What do you think?
Rate this book
Jackie Bouvier #2
Spy in a Little Black Dress
An "inventive spy romp that's fast, playful and fun" inspired by an actual letter in the John F. Kennedy Library written by Jackie Kennedy, revealing her job offer from the newly formed CIA (Chris Ewan, author of The Good Thief's Guide to Venice ).
When young Jackie Bouvier receives her second assignment from the CIA, she knows it will go better than her first. She managed to survive the Paris job-while looking her best in Givenchy, no less-but now she's completed her official CIA training. So she's excited to show her boss exactly what she can do for her country.
Her new Go undercover in sultry Havana and investigate a young revolutionary named Fidel Castro. But before Jackie can infiltrate the communist cabal, she's in past her hemline in danger. In another exciting adventure, she colludes with Grace Kelly, dances with Frank Sinatra, and flirts with an up-and-coming congressman from Massachusetts.
As the international intrigue escalates, Jackie must use all her finely honed skills to stay ahead of her enemies . . . and make sure spying never goes out of fashion.
When young Jackie Bouvier receives her second assignment from the CIA, she knows it will go better than her first. She managed to survive the Paris job-while looking her best in Givenchy, no less-but now she's completed her official CIA training. So she's excited to show her boss exactly what she can do for her country.
Her new Go undercover in sultry Havana and investigate a young revolutionary named Fidel Castro. But before Jackie can infiltrate the communist cabal, she's in past her hemline in danger. In another exciting adventure, she colludes with Grace Kelly, dances with Frank Sinatra, and flirts with an up-and-coming congressman from Massachusetts.
As the international intrigue escalates, Jackie must use all her finely honed skills to stay ahead of her enemies . . . and make sure spying never goes out of fashion.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
6 people are currently reading
539 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 31, 2015
Fun read - engaged me from the first page to the last. An amazing "what if" story centered around the beautiful young Jackie Bouvier prior to her engagement and marriage to JFK. It is her adventures as a young CIA agent in Cuba . Smart story.
February 8, 2021
I didn’t enjoy this as much as book 1 of the series, but it was still entertaining and somewhat educational. Pre-Communist Cuba seems like ancient history to me because I was too young at the time to remember anything about it, but we are told that Havana was THE Happening Place to be in the 1950s. American movie stars and high society visited its famous nightclubs, with star crooners like Frank Sinatra to entertain them. Unfortunately, the American Mafia was also there, having muscled their way into taking over the big clubs just as they did in the U.S.
Old family friend and CIA Director Alan Dulles tasks Jackie with getting to know rising star Congressman Jack Kennedy so she can assess his support of the CIA. Dulles also sends her to Cuba to gauge the current political atmosphere. Again, the story strains credibility (she just happens to run into Jack there, ‘Papa’ Hemingway just happens to be offshore to rescue her, etc.), but contains a few interesting factoids about writer Hemingway, Jackie and Jack, as well as the young, idealistic Fidel Castro who led his people to overthrow the corrupt Batista regime.
The story abruptly jumps forward ten years to the ‘Camelot’ of the Kennedy era, where Jack and Jackie are married with two young children. We are told that she continued working for Dulles (after whom the suburban Virginia airport was named) Having hitched her star to the charismatic young JFK, Jackie is happy to support her man during the Bay of Pigs disaster in 1951, and the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Naturally, she would have been reminded of her time in Cuba and the handsome freedom fighter Emiliano; she wonders what became of him. Did he become Fidel’s righthand man? What became of Gabriela, aka Rosario? She never told Jack about them, since she took an oath to never reveal her work for the CIA. She is happy to relinquish her previous life to become Jack’s helpmeet and mother of his children. She did not turn off her brain, however, and refused to obey when he asked her to spirit the children away from DC.
The book failed to capture the idealism and hope in America after Americans elected its first Irish Catholic President. But then, the book was not about him. His presidency was not called ‘Camelot’ for nothing: he inspired the country to become a better version of itself, by creating the Peace Corps, recruiting college students to volunteer in developing nations, and by fostering the study of science in schools (to beat the Soviets in the space race, among other things).JFK’s charisma (alluded to in the novel) and leadership proved that fairy tales could really come true. Alas, the American Camelot was ephemeral, a bubble that burst all too soon. Though the king was dead, Jackie lived on, showing courage and grace under pressure, like royalty.
