It Takes One to Know One by Susan Isaacs is a story about Corie Geller, married to a judge, happy adoptive mother to his 14-year-old girl. She used to work in the FBI catching terrorists so she has a suspicious mind. She goes to weekly luncheons and is suspicious about a fellow person at these luncheons, Pete Delaney. She finds that some things he does are most peculiar, like sitting in a particular chair in the restaurant, facing the window so he can look at his car. She feels that he is hiding something and sets about investigating him, eventually getting her father to assist her.
What follows is a humorous but dangerous attempt by Corie to really find out who and what Pete is up to. I loved the style of writing, the characters are believable.
I have always loved Susan Isaacs writing ever since I read Compromising Positions way back when..This is definitely a book worth reading!

This book by Susan Isaacs was well written and has a cast of god character but I found it very slow reading until the last 1/4th of the book. The main character is Corie Geller and she has given up her FBI career to marry a dentist and he has a daughter.

Corrie reads Arabic books for translation for a publishing house for a living now, and she meets once a week for lunch with a group of freelancers in Shorehaven. It is here she starts watching the behavior of one of the members, which is in her opinion, highly suspect. So she asks her Dad for help even though she is no longer in the FBI.

This is when the books loses my interest, however I finished the book and am glad I did because the book picked up in the end. I have read many books by Susan Isaacs in the past and really have enjoyed them so decided to read this one.

I gave this book 4 stars.

It took me a while to get into this book. I was expecting a shorter book since it said that it had 288 pages. As I continued to flip the pages, it just seemed like I was getting nowhere fast. Somehow I think that page count was way off, or it was the longest 288 pages ever. There was just something lacking in this book. The elements were all there, but something was just missing, it never really took off (until the very end). It did have a great cast of characters and I could see Isaacs using these characters in future books. There was a mystery, but it was barely there. It would definitely be considered more of a cozy if the language had been toned down and the ending was dialed down just a bit. Unfortunately, it just didn’t hold my interest the way I hoped it would.

It's been a few years since I've read a Susan Isaacs book, which is a shame, because she's a great storyteller. Her protagonists, almost always Jewish women, have a dry wit that makes them likable even when they're not doing likable things. This time around, our narrator is a thirty-five-year-old woman named Corie, a former FBI agent who brought down terrorists in her former life and gave it all up for marriage to a wealthy man and a stepdaughter. But Corie has a hard time letting go of her FBI agent instincts when she notices her peculiar neighbor, Pete, behaving rather suspiciously, and she starts to wonder if he could he be a terrorist.

At first, I thought I was reading a comedy of manners, so I didn't expect Corie's suspicions to lead to much ... unless it was a forbidden romance with the oddball Pete. But then it became clear that I really was reading a suspense novel.

The last twenty percent of the book was impossible to stop reading. A few years ago, I picked up some Susan Issacs paperbacks at a used books sale. They've been sitting on my bookshelf, unread, and now I'm strongly tempted to move them to the front of my to-read stack.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of Takes One to Know One through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Takes One to Know One, by Susan Isaacs tells the thrilling story of Corie Geller, Ex-interrogator for the terrorist investigation department for the FBI as she discovers that everything is not as it seems in her new “perfect” suburban life. After retiring from the FBI in order to be more present for her new family, Corie has struggled to adapt to the normalcy her life rarely used to hold. In an attempt to expand her world, Corie attends weekly meetings with other local self employed individuals, which is where she meets Pete Delaney. At first, Pete strikes Corie as simply an unusual man, but her investigative instincts won’t allow her to leave a potential case without further inquiry. Soon it becomes obvious to Corie that Pete Delaney is not who he pretends to be, but finding out what he’s hiding will take all of her former-FBI power.

This book is a tad outside my usual reading realm, but I found myself really enjoying the story and characters! Susan Isaacs has knocked out an epically exciting mystery novel in Takes One to Know One! I loved her writing style and the way her characters developed into real, knowable people.

You can get your copy of Takes one to Know One from Grove Atlantic on October 1st!

My Recommendation-
I would recommend this book to people in search of a thrilling mystery to break up suburban boredom (after all that is what the protagonist does)! Additionally, people who don’t generally read mysteries should definitely give Takes One to Know One a try, as it is sure to entertain even the most reluctant of readers!

