The author Brittany Butler delivers a gripping tale of adventure, intrigue, and high-stakes espionage in a world ravaged by an energy crisis. Butler's vision of the future is vivid and compelling, and her characters are complex, multi-dimensional, and thoroughly engaging.

Juliet Arroway is a true hero, and her quest to uncover the truth behind the global energy war is both thrilling and emotionally resonant. Her partnership with Graham, the arrogant FBI agent, adds an extra layer of tension to an already gripping story.

Butler's writing is both compelling and informative, deftly weaving real-world issues and historical events into her narrative. The result is a novel that is not only entertaining but also thought-provoking, raising important questions about the role of women in society and the dangers of unchecked greed and ambition.

Overall, "The Syndicate" is a triumph of storytelling, a powerful and thrilling novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. Highly recommended!

An interesting story, found it very engaging
I would def be interested in reading more by her. . I really liked Juliet and I actually didn't know this was written by an ex-Spy so learning this detail later made me see the book in a different light. The book was a bit predictable but the ending did have a surprise and I enjoyed myself throughout. 4 Stars

Excellent ending! The energy resources are causing war. Supply versus demand is the cause. The syndicate is trying to put an end to the wars. The story is interesting, full of action and intrigue. The romances add a bit of a break from the high level of spy activity. But there are heart pounding parts to the book. I enjoyed the book.

I’ll divide the rating into 2 categories:
3 ⭐️ — for the storyline
4.5 ⭐️ — for the issues this book holds

I won’t say I like the story nor I would say that I like it. It comes in between to me. The writing of this book as I never heard of this author is quite refreshing and the chosen words she picked to write this book have her own style. Meaning, for English is not your mother language, but it is quite understandable. Also, The issue she brought into this book especially focusing on ” How people see Muslims and women in general and other perspectives” gets me. That issue should be getting some appraisal.

The story comes from Juliet's perspective as our MC, it is a third person POV but mainly focuses on Juliet’s perspective on how she handles her own things in the storyline. She was having a business trip as a spy of a Syndicate in Syria and her main base is in France. She discovered that this certain person called “Abu Hassan” has been the main reason the Syndicate become relentless to capture a Muslim person because he brought another perspective of Western to the other Muslims and spread different rumors. When she was back in France, her long-lost boyfriend and soon-to-be fiance Jean-Marc was killed out of nowhere because of a plane crash, Juliet was shocked and feeling down for a while but her job took much of her attention. She was introduced to Graham and suddenly this Syndicate organization accused Mariam, her best friend in this world that Mariam has something to do with the voice of Muslim people Juliet trying to discover the truth about it and get deeper into the unexpected thing she never thought she would discover.

The storyline and The writing for the category of “Mystery and Spy Thriller”, this book is quite refreshing to read. Not only because the writing is understandable and easy to read, but also because the main focus of this storyline is only one thing but Brittany expanded into something interesting. No wonder she could do that, I just read her profile and she was “a former CIA targeting officer with first-hand knowledge of the recruitment and handling of spies and dismantling terrorist networks abroad.” She probably had her inspiration for this novel because of her work. Well, it is good and interesting to read the story in this book. However, the funny thing is while I was reading this book, I did not feel any special attachment to the characters or the storyline as well as it doesn’t get me into special emotions which are disturbing. Furthermore, if any of you guys did some skimming towards this book, it won’t make any difference, like only a certain part of this book is “The main story and need to be paid attention to” while the others are just supporting. Furthermore, the love story between Graham and Juliet sparks how they serve and accused this love they had towards each other and don’t want this feeling gets into their job, I loved it. Unprofessionalism but acceptable.

Something I learned from this book:
①Saudi Women cannot travel outside the Kingdom without the approval of their male guardian
②Men in the Islamic world often used the name of their firstborn child as part of their kunya, another name for an adult derived from the name of their eldest child
③Black Abaya is a symbol in Saudi because black was worn only by the rich and noble and that’s why most women wear black ones today.
④Polygamy is normal in this state
⑤Oil, as the main business of Saudi
⑥”A life for a life” in the business of this nation is normal and still applied abruptly
⑦Muslim people wanted the West people to see; what it’s like to live without comfort, security, affordable housing, and job opportunities like the rest of the world.
⑧Middle East tech isn’t as good as we think
⑨Patriarchy in the nation is still happening and categories as “rational”

The Main issue of this book; is the using of religious fundamentalists to wage a war that has nothing to do with religion.

To conclude, I love the main issue this book hold and what Brittany brought to the surface, especially about this main thing that most people always see as something less important. Brittany also could bring the story from the perspective of “a woman in a Saudi Arab household.” The writing and storyline were refreshing for a Spy and Mystery book and the love story between those two sweet people, I still see it as unprofessionalism but still accepted it on my own terms. Many things I learned from reading this book, especially focusing on this Middle East Nation. Oh, about the plot twist, I personally didn’t feel or get it. All of my guesses are correct all along. Even so, the specific cause and reason of that storyline have their own way your heart-nope, not mine. LOL.