Old family friend and CIA Director Alan Dulles tasks Jackie with getting to know rising star Congressman Jack Kennedy so she can assess his support of the CIA. Dulles also sends her to Cuba to gauge the current political atmosphere. Again, the story strains credibility (she just happens to run into Jack there, ‘Papa’ Hemingway just happens to be offshore to rescue her, etc.), but contains a few interesting factoids about writer Hemingway, Jackie and Jack, as well as the young, idealistic Fidel Castro who led his people to overthrow the corrupt Batista regime.
The story abruptly jumps forward ten years to the ‘Camelot’ of the Kennedy era, where Jack and Jackie are married with two young children. We are told that she continued working for Dulles (after whom the suburban Virginia airport was named) Having hitched her star to the charismatic young JFK, Jackie is happy to support her man during the Bay of Pigs disaster in 1951, and the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Naturally, she would have been reminded of her time in Cuba and the handsome freedom fighter Emiliano; she wonders what became of him. Did he become Fidel’s righthand man? What became of Gabriela, aka Rosario? She never told Jack about them, since she took an oath to never reveal her work for the CIA. She is happy to relinquish her previous life to become Jack’s helpmeet and mother of his children. She did not turn off her brain, however, and refused to obey when he asked her to spirit the children away from DC.
The book failed to capture the idealism and hope in America after Americans elected its first Irish Catholic President. But then, the book was not about him. His presidency was not called ‘Camelot’ for nothing: he inspired the country to become a better version of itself, by creating the Peace Corps, recruiting college students to volunteer in developing nations, and by fostering the study of science in schools (to beat the Soviets in the space race, among other things).JFK’s charisma (alluded to in the novel) and leadership proved that fairy tales could really come true. Alas, the American Camelot was ephemeral, a bubble that burst all too soon. Though the king was dead, Jackie lived on, showing courage and grace under pressure, like royalty.
July 14, 2017
This story imagines a young Jackie Kennedy (before her marriage to JFK) working for the CIA in Cuba & meeting up with Fidel Castro before he took over that country.
July 30, 2018
Cute concept. Good for when you need "fluffy" reading.
May 22, 2021
Not what I expected. Jackie before meeting JFK runs around as a spy. Try to read again when in the right mood
August 5, 2013
Spy in a Little Black Dress is the story of Jacqueline Bouvier, or Jacqueline Kennedy, as we all are familiar with; before she was a Kennedy. This novel touches on her life as a CIA agent working under cover in Havana, Cuba. It is riveting, heartbreaking and historical in the sense that some of the story line is factual.
Reading about Jacqueline’s budding romance with Emiliano was excellent. The character development was nicely done and the reader could slowly follow along as Emiliano transformed from her protector and essentially tour guide, to a very important love interest.
The author opened a door to the past and introduced the reader to many historical figures including Fidel Castro, John F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly to name a few. It was very interesting to read a bit about what these people might have been like.
What took away from the story a little was the overuse of fancy words, which I felt interrupted the flow. The author could have used more common words to make Spy in a Little Black Dress more of an easy read and more enjoyable.
As a person born in the 1970’s, I found reading some of the comparisons to historical novels and movies somewhat difficult to follow. I think the author could have kept the book open to a much larger audience had she minimized some of the associations she made to such items from that era.
Jacqueline Kennedy was a very heroic, intelligent, caring and unique person, and this story very clearly demonstrates that. The action that took place in the book was very entertaining and certainly kept me reading. Some of the scenes were downright nail biting.
Here are some excerpts I enjoyed from the book:
“She looked into his eyes and was surprised by their intensity. They were blue and fervent as though lit from within by a holy fire, and his riveting gaze made her feel safe.”
“For a man like Jack Kennedy, nothing is a bigger aphrodisiac than competition,”
“One thing you need to know about Jack Kennedy is that as soon as he has a woman, he loses interest,”…”The chase is everything to him, the challenge of getting the woman to say yes, and then he’s off to the next one. He has a voracious sexual appetite, it’s like Chinese food-an hour after a meal, he’s hungry again.”
“Call me Jackie. Anyone who saves my life is entitled to call me by my first name.”
“I admired them because even though they wrote about the seamy side of life from firsthand experience, they were still idealists who believed in a better world. They brought rebellion, but by using their words to accomplish what activists had been trying to do for years.”
“I should have said a cigar-factory reader,” Emiliano corrected himself. “We have a long-standing tradition in Cuba of hiring people we call torcedores, or lectors, as you would say, to help our cigar-factory workers pass the time by reading to them while they roll the tobacco leaves into cigars. The lectors sit in the front of the factory room and read aloud all day long. They start out with the newspaper in the morning, and after that, it could be anything the workers might like-self-help-improvement books, magazine, modern novels, or classics.”
