This got off to a fairly slow start but was a decent thriller, with some twists along the way. At times the characters did not seem wholly convincing.

This is really enjoyable read and a mystery with a difference, the spying aspect of the story was very different and I loved the character of Holly. Told from alternating timelines it makes a compulsive read that I found entertaining, well written and something different from the norm. I have been on a run of excellent books recently so I am always apprehensive when starting a new one but this really did hit the mark and I look forward to reading more from Claire Kendal in the future. So if you want a mystery with a difference then you a good one here and I really recommend it.
My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Uk for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well I have finished another book and wow what a book! I Spy is a psychological thriller from author Claire Kendal and I absolutely loved it. From start to finish I found it near impossible to put down and must admit that I was even late for work a couple of times due to having to read just one or two more pages. Following the life of a failed MI5 applicant the story jumps forward and back in Hollys life with each section answering question while providing more at the same time. What really happened? How and why did things turn out the way they did and what will happen next. Its hard to know what to write about books like this that wont give away a key part of the story while thinking about the parts that really stuck in my mind. But regardless throughout I was hooked and the protagonists pain and determination felt as real as my own determination to read more.
Definitely a must read for any fans of the genre, I Spy will be released 01 Aug 2019. I was given an advance copy for the purpose of this review.

Not a great storyline, difficult to follow and characters I didn’t really care about.
I struggled to finish it, so, although I’m sure it’s got an audience, it’s not me.
2*

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

I found this book to be very slow and the characters unconvincing. Sorry, it's not for me.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me an ARC

Claire Kendal has the ability to always write an amazing, unique psychological thriller and this book is no exception.
The plot is engaging, complex and has multiple layers to it.
I’d strongly recommend this one to anyone who likes her books or this genre.

My thanks to Netgalley for my copy of this book which provided a totally satisfying read. The narrative is contained within two timelines which fortunately are delivered well and led to no confusion.

This is a psychological thriller with many more facets than the actual main plot, all of which are very well handled. I Spy is as full of intrigue and suspense as you could wish for.

Personally I was slightly disappointed with the conclusion but to explain why would divulge a spoiler and of course, you can't please all of the people all of the time. Overall a good book which I would recommend to any reader who enjoys this genre.

4 Stars from me

I have a bit of an unusual situation with this book... I opened it on Kindle, flicked through the first few title pages and began reading. I was struck by how a notion of arriving right in the story, but it alternated between 'now', 'then' 'one year later' etc etc so it didn't seem abnormal. However, when I went to put the book down I realised it was showing as 73% on the Kindle. Initially I thought this was a glitch but the next day when I went back to the book I realised that I had somehow started the book at about 60% through, no idea how, it's never happened before. At this stage there seemed little point going back to the beginning so I carried on and finished the book.

Therefore, my review is a little odd as it is essentially based purely on the last 40% of the book! I'm assuming the slight confusion I felt with placing people and names is entirely down to missing a huge chunk of the story and as such I would say I really enjoyed the bits I read.Holly/Helen is a sad soul but very determined and I liked her. I liked George too although Zac was hard to fathom, I get the impression he may have been a bit of an arse in the bits I missed and yet the Zac at the end seemed a genuinely nice guy. Very difficult to form any true opinion from the portion I've read but the writing style is nice and the cliff scene was well described.

I would certainly read more (ha ha maybe even the whole book) by Claire Kendal.

Synopsis: Someone is watching your every move…Holly Lawrence always wanted to be a spy, but the experience proved more dangerous than anything she imagined. Now, Holly lives in hiding under an assumed name. She avoids relationships and trusts no one.But Holly’s new life begins to unravel when she encounters a young mother and her two-year-old child… a child who reminds her of a past she has tried hard to forget. This time, someone is spying on her, and Holly will need to decide how far she is willing to go to survive.A psychological thriller unlike anything you’ve read before...

