Customer Reviews

Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Original Sin by Beth McMullen

I was thrilled to get this book to review as I loved the premise and haven't read anything like this before.
Lucy Parks Hamilton used to be Agent 26, code named Sally Sin, working for the United States Agency for Weapons of Mass Destruction. Now, she is a stay at home mom enjoying her three-year-old son Theo and her husband Will Hamilton.
One of the rules for leaving "The Agency" is that they may call you and you must answer the call.
So after a blissful few years, Lucy is called by her mentor and boss, Simon Still, and the adventure ensues.
In the first chapter or two I thought the humor was a little contrived but as I read further I was very amused by the writing and main character.
It became an easy flow of humor and dialogue. I especially loved the interaction between Lucy and her son Theo. Quite a few chuckles to be had. But it isn't all laughs, there is an absorbing mystery to be resolved. Also, Lucy's nemesis, Ian Blackford, makes for interesting back story as they recount the spy days.
I really had a hard time putting this book down and I am adding this author to my must read list. I can't wait for the next one!

Sally Sin, a woman for our age, devoted and somewhat overwhelmed Mom, loving wife and secret spy, is the funniest and most original character I've encountered in recent years. She speaks to us women, mothers and wives while offering an exciting and fun filled adventure as a reader. McMullen is that rare author who writes with wit and joy and leaves you aching for more. Can't wait for the sequel. Highly recommended.

Lucy Parks Hamilton is a respectable suburban housewife; Sally Sin was a dashing covert operative for a government agency so secret that its annual budget is listed only as a line item MISCELLANEOUS in the budget for another, more innocuous agency. What Lucy and Sally have in common is that a) neither one is a real name and b) they are both the same person. Lucy is trying to keep the applesauce off the walls and is no longer interested in saving the world, or to be more precise, saving the rear end of her former boss.

But the sinister Simon is determined that Sally Sin come out of retirement to deal with the notorious traitor, Ian Blackford, who turns out not to be dead after all. What Simon doesn't realize is that being the mother of a three year old boy is tough; international intrigue, by comparison, is merely child's play.

Imagine the intrepid but incompetent heroine of Janet Evanovich's bounty hunter series starring in GET SMART with an adorable three-year old in tow and you have it. The parts with the toddler were so true to life: applesauce in hair, play forts and defiance of parental authority; the spy parts were daft James-Bondian scrambles. Both had me in stitches. The narrative lurched from Lucy's present life to Sally's former career with gleeful abandon.

Lucy/Sally is our narrator and the reader soon learns that she's authentically distracted, vague and sleep-deprived like any other new mom. She might not be the most reliable witness, but we love her point of view regardless of whether she's breaking out of a cage suspended over a river or explaining to three-year old Theo that the lion in the zoo doesn't need any ice cream. Her method of checking up on the nanny is unorthodox and Lucy/Sally is the first to admit she may be a touch too paranoid: she spends her only "free" hours in the week while Theo is at day care keeping an eye on the front door of the day care center to make sure nothing is happening.

This is not a deep book; the author ducks all the hard questions that her story could pose in favor of a slapstick plot. This works well for 95% of the book, but falls down in a silly ending. Because I loved the character of Lucy's husband Will, I would have liked to have Lucy/Sally reconcile her past with her present. There's a scene in which she could, but doesn't--and that was the point where I quit laughing. The short section that followed was basically a revelation that fell flat because a)nothing was revealed of any importance to the reader, b) nothing was revealed of importance to the character and c) what was revealed was so muddled the reaction was: "Huh?" If I think too hard about it, I'd knock this down to only four stars, but this is a book for sheer fun. I loved it and I recommend it for anyone who has ever spent time with a three-year old.

Lucy Hamilton is a stay at home wife and mother of a rambunctious three year old, but what no one knows (including her husband) is that she used to be a Sally Sin, Spy! Is that a great premise or what?? The story flips back and forth between her current live and her past life as a spy. At some point her two lives meet up. I really loved this book. In the beginning, I was a little confused with the flashbacks, but as the story goes one, I was more and more hooked. By the end, I didn't want the book to end! Ms. McMullen has set this up for the start of an excellent series. I can't wait until the next Sally Sin book! : )

Loved it! Very funny and Sally/Lucy is a gem of character. Really liked her chemistry with Ian Blackford. I read the book in two days. It was great to get lost in a good book. Looking forward to the next Sin book.

What a fun book. I heard about this book sometime ago and was very excited to pick it up on its release date. Lucy Hamilton, aka Sally Sin, is married, lives in San Francisco and is a stay-at-home mom to 3-year old Theo. Seems pretty normal, right? Well, there's more to Lucy than meets the eye. Unbeknownst to her husband and friends she is a former spy for a covert group of the USAWMD (USA Weapons of Mass Destruction).

I found this book kind of exciting as I learned about Sally Sin's past and how it's come to creep its way into her so-called normal life. The book is easy to get into and fun to read. The past and present is woven together with several of the characters. The pace keeps moving with enough information about the characters to keep you satisfied but still leaving some mystery.

I'm really looking forward to this series. Her next book, To Sin Again, is due out next summer. It's a perfect summer read.

Spies. Though in reality they are supposed to blend into their surroundings and call no attention to themselves, in literature and film they are often too dashing, beautiful and extraordinarily stylish, not to mention clever and resourceful, to hide in the shadows. In ORIGINAL SIN, the first Sally Sin Adventure by Beth McMullen, the image of the spy is turned on its head in the titular character. Though many debonair and classic spy-types are present here, McMullen's Sally Sin is an undercover agent like no other.