“That’s a wonderful idea, but doesn’t that distract them?”
“No, actually, it improves their concentration by keeping them from getting bored, and they’re not allowed to look at the reader or talk to their workmates because quotas have to be met. So instead of distracting the workers, the reading helps them keep on rolling cigars at top speed while it entertains and informs them.”
Spy in a Little Black Dress was an enjoyable read that I would recommend to someone who enjoys historical fiction, especially from the JFK era. Well done Maxine Kenneth!
Reading about Jacqueline’s budding romance with Emiliano was excellent. The character development was nicely done and the reader could slowly follow along as Emiliano transformed from her protector and essentially tour guide, to a very important love interest.
The author opened a door to the past and introduced the reader to many historical figures including Fidel Castro, John F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly to name a few. It was very interesting to read a bit about what these people might have been like.
What took away from the story a little was the overuse of fancy words, which I felt interrupted the flow. The author could have used more common words to make Spy in a Little Black Dress more of an easy read and more enjoyable.
As a person born in the 1970’s, I found reading some of the comparisons to historical novels and movies somewhat difficult to follow. I think the author could have kept the book open to a much larger audience had she minimized some of the associations she made to such items from that era.
Jacqueline Kennedy was a very heroic, intelligent, caring and unique person, and this story very clearly demonstrates that. The action that took place in the book was very entertaining and certainly kept me reading. Some of the scenes were downright nail biting.
Here are some excerpts I enjoyed from the book:
“She looked into his eyes and was surprised by their intensity. They were blue and fervent as though lit from within by a holy fire, and his riveting gaze made her feel safe.”
“For a man like Jack Kennedy, nothing is a bigger aphrodisiac than competition,”
“One thing you need to know about Jack Kennedy is that as soon as he has a woman, he loses interest,”…”The chase is everything to him, the challenge of getting the woman to say yes, and then he’s off to the next one. He has a voracious sexual appetite, it’s like Chinese food-an hour after a meal, he’s hungry again.”
“Call me Jackie. Anyone who saves my life is entitled to call me by my first name.”
“I admired them because even though they wrote about the seamy side of life from firsthand experience, they were still idealists who believed in a better world. They brought rebellion, but by using their words to accomplish what activists had been trying to do for years.”
“I should have said a cigar-factory reader,” Emiliano corrected himself. “We have a long-standing tradition in Cuba of hiring people we call torcedores, or lectors, as you would say, to help our cigar-factory workers pass the time by reading to them while they roll the tobacco leaves into cigars. The lectors sit in the front of the factory room and read aloud all day long. They start out with the newspaper in the morning, and after that, it could be anything the workers might like-self-help-improvement books, magazine, modern novels, or classics.”
“That’s a wonderful idea, but doesn’t that distract them?”
“No, actually, it improves their concentration by keeping them from getting bored, and they’re not allowed to look at the reader or talk to their workmates because quotas have to be met. So instead of distracting the workers, the reading helps them keep on rolling cigars at top speed while it entertains and informs them.”
Spy in a Little Black Dress was an enjoyable read that I would recommend to someone who enjoys historical fiction, especially from the JFK era. Well done Maxine Kenneth!
February 12, 2013
This is the sequel to 'Paris to Die For', an amusing "What If?" book about Jackie Bouvier, before she was Jackie Kennedy, as agent of the newly formed Central Intelligence Agency. In the first book Jackie met with a potential Russian defector, flirted with a French photographer, became ensconced in the plight of an exiled princess, and made a date with an up and coming congressman from Massachusetts. In the sequel we are in for more of the same.
Jacequline Lee Bouvier has just returned to her stepfather's Virginia estate after an exciting, yet harrowing, mission in Paris for the CIA. Between putting in social appearances, maintaining her pristine collection of couture, and spy training at the Farm it's a surprise that Jackie has time for anything else. But when Allen Dulles, director of the intelligence agency, asks Jackie to get close and personal with Jack Kennedy to find out if he supports the fledgling agency, Jackie agrees immediately. But soon Jackie is whisked away on a new mission to Cuba; get a better understanding of revolutionary Fidel Castro's political leanings should his group manage to overthrow president Batista, and try to find the treasure of a Civil War solider buried on the island. Before she can even click her heels together Jackie is in trouble with three Stooge-looking Stasi agents and the diabolical General Sanchez. Not to mention she's in danger of loosing her heart to her handsome young Cuban contact, Emiliano. But in a country with this much unrest and this close to the equator things are sure to heat up for our refined young CIA agent, who just so happens to be a future first lady.
