Kendal Carter’s days are filled with typical preschool mom things: hanging out at the playground, pretending to be queens with unicorns, and... fleeing internationally when her cover implodes?  Prior to motherhood, Kendal was the top spy at a private agency that brought her to safety.  That safety, of course, comes with a catch.  Kendal can remain in London and raise her daughter in a “normal” environment after she completes one job for the agency – training a new asset.  Simple enough.  But what seems like a straightforward mission quickly transforms into a tangled, internationally spanning web of deception centered around Big Tech's entry into the education system in L.M. Kemp’s I, SPY.

Kemp’s writing is enthralling and immediately engaging.  I, SPY is intended to be the first in a forthcoming series.  As a result, many story arcs are introduced and lightly developed but not resolved.  Readers with a penchant for relationship dynamics will appreciate how naturally Kendal’s perspective on motherhood is woven throughout the story – the challenges, frustrations, and charms she faces while raising a little and reflecting on her own upbringing.  

Several of I, SPY’s plot points and character backgrounds lack detail and development, resulting in the storyline becoming confusing at times.  Furthermore, the emphasis on daily parenting tasks and struggles could have been condensed in favor of meaningfully digging into the details of the operation that is the driving force of the book.  Readers expecting a smart, fearless, and ruthless spy-turned-mom may be frustrated with Kendal’s rusty portrayal.  Despite continued reinforcement that Kendal is the best of the best, she frequently makes rookie mistakes that diminish her credibility and the overall enjoyment of anticipated intrigue and scheming.  Kendal misreads multiple situations and people, lacks detail orientation, and fails to notice when she’s being surveilled, just to name a few.  This results in I, SPY reading more like an amateur sleuth novel than a spy thriller.  

Kendal’s days as a spy are far from over, and the series will undoubtedly rope her into more high-stakes operations while she balances raising her fierce daughter.  Readers looking for an easy, fast, fun read will speed through L.M. Kemp’s I, SPY.