I loved the humor in this tale of Takes One To Know One by Susan Isaacs, Corie is typically thinking one thing as she is say another. She is the lucky girl who finds the perfect guy, without ever trying. At 35 she marries Josh, the widower.  who left his lawyer job at a big firm to take on a judgeship, mainly to care for his daughter. Corie leaves her FBI job for the same reason, his daughter, and takes on a free lance job working for literary book agencies.  In the  meantime Corie seems a bit restless with this "Wednesday" group of suburbanites who lament about their lives and jobs, in that she discovers a man she is very suspicious of and it takes off from there. Filled with comical moments, and light hearted humor we follow Corie on this quest. Thank you #NetGalley #TakesOnetoKnowOne #AtlanticMonthlyPress

There is a lot to like about this book. Corie is a former FBI agent turned suburban mother, wife and book editor who is missing the excitement of her old career. Is she imagining that a member of her Wednesday lunch group is suspicious? Is she reading too much into things? Or is Pete Delaney really hiding something sinister? Corie decides to confide her suspicions to a former coworker and things take an interesting turn. This is all really good. I liked the characters, especially Corie’s Dad who is an ex police officer with a sense of humor and colorful vocabulary. The mystery was also very good. But, for me, something was missing and it lacked the page-turning excitement I need in mysteries. I just wasn’t “hooked” and I can’t pinpoint why. However I did enjoy the book and will read another of Susan Isaacs’ books, which I’ve always heard good things about. Disclaimer– I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Net Galley! 🤩🤩🤩

I have read other books by Susan Isaacs in the past, so when I was offered the chance to read the ARC of a new one, I was excited. Sadly, I was bored with it. The plot slogged along, with Corie investigating a man based on little oddities she'd noticed at their weekly group lunch meetings. His character was described as so flat as to blend in anywhere, but it was so flat as to bore me. The attic scene did have plenty of action, but by then, the book was almost over. I rarely give bad reviews, especially to authors I usually enjoy, but, because I have read her other books, I know she can do better.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

very drawn out and slow. While I am usually a fan of Susan Isaacs work, this one just wasn't for me. :(

Corie Geller gave up her career with the FBI at age thirty-five to become a wife and mother of a teenaged girl. She’s having a hard time fitting into the social world of suburbia, and is feeling decidedly like an outsider. When she starts wondering what one of her weekly lunch mates is trying to hide when he sits in the same chair every week staring out the window at his black Jeep, she knows she hasn’t let her inner FBI agent go yet.

Issacs is a good writer, and sometimes she’s better than good, but this is not one of those times. Everything about this book is just okay. The characters are bland, almost lacking in personality, even Corie. The plot doesn’t zing along, rather it meanders between angst, boredom, angst, wanting something to happen, etc.

This really isn’t an awful book, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. If you like a mystery that takes it’s time getting to the mystery and some more time to get to the solution, this book is for you.

Thanks to Atlantic Monthly Press for an eARC.

The best way I can think of to define TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE by Susan Issac is a novel of intrigue, written in a primarily cozy style. There is not a specific murder mystery to solve. Instead, the entire book follows Corie Geller as she pursues questions she has about one of the regular attendees in her weekly luncheon group. Corie, who is a former FBI agent, now married and doing occasional contract work for them, is working hard to adjust to a more “normal” life, being married to a widowed judge. She has adopted his now young teenage daughter and has a cushy life in suburbia, but she finds something missing. As a result, she begins to have questions about one of her luncheon regulars who seems to be a study in bland; a persona he has created rather than his actual personality.
With the exception of a few pages toward the end of the novel, there is little physical danger or description about activities, which is much more like a cozy than an actual thriller where there is danger in almost every chapter. Instead, the reader follows along as Corie pursues first one then another of her hunches about the true identity of her luncheon companion. She is aided on a couple of her quests by her father, a retired NYPD detective and her best friend, an exclusive designer who can gain entry for Corie into an elite group in Texas.
Although there is more included about Corie’s father and her best friend, all of the characters seem to lack much depth. The book is narrated by Corie and spends time with her telling the reader about her activities rather than giving information that allows the reader to see the action as it takes place. While it is grammatically well-written, this style of writing can veer into becoming tedious as there is little information for the reader to develop any mental pictures regarding the participants, the location or the action itself.
My thanks to Grove Atlantic’s Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advance digital reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

2.5
I was eager to read Susan Isaacs but this one... I SLOGGED THROUGH IT. Never really engaged. Just wanted to finish it. So disappointed. Cannot round up because that would mean I thought the book was good! It could have been interesting, but not!