This book is just pure fun. It's not great writing, and the people she meets are just a bit too convenient (at a club in Havana she runs into Hemingway and Sinatra and shares a table with a young Grace Kelly in a Schraft's in New York) but they are sort of fun. Especially as it's sort of a game to think who she might run into yet. But, it also helps to keep in mind that the plots and characters in this book are flat out absurd. It's also interesting to note that Jackie does manage a few dates with her future husband and the epilogue ten years in the future in the middle of the Cuban missile crisis, which brings and interesting view to both Jackie as a character, and wife to the rakish gentleman we've seen throughout the book, and to her mission, which she's never spoken about to anyone.
This book gave a surprisingly sympathetic view to the Cuban revolutionaries, but stopped short before Castro was actually in power. We're never given Jackie's views on what Cuba's fall to communism. Though we're left with idealistic views that don't get to a far deeper subject, that's probably for the best. This is light reading after all. It's a fun book about the early days of the CIA with an improbable heroine. Not realistic, but I never wanted it to be. Now if they'll just write FBI Pat Nixon I think we'll have it covered.
Jacequline Lee Bouvier has just returned to her stepfather's Virginia estate after an exciting, yet harrowing, mission in Paris for the CIA. Between putting in social appearances, maintaining her pristine collection of couture, and spy training at the Farm it's a surprise that Jackie has time for anything else. But when Allen Dulles, director of the intelligence agency, asks Jackie to get close and personal with Jack Kennedy to find out if he supports the fledgling agency, Jackie agrees immediately. But soon Jackie is whisked away on a new mission to Cuba; get a better understanding of revolutionary Fidel Castro's political leanings should his group manage to overthrow president Batista, and try to find the treasure of a Civil War solider buried on the island. Before she can even click her heels together Jackie is in trouble with three Stooge-looking Stasi agents and the diabolical General Sanchez. Not to mention she's in danger of loosing her heart to her handsome young Cuban contact, Emiliano. But in a country with this much unrest and this close to the equator things are sure to heat up for our refined young CIA agent, who just so happens to be a future first lady.
This book is just pure fun. It's not great writing, and the people she meets are just a bit too convenient (at a club in Havana she runs into Hemingway and Sinatra and shares a table with a young Grace Kelly in a Schraft's in New York) but they are sort of fun. Especially as it's sort of a game to think who she might run into yet. But, it also helps to keep in mind that the plots and characters in this book are flat out absurd. It's also interesting to note that Jackie does manage a few dates with her future husband and the epilogue ten years in the future in the middle of the Cuban missile crisis, which brings and interesting view to both Jackie as a character, and wife to the rakish gentleman we've seen throughout the book, and to her mission, which she's never spoken about to anyone.
This book gave a surprisingly sympathetic view to the Cuban revolutionaries, but stopped short before Castro was actually in power. We're never given Jackie's views on what Cuba's fall to communism. Though we're left with idealistic views that don't get to a far deeper subject, that's probably for the best. This is light reading after all. It's a fun book about the early days of the CIA with an improbable heroine. Not realistic, but I never wanted it to be. Now if they'll just write FBI Pat Nixon I think we'll have it covered.
July 5, 2013
Grow a Beard
Die Ausbildung geht weiter. Die 22jährige Jackie Bouvier zeigt, dass die Schulungen nicht umsonst waren. Mehrfach entwischt sie ihren Verfolgern und dabei gelangt sie eher durch Zufall an eine Schatzkarte. Das ist aber garnichts gegen die Bekanntschaft mit dem Congress-Abgeordneten Jack Kennedy, dem sie sich nähert. Gäbe es die Karte nicht, die sie nach Cuba führt in die Arme des Revolutionärs Emiliano, würde sie Kennedy umgarnen. Doch das cubanische Abenteuer hat es in sich. Schon angefangen bei den Begegnungen mit Sinatra und dem Mob, über Hemmingway zu Castro. Jackie trifft sie alle und entkommt des Öfteren nur wirklich knapp Gefahren, durch die ihr Leben in Gefahr ist.
