✍ Sparrow 59: The Sleepers' Coalition [1] - Devon Ashley

Genre: New Adult, Mystery & Thrillers
Published 16 December 2014 by Devon Ashley
Number of pages: 234

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  I really liked it

"The Bourne Identity meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith for the new adult crowd. 

Members of the CIA’s specialized team Sparrow, who investigate specifically into black market deals involving stolen medical research, were all murdered in one quick sweep. Drew and Samantha, team five-nine, have been more than just partners since their academy training days. Safeguarding their secret tryst from everyone in their professional lives, they trust no one but themselves. But when Samantha finds herself suspiciously spared and Drew missing, she doesn’t want to believe what the CIA claims – that Drew is not only alive and has defected from their organization, but is facilitating the deaths of prominent research developers worldwide. Now the only member of Sparrow who hasn’t been killed off,
Samantha finds herself under serious investigation by association – and a prisoner within her own home. 

Just when she’s on the verge of being labeled a murderer and a traitor herself, Drew activates a beacon only she can see, taunting her from across the world. He knows she’s watching, and she knows he could be gone forever if she doesn't oblige his silent request. With nothing left to lose and everything to gain, Sam goes rogue to track him down and clear her good name. But when she finally catches up to her partner of four years, he hasn’t a clue who he is or what he’s done, and the men chasing him down suddenly want to acquire her as well. 

Frantic yet determined, Samantha is forced to protect a man she no longer trusts in order to learn why he went astray – and why his associates are determined to retrieve him. But is Drew really a victim himself in a much greater scheme, or will his memories prove lethal, leading Sam into harm’s way like a lamb to slaughter, ultimately risking the life of the only member of Sparrow he managed to save?"

Sparrow 59 (The Sleepers' Coalition Book 1) was an anusual choice for me as generally I am rather skeptical of both terms "spy" and "romance". Thankfully the synopsis made me give Devon Ashley and her latest series a try - I am now eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

Sparrow 59 had me hooked from the start and I found myself devouring each chapter, with bated breath, to unravel the story of Drew.

The spy element was entertaining, reminiscent of James Bond, and of course of The Bourne Identity with regard to Drew. Although there is a clear focus on the personal romantic relationship between Sam and Drew, I would definitely not refer to this tale as a "romance".

I know many readers have been disappointed by how this story unfolded, and many have felt that it finished on a cliff-hanger. I would say that I truly enjoyed this book because of its integrity in continuing its plot realistically, as it had been set up for quite some time - there was truly no other way to go - and as such the ending did not come as a surprise to me, and I feel that there was a very clear and well defined conclusion, which then beautifully sets up the second part of this series, which promises to have a completely different focus.

I truly enjoyed Devon Ashley's writing style and the clever switch of POV for three chapters, which made the climax of the book so much more dramatic and engaging. I have also lined myself up to read more from this author; next on my list are:

• The Complete Falling Novels: "One girl, two crushes. One in the real world, one in the dream world. What could possibly go wrong?"
• Nearly Broken (Nearly #1): "We’d both gone missing at one point, but Claire had one thing I didn’t. Someone to notice. So why was I the one still here and she the one still gone?"

[ARC received via Netgalley]