What I love the most about this book is, people always see one religion as a thread when one person obsesses and brought anything related to their cause with religious names. Meanwhile, it is their own cause and problems of obsession to deal with and has nothing else to do with this certain religion. However, people always see the surface and not understanding that ”not all people in that certain religion are a prick” which this book secured the main thing in its own way. A wonderful thing to bring to the surface indeed!!!

There's something I am to my core and that's a sucker for a good spy book. Getting to read one from a former spy who wants to change the narrative for female spies is beyond cool on its own. I wasn't sure what I would get diving into this book but I genuinely don't regret it! Juliet is a fierce and passionate spy who truly cares and is fueled by her loved ones. A lot of the characters evolved in a way that I wanted to understand further. I'm hoping they get developed further into understanding them in the future books of the series. I'm usually pretty good at being able to figure out the plot twists very early on in books and while I had an inkling of what was going to happen, I definitely didn't realize how deep they ran till it was revealed. It was fun finally getting to it and understanding the entire book but again some I would like a further explanation for since I still ended up with questions in the end. Overall, it was a fun read and I am excited to see how the author develops her writing style and storylines for this series further in the series.

While I received an ARC of this book my opinion is entirely my own.
There is a handful of trigger warnings that I've added so please be advised before jumping into this book! While I received an ARC of this book my opinion is entirely my own.
TWs Death of parent, Death, Blood, Fire/Fire Injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, War, Violence, and Islamophobia.

The book follows Juliet Arroway, a spy for a coalition of spy organizations by the name of "The Syndicate" as they pursue several terrorist organizations in a raging energy war.

The premise of the book stood out to me immediately. A female spy? Written by an actual CIA agent? Say no more!

The shining point of the book for me was definitely the friendship between Juliet and the Saudi princess turned spy, Miriam al-Saud. The friendship was everlasting and touching, seeming to power Juliet through the toughest of situations. They went hard to defend each other and I loved it. I'm hoping we see a spin-off exclusively with Miriam because I, admittedly, found Miriam more interesting than Juliet at times.

Regarding Juliet, I found her tiresome sometimes. Some of her decisions made little sense and felt almost out of character for a woman who is supposed to be a seasoned spy. It could be hard to see her as such sometimes. I thought I would be excited to read a spy book with a little more romance than most but I suppose not. The relationship between Juliet and Graham felt poorly developed. Very much "insta-love". The author spent a lot of time explaining the instant connection between Juliet and Graham but I just didn't see it. It didn't seem like anything substantial had happened between them for there to be such strong feelings from the jump.

The plot itself was interesting but it did feel a bit confusing. I'm still not sure how the Syndicate operates but I'm looking forward to learning more about the organization and the ongoing war in the next book. Even though there were some confusing parts, I still believe it's a pretty decent start to what is shaping up to be an interesting plot and conflict. I'm looking forward to where Juliet's journey takes her.

WOW. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going into this book but it was everything and more. This fully got me out of my reading slump. The attention to details, the twists and turns, the romance - I throughly enjoyed every second of this. If you are looking for an action thriller with a perfect dose of romance, this is the book for you. A Bourne level thriller with the nuance of a strong female lead. Highly highly recommend my goodness

The Syndicate Spy is a fascinating read that had me hooked from the very beginning. The action was nonstop and had enough twists and unexpected turns to keep me guessing. I love that this is the first book in a series!

Written by a real life spy. Lots of action and it follows the plot. Pick it up and you will have a hard time putting it down.

The Syndicate Spy is a series debut as well as Brittany Butler's debut novel. I read this book in one sitting - I had to, it was THAT engrossing and riveting. A complete page turner. Keeps you hooked from start to finish. Unique and interesting series-plot, excellent plot-to-story development, likeable characters, a dash of romance, and whole lot of action and adventure. The Syndicate Spy by Brittany Butler is one of the best debuts I read this year.

The second half of the book keeps one on the edge of their seats. Nerve-wracking and mind-blowing twists keeps one guessing till the end. Lots of action, adventure, and romance. Speaking of romance, Graham and Juliet certainly turn the heat up a notch. Their chemistry is sizzling hawt!

I loved every bit of this fantabulous debut. I am looking forward to reading more of Juliet Arroway's adventures. Jack Reacher, you better watch out. There's a new badass in town and her name's Juliet Arroway

If you love Spy , Thriller , Realistic Action packed reads / movies , you will love this one! From start to finish the reader is thrown along with Juilet and her quest to stop a terroist attack. This was intriguing and kinda of scary to think this could really happen , great read !

A good first novel by the author. The story is full of action and suspense, making this a good read. This is a must read for the spy/terrorism enthusiast.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Near Future Examination Of Toxic Femininity. Did I grab you with that title? Well, as it turns out, one of the more interesting lasting features of this book is, in fact, its look at feminism and how even here, noble ideals can be perverted. But the setup to get to that particular moment - and its resultant *need* for Book 2 of this nascent series - is at least as compelling, showing two women from such divergent cultures - one "enlightened" Western, the other "repressed" Muslim - and how women truly live in each, for worse - and for better - and with all of the resultant struggles within each system. The action is intense and at times literally explosive, and the chase for the almost Osama Bin Laden type terrorist looming in the background is easily reminiscent of many of the Vince Flynn written Mitch Rapp thrillers. Overall a pretty solidly written tale that brings enough "new"/ "different" to the genre to be refreshing, without deviating so much from genre standards as to be alienating. Very much recommended.