There were many haha moments but not enough to sustain/recommend.

In a word: GLIB. And yes, I did love much of the humor/descriptions.

"starring one of many extremely famous movie actors named Chris"

"...the assistant manager, Sergei, a hugely muscular guy whose pointy ears extended almost at right angles from his shaved head, making him look like a bouncer at an elf club."

"...expression was one of perpetual piss, as if he'd been sentenced to life chewing on aluminum foil"

"...his hair didnt really look like hair at all but rather like a meringue wig"

and on and on--but does not a book make!

Mostly this book seemed like a B movie in search of a solid, sustaining, plot line. Finally, at about 3/4 in--action! But, TOO LATE. And then, wham, bam!

There were no groaning, grimacing moments [which does happen to me], and it was written well enough but...

So--in a word, no.

Takes One to Know One is a fresh take on a contemporary hard-boiled mystery. Corie Schottland Gellar, former FBI agent, is learning to navigate suburban upper-class America complete with a new husband who is working on climbing the rungs of judgedom and a young teen daughter who is going through all the angst teen girls go through. Despite her best attempts at being a typical stay-at-home mother, she can’t help but see mystery and intrigue in places that other people don’t notice.

What I Like

The main character, Corie, is endearingly flawed. Through her eyes, her marriage seems lackluster at best, and her new profession as a reader of Arabic lit for a few publishers is a bit humdrum. She doesn’t like her husband to go away for long cases, partly because that means she’ll be alone to face the responsibilities of having a family and partly because that means if an exciting FBI opportunity comes along, she won’t be a be able to pursue it. She’s going through the same problems that many men and women go through when they decide to put family over career.

The pace of the second half of the book is fast and action-filled. When FBI agent Corie emerges (as opposed to stay-at-home Corie), the speed and content of the story reflect that change. That part of the story grabs the reader’s attention and doesn’t let go until the killer is caught.

I appreciated the unique plot sequence. Where most mystery novels start with a crime and the rest of the story is about the detective figuring out who-did-it, Takes One to Knows One begins with the mystery of whether there is a mystery that needs to be solved. Once she establishes that there is one and that luckily it falls under the jurisdiction on the FBI, the action the reader anticipates from the beginning finally ensues.

What I Wish

The first half of the story had been condensed into two or three chapters. It was so slow-paced that it was painful to get through. Technically, the plot choices were spot on, maybe even ingenious as it reflects how the main character was feeling, but from a reader’s perspective, it was incredibly hard to remain focused and interested in the story, which is unfortunate because the second half offers what the reader is hoping to read.

Corie and her father open a private detective agency. I think that is what both need in their lives and it would make an excellent follow-up story.

To Read or Not to Read

If you are a reader that is okay with a slow pace story or are willing to power through the first half of the story, you will enjoy the thrill of the second half of the novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review .

A fast paced novel with an interesting concept. The main character is a former FBI agent, now a stay at home mom, However her former career makes a return when she notices some shady activity going on. The dialogue flows well. There are action packed scenes and the chapters fly by quickly. I liked all the main characters. The cover was attractive and appealing.

I was disappointed with this book. It was too choppy and didn't flow nicely along. Too much switching around between characters left me very confused.

I have always loved Susan Isaacs' novels and was excited to see this one available on Netgalley. This new thriller did not disappoint. Corie Geller is a former FBI agent who investigated terrorists. She now lives the suburban life with her judge husband and his teenage daughter, whom she has adopted.

Corie works part-time reading prospective Arabic fiction for a literary publisher and attends a weekly networking luncheon for freelancers. There is a man that attends the weekly luncheon, Pete Delaney, who strikes her as odd. Something about him, the way he always sits in the same chair with his eye on his car, seems "off". She starts to ask around about Pete and begins her own personal investigation.

Is this just a bored housewife or is there something to her suspicions? I had my doubts and was on pins and needles as Corie put herself in harm's way with her investigation.