Als Nachfolgeband zu "Paris to die for", den ich nicht kenne, ist dieser Roman eines Autorenduos erschienen. Und welch eine verwunschene Geschichte wird hier erzählt. Am Rande der Tatsachen, denn schließlich wurde Jackie J.F.s Frau, spinnen die Autoren eine Phantasie, die einen nach Luft schnappen lässt. Eine Ehe geschlossen auf Betreiben der CIA? Nun gut der Roman ist einige Jahre eher angesiedelt. Die Revolution in Cuba ist im Werden. Der Osten schickt seine Spione aus und dass Sinatra Verbindungen zur Mafia hatte, könnte sein. Ideen wimmeln in diesem Buch, die einem so manches Aha, so könnte es auch gewesen sein entlocken. Doch gibt es auch eine kleine Berg und Talfahrt. Möglicherweise geht es anderen Lesern auch so, manche Passagen sind emotional und humorig, andere wieder etwas dröge und hart fast schon wie ein Crime-Noir. Vielleicht liegt es daran, dass ein Mann und eine Frau gemeinsam diesen Roman verfasst haben. Jedenfalls ist der Stil nicht einheitlich und führt den Leser auf einen Pfad, der von Uneinheitlichkeit zeugt. Ist es nun ein Geschichtsthriller oder einfach ein emotionales Abenteuer einer jungen Frau bevor der Ernst des Lebens beginnt? Auch sind die Situationen, aus denen sich Jackie im letzten Moment befreit manchmal nicht ganz glaubwürdig. Denn wer kann zum Beispiel schon ruhig bleiben, wenn er Krokodilen zum Fraß vorgeworfen wird. Eine wunderbar witzig unterhaltsame Idee, aber mal wieder eine, bei der weniger mal wieder mehr gewesen wäre. Neugierig auf den ersten Band macht das Buch allerdings schon.
Die Ausbildung geht weiter. Die 22jährige Jackie Bouvier zeigt, dass die Schulungen nicht umsonst waren. Mehrfach entwischt sie ihren Verfolgern und dabei gelangt sie eher durch Zufall an eine Schatzkarte. Das ist aber garnichts gegen die Bekanntschaft mit dem Congress-Abgeordneten Jack Kennedy, dem sie sich nähert. Gäbe es die Karte nicht, die sie nach Cuba führt in die Arme des Revolutionärs Emiliano, würde sie Kennedy umgarnen. Doch das cubanische Abenteuer hat es in sich. Schon angefangen bei den Begegnungen mit Sinatra und dem Mob, über Hemmingway zu Castro. Jackie trifft sie alle und entkommt des Öfteren nur wirklich knapp Gefahren, durch die ihr Leben in Gefahr ist.
Als Nachfolgeband zu "Paris to die for", den ich nicht kenne, ist dieser Roman eines Autorenduos erschienen. Und welch eine verwunschene Geschichte wird hier erzählt. Am Rande der Tatsachen, denn schließlich wurde Jackie J.F.s Frau, spinnen die Autoren eine Phantasie, die einen nach Luft schnappen lässt. Eine Ehe geschlossen auf Betreiben der CIA? Nun gut der Roman ist einige Jahre eher angesiedelt. Die Revolution in Cuba ist im Werden. Der Osten schickt seine Spione aus und dass Sinatra Verbindungen zur Mafia hatte, könnte sein. Ideen wimmeln in diesem Buch, die einem so manches Aha, so könnte es auch gewesen sein entlocken. Doch gibt es auch eine kleine Berg und Talfahrt. Möglicherweise geht es anderen Lesern auch so, manche Passagen sind emotional und humorig, andere wieder etwas dröge und hart fast schon wie ein Crime-Noir. Vielleicht liegt es daran, dass ein Mann und eine Frau gemeinsam diesen Roman verfasst haben. Jedenfalls ist der Stil nicht einheitlich und führt den Leser auf einen Pfad, der von Uneinheitlichkeit zeugt. Ist es nun ein Geschichtsthriller oder einfach ein emotionales Abenteuer einer jungen Frau bevor der Ernst des Lebens beginnt? Auch sind die Situationen, aus denen sich Jackie im letzten Moment befreit manchmal nicht ganz glaubwürdig. Denn wer kann zum Beispiel schon ruhig bleiben, wenn er Krokodilen zum Fraß vorgeworfen wird. Eine wunderbar witzig unterhaltsame Idee, aber mal wieder eine, bei der weniger mal wieder mehr gewesen wäre. Neugierig auf den ersten Band macht das Buch allerdings schon.