I really enjoyed this book! Juliet is a spy who works for the Syndicate, a coalition of spy organizations that are trying to stop terrorist attacks in the Middle East in a world where there is fighting over alternative fuels. This book had everything, non-stop action, romance, betrayal-I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and it felt like something new and different. Plus I liked the fact that it was written by a former CIA agent, it added to the believability. It sounded like this is the start of a new series so I am looking forward to reading more of Juliet's adventures in the future if that is the case!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy for my review, all thoughts are my own!

This was a great spy thriller and I read a lot of spy thrillers. The difference between this book and all the others I have read is that this one was written by a woman, and one who served in the CIA. Her novel has 2 female spies and the setting is the unrest in the Middle East. Like most good thrillers, this was a rollercoaster ride of a story. Never quite knowing what was coming next kept my thoroughly enthralled and reading as fast as I could. There is some romance in this book, but it is not the main theme. Congratulations to Brittney Butler on her first novel and I hope there will be more.

For years, we’ve known that our natural resources are gradually being depleted—that we need to find alternate sources to power our homes and cars and businesses. And in The Syndicate Spy, the first Juliet Arroway novel by Brittany Butler, an international organization works to bring peace through free energy sources.

Review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery

A action packed story of two spies, written by a former spy? Sign me up! This was a fast paced read, and my first spy book since the Alex Rider series I read in middle school. I loved the feminist energy, and the various locations the books took me. Juliet and Miriam weren’t perfect, or indestructible which made believable characters. I will be anxiously waiting for Brittany Butlers next installment!

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

I did not intend to read this book in one sitting but that is exactly what happened. It is that good! Two female leads that work for the Syndicate, an international spy organization trying to stop terrorists and set in the future where an energy war is happening. It is non-stop action and fast paced with surprising twists. It was also interesting to see and feel things from the perspective of those trying to stop the terrorists. The author definitely brought that into focus and made it real. I am so glad that this is the first in a series and can't wait for the next book.

The Syndicate Spy – Brittany Butler

I had high hopes for The Syndicate Spy by Brittany Butler. I wanted to like it. A FEMALE spy as the main character, authored by a former FEMALE CIA officer? Yes, please! As a woman in a male-dominated field, I understand some of the struggles the book’s characters combat. The truth, however, is I just did not like The Syndicate Spy. At all. An interesting plot, sure, but it could have been better portrayed. The book had SO MUCH POTENTIAL. It breaks my heart, honestly, to write a negative review. I don’t like doing it, especially with debut authors.

I would not classify myself as a feminist, but I do believe in empowering women to pursue their goals and let nothing hold them back—especially not the antiquated worldviews of women’s “places” in the world. Butler, however, wrote this out rather than exemplifying it through her characters’ actions and circumstances. Don’t tell me; show me. Furthermore, some might find Juliet and Mariam as strong. Quick-thinking. Independent. I would say that about Mariam, not so much about Juliet. Truth be told, Juliet was hard for me to tolerate. There were SO MANY THINGS in The Syndicate Spy that I caught onto in moments—including the questionable death of Jean-Marc—that in my opinion, Juliet should have seen. But she did not. She seemed more of an amateur than an experienced intelligence officer.

I downloaded The Syndicate Spy a couple months prior to reading it. In that time, I forgot novel’s description. But I downloaded the novel because I wanted to support Butler’s dive into the “spy novel ocean,” for lack of better word. It isn’t a book I’d pick up at Barnes & Noble because I could not STAND the romance. I did not want it, and I certainly did not like it. Graham was too “perfect,” and I’m sorry, I didn’t appreciate the sex scenes. You do not need romance or sex for a good novel. Period. Those took away from the serious situations that The Syndicate Spy’s characters faced.

Furthermore, things seemed farfetched. Juliet is a spy. She walks through crime scenes without a problem as a member of the Syndicate. But her boyfriend doesn’t know what she does? I know the Syndicate ISN’T the CIA, but it’s to my understanding that the spies—the Directorate of Operations—go in undercover. People do not know where they work. I’d think the Syndicate to be the same if Juliet has assets whom she handles. However, there she is, walking into scenes and flashing her badge. And if there are these big attacks, then WHERE’S THE MEDIA? Are there no TV stations or other news sources in this future dystopian world—whenever that is? Because the media would’ve swarmed like flies on a corpse.

The plot was interesting, but it jumped too much for me. Imagine a boardgame. Instead of moving one space at a time, you roll dice and move forward five spots. The Syndicate Spy was like that for me. Yes, everything added up to the finish line, but I did not like how everything added up. I won’t be reading another Juliet Arroway novel.

Full of suspense and twists that will keep you turning page after page until you get to a mind-blowing end that you didn’t see coming.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.