A very strong first novel, with some echoes of the TV series The Americans, in the way that its focus is mainly in the the protagonist family relations, and how the actions, alegiances and betrayals affects them.

Need to Know is a really fast-paced, well plotted thriller with an intriguing heroine and a gripping story. Can't wait to see how the film version turns out!

I won’t repeat here what the book is about because after 187 reviews I think that readers know that by heart now.

What I would love to repeat is the praise for this book but I’m against plagiarism – of course. I would love to repeat that I loved the series The Americans too – not only because of the plot but because learning Russian is one of my hobbies and the Russian in this series is very easy to follow. I would also like to repeat how happy I am to read that this book will be made into a movie. And on the other hand, I would even like to repeat some of the criticisms. I found all the talk about the children rather boring, and I cannot understand why Vivian, when her daughter is ‘sick’, just puts her on the couch and never asks her what she actually feels.

So I’m not going to repeat anything… I’m just going to say that I simply thought it a great debut and I’m very happy to have received the ARC. Now all I have to do is wait for the movie to come out.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book...I read it in one day! I felt like the dilemmas faced were plausible and believable. The ending was somewhat predictable for someone who is an avaricious reader of all genres but I still had a pleasant afternoon of reading on a rainy day.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Ballantine Books for giving me an advanced copy for my hones review.

How well do you know your husband? For Vivian, a CIA counterintelligence analyst, the answer could mean life or death.

Oh my goodness. I had a feeling I would love this book that combines espionage and family, but I was completely obsessed with reading this as soon as I picked it up. Karen Cleveland's background as a CIA Analyst lent a sense of realism and authenticity to a tense story.

If you want to stay up all night reading, start this book, because you will not be able to put it down!

A typical spy novel but I found it lost my interest...conspiracy theorist might enjoy it

4 Stars


This incredible book is a 'doozy' CIA thriller debut, that sets up a crescendo suspense and intrigue from its first chapter that will last till the very end!

Thanks to the great folks at Netgalley and Random House for this ARC copy


Wow, I was thoroughly impressed and enjoyed this'CIA' debut novel <i> Need to Know </i> by Karen Cleveland! The book tells the story of a 'Viv Miller, a CIA analyst working on counter-intelligence against Russian 'sleeper cells' in the United States. In essense, 'sleeper' cells are Russian spy operatives working undercover and incognito until they are fully activated by their respective 'Russian' mid-handlers.

From the very beginning, Cleveland builds the suspense by setting up a single theme:

If you had to chose between love of country and love of family, which one would you chose?

The rest is history folks! I really can't detail much more about the story without risking my own safety, lol.

What I can tell unequivocally, is that the writer knows what the hell she's writing about! From her own Goodreads bio: ''Karen Cleveland spent eight years as a CIA analyst, the last six in counterterrorism'' enough said!

The writing is fast paced, the chapters highlight 'Viv's' dilemma with her CIA discovery, and flashback moments of her life. The third party POV is very effective at setting up a contrast of Viv's life 'B.D' vs 'A.D' her monumental discovery. Viv is certainly a woman in distress, with an incredible difficult choice, and one that would make readers 'cringe' in their seats until the last page of the book!

I leave this with an image from the kick ass 'MAD Magazine' Spy vs Spy that really resumes this book well, without giving any spoilers...



4 Stars

Als CIA-Innendienstmitarbeiterin hat Vivien einen verantwortungsvollen Job. Ihr Mann Matt ist ihr eine große Stütze, hauptsächlich kümmert er sich um ihre vier Kinder. Diese sind alle sehr wohlgeraten, nur einer der Zwillinge hat seit seiner Geburt gesundheitliche Probleme, ein kleiner Sonnenschein und gleichzeitig ein Sorgenkind. Viviens Familie braucht ihren Job und Vivien macht ihre Arbeit gerne, auch wenn sie die Kinder in jedem Moment vermisst. Sie ist gut in ihrer Arbeit, sie hat einen Algorithmus entwickelt, mit dem die Agency hofft, Russische Schläfer zu enttarnen. Und Vivien schafft es, sie dringt in den Computers eines Führungsoffiziers ein, sie enttarnt fünf Schläfer und einer davon ist ihr Mann.

