There's something quite satisfying in reading a good government/spy book. In Need to Know, I was instantly thrown into the main character's life and the intricate parts she plays throughout the story. This is the first government thriller that I've read where I get to hear the main character's thoughts as she states her fears, her doubts, and her love for her family and country. It's as if I'm right there in her mind as she details everything that's going on in her life.
Vivian is a CIA counter intelligence analyst and while her life seems perfect on the surface, there's actually quite a lot going on behind the scenes. As Vivian tells us the story of how her perfect life is slowly unraveling before her eyes, we are also treated to how she smartly outwits the enemy and wins back the love and respect of her family.
What I love about this book is how Vivian jumps from the present to the past and how the past slowly reveals why her present life is at stake. As mentioned, she seems to have the perfect life; doting mother, a great job, and a husband who adores her. But we're instantly thrust into this major mystery and we're left wondering how she'll get out of it.
Need to Know is a fun, edge of your seat, nail-biting thriller. There aren't a lot of characters in this book but the main ones will keep you guessing till the very end. And it seems like there might be a second installment of the story as we're left with another open mystery.
As indicated by NetGalley, it seems as if film rights have already been sold on this book and Charlize Theron might be the main lead. How exciting would that be! I think Charlize would be perfect for the role of Vivian as long as the story gives her a bit more kick-assery, I'd like to see her use some martial arts skills to fight off the bad guys :)

I just finished Karen Cleveland’s NEED TO KNOW after staying up way past my bedtime for two night’s running, and all I can say is that it was well worth the sleep deprivation! I’m not going to give any information about the plot in this review because it would have ruined the book for me had I known even an inkling about what was in store in this thrill-ride of a novel. (The description provided by the publisher is sufficient). The author, who I discovered has worked as an intelligence analyst in the past, does a fabulous job of ending many of the chapters with bombshells that left me gasping. The suspense and tension in this book were so high that at times I covered my eyes with my hand with just enough room to peek between my fingers at the text I was reading! That was really a first for me in the hundreds of books I’ve read as a bibliophile and librarian. I wanted to skim the pages at times to get to the next part of the story! I also saw that it appears this book will be made into a movie, and it’s a perfect story for the big screen. My emotions were all over the place while reading it, and I even read the ending three times, just to let it all sink in. It’s not without a few flaws (plot holes), but the story was so enjoyable that I happily overlooked them when I saw them. There are not enough superlatives in my vocabulary (at 1:07 a.m as I’m typing) to let you know how much I loved this book! I cannot wait to get it into the hands of my library patrons in January and hear their thoughts, as well. This is the kind of book that makes reading such a pleasure, and I applaud the author for all the hard work in getting it published.

Holy moly!

That ending!

But first, let me thank Netgalley, the publisher, and Karen Cleveland for allowing me to request and receive a digital ARC of this book. Now I will try to review this book without giving an ounce of anything away!

Vivian works for the CIA-- a nerdy analyst for lack of a better term. Vivian works on trying to break into the sleeper cell of Russia. One day, while looking through a Russian computer, she finds a a picture that will change her whole life.

From there, Vivian tries to navigate the whole situation properly. Not only for her, but her husband and four kids.

And just when you think you are at the end...

That ending!

Well written, fast paced, and a book that cannot be put down. Highly recommend and will read everything Cleveland writes!

A page turner from the first few pages,-Need to Know grabs you and won't let go! This quick read has an unlikely heroine and cast of characters. Add kin a suprise twist for the ending . And you'll be wondering if this is the last we've seen of these characters from author Karen Cleveland. All in all a fun read and a great beach book! I want to thank Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I like a good psychological thriller which leaves you second guessing what you had assumed three pages ago. I love such a novel when at least SOME of the characters are enjoyable and relateable. "Need to Know" is such a spy thriller. It reminded me of the cold-war movie "No Way Out" from 1987. What would you do to protect yourself and your family? Who is worthy of trust and who isn't? Each chapter flips the script and where you think is a reasonable assumption. I read it in practically one sitting - found it that compelling. Highly recommend for fans of spy fiction, and while it's not as deep as a LeCarre or as technical as a Clancy, readers of those authors and of their genres will appreciate "Need to Know", I think.

