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.

Two female spies, trying to survive in a world dominated by men. Their missions take them across the globe from Paris, to London to the Middle East in a whirlwind of non-stop action and danger.

I love a good mystery, especially with strong leading ladies, so I was really excited by the premise of this one! Unfortunately, it fell short for me in a number of ways and I really struggled to get invested in the characters or the plot.

It felt like we just dove in, without a ton of context. Some parts felt very predictable, and others felt so convoluted and completely unrealistic.

This concept actually to me felt like it would be a better movie or limited tv series.

What interested me the most in this book is knowing that the author was part of the CIA and that many of the things I read about here really could or did happen. In terms of organization, management and such issues.

I found the story itself interesting and the main character definitely goes through a lot. I would have liked to see another side more... sensitive? her. But I don't think this is a big criticism because people deal with situations in different ways and that was clear in the description and in Juliet's behavior.

However, there was something that didn't quite hook me. I don't know what, because the story really made me interesting. But I couldn't connect with the characters or the story.

It is the author's first novel, I'm sure she will publish others. And there I will be reading them!

This book is great! It is well written and holds your attention from the first page until the last. It's full of action and suspense and will keep you on the edge of your seat. I can't wait to see what Brittany Butler writes next. I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy from Greenleaf Book Group Press via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book took off running and never let up!
Set sometime in the future when the Earth's oil reserves are depleted, and Middle East terrorists have developed an alternative synthetic energy source which doesn't depend on crude oil, the book centers around two female spies who are part of The Syndicate- a conglomerate of allied intelligence agencies with the mission to fight energy terrorists throughout the world.
The book starts out in Damascus at a safe house/the center of al-Alfatih chief Abu Hassen's terrorist organization, and the main character, Juliet Arroway and her teammate, Miriam al-Saud (a Saudi princess) missed the chance to find his operatives. Instead they found 2 young children hunched over a woman's body (their mother). They carried the children to safety amid flames and bullets.
The story emphasized the close relationship that the 2 women had since college and throughout their time with The Syndicate and this was a strength of the book. Juliet did have a fiance - Jean-Marc who was a UN diplomat but she could not share much about her work. He is killed in a plane crash, and Juliet's life changes.
I was caught up in the story, the fear, the energy crisis - and the compelling issues presented throughout the book. In addition to Jean-Marc's death, Juliet was also seeking revenge for the death of her father - also a Syndicate operative- killed in the line of duty by Abu Hassen.
The issues that I had with the story were with the excessive violence, explosions, beheadings, and gun fights throughout the story. These battles were interspersed with the most unbelievable scenes - Juliet blushing, turning red at the sight of a man's (toned) physique, and graphic sexual content which added absolutely nothing to the story or the characters. I found it unbelievable that Juliet and Graham (an ex-Syndicate operative turned FBI) could fight a dozen or more trained soldiers with machine guns, using pistols - and make it out alive.
The final scenario was a little over the top, but the twist and the ending were right on. I never saw it coming, and had to reread it to make sure that I had read it correctly.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the author and am leaving my opinions voluntarily.

The book opens in the Middle East with Juliet and Mariam going after a terrorist. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. Even though I was intrigued by the premise, I wouldn't have selected this book if I had read an excerpt. The story was a little too intense and dark for me. I ended up skimming to the end. Even though this book is not for me, other readers will enjoy it.

A fast paced adventure thriller story. The story has action, suspense and international intrigue. Everything you can ask for in a thriller story. The espionage and terrorist adds to the thrill ride. The plot is action packed and in my opinion will keep the reader at the edge of their seat until twisted end. The story has strong and well written characters. The main character Juliet could be the next action hero. This book should be made into a movie.

Disclaimer: Thank you Greenleaf Book Group Press for this ARC and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The author weaves a fast paced and action packed story of war and espionage on the world stage. Compromised of characters who will fight to the death for their cause. Graham and Juliet have known a lot of pain, hurt and death in their lives. They are determined to find away to save the ones they love and the people of the world. The plot weaves the contemporary with the futuristic in a credible fashion. This is a great story to read.