Man stelle sich das vor, ein geliebtes Familienmitglied ist überhaupt nicht der, der er immer behauptet hat. Man beginnt zu zweifeln, ob das lustige Kennenlernen nicht auf auf einer Lüge beruht. Möglicherweise beruht alles auf Lügen, die Liebe, die Kinder, das Haus. Viviens Welt bricht zusammen. Schlimmer wird es noch dadurch, dass Matt sofort zugibt, für die Russen zu arbeiten. Das beste wäre es, Vivien würde ihn an die Behörden ausliefern. Aber soll und will Vivien ihre Familie, ihr ganzes Leben aufgeben. Ihre Sicherheit, ihr Liebe zu Matt, der doch ein treu sorgender Ehemann und Vater ist. Schon diese Entscheidung ist unendlich schwer und es folgen weitere.

Anscheinend ist das Problem mit den Russen noch nicht gelöst. Auf sehr spannende Art und Weise erinnert die Autorin daran, dass Geheimdienste immer noch dabei sind, sich gegenseitig auszuspionieren. Der alte Feind Russland ruht nicht, er plant langfristig, er ist geduldig und er schlägt zu, wenn sich die Möglichkeit bietet. Einen besonderen Twist bringt die Variante, mit einem Schläfer eine uramerikanische Familie zu gründen. Die blonde Versuchung oder auch eine dunkelhaarige ist hier mal keine Frau, sondern ein Mann. Während der gesamten Lektüre überlegt man, wie man sich selbst in einer solchen Situation fühlen würde, wie man selbst handeln würde. Hin und hergerissen zwischen Pflicht und Familie, ein unlösbarer Konflikt wie es scheint. Wem gilt die Loyalität? Dem eigenen Mann, dem eigenen Land? Wie würde man selbst entscheiden. Und meint man, alles gelingt allzu gut, so wird man von der Autorin doch eines besseren belehrt.

Ein fesselnder Thriller, der zwar wirkt wie aus dem kalten Krieg, den man überwunden geglaubt hat, der jedoch anscheinend nichts an Aktualität eingebüßt hat. Lesenswert.

Need to Know is a great debut thriller from Cleveland. It grips you from the beginning and keeps you in page turning suspense full of twists and turns throughout. There were some moments towards the end that felt awfully convenient, but lead to an excellent reveal on the final page. The book also touches nicely on themes of family, marriage, motherhood, and looking back on our pasts. The main character can be somewhat frustrating in her naivete (why is a CIA counterintelligence analyst so willing to trust others in the midst of recent betrayal) and passivity at times, but these traits make her more human and resonates well with the relationship themes being explored. The focus on Russian espionage and continuation of the Cold War are also very timely. Overall a fun, captivating read from an author I look forward to reading again in the future.

In this book, one CIA analyst and mother of four finds out her family is in trouble after she identifies Russian spies living in America. I have to warn you, this book is a quick-paced thriller that will have you flipping pages too fast to comprehend.

The quick-paced aspect of the storyline is helped along by the main character of the story. Vivian Miller is a strong female character in terms of balancing her family and work life. She’s the typical woman, except for the fact that she works for the CIA. Vivian wants to have it all, a steady career and time to spend with her family, but her job always seems to get in the way of family time. It was hard to watch Vivian’s struggle and realize that millions of women go through this every day.

Despite my love of Vivian’s dilemma, I was a little irked at her. She often brushed issues aside or didn’t delve in deep enough to the situation. Her emotions just felt nonexistent sometimes. She also made some odd decisions for a CIA agent.

Her emotional situation probably had to do with the pacing and length of the book. While it was very fast-paced, it was also very short. I think another 100 pages could have contributed greatly to Vivian, her family, and her coworkers’ character development. As it stands, the other characters read pretty flat, even Vivian’s husband who is a major character in the book.

However, I can’t lie, after getting sucked in in chapter by chapter, none of these issues really mattered. Once you start, you won’t be able to stop.

All in all, this book is a fun, quick read. If you’re looking for something that you’ll devour in one or two sittings, I’d say go for it. It’s also the perfect read for fans of Ashton Kutcher’s Killers film or even the television show Bones.

3.5/5 stars

*Note: I received an ARC of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

A really fun read. Kept you guessing until right to the end if one of the main characters was a good guy or a bad guy. Seemed very believable and realistic as to how people reacted to what was happening. Good book.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

WOW!!! What an exciting book to read. I couldn't put it down. I read it in two days and that includes a day of work. I am sad that I could not give this book 6 stars!

It is a modern day story about the CIA and the pursuit or discovery of Russian Sleepers inserted into the US. It is a scary idea and a very believable scenario. The author's experience as a CIA analyst made that portion of the book extremely believable. It also delves into the idea of whether sleepers will remain loyal to Mother Russia or will assimilate and switch loyalties.

