Original Sin by Beth McMullen

Description:

On the surface, Lucy Hamilton looks just like all the other stay-at-home San Francisco moms. She takes her three-year-old son, Theo, to the beach, to the playground and to the zoo. She feeds him organic applesauce and free-range chicken. She folds laundry and plays on the floor with Matchbox cars until her knees ache. What no one knows about Lucy, not even her adoring husband, is that for nine years Lucy was Sally Sin, a spy for the United States Agency for Weapons of Mass Destruction. And that's just the way she wants to keep it - a secret. But when Lucy's nemesis Ian Blackford, a notorious illegal arms dealer, hits the USAWMD's radar, the Agency calls Sally Sin back to action to lure Blackford out into the open. Racing against time, Lucy must fight to save herself, her loving family - and, oh right - the world. Hilarious and resonant, ORIGINAL SIN is the story of one woman’s quest to find that most elusive work-life balance in the face of danger, intrigue, and proper recycling habits.

 I thought this was a YA book when I first glanced at it. The bright pink just yelled YA to me. This is not the case. The book is actually a spy novel. One about a wife and mother of a 3 year old. Retired from her life of adventure and not quite willing to let go of the paranoia that plagued her as a spy. I found that part to be interesting as she would often compare motherhood to a toddler to her spying life. For example, she found that growing eyes on the back of your head with quick reflexes to be quite useful with a child. Scary useful. :)

The book is told in the way you might see in those old spy movies. Where the spy is reminiscing and telling a long story. This can really work for these types of novels, but in this case it made me feel as if I was kept at arms length from Sally/Lucy. I just didn't connect to her character like I should. The book also took a long time to get to the crux of what was presently going on with her. You did need that back story, but it should have been woven into the present's problems much earlier. I also didn't buy that the people closest to her knew she lied about her past but did not press it. There is also a possible story there and I wish it was told.

I give this novel 3 stars. Despite the flaws I did enjoy Sally/Lucy's story. If some of this is corrected in the next novel, I for one will enjoy it. This series does have potential.
I received this book from Library Thing's Early Reviewers Program and the Publisher and no compensation was given.