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A review by novelvisits
Need to Know by Karen Cleveland
3.0
My Thoughts: Vivian Miller is a analyst for the CIA. Hers is not a dangerous job, she works the world of computer analysis in the elite Russian counterintelligence division. For many her job might even seem a little dull, until she sees husband’s face pop up in a “friends” file of a man suspected of being a Russian handler. In one glance, Viv’s entire world comes crashing down.
“I close my eyes and press harder against my temples.
Matt’s not who he says he is.
My husband’s a deep-cover Russian operative.”
From that point on Viv’s life gets more and more complicated. Matt, the father of her four children and the man Vivian deeply loves, stuns her further when he admits he’s worked for the Russians for 22-years. (That revelation is what hooked me!) Vivian loves her country, but she also loves her family and she’s quickly put into positions where she needs to choose between the two and that is the tight-wire act that is Need to Know.
I really enjoyed the play of Vivian and her husband, Matt. She, being trained in the detection of lies, and Matt, being trained in how to lie with conviction, constantly left me wondering. Cleveland used flashbacks to flesh out the couple’s history and at the same time have Vivian consider the past under the new lens of lies. I thought this worked especially well. As might be expected, Need to Know was a twisty story where the reader could often guess what the next twist might be, but that only intensified my desire to read on. I needed to know if I was right and how Viv would react.
I don’t read many law enforcement type books, and the things that bother me about most also bothered me in Need to Know. I felt like Vivian made some pretty bad choices, with not enough reason to have made them and the ending made me lose a little respect for her. It appeared too good to be true, but with the epilogue that became more clear. It also became clear that Cleveland is not done with Vivian Miller. I’m not a reader of series, so while I thoroughly enjoyed the days I spent with Viv, I doubt I’d read any sequels. Grade: B
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts.
“I close my eyes and press harder against my temples.
Matt’s not who he says he is.
My husband’s a deep-cover Russian operative.”
From that point on Viv’s life gets more and more complicated. Matt, the father of her four children and the man Vivian deeply loves, stuns her further when he admits he’s worked for the Russians for 22-years. (That revelation is what hooked me!) Vivian loves her country, but she also loves her family and she’s quickly put into positions where she needs to choose between the two and that is the tight-wire act that is Need to Know.
I really enjoyed the play of Vivian and her husband, Matt. She, being trained in the detection of lies, and Matt, being trained in how to lie with conviction, constantly left me wondering. Cleveland used flashbacks to flesh out the couple’s history and at the same time have Vivian consider the past under the new lens of lies. I thought this worked especially well. As might be expected, Need to Know was a twisty story where the reader could often guess what the next twist might be, but that only intensified my desire to read on. I needed to know if I was right and how Viv would react.
I don’t read many law enforcement type books, and the things that bother me about most also bothered me in Need to Know. I felt like Vivian made some pretty bad choices, with not enough reason to have made them and the ending made me lose a little respect for her. It appeared too good to be true, but with the epilogue that became more clear. It also became clear that Cleveland is not done with Vivian Miller. I’m not a reader of series, so while I thoroughly enjoyed the days I spent with Viv, I doubt I’d read any sequels. Grade: B
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts.