’s government. The pace is frantic and it is impossible to know whom to trust.

“You Can Run” is filled with suspense, action, and non-stop twists and turns. You will not catch your breath until the end. I received a review copy of “You Can Run” from Karen Cleveland, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine Books. As the clock ticks, everything becomes more frantic, and yes, it ends with a HUGE bombshell, but everyone lives happily ever after …….or do they?

I loved it. I hated it. I suppose that means it was a good book. From the first page to the last sentence, the author provides a compelling story of espionage, revenge, and corruption. The reader will leave the story with a gasp - satisfied and feeling punched in the stomach at the same time. I give the book 5-stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

You Can Run by Karen Cleveland

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
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Story Notes

Karen Cleveland presents readers with a tense story that begs the question of how far one would go to protect their family.

Perhaps I'm a bit of a different reader but I didn't really engage well with Jill. She just seemed really selfish most of the time and it bugged me that she wasn't more brave, especially at the beginning. Somehow I don't think the CIA hires people who would just give up information willingly at the first moment of crisis. There are protocols to follow and they wouldn't have just let her walk away without investigating her leaving so suddenly. So the premise of the story was a bit far-fetched. I did like Alex a lot, with her bull-dog tendencies to go after the truth. She was a character I cheered for and enjoyed all the passages that included her. The tension of the story was good, if a bit over the top. I liked the case and the development of it overall and did finish the story, which means it held me intrigued enough. Perhaps I've read too many other complex mystery stories that this one hit me as not very deep. I'm not saying I don't recommend it as a good story, just that I personally didn't care for it in it's entirety.

I received this temporary complimentary E-Book from Ballantine/Random House Publishing via NetGalley and am voluntarily providing a review. My review was not required by anyone but I am happy to provide it. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

Ok Cleveland… you have wowed me again. What a ride. Another read where it’s fast paced and you definitely need to know what’s gonna happen.

I thought it was *this person* or *that person* and I didn’t get any of them right. 😆 The last chapter before the epilogue made me happy but I felt like something was missing… and then the epilogue came in and OMG. Yep. Legitimately gave me the biggest smile. Def all the stars.

Outside of the obvious theme within the story, I really appreciate the touches on what you should appreciate in life, the things you would do to protect the ones you love, success, family, etc.

“You can run, but you can’t hide."

Jill is a CIA analyst that is based in Washington DC. Jill gets a phone call that her infant has been kidnapped. To get him back she is being asked to do something that she never imagined doing. She is also told she can't tell anyone. If she doesn't do it, she will never see her son again.

Jill does what she is told and then quits her job at the agency. She and her family relocate and all is well. Fast forward to four years later. Now Jill finds herself dragged back into it again along with Alex, an investigative reporter. A book filled wish suspense, intrigue and tension! An ending that you just won't see coming.

I was a little worried I wasn’t going to understand the CIA and government lingo but I quickly caught on then couldn’t stop reading. The emotions and heart strings came from all angles and perspectives and the different characters each had their own way in the world which made their working together exciting. Loved the twists and thrills of this book about strong women!

Gosh that was a tense thriller! Karen Cleveland once again delivers a story that was hard to put aside filled with the terror of being a parent whose son was kidnapped in order to extract the capability of Jill Bailey, a CIA analyst to pass a certain agent up the ladder chain, giving him the ability to effect so much in Syria, a definite hot spot. What's a loving mother to do as she also realizes that this will not be the only thing that will be required of her to do. Her son is her only concern.

Without telling her husband of the peril they are all in, Julie convinces him to move, and as she does with Owen in tow, she is always looking behind her filled with worry that day will come when she is unable to run and hide. With the threat of next time we will kill your son, hanging in the balance, and a baby daughter, Jill thinks perhaps she can escape them and after four years in her current location, a new job teaching, she prays for the safety of her family.

However, the time comes when they will once again call upon her to perform for them. What can she do but when a reporter trips on to a possible story regarding the plant, code name The Falcon, Julie is once again caught in a web of intrigue and deceit. Can this mother save her children and most of all not betray her country.

A heart stopping ending added to this story and was one I didn't see coming. This author has never disappointed me

Thank you Karen Cleveland, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this riveting thriller published on August 31, 2021

This thriller is very fast paced and so good!! I had a very hard time putting it down as I needed to know what the next twist in the story was going to be!!

Jill works for the CIA and her husband is an attorney. They have a young son and are adjusting to life and work with an infant. Jill eats her lunch in her car so she can watch the video feed of Owen as he rests or plays. One day, she can’t find him on the feed and the phone rings…..this call will change her life forever!!!!!!

Jill makes decisions that she believes will keep her family safe but secrets always come back to haunt you!!! This book begs you to read fast as the tension is high and you need to know what happens next!!

Excellent third book from author Karen Cleveland!! Make sure you read to the absolute end of this book!!!!

I received an early digital copy of this book.

Karen Cleveland writes great spy thrillers. The plot is well crafted, fast-paced and keeps you on the edge of the seat until the very end. I couldn't put down "You Can Run."