Need To Know - Softcover

Karen Cleveland spent eight years as a CIA analyst, the last six in counterterrorism. She has master’s degrees from Trinity College Dublin, where she studied as a Fulbright Scholar, and from Harvard University. She lives in northern Virginia with her husband and two young kids.

Advance praise for Need to Know

“Perhaps there will be two or three readers out there who manage to finish the first chapter of this terrific debut and put it down for more than an hour. But they’ll be back. And they’ll devour Need to Know like the rest of us, skipping lunch, losing sleep, turning pages until the end, where we’re all left waiting for more.”—John Grisham

“This is a compelling debut about a timely issue....Perfect for fans of Shari Lapena’s thrillers and Chris Pavone’s The Expats (2012), and for just about everyone who loves the thrill of finding themselves in a book that can’t be put down.”—Booklist (starred review)
 
“[A] pulse-hammering first novel...This suspenseful espionage tale is a rousing Act 2 to the excitement of TV’s The Americans and the novels of Chris Pavone.”—Library Journal (starred review)
 
“The Russia page-turner that should be on everyone’s list.”—New York Post
 
“The fast-moving plot will appeal to fans of The Americans. . . . You’ll get carried away by the action.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
“[A] wildly compulsive read. What worked about it? For me, everything.”—Bookreporter

“Assured [and] may attract readers not usually drawn to espionage novels.”—Publishers Weekly

“Prediction: If you read chapter one, you’ll read chapter two. If you read chapter two, you’ll miss dinner, stay up far too late, and feel tired at work tomorrow. This is that kind of book. Superb.”—Lee Child

“Need to Know carves out a uniquely compelling space among thrillers: high-stakes international intrigue combined with high-drama domestic suspense. These richly overlapping layers of tension create a fast-paced, relentlessly gripping read.”—Chris Pavone, New York Times bestselling author of The Expats 

“I am consumed with awe that this is a debut novel. Breathtaking, heart-pounding, it manages to be at once intimate and sweeping, characterful and plot-driven. A really astonishing achievement for any writer, let alone a first-time novelist. I love it!”—Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Gamache Series

“I raced through this gripping tale of domesticity and deceit. Karen Cleveland deliciously ratchets up the tension at every turn. You won’t be able to put it down until the final, stunning page!”—Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door
 
“Heart-poundingly suspenseful and heart-wrenchingly insightful, Need to Know hums with authentic detail, crisp storytelling, and characters that will long stay in your thoughts. A gripping thriller with real psychological depth.”—JP Delaney, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Before

“Hold on tight! What a story, brilliantly told. An espionage thriller from deep within the heart of the CIA, told from a woman’s point of view. More modern than tomorrow. Absolutely gripping.”—Terry Hayes, New York Times bestselling author of I Am a Pilgrim

“Karen Cleveland is the real deal—an exciting new voice in thrillers. Scarpetta would call her friend.”—Patricia Cornwell, #1 New York Times bestselling author