Need To Know is a don’t read this at night can’t put it down kind of tale that will leave the reader’s hair standing on end and looking over his or her shoulder all the time.

Vivian Miller, a happily married woman and mother of four young children, is a CIA analyst working on finding Russian spies and their handlers in the US. She is happily married to Matt, the man of her dreams that she met by literally running in to him and spilling his coffee as she moved into her apartment near the Washington, DC, zoo. Love at first sight.

At least that’s how it seemed. Vivian and her group at the CIA have developed a sophisticated algorithm that is designed mirror the computers of known Russian spy-handlers. Early in the story, Vivian manages to penetrate the computer of a man known only as Yury, one of the handlers the CIA is looking for. She sees a file called Friends on his computer, clicks on it, and photos of five faces appear.

One of those faces is that of Vivian’s husband, Matt. When she confronts him about it, he tells her that indeed he is a Russian agent, having been recruited as a 16-year old orphan. To say that she is astonished, horrified, and flabbergasted is an understatement. Her settled World has flipped 180 degrees on its axis.

I can’t say more because doing so would reveal spoilers. Suffice to say that the twists and turns and dangerous situations Vivian finds herself in as this unravels will have to chewing your nails to the quick. I will say one thing: there is one character that I suspected all along, although the clues, if there were any, were not obvious - I just had a feeling. I was right.

I highly recommend this book. I received Need To Know as an ARC from NetGalley. I look forward to more books by Karen Cleveland.

Need to Know is about a CIA operative who discovers a family member is working for the Russians. Her response and reaction were unrealistic and made the main character unlikable. I didn’t enjoy the book for that reason. Wishy-washy female lead who believes everything she’s told.

Need to Know brings the reader along, feeling the emotions and tensions as choices are made and executed. Family values, everything you thought you understood are all turned upside down by a secret. While the reader travels the journey with the characters, every turn and twist; begs to ask, what would you do?

Just when you think you have your life planned, your routines established, your career on track, your priorities and ethics determined; just when you think you have it all figured out; you don't.

This was a super easy and quick read that kept me interested through the final page. The main character is fairly naive and doesn't always make the best decisions, but that didn't keep me from wanting to find out how this would be resolved. I was fairly satisfied with the story overall when I first finished, but then found some holes in the story as I thought about it further. So, it's not a perfect book, but it is worth a read if you like suspense and don't overthink it.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this one.

Need to Know is a fast paced spy novel that revolves around a CIA analyst and her family. Vivian works on the Russian desk, intent on finding sleeper Russian agents in the United States. Married with four young children, the novel first presents her as a slightly overwhelmed mom who just happens to work for the national spy agency. It isn't long, however, before readers learn that doing her job can bring her and her family into danger. Forced to question every aspect of her life, Vivian is thrust into dangerous and potentially deadly encounters with Russian agents.

This was a very fast book to read, mostly because it read more as a television show with double agents and potential mole(s) in the agency. Cleveland's overuse of Vivian's memory of facial expressions during heated and painful conversations became a touch predictable. Does anyone really remember another's facial expressions during conversations years in the past? How many times can someone see doubt or fear or apprehension in another's eyes?

Despite these faults, Need to Know was a fun read.

Very suspenseful, you keep going back and forth, if you should believe Vivian’s husband Matt or not. A little technical here and there, but in general, a quick read.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Nail bitter from the beginning to the end! Ms. Cleveland's way with words plot development sucked me right in and didn't let me go till the end. Hard to put down!

This is one of the best novels I've read this year!! Takes off like a rocket and keeps going. Great characters, fantastic story and a lot of fun to read!! Enjoy!

Full of suspense - a page turner. Really enjoyed this book. It was a nice change seeing different roles in parenting. Strong, unstoppable female character.

The writing was far from sophisticated and I found the outline kind of disorganized, but did enjoy this book - it was highly entertaining, even if a little out there.

WOW! What an amazing, thrilling, and scary book. It's a brilliant maze of did he, did he not and is she or is she not. A crazy ride that will have you glued to the edge of your seat and you'll never see it coming! Just when you think you have it figured out it will change and then change again and again. A fantastic suspense novel!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Need to Know would make a fantastic movie (thankfully the movie rights have already been sold to Universal Studios for Charlize Theron. Ms. Theron is not exactly how I envision Vivian, who is a mother to four children under the age of 8-but she will definitely up the "glam" factor). Need to Know is also timely and relevant (potential Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential election, anyone?). Vivian Miller is a CIA analyst charged with finding Russian "sleeper cells" hiding in America when she stumbles upon information suggesting her husband Matt may be involved in one. Vivian then faces a series of agonizing decisions-should she turn her husband in knowing it will tear her family apart, or protect Matt at the expense of her job and national security? Despite the heavy plotline Need to Know has a fast paced "breezy" feel that will lend itself well to the big screen. The scariest thing about Need to Know is there are CIA agents looking for Russian sleeper cells at this very moment-and the Russians have become so good at avoiding detection they literally could be the people next door. Vivian doesn't always make the best choices, and some of her fellow agents aren't much better-but you can feel her angst and desire to protect her family bleed through every page. Need to Know has a very clever and unexpected ending, one that seems to suggest there's more to know about the Russians than we might think.

