Book Review: Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland | Jo Linsdell

Book Review: Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland

      

Book Review: Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland


My thoughts about Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland

This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning, I get a commission if you purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley. 



Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland
She knows her teenage son isn't perfect. But when the FBI starts investigating the kid she thought she knew, will she jeopardize her own career at the Bureau to keep her child safe?


From the New York Times bestselling author of Need to Know. . . .

Stephanie Maddox makes tough decisions every day. She has her hands full heading the FBI's Internal Investigations division, policing wrongdoers within the Bureau. But, as a single mother, the most important thing in her life is her teenage son Zachary, who's anxiously awaiting college acceptance letters. So when she discovers a gun concealed in Zach's room, her world reels. And then an FBI agent on the domestic terrorism squad shows up at her door and utters three devastating words: "It's about Zachary..."

Has she been wrong about her near-perfect son? Is Zach embroiled in something criminal--something deadly? And, if so, what is her greater duty: To protect him? Or to betray him?



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Discussing Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland


Trigger warning: Rape



The book cover I showed in the video is the one on Goodreads. 


Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland


Quotes from the book:


‘What do you want?’ It comes out more combative than I mean it to, and I see his face harden, just the slightest bit, and I know that look, too. The realization that these people aren’t going to cooperate. That they have something to hide.

The Freedom Solidarity Movement’s been on the Bureau’s radar for several years now, ever since a confidential source reported that it planned to target government officials: the sort of plot that, if proven, would elevate the network from anarchist group to terrorist group. A critical difference, in my line of work.

It was the idea of the law that I loved. Rules that everyone had to follow. Consequences for breaking them. The law was black-and-white. It was fair.

No one would believe you. I could feel that hand on my back, the confusion and terror that ran through me at his touch.

She didn’t know the whole truth about Halliday; no one did. And she didn’t know that midway through law school, I made another decision: that I wanted a career where I could stop people like him, people who abused their power, who preyed upon and victimized others. I would fight for the victims, and I would believe them.

‘I’ll watch him. I’ll be there for him. And for you.’ She resumed chopping, and her eyes flickered to mine, full of reproach. ‘Because that’s what mothers do.’

‘I don’t understand,’ I say, even though deep down, I do. I can see that he blames me. He knows this is my fault, even if he doesn’t understand how, or why.

‘I did some more digging into that forum. The encrypted one.’ ‘And?’ ‘Mom –we need to talk.’

That tingle kept coursing through me, growing stronger. Won’t let anyone else near her. Those words echoed in my brain. That behavior wasn’t normal, certainly not under circumstances like this. Standard procedure would have been a debrief, one that involved at least two agents.

He smiled at me, and something in his expression sent a chill through me. It was as if he could see through me. 

I waited for him to say more, but he didn’t. Something was wrong: every instinct I had was screaming that something was wrong. It didn’t make sense that everything was so tightly sealed. Two men were dead, one of them one of us. ‘Where is she?’

‘I’m not bashing you. I’m simply asking for an explanation.’ ‘And I’m simply telling you this isn’t the time.’ I need to go, I need to escape this room, this conversation. ‘Go ahead, Stephanie. Run.’ She leans back against the pillow. ‘It’s what you do.’

I take a breath, look down at the program in my lap, flip through it. The names are listed alphabetically; I scan until I find Zachary’s. Highest honors. A sense of pride fills me. Then my mind flashes to the last time I saw his name in an alphabetical list –the case file system. I’m trembling and I can’t control it. I close the program and grip it so tightly it tears in my hands.


Where to find Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland online:




Book Review: Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland







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12 comments

  1. The plot sounds interesting, and I am fine when a book goes back and forth but like it to be clear that it's happening. Great review.

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    1. Thanks Tasha. This was an ARC and so I really hope the final edit clears it up. Overall it was it a good read.

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  2. Sounds intense. That's the thing with ARCs you are likely to encounter errors or formatting issues.

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    1. Yeah hoping they format better in the final version.

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  3. It is so important to note with an ARC when you’re annoyed by certain issues and I’m glad you did! A lot of ARCs I’ve had lately have random worlds italicized and it throws me off! I’m like, “Why are you emphasizing this word?”

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    1. I love ARCs but they can be frustrating at times. When it happens I always mention it was an ARC copy so people know it might be sorted out in the final version and therefore not a problem.

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  4. I always hope that the issues we notice in ARCs get cleared up but it is definitely annoying if there are more than a certain number of errors ...
    but the plot does seem intriguing

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    1. The plot was good... Not great but good enough to keep my attention.

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  5. Great review. The plot sounds intriguing. I'm sure most mothers would want to help their child, though not sure of the lengths some would go to. Hopefully the issues will be cleared up in the final edit.

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    1. The mother-child relationship in this was definitely a bit strange. They have a lot of issues that effect their relationship.

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  6. This sounds intense, but great review!

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    1. If you like books in the crime, mystery, thriller genres you might like this one.

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