⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
Every so often, a book comes along with a premise that sounds like a surefire winner. Brittany Butler’s The Syndicate Spy is one of those. A futuristic, female-led spy syndicate battling over dwindling oil supplies in a climate-altered world? Count me in. Sadly, the story never quite lives up to its promise.
I don’t wish to be unkind, after all, writing a book is hard work, but the pacing is uneven, with stretches of clunky exposition slowing the action to a crawl. The world-building, while creative, often feels more like background noise than an integral part of the story. Juliet Arroway, the lead spy, has plenty of potential but never feels fully fleshed out. Dialogue is stiff, and the romantic subplot doesn’t enhance the tension—it derails it.
And then there are the sex scenes. Awkwardly written and out of place, they felt more like something from a corny Harlequin romance than a taut espionage thriller. Instead of raising the stakes, they left me rolling my eyes.
There are sparks of originality here—especially the idea of an all-female syndicate—but overall, The Syndicate Spy is a missed opportunity. If you’re looking for sharp, suspenseful spy fiction, you’ll want to look elsewhere.
** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook. Opinions are my own.