Review: A Spy At Home by Joseph Rinaldo

Cover Source:  GoodReads.com

Title: A Spy At Home
Author: Joseph Rinaldo
Series:
Version Reviewed: Finished Copy, eBook
Website: www.josephmrinaldo.com

GoodReads Summary:

When Dad becomes the lone caregiver for a dependent adult son, Dad has to answer the terrifying question: What happens if I die first?                       A retired CIA operative comes to believe he wasted his professional life not only promoting questionable American policies, but missing life with his family. Suddenly, his wife is gone, and he must learn all that she knew about caring for their mentally retarded son. After a life of planning for contingencies, the former spy must deal with the possibility that he may die before his son. Who will care for the son when the dad spent a life out of the country and now has no one to lean on?

A Spy At Home is a very different type of book than I would normally read. It was out of my genre range, written differently than I prefer, yet when I got a request to read and review this book, I accepted it. Normally I wouldn't accept the book if it was so far out of my "league", so to speak. But I did and I will admit that I thought this book was going to be completely different than what it was.

Aside from it being out of my genre range, the only real problem I had with this book was how it was written. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it was written badly. It got the story through, made it's point, and actually brought emotion out of me. I just felt like it jumped back and forth a bit and I felt myself getting confused quite often. Again, it wasn't written badly. It just wasn't the way I like my books to be written. People are completely different, so a book I had trouble with, another person will understand completely.

This book really did bring out emotion in me. There were honestly a few chapters that I felt myself tearing up. Between the circumstances surrounding Louisa's death, Arnold, and Noah, it was very heartbreaking. I loved Noah's character. I really wish things had turned out differently for him and his family because with each page I read further into the book, my heart continued to break.

One thing that I really do love about A Spy At Home is that it genuinely brings to light the secrets of families with children who have Down Syndrome. With Noah and his family you were able to witness what went on behind closed doors and eventually his decline with Alzheimer's. Again, I teared up.


Favorite Character:
Rating: Two Stars

*This book was provided for free by the author for review.