Keep You Close

I LOVED Karen Cleveland’s debut about Russian sleeper cells in the US, and I was so excited to read “Keep You Close.” It was a terrific, fast-paced read set in the same world as “Need to Know” where FBI agent Stephanie discovers her teenage son Zachary may be involved in domestic terrorism. But where this novel truly gets juicy, just like in “Need to Know” is where the FBI agent instincts crash up against the mother’s need to deny her child could be part of an anarchist group. But who is telling the truth? Is Zachary innocent? Or is he being framed? Many players on this chess board.

We’re presented with lots of flashbacks. And Stephanie’s backstory is heartbreaking. As a warning, one of the triggers comes up show more frequently throughout the book, and the writing is intense. And as we get further in and more twists and turns come, this just gets better and better! I love the firsthand knowledge of government procedure Karen Cleveland brings to her writing and the way this book integrates the characters from “Need to Know.” These espionage thrillers that touch on current-day events are great and the ending was intense. Can’t wait to see what comes next!

Trigger Warnings: rape

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. show less

4.5 stars.
Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland is a riveting spy thriller which is also full of suspense.

FBI Agent Stephanie "Steph" Maddox is a single mom to seventeen year old Zachary. She is quite driven, works long hours and over the years, she always puts her career first. Their relationship has deteriorated to the point she has no idea what is going on in his life as he prepares for high school graduation. This feeling of alienation is driven home when Steph discovers a gun hidden in his closet and she is visited by a former boyfriend, FBI Agent Scott Clark. Steph is horrified when Scott informs her that her son has turned up in his ongoing investigation of anarchist group Freedom Solidarity Movement. Steph wants to believe Zachary's show more strong denial that he is not involved with the group or the gun, but can she trust that her son is being truthful? Soon enmeshed in an investigation that uncovers far-reaching implications, Steph must decide whether her loyalties lie with Zachary or her country.

Steph leads a fairly solitary life since she has no close friends and puts in long hours at work. She is also very tight-lipped about her past and she does not discuss Zachary's father. Steph's relationship with her mother is a bit antagonistic since her mom is quite vocal about her daughter's disappointing mothering skills. Steph does not do herself any favors with Zachary due to her impatience with him and her caustic comments. She desperately wants to believe her son but will Steph overcome her self-doubts long enough to look at the situation objectively?

Steph is very reactive to the situation and she quickly learns that something nefarious is afoot. What she cannot figure out is who might be targeting her and why. Her first big case yielded a high profile take down and numerous arrests, but why would they come after her so many years later? Steph's next avenue of inquiry leads directly back to a traumatic incident in her past, but why would this person want to harm her or Zachary? Her next suspicion is so far-fetched that she can barely entertain her supposition seriously. But if what Steph is soon coming to believe is, in fact true, a vast conspiracy is underway that could reach the highest levels of law enforcement and the American government.

Keep You Close is an absolutely electrifying, pulse-pounding thriller. Steph's solitary approach to life is so deeply ingrained that she makes incredibly ill-conceived decisions. By the novel's end, she finds herself in an ethical and moral quandary that leaves her with very few choices when faced with a virtually impossible choice. Karen Cleveland brings this multi-layered and timely story to a jaw-dropping, twist-filled conclusion. An outstanding thriller that will leave readers asking "what if" about current day, headline news. show less

This novel is a complete guilty pleasure. It has all the elements of a riveting crime drama, murder, treason, a top secret government conspiracy. Stephanie Maddox is a FBI agent in the internal affairs division. Keeping FBI employees in line is her job. Life has never been simple for Stephanie, but she tries to make the best of things while holding life together for her 17 year old son who is about to graduate high school. Life starts to unravel for her quickly after a colleague brings evidence to her that suggests her son may be involved in a plot to eliminate high level government workers. Unable to accept this as truth, Stephanie throws herself behind exonerating her son. The path she is led down forces her to make painful choices show more between protecting her family and doing the job she was trusted to do. This story is a twisty tale that kept me guessing till the end. I do wonder if the author took inspiration from the real life political climate, as there are many echoes of real life in these pages. A lot of fun to read, strongly recommend. Novel supplied by Netgalley. show less

Steph Maddox is a brilliant member of the FBI. She's had a quiet life since she's moved to Washington, but as she prepares for her son to go away to college. His teenaged secrecy takers new heights, apparently Zach has figured out who his father is and no longer confides in her. When she suspects that the Russians are to blame for the murders of her coworkers and disappearance of others, she must fight her way out of this nightmare and oddly Zachary is mixed up in the middle of it all.

