A fast-paced, exhilarating political thriller that is relentless, twisty, and unpredictable. Ultimately, giving the reader a surface level thriller with little to no depth.

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I'm not sure why this spy novel showed up on my reading list, but I am thrilled that it did. The author, Karen Cleveland, comes by her knowledge of spycraft from first-hand experience working for the CIA in counterterrorism. The setting is Bethesda, Maryland where Vivian Miller lives with her husband and four children.

Vivian seems always torn between her work duty, Russian counterintelligence, and her family of young children, Luke, Ella, and the twin babies, Caleb and Chase. Matt, Vivian's husband, is a software engineer, and he does most of the domestic heavy lifting. He is there when the kids get home from daycare, and he usually has dinner on the table by the time Vivian can leave her desk.

It is difficult to talk about this book without giving away essential plot points. But it is safe to say that this book is a thrilling suspense filled spy story. I just couldn't stop reading it to the very end of one sitting. Vivian has to make decisions that are beyond most people's reach. Working as a CIA analyst turns out to be anything but a tedious desk job. And the story is not a tried and true car-chase, shoot em up story either. The novel deals with the love, anxiety, and fragility of a young family. It is thoughtful, smart, and caring. I am looking forward to the film adaptation with Charlize Theron as Vivian.

Thank you, NetGalley, the author, and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC which will be published in January.

During an investigation into Russian sleeper agents, CIA Analyst Vivian Miller discovers a photo of her husband in a Russian handlers’ computer file of “friends”. Vivian confronts her husband Matt who admits he is a sleeper agent, but he offers to turn himself in. Should she trust him? Torn between her loyalty to country and her husband and their four children, Vivian deletes the evidence, but nothing is ever really deleted. So begins a psychological heart-stopping roller-coaster ride that twists and turns as Vivian finds her life spiraling out of control. Her efforts make Vivian the perfect target for the Russians who know how to target a person’s vulnerabilities. What will they want in return for keeping her husband’s secret? For fans of Red Sparrow and other American/Russian spy thrillers. This is one page-turner you won’t want to miss! - Amy O.

What if you were a CIA operative tasked with finding Russian sleeper agents? And what if after a break through discovery you realize that your husband and father of your four children was one of them? Would you turn him in? Vivian Miller has to face this choice as she questions her own loyalty as well as that of her husband and is definitely unsure who she should trust. The suspense becomes almost painful when things quickly spiral out of control in this fast paced page-turner.
Read the book before watching the movie, as it was optioned by Universal starring Chalize Theron. – Wendy M.

Libro que me ha encantado, con un final con vuelta de fuegos, y que, desde luego, cuenta con mucha emoción que pone los pelos de punta del suspense que tiene

Netgalley has provided me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Need to know is a compelling story with a title that describes exactly how I felt reading it. I needed to know EVERYTHING! Who can you trust? In the beginning, I felt tense with anxiety due to the fear that the one person you trust for life, your husband, has been deceiving you for more than ten years. As the story develops I felt like I was on a roller coaster where my emotions twisted and turned with multitudes of doubt. Who can you trust? I kept saying this over and over again.

Karen Cleveland's novel Need to Know is a must read thriller where you are kept guessing throughout the entire story. I must admit the story did read like a screenplay for a movie and the scenes played out in my mind. I am sure this will be a blockbuster.

The Americans if it was on Lifetime.

CIA analysis Vivian Miller is ferreting out Russian "sleeper agents" and comes across a devastating piece of evidence that threatens her family. How she proceeds is quite a yarn. While at times implausible, anyone who has watched the series "The Americans" will find this take fascinating. Cleveland does a fine job with characterization and pacing. Good read!

Great first book!! Cannot wait until Karen Cleveland writes another. :)

One of the best page-turners I have read in awhile, just when you think you know what will happen Cleveland inserts another twist. Block out a day for this one!

This book was a 5 star book for the first 2/3, then it devolved into craziness, a plot line that seemed too fantastical, and, inadvertently, a tale of a smart woman being led astray by her emotions and the manipulation of the men in her life that she trusts the most.