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. ( )

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. ( )

FBI agent Stephanie Maddox's world turns upside down when she finds a gun hidden in her son Zachary's closet. It gets even worse when a colleague of her tells her that her son is involved with a terrorist group. She can't believe it, but how well does she know her son? For most of his life she has been prioritizing her job most of the time, and now she is worried that she doesn't know the young man he has become. Could he really be a treat to the country? And what should she do if he is?

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION! ( )

I recommend this author for a suspenseful day of reading. I've read two of her books. They are fast paced and difficult to put down and the ending in both books were not what I was expecting. Excellent. ( )

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 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.
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