Thank you to Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story of an ex-FBI agent that is now happily married and freelances as a book talent scout should have been right up my alley, not least because I'm a long-time Susan Isaacs fan. Although there were flashes of fun, particularly in the humorous self-deprecating voice of the heroine, the quirkiness I was expecting from this author, that pulled me in in her previous books and got me invested in the story was sadly missing here. The plot was fairly unbelievable and tedious for long stretches, the happy marriage was so bloodless that I wondered why on earth these two people ever managed to get together - and the narration was long stretches of boring, interspersed with the previously mentioned flashes of fun and culminating in a showdown for the books, but which was too little too late.

Corie Geller traded in her career as an FBI agent for marriage and motherhood. Now, living in the suburbs, the most exciting moment of her week is lunch on Wednesdays with a group of freelancers, where she senses something is off with one of the members of the group. She feels the guy is hiding something so she decides to investigate.

"You can take the girl out of the FBI, but not the FBI out of the girl", especially when she's bored out of her mind in her new life as a wife and mother. Although the premise was interesting and the beginning was not bad, the part about the investigation dragged along, and though it piqued my interest to keep on reading, there was nothing truly exciting about it. The best parts were when she's on the job with her father. Then, at the end, it picks up the pace, leading to a not so surprising finale.

Average domestic mystery that will keep you mildly entertained for a few hours but will not blow your mind.

Thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Corie Geller is a former FBI agent-turned mom and wife in the suburbs. Now, instead of serving on the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Corie puts her Arabic skills to use by reading and reviewing Arabic-language books for American publishers, picking her adopted daughter up from school, and attending weekly lunches for other people in the suburb who run their own business or work as freelancers. Needless to say, it’s a much more tame (read: boring) life than she’s used to. At this weekly freelance lunch, Corie notices that one of the attendees, a packaging designer named Pete Delaney, always sits in the same spot where he can keep constant eyes on his Jeep, always pays cash, and always has a different phone. Her FBI instinct tells her something is off about this guy, and she’s determined to figure out what it is.

Proceed to Corie hardcore investigating Pete, even roping in her ex-NYPD dad to help, pulling clues and new routes out of thin air. This sounds like a much more engaging adventure than it really is. I found Corie to be an unlikeable character, always making strange and uppity comments and complaining about the humdrum life that she chose. The quest to incriminate Pete Delaney seems like (dare I say?) a witch hunt for most of the book, and reading through it is a total slog - painfully slow with little progress made. Although the last 25% is action-packed, it doesn’t really make up for the meandering first 75%. This one was overall a miss for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book had a fairly interesting plot; a former FBI agent who gets a new life when she gets a new family. But it was such an ordeal to read this overly long book. The real issue for me was the clunky writing. About every 3 pages there would be a sentence I’d have to read 2 or 3 times to understand. Weird. And frustrating. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I was excited about this book but unfortunately it’s a book that sounds better than it is. The idea of an ex-FBI agent wondering if an acquaintance is actually up to no good or if she’s imagining things because she’s become bored of her domestic life sounded fun. Unfortunately the author chose to write this novel without any fun or humor that I expected. In fact she chose to write this book where nothing is really going on for much of the book. This book is really boring and I found it hard to finish. It’s not the fun Seinfeld story about nothing but really just a story with very little going on. The tone is very serious and most of the characters are pretentious. Corie’s husband is very self important and so is her best friend. Corie’s new job is reading Arabic literature to recommend any books that could crossover with English translations. There’s very little of her adopted daughter which could have been fun to lighten the mood and provide some fun domesticity. There is more of her parents who are both fun and quirky but not enough of them to help keep the book on track. Corie herself seems unappreciative of all she has in her life and really does come across as little more than a bored housewife. She seems wish washy in how much she may love her husband as she often contemplates other men. I did not even realize the author went on a multiple chapter flashback at one point which gives you an idea of how thrilling the story is not to have noticed. I’m sorry to say there is nothing going on here to hold your attention. The plot is mostly very thin with her supposition about her acquaintance and nothing interesting in the many pages of filler. Corie just has nothing going on to make this worth reading without any plot going on. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed every delightful moment of this novel. The female relationships are spot on and the witty dialogue and intrigue kept me up late reading. Who wouldn't want to be a part of this family or hangout with the bossy women in Shorehaven, Li. NY?