With thanks to the author, Karen Cleveland, and to the author, Ballantine, for the Advanced Reader's Copy.

I do enjoy suspense but for some reason this wasn't really my taste. I think it's because I never really liked any of the characters that much.

This was an absolute page-turner! Fascinating story of a CIA Russian analyst forced to choose between what is right for her country and what is right for her family. Keeps you guessing right to the very end and then adds another twist. Highly recommended.

Wow, this what about as white-knuckle a thriller as I've read in a long time, and it was pretty much all psychological, depending on the real connections between people, and not on guns and torture and a trail of dead bodies. (Which I am okay with, it's just that this wasn't one of those.)

Not that there wasn't torture, but it was all in the head, the worst kind, as in what happens when an unknown danger threatens your family, your kids?

Vivian is a CIA analyst, happily married, with four kids, one with heart problems that, along with a heavy mortgage, stretch the family budget. But she and Matt are great at tag teaming kids and shopping and meals and so forth, both devoted to the kids.

Vivian is terrific at her job, her current project to identify a Russian sleeper cell.

She digs in deep, uncovers some photos, and when she stares into a face she knows well, her entire world begins to unravel. Cleveland does a terrific job with that gut=gnawing terror, swapping off with mama-bear protection mode. Not every decision that Vivian makes is the right one, though it seems right at the time, her options limited, especially as new horrible discoveries come at her at every turn.

We get occasional glances into her first meeting with her husband, meeting, romance, and marriage, and the births of the kids, as Vivian considers her past, present, and future before every move she has to make.The quiet terror underscoring her attempt to hang on to a semblance of normal life is really well done. I simply could not stop reading until the end . . . and what an end!

Apparently Cleveland has worked in that shady world. The terrific detail, the subtle pressures and tensions, resonate as real.

NEED TO KNOW
KAREN CLEVELAND


MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
PUBLISHER Ballantine Books
PUBLISHED January 23, 2018

A heart-wrenching counterintelligence thriller that is impossible to put down.

SUMMARY
Vivian Miller is a CIA counterintelligence analyst trying to identify Russian sleeper cells and their handlers. She's getting close. And then she find something total unexpected when hacking into a suspect’s computer. A picture of her husband labeled as “friend”. Viv and Matt been married ten fabulous years and have four young children. She's beside herself. She confronts Matt with the accusation and he volunteers he's been a deep cover operative for the Russians for 22 years. She's devastated. Their entire marriage has been a sham from the beginning. But now she has to decide what to do. Should she turn him him? Can she turn him in? What will it do to the kids? Can she fix this. Then things get even worse.


REVIEW
NEED TO KNOW captured my attention immediately. I was so caught up in this spy story I forgot it was just a story. It could have been real. It could be today. This is a fabulous debut novel by KAREN CLEVELAND, who worked as a CIA analyst for eight years. She knows of what she writes!

I was so emotional invested in the book. Where do you turn when the person you trusted the most has been lying to you for years? Cleveland’s writing was great. The plot is so emotionally charged it just captivated me. Particularly in today' political environment. At times the story was so intense I had to put it down, but I still read it all in one day, which is unusual for me. It was a mesmerizing thriller. The ending was simply brilliant, it blew me away. Can't stop thinking about it.

This should be one of the first books you read in 2018, because the movie rights have already been sold and Charlize Theron is playing Vivian. Can't wait. Thanks to Netgalley, Ballantine Books and Karen Cleveland for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. When I finished the first chapter I gasped, it happened again when I finished the next chapter and then I proceeded to stay up way too late to finish the book. It is THAT good! As you can guess, there are too many spoilers to even think about summarizing the story, other than sharing that it is about a counterintelligence agent, Vivian Miller. She is working for the CIA trying to create a computer profiling program that can track Russian sleeper cells. What she find is way more than she bargained for when she created it. The suspense is non-stop, and the cliff hanger at the end leads me to believe there will be more to come! I'm telling all my friends about it!

