The Syndicate Spy by Brittany Butler

Narrator: Amy Landon
Listening Time: 10 Hours, 55 Minutes, 36 Seconds
Publisher: Brittany Butler, Greenleaf Book Group Press
Release Date: May 22, 2023

Fiction, Action, Adventure, Spies, Terrorism, Paris, London, Middle East

Juliette Arroway is a Syndicate spy working to stop terrorism. Her father also worked in intelligence but died six years ago. A major explosion at Westminster in London kills many inside. Of course, it is believed the people died from the explosion until autopsy results show they were dead before the explosion. Juliette is assigned to work with Graham, a man she is not fond of, at first to investigate her friend Mariam’s royal family.

The book has a steady pace, the characters are somewhat developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. The narrator has a clear concise voice. I had a problem with how fast Juliette was able to bounce back from the death of her boyfriend as if he was just someone who died.

The book is listed as a mystery, thriller, and romance but I have a hard time placing it in those categories. There is a lot of action and adventure but there are sex scenes not necessarily romance. I usually enjoy a book with strong female characters, but this needs more direction towards one category or another.

Entertaining, however, could have done without the romance and wish it progressed a bit quicker. Thank you for providing me the opportunity to review "The Syndicate Spy". I am appreciative and leave my sincerity review voluntarily.

The premise of this book seemed like something I would really enjoy but the audiobook narrator killed it for me. I would definitely give this one a chance in normal book format but audiobook ain’t it.

I think this storyline showed great promise. The oil reserves are depleted and their are terrorists threatening the energy supply. It seemed to have the hallmarks of an edge of the seat thriller. Unfortunately, it did not deliver for me and did not hold me interest. I didn't find the prose compelling.

This was an audio book. The narrator seemed to emphasize every sentence which was tedious and monotonous. It made it difficult to listen.

Thank you to Netgalley and Greenleaf Book Press Group for the ARC.

Great book with so many twist and turns you will not want to put it dow. I was happily surprised by the ending and look forward to reading more of this series.

It had everything to be a good book but the romance was unnecessary. The book was “everywhere” they jump from place to place without a connector and it made it difficult to understand what was happening. What I loved about this book was the ending. I feel the book should had developed more that part instead of creating a romance that felt forced and out of place.

I read this book as an audiobook format. Amy Landon did a great job narrating this audiobook! I like when I can feel the emotions through the narrator.

Thank you Netgalley and Greenleaf book group press for sharing this audiobook copy in exchange of my honest thoughts.

I can't give this 3 and 1/2 stars it won't let me. But I enjoyed the book and the story, just didn't enjoy the narrator. They sound like they were not enjoying reading the book.
The book was excellent and the plot was very fast paced. Kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to hear more.

There is a good book in here but too much info dumping and a bit simplistic. Really wanted to like it, wanted a summer thriller, but this was not it. Perhaps reading it would allow one to skim, but audiobook went slowly and just didn't deliver.

Juliet wants to avenge her father's death by working as a Syndicate spy and trying to end the war on energy.
This is a very fast-paced spy thriller that is filled with action. It will keep you guessing all the way through. There were a couple of twists in the end, and while I had guessed with the first, the other left me completely shocked. I was totally enthralled with the action, adventure, and romance. This was a fantastic start to what I'm sure will be an excellent series.
This review is for the audiobook narrated by Amy Landon. The narration was very good and helped to really draw me into the story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Fast paced action,interesting twists
This page turner will delight all kinds of readers who love spy stories .

I started this book thinking it would be gripping and full of suspense, however half way through I had to force myself to finish it.

Pros: I do think that the authors background helps to make the story more realistic and authentic. There were some good messages shared throughout. This book would be good as a film, and there is alot of potential for the plot. There were some twists towards the end.

Cons: the plot twists were predictable. I found alot of the monologues to drag on more than they needed to, were very repetitive, and melodramatic at times. The narrator was also difficult to listen to, so when the story was dragging it made it harder to continue listening. Maybe would be better to read than audio.

