The Good Traitor by Ryan Quinn (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"The US ambassador to China is killed in a suspicious plane crash just days after a news article links Chinese spies to US business interests. The American intelligence community is left scrambling to investigate possible connections between the crash and a series of other high-profile deaths.

On the other side of the world, ex-CIA operative Kera Mersal returns to the United States determined to clear her name after being branded a traitor for exposing illegal government surveillance. There, former colleague and fellow fugitive J. D. Jones contacts her with a new assignment: find out who is staging accidents to murder news sources. As the news site continues to publish stories about top-secret CIA programs and Chinese government corruption, Mersal reunites with old allies to uncover the truth and prove her loyalty to her country once and for all. But Mersal’s investigations put her on the trail of a sinister hacker whose own motives may influence a vaster—and more deadly—geopolitical conspiracy than either of the world’s two largest superpowers is prepared to handle."

My Thoughts:

The Good Traitor was a book that I couldn't resist picking up because it just sounded a bit different from my more recent reads.  I'm a sucker for a thriller pretty much all of the time but add in spies and "top-secret CIA programs"  and this book went on to my TBR wishlist just like that.  I may be the world's moodiest reader but books like this are what helps keep my reading interesting and stops me from getting a case of the book slumps.  This book just felt like such a refreshing change of pace and I enjoyed every minute of it.  The story focuses on Kera Mersal who is on the run herself as she has been branded a traitor to the U.S. government.  I loved Kera's character and really enjoyed reading about the different things that she had learned from being in the CIA.  All of the different identities that she had created, the ways that she went about covering her tracks so that no one could find her....all of those things had me so completely intrigued.  It really gets you thinking about how much of a footprint you leave just by things you share on the internet, using your phone, or other things like that.  It is crazy!  

I also really enjoyed the mystery portion of this book.  There was a ton of suspense surrounding what was really going on.  I found myself guessing the entire time which I really loved.  The author used technology to add another layer of suspense which almost sounds weird saying it like that.  But then when I tell you that I won't be getting on an elevator anytime soon thanks to this book- well, maybe that will help you understand a bit more without ruining anything.  The thing I found scariest about this book is how accurate it almost is when it comes to the media and how easily they can portray things in a certain light.  I don't think it is a spoiler to share that Kera wasn't really a traitor but she never stood a chance thanks to all of the media attention surrounding what happened.  It just makes you think and even though this is a fictional read it left me a bit uneasy.  Too close to possible truths perhaps?  All I can really tell you is that I couldn't put this book down.  I finished it in a matter of days because I just didn't want to stop reading.  I would love to read more about Kera but the author did a really great job of wrapping up this book.  That ending was so intense!  This definitely was the perfect read for the mood I was in and I enjoyed it all the more because of it.

Overall, I really liked this book and am eager to read more by this author.  This was such a suspenseful and thrilling read for me and I couldn't get enough.  It just felt like a breath of fresh air which I couldn't help but appreciate.  I need more books like this in my life!  I would recommend this one to both fans of mysteries and thrillers.  It is a great ride and I can't wait to hear what others think of it. Recommended!!

Bottom LI\ine:  A book that just fit my reading mood perfectly! I love when this happens!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher as part of a PICT book tour.