August 25, 2013
Book Review
Spy in a Little Black Dress
By Maxine Kenneth
Grand Central Publishing
352 pages
$14.99/US
Oct. 2, 2013
Trade paperback
Fiction
The writing team of Maxine Schnall and Kenneth Salikof (Maxine Kenneth) penned a second Jacqueline Bouvier novel. “Paris to Die For” introduced a fictional twist about a beloved First Lady being a spy for the CIA.
You gotta love someone not afraid to create a whole new side of a highly respected American icon. Even though you have to suspend your belief for this novel, Jackie could never run wearing designer shoes nor would she be able to stay out of the path of a spy’s bullet.
Though, the story is very interesting with the assimilation of real celebrities and history. It begins when Jackie is assigned to motivate Jack Kennedy into understanding the significance of the CIA. Those with high standing in the agency recognize his political elevation and know they’ll have to deal with him down the road. Add to her assignment: learning what kind of man Fidel Castro is, his power over his people, and the course he feels he is destined to achieve.
Then there’s a third element, as if Jackie didn’t have enough to handle. She purchases a book on Cuba only to learn that it has pages of a historic diary in it. And because nothing seems to remain a secret when Jackie is concerned, powerful people learn about it.
Upon arriving in Cuba, Jackie is presented a behind-the-scenes lesson on what life is like for the Cuban people and how Americans are experiencing luxury at the expense of the poor. Danger always appears to be around every corner.
The book has to be read slowly. There’s a lot of history and people that that you’re going to recognize cleverly involved. Their personalities, attitudes and lifestyles have to be observed one page at a time. The book is loaded with suspense, crime, fashion and the struggle to survive when you’re fighting for what you believe in. It wasn’t something I would have naturally chosen. I’m more of a romance or cozy mystery reader. But I’m glad I read it for it made me see the reality of Cuba, which seems to be a topic never discussed.
Four and a half spies out of five
Denise Fleischer
gottawritenetwork
Spy in a Little Black Dress
By Maxine Kenneth
Grand Central Publishing
352 pages
$14.99/US
Oct. 2, 2013
Trade paperback
Fiction
The writing team of Maxine Schnall and Kenneth Salikof (Maxine Kenneth) penned a second Jacqueline Bouvier novel. “Paris to Die For” introduced a fictional twist about a beloved First Lady being a spy for the CIA.
You gotta love someone not afraid to create a whole new side of a highly respected American icon. Even though you have to suspend your belief for this novel, Jackie could never run wearing designer shoes nor would she be able to stay out of the path of a spy’s bullet.
Though, the story is very interesting with the assimilation of real celebrities and history. It begins when Jackie is assigned to motivate Jack Kennedy into understanding the significance of the CIA. Those with high standing in the agency recognize his political elevation and know they’ll have to deal with him down the road. Add to her assignment: learning what kind of man Fidel Castro is, his power over his people, and the course he feels he is destined to achieve.
Then there’s a third element, as if Jackie didn’t have enough to handle. She purchases a book on Cuba only to learn that it has pages of a historic diary in it. And because nothing seems to remain a secret when Jackie is concerned, powerful people learn about it.
Upon arriving in Cuba, Jackie is presented a behind-the-scenes lesson on what life is like for the Cuban people and how Americans are experiencing luxury at the expense of the poor. Danger always appears to be around every corner.
The book has to be read slowly. There’s a lot of history and people that that you’re going to recognize cleverly involved. Their personalities, attitudes and lifestyles have to be observed one page at a time. The book is loaded with suspense, crime, fashion and the struggle to survive when you’re fighting for what you believe in. It wasn’t something I would have naturally chosen. I’m more of a romance or cozy mystery reader. But I’m glad I read it for it made me see the reality of Cuba, which seems to be a topic never discussed.
Four and a half spies out of five
Denise Fleischer
gottawritenetwork
November 4, 2013
Spy in a Little Black Dress, Maxine Kenneth (Grand Central Publishing, 340 pages, 2012, $14.99) This is a GoodReads First Read book.
A very clever little book! A female Indiana Jones!
First of all, Spy in a Little Black Dress was co-authored by Maxine Schnall and Kenneth Salikof (combining their names into Maxine Kenneth!). And that is just the first of “oodles of ‘clevernesses’” in Spy.
Did you know that Jackie Kennedy was a CIA agent before her marriage? If you can believe that, you will love this book, actually the second in a long (hopefully) series - after Paris To Die For.
