Review: Need to Know by Karen Cleveland

Need to Know

Karen Cleveland

Publication Date: January 23, 2018

Hardcover, 304 pages, Ballantine

Genres: Adult, Spy Thriller

B&N | Book Depository | Amazon | Goodreads

In pursuit of a Russian sleeper cell on American soil, a CIA analyst uncovers a dangerous secret that will test her loyalty to the agency—and to her family.

What do you do when everything you trust might be a lie?

Vivian Miller is a dedicated CIA counterintelligence analyst assigned to uncover the leaders of Russian sleeper cells in the United States. On track for a much-needed promotion, she’s developed a system for identifying Russian agents, seemingly normal people living in plain sight.

After accessing the computer of a potential Russian operative, Vivian stumbles on a secret dossier of deep-cover agents within America’s borders. A few clicks later, everything that matters to her—her job, her husband, even her four children—are threatened.

Vivian has vowed to defend her country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. But now she’s facing impossible choices. Torn between loyalty and betrayal, allegiance and treason, love and suspicion, who can she trust?

My Review

In this book, one CIA analyst and mother of four finds out her family is in trouble after she identifies Russian spies living in America. I have to warn you, this book is a quick-paced thriller that will have you flipping pages too fast to comprehend.

The quick-paced aspect of the storyline is helped along by the main character of the story. Vivian Miller is a strong female character in terms of balancing her family and work life. She’s the typical woman, except for the fact that she works for the CIA. Vivian wants to have it all, a steady career and time to spend with her family, but her job always seems to get in the way of family time. It was hard to watch Vivian’s struggle and realize that millions of women go through this every day.

Despite my love of Vivian’s dilemma, I was a little irked at her. She often brushed issues aside or didn’t delve in deep enough to the situation. Her emotions just felt nonexistent sometimes. She also made some odd decisions for a CIA agent.

Her emotional situation probably had to do with the pacing and length of the book. While it was very fast-paced, it was also very short. I think another 100 pages could have contributed greatly to Vivian, her family, and her coworkers’ character development. As it stands, the other characters read pretty flat, even Vivian’s husband who is a major character in the book.

However, I can’t lie, after getting sucked in in chapter by chapter, none of these issues really mattered. Once you start, you won’t be able to stop.

All in all, this book is a fun, quick read. If you’re looking for something that you’ll devour in one or two sittings, I’d say go for it. It’s also the perfect read for fans of Ashton Kutcher’s Killers film or even the television show Bones.

*Note: I received an ARC of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Black Ice

Becca Fitzpatrick

Publication Date: October 2014

Hardcover, 392 pages, Simon & Schuster

Genres: YA, Contemporary, Mystery/Thriller

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

Sometimes danger is hard to see... until it’s too late.

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

BLACK ICE is New York Times bestselling author Becca Fitzpatrick’s riveting romantic thriller set against the treacherous backdrop of the mountains of Wyoming. Falling in love should never be this dangerous…

My Review

“Over the mountains and through the woods to a home in the middle of nowhere with two creepy guys inside they go…” 

Britt and Korbie are on their high school spring break trip, travelling to Korbie’s vacation home in the mountains, when the snowstorm hits. They’re all alone, so what do they decide to do? They decide to get out of their car, and walk. Then, they decide that bunking with two random guys in their empty-looking cabin is a good idea. Have they never seen a horror movie!? These girls made some very poor life decisions. If screaming at them through the pages would have helped, I would have done it. 

Screaming thought #1) Don’t leave your warm car when you don’t know if you can find shelter! Screaming thought #2) Don’t go knocking on the door of the random cabin that’s in the middle of nowhere! And screaming thought #3) Don’t trust two random guys living in a cabin in the woods! 

Honestly, the first half of this book leaves no room for anything but thinking thoughts like these. Britt, the main character, and Korbie, her mean frenemy, are simply too delusional to even deem realistic. Britt has impractical feelings towards someone she should not have these feelings towards, and both of the girls’ emotions in their situation are completely unrealistic. The dialogue for the entire book also jumps on that unrealistic snowmobile. It’s also corny, cheesy, and every other food-flavor that describes awkward and mushy. 

However, a little more than halfway through, things start actually getting good… Or at least, better than they had been. Character development starts showing up! And an awesome backstory for a central character makes an appearance! And while the ending is predictable, it’s still an interesting thriller story that had me wondering how the characters were going to make it out of there alive. 

So, if you’re stuck inside on a snowy day with a power outage and you have nothing more interesting to do, reading this book could make you feel totally better about how non-life-threatening your situation is, or it could make you never trust anyone ever again.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from Book Review Board of Missouri. This in no way altered my opinion/review.