You Can Run is everything that I love in a thriller! It starts with a bang, moves fast, involves surprising twists, and ends in an unexpected but realistic way. Plus, you have strong, intelligent women as the lead characters and some espionage to make an intriguing thriller that you won’t want to put down!

You Can Run by Karen Cleveland was the perfect read for my weekend! Cleveland has written another spy thriller that had this reader quickly turning the pages. I honestly did not want to put this down - relatable characters, great suspense, and an ending I did not see coming! Well done!

Thank you to Karen Cleveland, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this Advance Readers Copy and offer my thoughts.

I've read all three books by Karen Cleveland and I have loved them all! This one did not disappoint in the least. Jill is a CIA analyst who has to make a quick decision while her son is kidnapped, and she spends 4 years trying to escape. As the title implies, you can run but you can't hide.

This book is my favorite type of spy novel. It moved fast, had a strong case of characters, and had a fantastic ending. I love the inside look at the CIA, and wondering what I would do if put in this situation. Jill was a great protagonist and Alex was a good opposite to play off her in the book.

It has been years since I read a book in less than 24 hours, but I did it with this one. This is a powerful book that you will love if you enjoy thrillers.

I read the ARC of You Can Run, by Karen Cleveland, courtesy of Random House/Ballentine Books and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I gave it 5 stars on NetGalley & on GoodReads.

I have closed my website entitled, The Grumpy Book Reviewer, due to increasing costs for web hosting, security certificate, etc., and am moving my reviews to HubPages as fast as I can. Unfortunately, HubPages will not allow anything published on their site to appear anywhere else. So, I have to leave the link to my review here. Anyone who wants to read my review can access it at: https://hubpages.com/literature/You-Can-Run

A well done page turning thriller with good details Cleveland has carefully plucked from her own experiences. CIA officer Jill's life implodes in a moment- when someone kidnaps her infant son Owen from daycare and demands that she approve a new asset on Syria. An odd request, to be sure, but whoever it is knows too much about her. She does it and then resigns, not telling anyone, including her husband why. Flash forward four years and Alex, a Washington Post reporter is chasing a lead about a CIA source- the CIA source- and she tracks down Jill in Florida, where she's been living as stay at home mom. The two of them find themselves searching for the bad guys in an ever growing mess. No spoilers from me but this has multiple twists (including a very big unexpected one at the end). Both Jill and Alex tell the story which adds interesting layers because they come at the problem from different perspectives. While the conspiracy part might be a bit out there, the cage around it is excellent. I've been critical of Cleveland's work in the past but she's really upped her game- I very much enjoyed this. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's fast paced intelligent entertainment.

Karen Cleveland hits another homerun with her newest book. CIA analyst Jill Bailey is trying to save her son from kidnappers while at the same time untangling a conspiracy with the help of journalist Alex Charles. The two women are strong characters in a fast paced story. The writing is solid and I finished the book in two nights. Cleveland is a great storyteller and this thriller does not disappoint!

You Can Run is the latest thriller from Karen Cleveland and to say it's a page turner is an understatement! The reader is immediately drawn into the action by one of the two main characters and we're rooting for her all the way. High speed car chases and gun fire are some of the edge of your seat moments. I want to thank NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an early copy to review.

You Can Run is the third espionage thriller from former CIA Analyst, Karen Cleveland.

"Jill is a CIA Analyst who's responsible for vetting new intelligence sources. While researching a new source, Falcon, she gets a message that her son has been taken. She must approve Falcon or she will never see her son again. She approves the cable and immediately resigns, moving several states away with her family. Years later, she thinks everything is okay until a reporter starts asking questions. Now they're back and her family is in danger again."

This book drags at the beginning. There are only so many times you can hear a character question a choice they made. It drones on a bit. The story gets better when the reporter, Alex, is introduced. Cleveland gives some depth to this character with her back story. Alex and Jill have an interesting dynamic. Cleveland keeps the tension high by not letting the reader know who to trust.
A wild ending and the unexpected twist that Cleveland likes to add. A twist that makes you go -"What?"

Slow start but good ending. Another good novel from Cleveland.

Clear your schedule, because once you start this story you won't want to stop. It's so tense and high stakes, and the pace is fast. Being put in the situation Jill is in the beginning of the book is a nightmare, and will challenge readers to imagine their own choices in these desperate moments and those that follow. This one put me on edge at the beginning and kept me there.

I don't typically read political or espionage thrillers, but after going through a slump with the psychological thrillers that are my usual fare, I thought I would try this book. After breathlessly racing through the pages, I think it's safe to say the slump is over, and I'm now a Karen Cleveland fan!

