I, Spy - by L M Kemp (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Ex-spy Kendal was one of the best, but now she's wearing the toughest disguise of her career: Mom.

"An incisive feminist thriller and heaps of fun."--Margot Douaihy

Kendal Carter is out in the cold and she wouldn't have it any other way. It's been four years since her daughter Rosie was born and Kendal has kept her miles away from the danger of her former life as a spy. But when their hiding place is discovered, Kendal is forced to turn to old contacts for help. Her longtime friend and ex-handler Rico doesn't miss his chance to pull his best spy back in. Whisking them to London, Rico offers them a luxury safe house in an area with good schools. How can Kendal resist?

But there's a catch, of course. Rico wants Kendal to come back to work for his espionage agency Bon Temps. He's offering an assignment with no apparent downside, investigating one of the dads at Rosie's new school who works at one of London's biggest, murkiest tech firms and suspected of being up to no good. It should be easy enough for someone with her experience, and luckily, mother is the perfect cover.

However, it doesn't take long for Kendal to realize that Rico's got an agenda of his own. The tech firm may be dealing in darker and more deadly secrets than they all realize, plus the world of coffee mornings and playdates comes with its own web of allegiances and betrayals. Kendal soon finds herself in way too deep . . .

A gripping blend of suspenseful spy thriller with heartfelt women's fiction, I, Spy is the first in a propulsive debut series about the masks we all wear, whether as a spy or as a parent.

Review Quotes

One of CrimeReads' "New Books Coming Out This Week"

"Blending the humor of Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan is Killing It with the spycraft of a Chris Pavone novel, this propulsive debut lays the ground for future installments and readers will be eager to join Kendal on her next mission."--Booklist

"I, Spy cleverly mixes intrigue and sentiment. Rosie is especially charming company, misstating her mother's most crucial instruction as 'trust your insects.' Ms. Kemp's engaging novel hints at a sequel. The sooner the better."--The Wall Street Journal

"I, Spy is a twister that lulls you deep into the story, then starts hitting you with surprises."--BookTrib

"Blending the humor of Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan is Killing It with the spycraft of a Chris Pavone novel, this propulsive debut lays the ground for future installments and readers will be eager to join Kendal on her next mission."--Booklist

"L. M. Kemp's novel is an excellent read, and her descriptions of the many and varied characters are outstanding. The twists and turns that occur in the book make this a terrifically suspenseful novel."--Marilyn's Mystery Reads

"This first in a planned new series promises feminine skills and thrills galore with a dose of humor and lots of action."--Auntie M Writes

"I, Spy is an incisive feminist thriller and heaps of fun. L. M. Kemp blends tradecraft and intimate reckonings in an enthralling tale of motherhood, the business of secrets, and the biggest mystery of all, the self, 'with beauty, with magic.' A stellar speedrun of a novel and a fresh take on the alluring dangers of espionage."--Margot Douaihy, bestselling author of Scorched Grace

"Kendal Carter's life is about to get hella complicated. A former spy, she's been hiding out ever since her cover was blown and her lover was killed. But now her former colleagues have tracked her down and have asked her to complete one more mission--it's never one, is it? She doesn't feel like she has a choice, but how exactly is she going to do this with a four-year-old in tow? A fun look inside the shadow world of private spies and counter-measures, I spy a hit!"--Catherine Mack, USA Today bestselling author of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies

About the Author

L. M. KEMP lives and works in upstate London (Essex). She writes for a vast variety of creative, cultural, corporate and clandestine clients: most recently co-authoring personalized books for Wonderbly; reviewing pilot episodes, cheap perfumes and random Instagram accounts for Ralph Magazine; and editing lengthy and devastating reports for Greenpeace. For the last two years her work has been dominated by the research and development of I, Spy and a deep dive into the murky world of modern spycraft.