When I read the premise of this book, it strongly appealed to me. I’ve been interested in the idea of Russian sleepers for many years. So I was very happy to get an advance copy from Net Galley.

If you, too, are interested in Russian sleepers, you will love this book. If you really have no knowledge of Russian sleepers, but are into family dynamics, you also will love this book. This was the type of book I had to put down at times, not because it wasn’t interesting, but because I was so afraid of what was going to happen. Obviously, I was engaged with the characters.

If you like thrillers, this is your book. If you haven’t done thrillers in the past, try this one. It’s not creepy scary, not bloody, just fraught with tension.

Vivian is caught between a rock and a hard place. She works for the CIA and discovers her hubby is a Russian sleeper. Oh the trouble Viv finds herself in, makes for a Awesome novel.

Karen created a masterful novel of the Cat & Mouse game of espionage. The characters, the twist and turns. What a Fantastic novel!!!

Good story. Engaging characters. I enjoyed the read even though I was constantly challenged to suspend belief by the many, many technical intelligence issues seemingly due to a serious lack of knowledge of the field. Still, it would seem Ms. Cleveland could make a good show in this genre if she can make some contacts, keep researching, and develop a better grasp of the technical aspects.

I loved this book, and it made me question my ethics. Who would I put first, and who could I trust. This book was fun, and kept me up late at night.

This book was a journey into sleeper cells within the United States. What would happen if you found out one of your family members was a part of a sleeper cell? Exactly how many people in your life are a part of this subterfuge? Can you really trust those people you surround yourself with?? This book shows how one woman deals with everything she has learned and is still learning about her husband. Definitely should have a second book about this couple and their family. Fantastically told story with dense characters. I highly RECOMMEND this book. So full of drama that's constantly changing throughout.

(2 1/2). This is a fun little throw back style thriller. Good and evil. Russia vs. U.S.A.. Family vs. honor. A couple of really fun twists and turns. See if you can figure out the end before it gets you. It sure got me!

I think I read this book in record time. I had trouble putting it down. It's the story of Vivian Miller, a counter=intelligence agent for the CIA, who discovers evidence about Russian sleeper cells that tests her allegiance to the United States and to her family. The plot was fast-moving in this well-written book, and the emotional anguish the protagonist experienced is palpable. The only reason I'm giving the book four stars instead of five is because I found the plot to be somewhat predictable--that is, until the very last few pages. That surprise plot twist was the perfect ending for the book.

Karen Cleveland takes the traditional spy genre and tilts it on this head by employing a female protagonist and putting her in an impossible situation. Far from being contrived, this was a great story with a fresh perspective. Throughout the book I was yelling (in my head) for Vivian to do the "right thing", but all along the author made sure we understood the character's motivation and how, from her point of view, she was doing the right thing. The author jumps heads a couple of times, but doing so only advances the storyline. If there is going to be a sequel, sign me up for a copy.

If you liked the series The Americans, about a Russian sleeper cell, you will love this book about a similar story, focusing on a couple, the wife working for the CIA, and her husband the Russian sleeper agent. The descriptions of the heart-wrenching decisions faced by both of them are very realistic, and the story gripping. Highly recommended.

I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you Karen Cleveland, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review.

This book follows Vivian Miller, a dedicated CIA counterintelligence analyst, who is assigned to uncover the leaders of Russian sleeper cells in the United States. During her pursuit, she uncovers a dangerous secrets that tests her loyalties to both the agency and to her family.

NEED TO KNOW has it all: a unique storyline, love and loyalty, Russia sleeper cell agents, fast-paced plot, dynamic characters, well-written thematics, loads of suspense, and twists that keep you guessing. The reader should look forward to a sequel, as this novel does end on a cliffhanger. This is my first Karen Cleveland novel, and she did not disappoint! This was a thoroughly compelling psychological thriller novel, and I recommend it to anyone interested in a good thriller or novels about sleeper cells. This unputdownable novel gets five easy stars.