I highly recommend this book.

Corie Geller is now the wife of the exceedingly rich, hot and prestigious judge Joshua Geller. She is also stepmother to his loving young daughter. Corie lives in a sprawling Long Island mansion. Her best friend is a fashionista stylist with rich and exotic clients. But is Corie satisfied having landed in this perfect suburban Eden? Not hardly.

Çorie is a former FBI. She joined shortly after 911 and was welcomed because of her Arabic, observational and interrogation skills. She is also the daughter of a NYC cop and a theatrical mother. Corie was highly trained as an FBI operative and on rare occasions takes contract work. Her real job besides being Mrs. Geller is reading and recommending Arabic manuscripts for possible translation and sale.

Now ensconced in suburbia, Corie seems to be pining for the old life. Weekly, she meets with a bunch of self-starters for lunch. They were all challenged by the financial downturn in 2008, so this is their support group as they strive to succeed in their own enterprises. Corie is not a perfect fit for this group and even seems somewhat bored by it. But one of the members strikes her as being a bit “off.” This raises her old FBI training to a high alert.

The first part of Isaacs’s book is a mixture of amusing suburban angst, wit and possible paranoia. Her insights into her characters and their surroundings are amusing, a bit sarcastic and even charming. All this lead up takes up a very long part of the book. But the last part, about 25%, is an adrenaline rush.

Not sure if many readers will want to wade through the long build up to get to the central action. Not sure if many readers will find Corie a sympathetic or believable character. Seemed that two ideas for two books were fused into one but the results are somewhat incredulous. Liked the separate elements but was not a fan of how they were stitched together. Seems like an extended beach read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this title.

Goodness, this is a hard book to review. I always want to focus on the positive but in this case, I’m kind of at a loss. Anyway, here goes . . .

Corie Geller gives up her FBI job to marry Josh, a federal judge with (at the time) a 9-year-old daughter. A girl that she loves and adopts within a year. By leaving the FBI, Corie figures she will help care for her daughter and live a quiet family life. She also adds being a scout for several literary agencies, to her daily routine.

Every Wednesday she meets at a restaurant with a few other self-employed business people to share thoughts and ideas. But early in the story, Corie has an odd feeling about Pete Delaney, one of the Wednesday entrepreneurs. Each week he sits in the same chair so that he can look out the window at his Jeep. Later we learn that Pete changes phones often. And in time Corie worries that Pete’s business trips are too long for what he claims to be doing.

So far this all sounds like the start to a fine mystery. But here is the problem. It takes many chapters to learn what I mentioned above. The story attempts to add way too many details that don’t apply to the plot.

When Corie begins to suspect a problem with Pete, she visits with her dad since she values his opinion. And, really, she quizzes most of her friends as well, in order to get their thoughts about Pete. The problem? It’s not unusual for the story to gallop off on a wild ride of Corie’s history with the friend.

In all honesty, which by now should be only too apparent, I never cared for Corie, either. She came across as an insecure, knuckle chewing protagonist at times.

I’m sorry to say the characters and story just didn’t rate high with me.

What Concerned Me:
Corie’s suspicions about Pete went on for many many chapters. And especially in the beginning, it was based more or less on her gut feeling. It was only later that other concerns were noticed and mentioned.

The fancy footwork around and around the main story just wore me out.

What I Liked Best:
The writing appeared to be very good. Perhaps another book by this author would result in a much different review.

Corie Geller has traded in her FBI career for marriage and step parenthood. Fluent in Arabic, she reviews books in that language for possible publication in English. Her mundane life includes weekly lunches with a group of people who all work from home. Something seems suspect with one of the attendees and soon Corie plunges into her own investigation.

I have enjoyed Susan Isaacs books in the past; this one was a bit of a disappointment. While it does contain Isaacs signature biting wit with some amusing laugh out loud moments, it was also on the tedious side. I also found it a bit hard to believe that Corie had been a capable, high functioning FBI agent…..being home raising a child must have turned her brain to a bit of mush.

I am glad I finally got a chance to read this witty and persuasive fiction writer.. but I found that this moved along very slowly.. and I wondered at the genuineness of her activity and the v rathet bloodless marriage to mr goody two shoes ... her suspicions aroused, she goes about hunting down an identity almost out of boredom. I'll try another.