A fast-paced, intriguing story, Need to Know kept me reading - and reading, and reading... until I had turned the very last page. It kept me guessing right up to the end and made me wonder, more than once, what I would do if I had to choose between the ones I love and the truth. I fell short of giving it 5 starts simply because I found the ending lacking. It felt rushed in a way I can't quite put my finger on. Additionally, while I enjoyed reading the book, it's not likely to stay with me in any meaningful way.
Edited to add: I LOVE that there is little-to-no vulgarity in the writing. Today's novels tend to be littered with crude -usually unnecessary- language. Not the case with Karen Cleveland. Noticed and appreciated!

Wow! I simply loved this spy thriller that in many ways is so unlike any other spy thriller I have read (and there have been quite a few).
Karen Cleveland does a brilliant job describing the desperation, hopelessness and distrust going through the mind of the main character throughout the book. Cleveland also uses frequent flashbacks to help pieces of a complex puzzle fall into place.
The reader is in for a emotional and super exciting rollercoaster ride in the ruthless world of espionage and counterespionage, and I loved the book from cover to cover with all its twist and turns - including one at the very end (no spoilers!). I can't wait to read more from this very interesting and talented author!

An exciting read which keeps you guessing. Can’t wait for the film!

Need to Know by Karen Cleveland
Need to Know
by Karen Cleveland (Goodreads Author)
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Lou Jacobs's review
Oct 16, 2017 · edit

it was amazing

Delicious! Chapters 1 and 2 end with a gut punch that sets the hook. And, much like a desert addict, I would not be satisfied until I gobbled up this book. It was devoured in two parcels with the unfortunate need to go to work in between. Karen Cleveland serves up an amazing psychological thriller that proves to be a roller coaster ride. Her plotting and prose are reminiscent of the best of Dean Koontz.
The protagonist is Vivian Miller, a dedicated CIA analyst who is relentlessly working on an algorithm program of "Athena" in hopes of uncovering a nest of Russian operatives who are silently embedded into our society. Suddenly, she clicks into a folder that forever changes her life. With one click a series of photos appear that will test her resolve, love and loyalty.
Cleveland provides a masterful tale of deceit propelling to a satisfying and yet unexpected denouement. I certainly hope this is not Vivian Miller's last dilemma!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher in providing this proof in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do to protect your family?

Vivian Miller, a CIA analyst specializing in Russian sleeper agents, must ask herself this numerous times when she discovers a shocking intersection of her work with her personal life. Her beloved husband, father of her four young children, is a Russian agent. Following this devastating revelation, Viv fights to find a way to keep her loved ones safe, even as others try to use her for their own ends and she struggles to know whom she can trust.

Viv isn’t your usual superhuman thriller heroine, somehow miraculously defeating the bad guys and rarely making a misstep. Along the way, she makes some stupid decisions and some not so stupid ones as she does the best she can to protect her children. More than a few times, I wondered how she could have been fooled, especially with her experience in the CIA. But I suppose that’s the point. When it comes to the welfare of those we love, we delude ourselves, lie to ourselves, see or believe what we want to see, all if we think it will keep them safe. In that respect, Viv is very human, making this more a novel about human foibles and family than a spy thriller.

Even though I became frustrated with Viv for some of her decisions, I remained engrossed in her story. That, truly, is the mark of a successful novel.

First, thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing me a free copy of this novel to preview. It’s a fast-paced, thriller about a CIA analyst whose life is shattered by what she finds while searching for Russian sleeper cells in the U.S. Vivian is bright, intelligent and devoted to her job and family. Suddenly, she finds herself confronted by threats to everything and everyone she loves. As she maneuvers through a myriad of twists and turns, I was constantly surprised by this unlikely hero. If you are looking for a real page turner, this one is coming for you in January 2018!

Excellent and perfectly twisty. The close personal perspective of the main character was different from most spy novels, not least because it's a woman. She makes for an excellent narrator and guide and quickly draws empathy from the reader with her point of view on personal, family and work issues.