This is such a cute rom com of a book!

As a previous workaholic and now full time mom (also working part time) I understand the appeal of both. I also need a little drama to make me look forward to life.

This book was a quick and fun read. Perfect chick lit.

I did not.read the whole book. It was choppy and hard to follow. There were to many characters. It didnot.flow smoothly.

Boring story with lots and loads of dialogues about the worrying Pete Delany, hardly anything happened until the bourbon-infused Billy got aggressive. Also some words (admittedly, benevolence) were repeated very often. Not for me...

Susan Isaacs is one of the best writers out there
Corie Geller used to work for the FBI, hunting down terrorists, but now she has married and has a child
But, there are strange things going on in this town.
So, Corie has to go back into her FBI mentality and try to figure out what crazy ness is going on
It is a fast and fun read

I found this book hard to finish. I was bored reading the first half when really nothing happened except Corrie talking to a bunch of people about her suspicions about Pete who is so nothing he is boring. Just like the first 80% of the book. Between the label name dropping and describing activities to the nth degree and then the way the story would stray off topic into reminiscences was bothersome. I really wasn't sure if this was going to be a mystery or the nervous breakdown of a housewife. It wasn't until the last 20% of the book that anything really happened and even that was written in excruciating detail.

This book was the loooonnnggggest 288 pages (or so I've been led to believe)I have ever read. I see so many reviewers loved this book, and I wonder if we had read the same one or if my tastes are just so radically different/bland/boring. I thought I would never finish this book. It slogged along until I wanted to scream.

I am led to believe that this is book one of a new series (I am not positive though) so I can see why we needed so much back story, angst, repetitiveness, and the building of Corie's life (boring), letting us know she is a bored housewife now and did I say repetitive?

I MAY try the next book if there is such a thing because hopefully, the next book will not concentrate on chapters that go absolutely nowhere. The next edition will, probably, not have the minutiae that this one did. And we get the fact that Corie is now rich, Corie's husband is handsome, her best friend has good taste and that Ms. Issacs knows how to over-use the word 'narrative'.

It takes 3/4 of this book before anything actually happens -yes, some things happened during the story, but nothing that will keep you on the edge of your seat; if you know what I mean.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.

Susan Isaacs always writes great books and this one is no different
Codie Geller used to work for the FBI, dealing with terrorists
Now, she is married and a mother
But, even as a mother, mystery comes into her life, and her training as a FBI agent, are beginning to make her suspicious about some mundane events.

This book is not on.y very thrilling bit witty at the same time.

Put this book on top of your Fall Reading List

Corie is a former FBI agent who is bored with her life and thinks something is up with her neighbor. Unfortunately, I got extremely bored with Corie and her life, too. Her air of superiority was grating. So was Susan Isaac’s calvacade of brand names and upscale signifiers. I found myself actively rooting against Corie, and motored through this so I could read something more interesting, such as the latest flyer from the supermarket, with a clear conscience.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC for a fair and honest review. I know this may be a bit more “honesty” than was intended!

I haven't read a Susan Isaacs book in a while and I was delighted by this fast-moving, worthy new book! A newly married woman who was a former FBI agent still dabbles in fieldwork, while holding a job identifying Arabic literature to be sold in the US. Her interest is piqued by a man who appears to be very boring and strangely ritualistic in various ways, and she thinks he may also be a former government worker (either in the military or FBI, CIA, etc). She then suspects him of possibly being a murderer, and helped by her father, begins to deeply investigate him. Very suspenseful and exciting - I think there will be sequel! I loved this book and have been recommending it widely.

