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aysiama's review against another edition
5.0
Great first book!! Cannot wait until Karen Cleveland writes another. :)
lmplovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best page-turners I have read in awhile, just when you think you know what will happen Cleveland inserts another twist. Block out a day for this one!
rfish's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a 5 star book for the first 2/3, then it devolved into craziness, a plot line that seemed too fantastical, and, inadvertently, a tale of a smart woman being led astray by her emotions and the manipulation of the men in her life that she trusts the most.
lbgandhi's review against another edition
4.0
I have to say I was so excited when I got this book from the library. Vivian is a Counter Intelligence analyst for the CIA on the Russian sleeper cell project. What she uncovers flips her world, her life, everything she knew to be true completely upside down. Who can you trust? What can you believe? The only truth she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt is that she will go to whatever length necessary to protect her children. This spy thriller was a neat fictional insight into "what could happen" working for the CIA. I was telling my husband about some of the things that happened in this book and he had to remind me this is a work of fiction. But the author was an analyst for the CIA so this could possibly happen, right??? Have I peaked your curiosity yet? Well let me tell you, the book Need to Know is really Need to Read!!! It's exciting, fun, fast paced and will have you questioning if this is a screenshot into the world of spies and espionage.....
mariannethelibrarianne's review against another edition
2.0
Although the pace of the book was pretty good, it was a pretty frustrating read. The main character, Vivian, is not the strong female protagonist I was hoping for, and she didn't find her gumption until at least half way through the book. The end was also frustrating as it was pretty much a set up for a sequel.
bethpeninger's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.
If you've watched The Americans then this storyline will ring familiar. Not the same but familiar.
Vivian Miller is a wife, mom, and CIA CI analyst working on Russian sleeper cells. Her life is very full and very busy. She's created an algorithm at work to track down Russian handlers and their sleepers. It works great and she finds herself staring into the face of someone she knows. Someone who happens to be the father of her four children. There's no way she is married to a Russian operative and hasn't caught on by now. There's just no way...or is there? What follows this revelation is a downward spiral for Vivian as she grapples with the truth, or reality, of her life and what the next steps look like. All along the way the thing she keeps coming back to is trusting her gut, her instincts. Can she? Should she? In the end, for better or worse she's got to.
I got done with the book and felt slightly sick. Just like I felt while watching The Americans. All of this spying and subterfuge. I could never do it and I don't understand people who do. I read this book pretty fast, Cleveland wrote a story that grabbed my attention and kept me wanting to get to the next chapter so I could find out what would happen next. Cleveland, in her former life, was a CIA CI analyst so she writes from experience as far as the job goes. So if Cleveland is crafting fiction stories from her very real work once-upon-a-time I guess that means there is still, in this day and age, all this spy crap going on in countries all over the world? It just seems so infantile. Anyway. This was a good read. I liked it. I might read other Cleveland titles in the future.
If you've watched The Americans then this storyline will ring familiar. Not the same but familiar.
Vivian Miller is a wife, mom, and CIA CI analyst working on Russian sleeper cells. Her life is very full and very busy. She's created an algorithm at work to track down Russian handlers and their sleepers. It works great and she finds herself staring into the face of someone she knows. Someone who happens to be the father of her four children. There's no way she is married to a Russian operative and hasn't caught on by now. There's just no way...or is there? What follows this revelation is a downward spiral for Vivian as she grapples with the truth, or reality, of her life and what the next steps look like. All along the way the thing she keeps coming back to is trusting her gut, her instincts. Can she? Should she? In the end, for better or worse she's got to.
I got done with the book and felt slightly sick. Just like I felt while watching The Americans. All of this spying and subterfuge. I could never do it and I don't understand people who do. I read this book pretty fast, Cleveland wrote a story that grabbed my attention and kept me wanting to get to the next chapter so I could find out what would happen next. Cleveland, in her former life, was a CIA CI analyst so she writes from experience as far as the job goes. So if Cleveland is crafting fiction stories from her very real work once-upon-a-time I guess that means there is still, in this day and age, all this spy crap going on in countries all over the world? It just seems so infantile. Anyway. This was a good read. I liked it. I might read other Cleveland titles in the future.
memoriasjimjan's review against another edition
4.0
Un libro emocionante, que no te aburre a pesar de tener momentos en que sientes que no pasa mucho. La protagonista se gana nuestro afecto y comprensión, de verdad que debe ser muy complicado pasar por una situación de esas en las que no sabes realmente en quién confiar, ni siquiera en tu propio esposo. Me parece un poco agobiante y muy humano toda la forma de llevar esos malos ratos por los que tiene que pasar Vivian. El final me sorprendió mucho, aunque el libro en términos generales es predecible. Lo recomiendo mucho para las personas que están iniciando en la novela negra.
bahramo's review against another edition
3.0
Solid writing... but found way too many loopholes in the story....
booksuzi54's review against another edition
4.0
Need To Know by Karen Cleveland is a fast paced spy novel that takes the reader into the depths of the spy trade, and its cost on the family of a CIA agent. The pace is fast and the plot is twisted, just the way I enjoy it. It is the first I have read of this author, but will not be the last! I listened to the audiobook and it was great.