ARC Review: Original Sin by Beth McMullen

Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure
Author: Beth McMullen
Publication: Hyperion (July 12, 2011)


Description: After falling in love and making a quick exit from her nine-year career in the USAWMD (United States Agency for Weapons of Mass Destruction), ex-spy Sally Sin does her best to become Lucy Hamilton, a stay-at-home mom in San Francisco. No one, not even her adoring husband Will, knows about her secret agent escapades--chasing no-good masterminds through perilous jungles, escaping evil assassins, and playing dangerous games of cat and mouse with her old nemesis, Ian Blackford, a notorious and dashing illegal arms dealer.


In her new life as Lucy Hamilton, she squeezes inside forts crafted from couch cushions by her three-year-old son Theo, makes organic applesauce, and frequents the zoo. But sometimes her well-honed spy reflexes refuse to lay low. She can't help breaking into her own house to check on the babysitter or stop herself from tossing the yoga instructor who gets on her nerves. And when Ian Blackford, who is supposed to be dead, once again starts causing trouble for the USAWMD, the agency becomes desperate to get Sally back on the job.


How can Sally or Lucy or whatever her name is save the planet while at the same time keeping her own family's world from spinning out of control?


Every bit as much fun as a spy-mom thriller ought to be, Original Sin is a fast-paced adventure story for mothers and spies, and anyone who has ever dreamed about being either.


My Thoughts: This was a fun introduction to an interesting character. It started out quirky and funny but ended on a more serious note. Lucy (or Sally Sin) is adjusting well to being an ex-spy, stay-at-home mom to three-year-old Theo -- if you discount her paranoia and her inability to let her child out of her sight. She is still hesitant to make friends because she is so used to not being able to trust anyone. She is even lying to her husband. She has thought of telling him the truth but, as the time goes by, it gets harder and harder to bring up the topic. Also, she is afraid that if he knows her real past their relationship would not survive.


I enjoyed watching Lucy's relationship with her son. Theo seemed like a realistic three-year-old and added a lot of lightness to the story. 


It gets hard to keep the secret from her husband when her ex-boss appears and wants to use Lucy as bait to catch the resurrected Ian Blackford. The boss is sure that Lucy is Blackford's one weakness. She doesn't see it that way. After all, there relationship didn't go much beyond his continual kidnapping her. 


As the story goes on, Lucy remembers the occasions when she was kidnapped by Blackford and the many adventures she had as a spy. There were lots of funny moments and lots of dangerous ones too. It is hard to describe Lucy's character. She tends to be both laconic and emotionally detached. She doesn't seem to have any sense of personal danger. I liked seeing her try to adjust to being an ordinary person. I also liked her realizing what she would do to keep the life she has. 


I think that readers who like humorous thrillers will like getting to know Sally Sin. I wonder what further adventures are in store for her. 

Favorite Quote:

I am not a religious person. I don't identify with any of the world's major religions or minor ones for that matter. In fact, I don't understand religion at all and as far as I can see the only thing it does is hasten the slaughter of people who generally seem to be minding their own business. But I had to admit, standing in that alley with this very naughty priest, I felt bad for the Pope. If he can't hire reliable people, well, who can really?

I received this book for review from an ad in Shelf Awareness. This one will be coming out in hardcover on July 12.