I feel as though it was difficult to get a true impression on Juliet, as she started as this strong, independent woman, and made the story very enjoyable, but then it took a predictable turn to a cringey love story with chapters moping about Graham. I feel this ruined the story, the sex scenes felt out of place for a book of this genre, and it became almost as big of a plot as the actual main story.

If this were made into a film I would watch it, but not re-read or recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this audiobook. This review is completely honest and accurately reflects only my own opinions.

This compelling debut is by a former CIA officer. If you follow her Instagram, you will see her talk about her life in the CIA. FASCINATING!!
The Syndicate, is a group of allied intelligence agencies and Juliet Arroway works for them. Juliet is following in her father’s footsteps with The Syndicate, after he was killed by terrorists. She works with Mariam, who is a Saudi Princess.
Part action, drama mixed in with Juliet’s love life. The Syndicate is trying to maintain peace trying to save terrorist from attacking energy sites.
I can say the authors background adds to the novel. Looking forward to the next novel by Butler.

Audiobook review

I absolutely loved this book. I don't usually read political thrillers but I thoroughly enjoyed the espionage and drama with a bit of romance thrown in. I was definitely kept in suspense for the whole book and couldn't stop listening. There were a few parts where I thought I knew were the book was going and then it went somewhere completely different! There aren't a lot of books that can surprise me with a well placed twist but this one had a few mind boggling twists that I wasn't expecting. I really enjoyed the characters throughout the book, I feel like they were well developed and the writing was very descriptive.

The narration for the audiobook was kind of hard to listen to, I almost turned it off but powered through. The narrator seemed a bit robotic and slightly monotone in most parts. It felt like every sentence was supposed to elicit suspense but when a suspenseful part did happen, the quicker cadence and rush you'd expect in a frantic scene seemed minimal because that's how the rest of the story was told, I feel like the cadence of the narration downplayed the suspense. Also the male voices were rough and seemed forced. I can appreciate that as a female narrator it's not always easy to portray many different male voices, but the male voices weren't great in my opinion.

I recommend this book (to read, not listen) and I look forward to reading another installment of Juliet Arroway.

Thank you to Netgalley and Greenleaf Book Group Press for allowing me to read and review this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5536282370

Thank You to Greenleaf Book Group Press and NetGalley for this audiobook arc. This is my 100% honest review.


I really enjoyed this book. If you like thrillers, terrorist plots, suspense then you should check this one out. Take at look at the authors background. She knows her stuff and I think that it works for this book. It brings a believability many in the genre don’t have. If you like the TV series Homeland, then you’ll like this one.
Narrator Amy Landon did a great job. I’ve listened to quite a few of her books and she’s very talented!

Below is book blurb:

“Sacrifices must be made; battles will be lost. It is always this way in a quest for change.”

In the near future, Earth’s oil reserves are depleted. Nations grapple to find an alternative energy source. Terrorists race for control over world resources. And the Syndicate—a conglomerate of allied intelligence agencies—struggles to maintain peace.

Syndicate operative Juliet Arroway and her best friend, Mariam, a progressive Saudi princess, are tasked with hunting down terrorists and putting an end to the global energy war, the same mission that cost Juliet’s father his life. But when multiple terrorist attacks result in devastating losses, including the death of Juliet’s longtime boyfriend, and the Syndicate begins to suspect that Mariam’s family is somehow involved, Juliet must rise above her heartbreak to discover the truth.

In her quest, Juliet is paired with Graham—a dashing yet arrogant FBI agent—and embarks on a dangerous journey toward love and survival as they race to obtain the formula that could solve the energy crisis. But when peace demands a stunning betrayal, Juliet must decide how much she is willing to pay for the success of her mission. Brilliantly weaving fact and fiction, Butler tells a story seldom told—how female heroics can change the course of war.