This is the story of Lucy Hamilton, aka Sally Sin, a former spy for the USAWMD. Handpicked right out of college for service, Lucy traveled the world securing intelligence and offing bad guys. A bit bumbling perhaps, and occasionally lacking the expected confidence and grace, she nevertheless is a very good spy. After nine years of untiring work, Lucy retires from her job, marries the man of her dreams, and settles down to raise their son, Theo, in San Francisco. But leaving behind a job, even one where her co-workers were always being killed and villains were constantly kidnapping her, turns out to be more difficult than she thought it would be.

Lucy's cultivated paranoia is justified when her old boss, the enigmatic Simon Still, shows up and tells her he has a job for her to do. Try as she might, she cannot say no, especially when she learns it involves her nemesis, Ian Blackwell, thought dead for years.

With Simon's appearance and the fact that Blackwell is nearby, Lucy begins to recall what brought her to the USAWMD and all the adventures and dangers she experienced. At the center of her career was Blackwell, often her captor but never taking the chance to kill her when he had it. What is it that brought them together so often? Was it desire or revulsion they felt for each other? Even as Lucy contemplates the path she chose, the reasons she diverged from it and her professional successes and failures, she is once again in the maelstrom of the spy game. Stakes are even higher this time as she is confronted with the reality that her true identity may be discovered by her husband and, worse, the possibility that her son could be harmed.

Apart from this compelling back story and interesting twist on the spy novel, much of what you expect from the genre remains intact. Blackwell is charming and tormented, and Simon is cold and emotionless. And Lucy is lovely, brave and smart. There is plenty of intrigue and dastardly bad guys, plus action galore. There are also meals to prepare, play dates to schedule and yoga classes to attend as Lucy attempts to live a normal life with her family.

Readers are set up nicely for more Sally Sin books to follow as McMullen leaves plenty of unanswered questions. ORIGINAL SIN is a great first outing for this debut author and a fine introduction to a fun, mysterious and likable character.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

Sally Sin traded in her life as a spy for the United States Agency for Weapons of Mass Destruction after nine years for the life of a stay at home mom to her three year old son as Lucy Parks. Sally faced some of the worst criminals in existence, all of whom wanted her dead, as well as regular kidnappings from her very own nemesis. Sally eventually met a man and finally wanted out of her life of danger, however, one of the conditions was the possibility of being called on for a mission should her expertise be needed. Caring for her son has been her mission for the past several years and it's been no less troublesome and difficult. How is Lucy going to come out on top when her old boss shows up unexpected and unwanted claiming that Ian Blackford, the nemesis, isn't as dead as they thought and that he is looking for her?

There are lots of wonderful things I can say about Original Sin but only one thing really matters. It was hilarious. Laugh out loud in public and not even care that people are looking at you like you're crazy, hilarious. Many books are meant to be humorous but either it's not my kind of humor or it just isn't funny. I was expecting Original Sin to be lighthearted and cute, both of which it was at certain points, but I wasn't expecting to be giggling to myself every page I flipped. My favorite humorous aspect of the book was that there were so many simple everyday mom truths that normally you never think twice about, but Sally makes them hilarious with her sarcastic, witty inner monologue.

The book didn't really have that much in common with the USA show Covert Affairs but I often found myself comparing it to that tv show. Both have a fabulous female main character who is clever, witty and a little bit sarcastic. They both have the same tone and while both have an enjoyable story, it's really more about the more subtle aspects; relationships, character growth, dialogue etc. Maybe it's because both characters were picked up by 'the agency' for their language skills and ulterior mysterious motives... anyway, couldn't get the similarities, however little they were, out of my head.

I fell completely in love with Sally's character. Not only was she so much fun to read about but she was a competent agent. I've read about so many wonderful, hilarious incompetent characters (think Stephanie Plum) but I don't think I've read about a single competent one. McMullen manages to keep the humor despite this which I think is a spectacular achievement. Yes, it's funny witnessing the struggles of a character who is probably making the same mistakes you might, but I love that Sally is skilled yet still human with her own struggles and flaws.

While I loved seeing Sally's life before she quit the agency, there were a few flashbacks too many for my tastes (probably half the book). I enjoyed everything we saw and it flowed pretty well but there were basically two stories going on which was a little distracting.

I am already eagerly awaiting the next installment in Sally Sin's adventures. McMullen has me enthralled in Sally's story of espionage and humor. Original Sin is a must read for anyone looking to laugh but will be especially appreciated by mothers and those who have experienced the terrors that are small children.

(I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange of an honest review)

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.

Didn't expect much from this, but frankly I will give anything a read when it's described as Stephanie Plumb-like. This book starts out funny, snappy, fast-paced, and I quickly really liked Sally Sin. As other reviews have said, it bogs down in the middle - not sure if it's because there's a bunch of plot packed into too few pages or there's too many close-to-cookie cutter characters in those same pages. But I did read the whole thing [something that doesn't happen all that much with me lately] and by the time it ended I was a convert. Will definitely keep my eye out for new happenings in Sally's life. She is such a well developed character that I find myself wondering how things are going for her these days and just exactly what is up with her strangely accommodating husband, because there's surely a secret there.