Jill Bailey is a CIA analyst who must make an impossible choice: her child, or her duty to her country. When Jill's son is kidnapped, the voice on the phone tells her to approve Falcon as an intelligence asset, and her son will be returned unharmed. Jill does as instructed, but she knows she can no longer work for the CIA after that. She moves her family out of state, and speaks of her actions to no one.
Alex Charles is a reporter at the Washington Post, with dreams of the big story and a Pulitzer. She thinks she may have just that, when a tip comes in relating to her piece on bioweapons in Syria. Alex pursues the information doggedly, until it brings her straight to Jill. The two women form an uneasy partnership, coming to understand that they will have to work together to unravel the truth. What they couldn't fathom was the elaborate scheme of epic proportions that they would uncover....

Whoa! I mean, just the dang synopsis gives me the chills! I found out after reading the book that Karen Cleveland was actually in the CIA, which immediately made sense to me. The level of detail is intricate and involved, so you definitely get that behind-the-scenes thrill while you're immersed in the story. I enjoyed the 2 distinct POVs, though they both made some questionable choices, at times. I guess that's a small complaint, though. I do like to whisper-scream "No! What are you doing?!!" to the characters in a book, but if I find myself doing it over and over, that means the character's actions are unrealistic. This being an espionage/CIA/conspiracy thriller, I kinda folded up my sense of disbelief and put it in my pocket. This book is a little slow to get going, but once you're over that first hill, buckle up buttercup! It's going to be nothing but a rollercoaster from there. I enjoyed this book, and I think I'll check out Karen Cleveland's backlist, too. Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the chance to review this advance copy.

Karen Cleveland has become one of my favorite spy thriller authors and this book is the best yet. With her family in danger, Jill chooses to flee to a new state and start over again. But she quickly finds out that although you can run, there is no place to hide, especially from spies who want to find you. The action began on page one and continued all the way to an astonishing conclusion that left me stunned. Alex, the reporter in whom Jill confides, is intelligent, independent, compassionate and determined. In short, Alex and Jill are both very strong female protagonists. The plot is centered around rogue agents in the CIA, with plenty of subterfuge and secrecy going on as well as some really tense moments. I enjoyed the unraveling of the story and following the clues as Jill and Alex revealed them. I also really enjoyed the character of Jeremy and his attachment to his dog Max. Mostly, I was just thoroughly engaged in this story and hoping for a good outcome with the odds against Jill for saving her family. What a wild, engrossing ride through the spy world!

“We have your son.”

When vetting a new Syrian CIA source named Falcon, CIA reports officer Jill receives a phone call. The robotically altered voice threatens to kill her son if she does not sign off on Falcon’s clearance. She signs off and receives another threat if she breathes word of the breach. Jill feels no choice but to leaves her dream job and relocate her family. Amidst her packing boxes she finds a note that reads YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE.

A journalist named Alex has obtained intelligence on Falcon that could be a life changer for her career. Maybe a Pulitzer Prize? Alex tracks down Jill and the story ratchets into high gear. An addictive spy story told from two distinct perspectives.

After reading Need to Know in 2018 and being very impressed, and reading Keep you Close in 2020 and being a bit underwhelmed, I'm happy Karen Cleveland is back with You Can Run.
This time a CIA-operative (Jill) and a journalist (Alex) work together to prevent a war that will start in a very unexpected place. It begins with the kidnapping of Jill's son but if she cannot prevent further developments, it will end with the death of millions.
Although Jill tries to run and doesn't want to be involved any further, for fear for the life of her child, Alex pushes forward with all that's in her because of the coveted Pulitzer prize ;-) that is to win with this story.
Two completely different people with different motives ending up working together very well. I think I would like to read another book about this couple. Minus the kidnapping of little children of course.
The ending was a big surprise and I had to read the final two chapters again because I could hardly believe my eyes.

Thanks to Netgalley for this review copy.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a heart thumping thriller. If you like CIA spy games, this is the book for you. Fast paced, great characters, and incredible story. Highly recommend!

This is another solid spy thriller by Karen Cleveland. Just like her debut novel, Need to Know, which I enjoyed as well, this story follows a female CIA analyst who needs to make tough decisions. In this story, a female reporter is also involved, a refreshing change of 2 female lead characters involved in the action. The twists and turns kept me turning the page and the ending made me gasp! I enjoy Cleveland's novels, which I find highly entertaining.
Thanks to #Netgalley #Ballantine #YouCanRun for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for sharing the advanced copy of this thriller. I didn’t have high expectations for this, it looked like many other books in the genre and until about 1/2 way through, I hadn’t changed my opinion. The ending though bumped it up a notch or two for me. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers and spy novels.