The book keeps you on edge wondering which of the players is a loyal American and who is not. It has so many twists and turns that will keep you guessing. The best compliment that I can give a book like this is that it surprised me---more than once.

An intriguing book and I look forward to the next chapter in this adventure.

Please read this book---you will not be disappointed.

Just one word : thrilling. A real page-turner with very good caracters. Vivian first , a very strong and intellignet woman, on a mission: protecting her family. Between her country and her kids , she has a choice to make, and what will you do if you were in her position . Matt then, tortured between his past and his future. Its really exhilirating, very well written, and nervous. You can't stop reading it, turning page after page , sitting in the car next to Vivian , stressed for her and her kids , not knowing whom to trust . A really good moment , I assure you, so put it on your agenda and be sure to buy it as soon as its out.

I was a bit hesitant a few times in the book thinking oh I know what is going to happen ho hum another 'thriller'. I was wrong.

When the author is a former CIA analyst with two Master's Degrees including one as a Fulbright Scholar you can put your hesitation to the side.

This book covers the struggles of working parents intertwined with some serious counterintelligence/spy/our government knows and does what stuff thrown in. "Working parents" when mom does counterintelligence can be a whole different ballgame.

This part of the description was very true...thank goodness for days off. "“Prediction: If you read chapter one, you’ll read chapter two. If you read chapter two, you’ll miss dinner, stay up far too late, and feel tired at work tomorrow. This is that kind of book. Superb.”—Lee Child"

Wow! This book was just so amazing. It has intrigue galore. Lies, deceit, espionage and Russian sleeper cells. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. There isn’t anything I don’t like about this book!
Received an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

Karen Cleveland's latest offering is a spy novel, full of suspense and with more twists and turns than a mountain highway. Vivian, a CIA counterintelligence analyst, is the novel's central character. Ms. Cleveland fully develops the lead character and takes the reader into the struggles of her life as a spy analyst, wife and mother. When the three roles cross paths, the story gets serious. I won't ruin the ending, but will tell you the road to the climax is filled with difficult decisions and fraught with agonizing consequences. If you like spy novels and thrillers, you'll love this book.

After reading “Need to Know” by Karen Cleveland, I thought how am I going to write a review of this book without spoiling it for others? With that being said here is a bit about the book.

Vivian Miller, a CIA analyst wants a promotion in the worst way. She has developed a system for discovering Russian sleeper cells on American soil that are simply living in plain sight. As she is analyzing the computer of a Russian operative, she finds information that could turn not only her world, but her family’s world upside down. How is she supposed to defend her country and her family at the same time? Who can she trust?

If you are a fan of suspense, this book will catch you from the first chapter. Although there are a few lulls every now and then, but in my opinion it has enough suspense and intrigue to keep you turning the pages until the end.

Disclaimer: I received this eBook from the publisher, Random House, Ballantine Books for free to read and review through the blogger review program at Net Galley. I was not required to give a favorable review only an honest review, nor was I compensated for my review. All thoughts and comments in this review are my own.

Need to Know is so aptly named - I simply had to know what would happen next in the book! The book had me hooked from the start. I haven't really read any spy novels but I feel like this was a great start! I really hope to see more books from the author and I really really hope the book gets made into a movie because that would just be simply fantastic!

First of all I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group -Ballantine for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What can I say. I never thought that I would actually enjoy a book about the CIA and Russian sleeper cells.
I feared it would be complex and really difficult to grasp but the prediction that this book would be “The Thriller of the Year” won me over.


Now I’m just so thankfull for the opportunity I got to read this book because this story surely got me on the edge of my seat!
It is told from the perspective of Vivian, wife and mother of four and CIA analyst.
We just learn about her struggle to balance her busy family life with her high end job at the intelligence agency when an unexpected and shocking discovery of a familiar face in a list of Russian sleepers makes her doubt everthing she holds dear.
One of the things I liked best about this book is all the sudden twists and turns that take place. The storyline itself is very original and full of suspense. I particularly liked the many flashbacks that allow the reader to put situations into context. I really sympathised with the main character Vivian and the impossible choices she has to make. I must admit that I have some mixed feelings about the ending but all in all this was one of the best thrillers I read this year. Be sure you get your hands on this one!

This is a tremendously well written book with the ring of truth. A CIA worker learns that her husband of 10 years is harboring a secret . Spoiler alert- I’m not telling. Fast paced thriller. I want more from this author, although this one will be hard to beat.