Things just “happen” to Jackie as they did to Indy a couple of decades earlier. I simply love the references to the 50s – how she is concerned about being overdressed in a Cuban guerilla camp, for instance. (And did you know that a young Castro wrote a letter in English to FDR asking for a ten-dollar bill?)
Each chapter is literally a cliff-hanger as our heroine is saved from alligators, sails on Ernest Hemingway’s Pilar, listens to Fidel Castro drone on in a guerilla camp, receives her CIA assignment from Deputy Director Allen Dulles (her boss), eats an impromptu lunch with the budding actress Grace Kelly, runs into Jack Kennedy several times. . . .
Who else but the Inquiring Camera Girl (also a newspaper columnist) would carry dynamite in her camera bag or bump into Zsa Zsa Gabor in a hotel check-in line or dig for (buried) treasure in a cemetery at midnight, become a hostage and ‘visit’ Bahia de Cochinos (the Bay of Pigs)?
From cousin Gore Vidal to Tennessee Williams. From Sam Giancana to Frank Sinatra, who Jackie says would make a great Private Maggio in From Here to Eternity, a book she has just finished reading, Spy could easily be serialized or made into an action movie.
After finishing this little story of 340 pages, you will want to read Paris To Die For. I do – can’t wait until Jackie meets Audrey Hepburn!
Light fare. Beach reading. Really!
(Disclosure: This was a First Reads book.)
A very clever little book! A female Indiana Jones!
First of all, Spy in a Little Black Dress was co-authored by Maxine Schnall and Kenneth Salikof (combining their names into Maxine Kenneth!). And that is just the first of “oodles of ‘clevernesses’” in Spy.
Did you know that Jackie Kennedy was a CIA agent before her marriage? If you can believe that, you will love this book, actually the second in a long (hopefully) series - after Paris To Die For.
Things just “happen” to Jackie as they did to Indy a couple of decades earlier. I simply love the references to the 50s – how she is concerned about being overdressed in a Cuban guerilla camp, for instance. (And did you know that a young Castro wrote a letter in English to FDR asking for a ten-dollar bill?)
Each chapter is literally a cliff-hanger as our heroine is saved from alligators, sails on Ernest Hemingway’s Pilar, listens to Fidel Castro drone on in a guerilla camp, receives her CIA assignment from Deputy Director Allen Dulles (her boss), eats an impromptu lunch with the budding actress Grace Kelly, runs into Jack Kennedy several times. . . .
Who else but the Inquiring Camera Girl (also a newspaper columnist) would carry dynamite in her camera bag or bump into Zsa Zsa Gabor in a hotel check-in line or dig for (buried) treasure in a cemetery at midnight, become a hostage and ‘visit’ Bahia de Cochinos (the Bay of Pigs)?
From cousin Gore Vidal to Tennessee Williams. From Sam Giancana to Frank Sinatra, who Jackie says would make a great Private Maggio in From Here to Eternity, a book she has just finished reading, Spy could easily be serialized or made into an action movie.
After finishing this little story of 340 pages, you will want to read Paris To Die For. I do – can’t wait until Jackie meets Audrey Hepburn!
Light fare. Beach reading. Really!
(Disclosure: This was a First Reads book.)
July 18, 2013
This book was a pleasant surprise. I found it on the library’s new book shelf, and didn’t expect to like it as well as I did.
It is the second in a series and you may wish to begin with the first, titled Paris to Die For, which turns out to be well liked too. I’ll probably get around to reading the first one also, but I didn’t feel handicapped reading this one without having already read the previous one.
Apparently there are some letters actually linking Jacqueline Kennedy to a job at the CIA, and this little tidbit was the springboard for this series. These first two books take place before Jackie was married; her first date with JFK occurs in this second book.
This book chronicles Jackie’s undercover assignment in Cuba meeting Fidel Castro. While this is invented fiction, care has been taken to get historical facts and settings correct. All the details were interesting, Jackie is depicted as a wonderfully intelligent, gutsy and resourceful person that is truly likable, and there is enough action to make it seem like a screenplay.
These books are co-authored by two authors whose first names are Maxine and Kenneth, so they use the pseudonym Maxine Kenneth. Between them they are well informed about style, movies, and key figures in this time period. This book’s balance between energetic activity and character development was most likely born out of the balance in this partnership of writers.
If you are looking for a summer beach read, I recommend this one. It is amusing entertainment that is a refreshingly different and brings a little insight into historical characters as well. I give this light romp of a book 4 stars.