Oh wow, this was an interesting read. Mostly interesting because I did several 180s as I read it. Not because of the plot, but because of my feelings about the book. The beginning was slow and predictable, it finally got interesting about one third in, then it raced through some interesting investigative work and ended abruptly with seemingly little character development.

The story is told from 2 first person perspectives: Jill, a former CIA analyst who left the agency after doing something unethical to save her baby, and Alex, a reporter at the Washington Post. And man, were they both annoying in their own right. Imposter syndrome personified!

Jill has it all, the career, the perfect husband, and the baby from IVF. And when the “bad guy” takes her baby and forces her to approve a spy, she disappears, leaving her job and the home outside DC they loved. And the husband goes along with all this, no protests. Can you imagine quitting your job with no notice and not even a discussion with your spouse?! Yeah, me neither.

Alex is an up and coming reporter at the Washington Post….doesn’t get much better than that for a reporter position. She’s just been dumped by her husband because he changed his mind and wants children after they had agreed that wasn’t for them. So much self doubt!

So a tip connects Alex and Jill and after some initial parrying, the two work together to identify and thwart the bad guys.

The interesting teases that Jill is actually a very effective investigator, and Alex is held back by her race and our society, are not used to develop the characters. That could have added a less superficial feel to both of our main characters.

Spoiler: At least Jill and Alex think they got the bad guys….rather obvious twist at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

A story That Brilliantly Captures the Tension and Terror of a Kidnapping.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
“We have your son. Breathe a word of this to anyone, and you’ll never see your son again.” It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. For CIA analyst Jill Bailey it is the call that changed her life. To protect her son, she did exactly what the kidnappers told her to do. She approved the recruitment of a CIA intelligence asset without doing the required due diligence. It’s a decision that will haunt her for the rest of her life, but her son was returned unharmed. Terrorized, the next day she walked into the CIA and quit her job. She didn’t want the kidnappers to be able to compromise her like that again. For four years, she never told anyone, even her husband, what she had done. One day, in a grocery store produce aisle, everything changed.

Alex Charles is an investigative reporter with the Washington Post. She is working on a story about the Syrian biowarfare program and the source of U.S. intelligence information. An anonymous tip has revealed there is only one source of information relating to Syria. Was it the asset that Jill was forced to approve? Alex reaches out to Jill, who must decide if she could trust someone with her secret. To do so means putting her family at risk once again. What would you do to save your child’s life?


REVIEW
YOU CAN RUN is an immediately compelling story you would expect to be written by a CIA analyst. It’s heart-pounding and captivating. The first chapter grabs your attention and never lets you go.

Author Karen Cleveland’s writing brilliantly captures Jill’s tension and the terror., as a mother and a person placed in an impossible position. Her writing is descriptive, right, and perfectly paced. The story is told from both Jill and Alex’s perspectives, making it multidimensional. Both characters are courageous, thoughtful, and determined. Much like real life, this story is unpredictable and highly enjoyable.

Cleveland spent eight years as a CIA counterterrorism analyst. She is now a New York Times best-selling author of Need to Know (2018) and Keep You Close (2019)

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Publisher Ballantine Books/Penguin Random House
Published August 31, 2021
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

This is one of the books I’ve read in years. It has a complicated storyline with numerous twists and turns. It was obviously written by someone who knows the inner workings of our intelligence services. Highly recommended.

#YouCanRun #NetGalley
A fun read.
A CIA analyst makes a split-second decision that endangers her country but saves her son—and now she must team up with an investigative journalist she’s not sure she can trust in this electrifying thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Need to Know.
We have your son.
It’s the call that’s every parent’s nightmare. And for CIA analyst Jill Bailey, it’s the call that changes everything. It’s Jill’s job to vet new CIA sources. Like Falcon, who’s been on the recruitment fast track. But before she can get to work, Jill gets the call. Her son has been taken. And to get him back, Jill does something she thought she’d never do. Alex Charles, a hard-hitting journalist, begins to investigate an anonymous tip: an explosive claim about the CIA’s hottest new source. This is the story that Alex has been waiting for. The tip—and a fierce determination to find the truth—leads Alex to Jill, who would rather remain hidden.
I absorbed into this novel. Loved it.
I loved it's plotting and execution.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.