Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. Full of action, intrigue and romance, I was captivated from the first page. Unfortunately,, about 2/3 of the way through I started to lose interest. In my opinion, I did not think the narrator was the best choice, but this was a lot to take on.

Thank you to Greenleaf Book Group Press, the author, and NetGalley for an opportunity to listen to this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Syndicate Spy was written by Brittany Butler, and narrated by Amy Landon.

Summary: With oil resources depleted, the world is in an energy crisis, and terrorist attacks are on the rise.

The Syndicate was formed to root out the terrorists and restore peace, but they can’t seem to get ahead of the growing violence.

Syndicate Juliet Arroway is determined to do all she can to stop the attacks-if only to prove her father’s death was not in vain.

Can she hunt down the man responsible before she loses everything?

Thoughts: In the beginning, I liked this book. There was a ton of action, twists and turns, espionage-very exciting.

About two-thirds of the way through though, this book disintegrated. The main character seems poorly written. She can’t decide what she wants, she flagrantly disobeys her boss on multiple occasions with no real repercussions. She makes terrible decisions, and has no sense. How can she be an elite spy with all this going on? It doesn’t work.

That, combined with two unnecessary sex scenes, and several parts towards the end that just didn’t make sense and weren’t well-explained made this book a dud for me.

I was very disappointed, and cannot recommend this book.

I will say that the narrator did a good job overall with a smooth reading style and was easy to listen to.

I would like to thank Greenleaf Book Group Press for providing me with a free audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review. Thank you.

I really wanted to like this book. Strong female protagonists, topical international intrigue, action and romance; there's a lot here to like. The potential is there with interesting characters, complicated relationships, tense political problems and life or death physical altercations. For me, things didn't come together as much as I'd have liked; the relationships and internal turmoil of the heroine lacked catharsis, the actions scenes lacked believability and plot points strained credulity reaching a culmination.

The narrator was not a good fit, the wide variety of characters with various accents and backgrounds seemed to overwhelm her. When focused on the main character narration was strong but otherwise lacked feeling and clarity.

A strong debut for the author and worth trying for true fans of the spy thriller genre. The author is obviously talented, will look out for future offerings from her.

Thank you to Greenleaf Book Group Press, the author, and NetGalley for an opportunity to listen to this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Syndicate Spy by Brittany Butler ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Written by a former CIA officer, this thriller (which I listened to) stars Juliet Arroway, who is a Syndicate operative, and her best friend Mariam, a Saudi princess. There is much action as Juliet and Mariam attempt to hunt down terrorists and stop the energy war. There are also twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.

I liked the surprises and the strong female characters.

Thank you to the author, Greenleaf Book Group Press, and NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for my feedback.

"The Syndicate Spy" is an enthralling tale of espionage and intrigue, following the adventures of Juliet Arroway, a cunning and resourceful spy. Authored by Brittany Butler and narrated by Amy Landon, this novel unfolds in a riveting narrative that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat from start to finish.
In this fast-paced thriller, Juliet embarks on a perilous mission to infiltrate a powerful syndicate, employing her wit and skills to navigate a web of deceit and danger. As the story unfolds, readers are drawn into a world of espionage, betrayal, and unexpected alliances. The narrative is rich in detail, painting a vivid picture of the characters and their high-stakes escapades, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.
The author's adept storytelling and the narrator's compelling delivery make "The Syndicate Spy" a captivating experience, perfectly suited for those who seek an engaging and thought-provoking read.

I listened to this audiobook and I will say I did enjoy it.

While not typically my kind of book, I found it interesting and captivating. A lot of it went over my head and I think maybe if I read other spy novels, it might have been better for me?

Anyway, character development was good. Storyline was riveting. Enjoyable overall.

The world is in the middle of a global energy war and Syndicate operative Juliet Arroway is hunting down the terrorist to put an end to it. Action-packed with a gritty realism from ex-CIA operative and author Brittany Butler, this is an entertaining read!

I can’t say that I loved this book. The story was okay, but it seemed more of a green energy/feminist manifesto at times than a believable spy novel. And, honestly, there were times it was kind of boring – which should be hard to do in this type of story. Juliet is supposed to be a brilliant spy, but she can’t even recognize that people around her aren’t what they seem. This made me lose respect for her as a character.

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel and found myself tuning out once in a while (and, frankly, not missing enough during those times to feel confused about the plot, which, to me, is a rather sad statement). The narration wasn’t the greatest I’ve ever heard, but it wasn’t horrible either.

I can only give this story a generous three stars. It was worth finishing, but I don’t know that I’ll read any more in the series. Bummer.

⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Thanks to Green Leaf Book Group Press and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review (obviously). All opinions are my very own! 🙂

Juliet and Mariam, of the Syndicate, are trying to stop terrorists and end the global energy war. But Mariam’s family seems to be involved, somehow. The enemy seems to be ahead of them at every step. Can they stop the war? Danger, relationships, and the world without oil.
It’s great to see a strong, female agent. However, the character claims to be strong rather than showing she is, and the dialog often shows the opposite.

I really couldn't get into this book. I didn't connect with the characters and didn't find the plot particularly appealing.

This was a fun spy story set at a time in the future when electricity is run by syndicate versus individual countries and states.

Our heroine has joined the syndicate to get justice for her father by killing the man’s who killed him.

I’m happy to hear that this is part of a series. The audiobook was nicely done. Can’t wait until the next one.

This is a fast-paced, complex story of spies and espionage. It begins in London where Juliet Arroway and fellow Syndicate Spy, Mariam Al-Saud are undercover attempting to stop terrorist attacks. Juliet had met Mariam in college and eventually recruited to join Juliet in the Syndicate. The life of a spy is difficult especially when you can’t confide in the people in your life.

Juliet has been living with her boyfriend, Jean-Marc for the past 6 years as he followed his passion to fight for energy reform. Little do they realize that they are secretly working to attain the same goal. Until, the plane Jean-Marc was on goes missing and he is presumed dead. Juliet work harder to uncover the mystery regarding the sudden “accident” to the plane. She recalls how he father died doing what he loved which was intelligence work. She fears the same fate to befall upon her.

Mariam’s father is the king of Saudi Arabia and against the radical actions of his brother, Abdul Aziz Al-Saud. The Syndicate feel the Saudis are related to the attack in London. David Barany is Juliet’s boss and recalls her father’s dedication to his work. He also suspects that Juliet’s father may have been murdered as a result of his job. David fears their plans may have been compromised due to Mariam’s family connection. Despite Juliet’s protests. Graham Harding from FBI is sent to work with her on the Saudi assignment.

Graham has his work cut out for him working with Juliet. She is fueled by anger and revenge for justice on behalf of her father and Jean-Marc. She totally resents having Graham working with her and often reacts impulsivity barging head first into danger. She soon realizes that in order to survive the mission she must work with Graham.

Together they need to breach the Demascas compound and find their target. They aren’t prepared for the secrets, lies and betrayal that lie waiting. Will Mariam prove to be the loyal, trustworthy friend or will she be persuaded to assist her family? What other mysteries unfold are just part of the thrilling adventure into the world of espionage!

Absolutely loved every second of this book. My expectations were blown out of the water and I felt myself not putting it down for long before I needed to pick it back up and listen to more.

I liked the premise of this book but found it difficult to listen to the narrator. From the very first chapter, I struggled to stay focused and found it too detailed.

Brittany Butler does a masterful job of setting the scene for a not so distant future where the world's energy supply has shifted away from petroleum to alternative energy sources and the conflicts and power struggles that ensue. She develops each character at a pace that is just right based on what the reader should (or should not yet) know about them which heightens the thrill and experience as the story further unfolds.

I was immediately drawn into the world she painted in my imagination through her words and I continuously wanted to read further to learn more about the characters, plot and ultimate outcomes. The ending was packed full of surprises, as a great spy thriller should!

This is an engaging, fun and extremely well-written first book and I'm anxiously awaiting the release of the next book in the Juliet Arroway series...

I loved this book and was really pleasantly surprised, thank you so much net galley for allowing me a copy of this to read!

The premise of this book sounded great, but the story just left me bored. Far too many logical inconsistencies, people acting in a way that didn't seem in character. I had to give up on this book.

The Syndicate Spy by Brittany Butler
The Syndicate Spy quickly jumps into an action-packed story set in the energy wars of the future. Agents Julia Arroway and Saudi Princess Mariam are set on ending the these wars and avenging Julia’s father’s death. She leads a double life as an embassy worker and a member of the “syndicate”, a combination of security agencies working to end the energy wars.
After a terrible accident ends her relationship with her French partner, she meets an American FBI agent and must rethink what is really important
And the evil terrorist responsible for her father’s murder must be hunted down. The plot to lift up an energy dependent Middle East and create a formula for man-made synthetic oil must be stopped. But not everything is as it seems.
#netgalley

Outside of my normal genre, this political thriller is from debut novelist Brittany Butler. It follows the mission of The Syndicate, a futurist intelligence agency working to stop terrorist activities of parties trying to upend the search for alternative energy sources. The book itself is fast-paced until it sidelines the main plot to include scenes from the love life of the main character Juliet. I enjoyed this enough to keep an eye out for the second book in the series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I enjoy a good spy story and this one wasn’t like any others I’ve read before. I listened to this one and it held my attention and I found myself captivated. I felt like I was there with Juliet. There were some good twists and turns I never saw coming! I often found my jaw dropping open as details emerged. And I loved the bit of romance this book had as well. If you like spy stories, I do recommend this one!