Corie is a former FBI special agent who as the book opens has recently retired from this life of very successful government service to become a "normal" person. She is married to Mr. Perfect, a widower, and is the adoptive mother of her only child, a wonderful young teen. Corie is retired, yes, but not all the way. She still does contract work for the Bureau from time to time, and definitely misses the excitement. That, and her training, cause her to notice some quirks in a fellow member of a business networking group. Out of curiosity, she starts to investigate him. Surely it is nothing -- but it turns out to be something big. Soon, Corie is fighting for her life against a super-scary sociopath.

I can't wait to recommend this book to our library users! It is suspenseful and full of adventure. Susan Isaacs has created a truly likeable, very witty and wonderful heroine. I hope she makes this the first book in a series.

Corie Geller has turned in her FBI toolkit to stay at home in Shorehaven now newly married to the hunky Judge Geller and his 14 year old daughter. Corie still does some freelance work for a publisher of Arabic fiction and lunches with freelance friends once a week. However, she notices a seemingly innocuous man who is always early with a different phone each time and an eye peeled for his jeep outside. Corie's FBI spidey sense is awakened, and she decides she needs to find out what Peter is up to. Maybe he's innocent of any wrongdoing, but then again. . .

Susan Isaacs does not disappoint.

Corie is a former FBI agent. She gave that up when she married her handsome husband, Judge Josh Gellar. And she adopted his daughter. She now has a quiet life in suburbia as the wife of a judge and stepmother. She does some work for a publisher translating Arabic, searching for authors.

At a weekly networking lunch, Corie becomes suspicious of another participant. She cannot let the feeling go that something is off about this guy.

Corie knows her instincts are correct; she has been an FBI too long. So the reader is taken on a journey as Corie follows her gut and investigates her fellow networking friend.

I wanted to love this book because I liked the premise. The problem was parts of the book dragged on, and were boring. Corie was a likable character. However, there was not much depth to the other characters.

The plot improved and moved quickly towards the last half of the book. With some surprising twists and tension.

Yes! Susan is back with both guns blazing in this nail biting and fast paced gem. Corie Geller seems to have it all, She is blissfully settled into a Suburbia Utopia. Married to Judge Josh Geller, a kind distinguished man that just so happens to be drop dead handsome, life appears perfect. This is Josh's second marriage as his first wife died of a heart condition. With this package deal comes a loving and amazing daughter that Corie has adopted. Corie is mostly content with her current job of scouting Arabic talent to get translated into English novels.
Ok to summarize; She has the perfect marriage, daughter and job. Everything is just wonderful right? Well here's the thing with Corie, despite her marital wonderland, something is lacking. She used to work in the counter-terrorism task force.. Slight cracks begin to appear on her new lifestyle when she brings her inner FBI persona along for her weekly luncheons with a local group of self employed owners of small businesses.
Pete is a regular at these luncheons and he is the most unassuming, bland, fade into the woodwork personality you can ever meet. Corie begins to notice he goes out of the way to appear average and avoid notice.. Anyone else would not look twice at him. So why does Mr. Humdrum practice some really odd behaviors? He is constantly scanning the area around where he parked his jeep in front of the restaurant they always meet at. Pete always pays in cash. He travels longer than necessary for his quick business trips. All of these little quirks start the wheels turning in Corie's head and before long she recruits her father an ex cop to help her figure out why Pete is behaving this way. Her FBI instincts are screaming at her but her inner suburban goddess is telling Corie she is imagining things
Her investigation begins to reveal some frightening findings. Is dull Pete simply a Packaging Marketer or someone far more sinister and deadly? As she continues to delve into this mystery you can feel her anguish that she is betraying Josh by not confiding in him for fear he will question her sanity and involving her father and putting him on a wild goose chase that will disappoint him if good old Pete is just who he claims to be.
I absolutely recommend this innovative page turner and hope you treat yourself to this gripping and at times hilarious book. Shared to Goodreads, Will post on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and KOBO upon publication.
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2921858713?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

I have followed Isaacs for 3 decades and usually love her books. This one fell way short for me. I was BORED.