This was an action filled thiller. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the novel. It had many twists and kept me guessing until the very end.

: I read Karen Cleveland’s first book, Need to Know so I was very excited to get the ARC of her newest book Keep You Close. Once you get started on this book, you will keep reading until the end! Stephanie Maddox is working her dream job policing power and exposing corruption within the FBI. Unfortunately, as a single parent, she has missed a lot of school events, birthdays and vacations with her son, Zachary. But, she would do anything to protect him. As he gets closer to graduating high school and waiting to hear from his chosen colleges, he also starts changing his behavior and becoming more secretive.

When Stephanie finds a loaded gun in Zachary’s closet, she is shocked when Zachary says he knows nothing about it. She’s trained show more to know lies when she hears them and she’s not hearing a lie from her son. When a colleague from the domestic terrorism squad shows up at her front door almost immediately after and says, “It’s about Zachary”, the race is on! Stephanie needs to clear her son’s name and while doing this exposes a conspiracy that threatens to destroy them both and…bring our country down.

The author, Karen Cleveland spent years working as a CIA terrorism analyst and is used to thinking of worst-case scenarios. She certainly does a great job of this in her new book! Her question is what lengths would you go to protect those you love most? And if forced to choose, which would you pick: Your country? Or your family? show less

Keep You Close is a thriller that takes real events and puts a spin on them. Our society is seeing the fallout of young people being radicalized online into supporting hate groups and even carrying out violent terroristic attacks. Throughout the world, Russian cyberwarfare is affecting elections and turning the world toward authoritarian ethno-nationalists as Putin seeks to discredit democracy outside Russia to prevent its resurgence in Russia. These threads are skillfully woven by Karen Cleveland with a twist.

FBI investigator Stephanie Maddox learns her son is being investigated as a possible terrorist, but she cannot square that with the boy she raised. She is certain he is being framed, but to what end and by whom? She soon comes to show more believe it all leads back to her son’s father, a U.S. senator and her rapist. In trying to clear her son, she unravels a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of government—a threat as serious as the real threat we face now.

Keep You Close is a fast-paced thriller. From the first page, there is nonstop suspense. And of course, her son is either culpable or completely unaware and how can the readr or Stephanie know for sure? She can recall events that might be foreshadowing yet could also just be childhood tantrums. What is real?

That part of the story feels real. Now, the conspiracy is different. It feels like the conspirators are just too good at it, too all-knowing, too successful. They seem like villains 007 who would defeat 007. Of course, the real conspirators in our real world have successfully installed a compromised puppet in the White House, so who can say what is too far out there in conspiracy-world anymore?

Keep You Close will be released May 28th. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2019/05/24/9781524797058/ show less

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland in exchange for an honest review.
This book was an exciting thrill ride! I read it in one sitting. It was completely engrossing from the prologue to the last page.
Steph Maddox was a Senate aide when her boss did something despicable. His power prevented her from confronting him, but she made it her life's mission to protect victims. Now, an agent for the FBI as a supervisor in the Internal Affairs division, she is torn when a friend tells her that Zachary, Steph's son, is a suspect in a radical group. Steph knows this can't be possible. She is sure she knows her son.
As Steph tries to clear Zachary's name, she gets deeper and deeper into a complex show more web of conspiracy and realizes that she is up against a force bigger than she expected. The Russians have a deep grip on the intelligence agencies of the US. Nothing Steph does helps, but instead endangers her family and her loved ones.
No one is immune to the danger.
This novel was a breakneck speed of a thriller. I loved it!!
#KeepYouClose #KarenCleveland #NetGalley #BallantineBooks show less