Sorry but this book was too slow for me and just didn't 'grab' me. I disliked the characters and was glad when I got to the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Not a very convincing story, I didn't quite believe in the characters and couldn't be!over in the plot.

This started a bit slow for me but I did enjoy it so glad I stuck with it. Well written & strong story line, an enjoyable thriller I’d recommend to anyone.

This started poorly in my opinion - the interview almost put me off entirely because it seemed so fake and immature. However, I'm glad I persisted because the novel turned out to be a twisty thriller with much less of the cringey 'girl spy' trope than the opening chapter seemed to promise. It was dark and perhaps a litte suspension of disbelief helped, but overall I was engaged and enjoyed the ride.

Great book ...not quite a 5 star read for me but almost there. It is a good story but not the easiest to read/follow. It takes quite a bit of concentration to work out what is going on. Not a bad thing but at one point about 70% through I was hoping the end was near but then the narrative picked up again and I stayed up late to finish it. I am not sure about the ending....I cannot quite believe what Holly decides to do ....in my experience she will live to regret it!

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time , had me absolutely hooked from page one , with a gripping suspenseful storyline .

Holly always wanted to be a spy growing up and the story opens with her final interview for the job. However, one wrong answer ends her chance and her dream. The story then moves on to follow Holly's life after the loss of her childhood dream across two timelines of then and now.

In the now she is living under an assumed name in secret being spied on herself, while in the then, she is approached by the woman who gave her the final interview that she failed to inform on someone close to her.

The book is full of twists and turns until the very end. There are clues throughout to guess possible paths the story will follow but it is not predictable and holds the reader's interest until the very end.

The split timeline occasionally caused me to have to pause to think where I was in the story, but you do settle into the flow quite quickly so this minor stumble did not hinder the story.

An enjoyable read that I would recommend.

One of my favourite reads by this author so far. It was definitely an engrossing read and full of mystery. Recommended read.

I really enjoyed Second Sister by Claire Kendal and was delighted to be asked to read her new book I Spy.
This book started off well for me but because the timeline jumped about I found the story confusing.
Holly always wanted to be a spy but things became complicated and dangerous when she was asked to spy on her partner.
She is now in hiding and in fear for her safety.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins for me e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
Overall this was a good book with a strong storyline but I felt that it dragged at times and left me a little bored. It did pick up the pace towards the end though.

Holly has always wanted to be a spy and the book opens with her interview for MI5. It then fast forwards 5 years to the present day after which it alternates between Holly in the present day and over 2 years ago in the lead up to traumatic events that led her to begin a new life, in a new part of the country with a new name and no contact with her best friend.

I don’t really want to say any more for fear of inadvertently giving spoilers. I did think I would enjoy it more than I did given the advance reviews it has been receiving but for me there was just something lacking.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Although this was a highly entertaining read, I found I struggled a fair bit with it. But the ending was brilliant and unexpected and I really liked that. I think the blurb hyped it up so much that my expectations were a little too high.

The characters were well thought out and each had their own quirks. I liked Holly’s the most, obviously she was the main, the lead and the POV throughout the story so we get to know her intimately as opposed to the others. Though I would have loved more of Milly, Peggy and James.
Zac was a twit and I didn’t like him, hated him is more how I’d described my views towards him.

The storyline itself was intriguing, well researched; to the extent that can when it includes MI5 and the secret services. Though some of the ‘spy’ scenarios were quite amateurish and could have been executed better.

This author has a unique writing style which draws the read in and is very detailed. The words used were thought out perfectly for each page and it made for an interesting journey with Holly.

Overall, a good read, though could have been better.

'I Spy' was an enjoyable read and one that grabbed me from the beginning. I must admit that i did find the jumping in timelines a little confusing at first, but soon got used to this. There were many twists and turns and whereas i can often guess what is going to happen at the end, i didn't. A very well written book and one that i can certainly recommend. Hope to read more books by Claire Kendal.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.