3.5 Stars
An action-packed spy thriller with lots of twists and turns. I like the strong female characters and the diverse backgrounds. Good job on culture descriptions and the detail. Some parts dragged on, but overall, a good choice if you're a fan of this type of novel and want something a little different.

Net Galley Feedback

Thanks @netgalley and @greenleafbookpress for this copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed this fast paced political thriller. You can’t trust anyone in the book. Juliet was an interesting lead character. She both loves her work and feels guilty about the distance it creates between herself and others.

The pacing was quick and made this easy to read.

I had a difficult time getting into this book. It is not to say I did not like the story, merely to say this is not really my topic of interest. As I read, I became more involved and interested in the storyline. There were some very surprising twists throughout, and I enjoyed the empowerment of women throughout the book.

For those who love military thrillers, I think this will be a great book for them.

What a great book! I've been thinking about this book and the review I want to leave. That to me is a sign of a good book...it keeps you thinking!

Imagine...a female agent and her protégé working for 'The Syndicate', a governmental agency that is trying to stop a world war between nations, who are all trying to be the first to make a synthetic substance to use in place of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels have been depleted and countries in the Middle East are losing the funds they've been accustomed to, since without fossil fuel, they don't have a lot!

This book is a bit dystopian, but not a lot, since people are still traveling for work and for pleasure, even whey they're not sure they'll be safe. The Syndicate is a mixture of super secret spy people, along with a cadre of office types, who I don't THINK know everything that is going on! This book began with a bang, literally, and kept getting more and more interesting. Very much an edge of your seat thriller.

A thoroughly amazing ending. I don't know if you'll be able to guess 'who done it' and why, I didn't! I can't wait for more by this author, a former real-life female spy.

I was gifted an ARC of this book by the publisher, Kensington Books. The review is my own.

Fantastic book with awesome descriptions and intense drama.

Was saddened when Juliet's boyfriend, Jean-Marc was killed .

Grahams loving name for Juliet was so sweet. Will have to get the audible version so I know how to properly pronounce "muharib" (warrior).

Juliet was my favorite character, although they were all incredible.

Book is full of action, romance and surprises.

Recommend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me y advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I can’t begin to explain how much I loved this book!!! Addictive, thrilling, on the edge of your seat action, and nail biting suspense! Oh and so much more!!!

I’m still in awe of the magnificent talent it took to create this incredible story!!
I especially loved the characters, most specifically Juliet and Graham. Brittany Butler did a brilliant job of showing how nothing is as simple as it appears….

Outstanding job!!! I can’t recommend this book enough!! Can’t wait to see what Brittany comes up with next!!!

This is an action-packed story set in the future in which there is a race to find alternative energy since the Earth's oil is depleted. Juliet and Mariam are two strong female characters who work for the Syndicate and are chasing after terrorists. There are lots of twists and turns, intrigue, mystery, and danger. Often it was questionable as to which side the secondary characters were on and this added to the danger for Juliet. Sometimes the action was a little over the top.

The Syndicate Spy has a great concept with the author being ex-CIA and able to adda a whole unique layer and viewpoint to the genre and different elements involved. It is a very fast paced and action packed book, although some parts seem to drop off and drag a bit, maybe because the world building needed a bit more development. The writing is really good and detailed whilst expertly dealing with very dark, deep topics and is not afraid to be explicit of the pain caused by terrorism. The biggest downside however is I just struggled to get into it, I don't know if it is just because this genre is not for me or if it was the book itself but I do think many people would enjoy this.

Juliet is an agent for the Syndicate. Along with her partner, Miriam they hunt down terrorists and stop the global energy war. These two women are definitely strong personalities and take charge of things. This story is action packed (sometimes a little too much) with lots of twists and turns. It will definitely keep you involved until the end. While reading, set aside your sense of reality and just enjoy the story.

The subject matter the book tackled was weighty. In addition to being very weighty, the connections in the book were difficult to keep track. There seemed to be more than necessary.
I applaud the author for tackling it.