It is the second in a series and you may wish to begin with the first, titled Paris to Die For, which turns out to be well liked too. I’ll probably get around to reading the first one also, but I didn’t feel handicapped reading this one without having already read the previous one.
Apparently there are some letters actually linking Jacqueline Kennedy to a job at the CIA, and this little tidbit was the springboard for this series. These first two books take place before Jackie was married; her first date with JFK occurs in this second book.
This book chronicles Jackie’s undercover assignment in Cuba meeting Fidel Castro. While this is invented fiction, care has been taken to get historical facts and settings correct. All the details were interesting, Jackie is depicted as a wonderfully intelligent, gutsy and resourceful person that is truly likable, and there is enough action to make it seem like a screenplay.
These books are co-authored by two authors whose first names are Maxine and Kenneth, so they use the pseudonym Maxine Kenneth. Between them they are well informed about style, movies, and key figures in this time period. This book’s balance between energetic activity and character development was most likely born out of the balance in this partnership of writers.
If you are looking for a summer beach read, I recommend this one. It is amusing entertainment that is a refreshingly different and brings a little insight into historical characters as well. I give this light romp of a book 4 stars.
October 18, 2012
My Review:
I completely loved this book. First, my daughter would tell you that I am not a history buff. But this book was so fun to read and to fantasize about how things might have turned out had Jackie did some of the things within these pages of this book. I can remember reading things about her while I was growing up, such a beautiful lady who was the model for every woman in America. So to read a book like this was so awesome!
There is mystery, suspense, fun, love, what if's and much much more in this awesome well written novel by author Maxine Kenneth. Her writing is with much respectful for Jackie Bouvier as expected from someone who has done her research.
I am not, as usual, going to get into the actual book because I still and as always believe you need to read for your self.
But author Maxine Kenneth's characters are awesome. Starting from Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, come on, who would not want to work under cover doing spy jobs with these two as well as others.
I feel this book is a Must Read!! I will keep this one on my book shelf to read again. And I will also pick up a copy of the book Paris to Die For which is the book before this one.
So due to the above, if I could it would be higher, I am giving this book a Breath of Life ratings of:
Five Clock Rating!!!
Disclosure: I received the above book in exchange for my honest opinion and review. Opinions are my own and yours may differ.
I completely loved this book. First, my daughter would tell you that I am not a history buff. But this book was so fun to read and to fantasize about how things might have turned out had Jackie did some of the things within these pages of this book. I can remember reading things about her while I was growing up, such a beautiful lady who was the model for every woman in America. So to read a book like this was so awesome!
There is mystery, suspense, fun, love, what if's and much much more in this awesome well written novel by author Maxine Kenneth. Her writing is with much respectful for Jackie Bouvier as expected from someone who has done her research.
I am not, as usual, going to get into the actual book because I still and as always believe you need to read for your self.
But author Maxine Kenneth's characters are awesome. Starting from Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, come on, who would not want to work under cover doing spy jobs with these two as well as others.
I feel this book is a Must Read!! I will keep this one on my book shelf to read again. And I will also pick up a copy of the book Paris to Die For which is the book before this one.
So due to the above, if I could it would be higher, I am giving this book a Breath of Life ratings of:
Five Clock Rating!!!
Disclosure: I received the above book in exchange for my honest opinion and review. Opinions are my own and yours may differ.
January 16, 2013
Who is like me and loves a little injection of chick lit and mystery now again ? What's even cooler is the fact that it is inspired by a true tale ? Maxine Kenneth brings to us Book #2 in the Spy in a LBD series starring the wonderful Jackie "O" - the now Mrs Kennedy. However before she become Jackie Kennedy , she was Miss Jacqueline Bouvair , a new recruit for the newly formed CIA or so the story tells . This book is inspired by a true story which was discovered in the form of a letter from Jackie to her husband John F Kennedy. Book #2 tells of Jackie's journey to Cuba where she will come across trouble and meet some famous stars and newfound friends along the way including Ernest Hemingway whose new book "The Old Man and The Sea" is about to hit bookshops around the world , her cousin Gore Vidal who is having to write under a pseudonym as one critic has boycotted others against Gore due to his homosexuality , Frank Sinatra , Ava Gardner , Zsa Zsa Gabor and of course a new and upcoming actress wannabe Grace Kelly who is hoping for a big break into the Hollywood scene and of course we are introduced to Cuba's newest leader Fidel Castro who Jackie assures if he wants people to respect him and look older he needs to grow a beard.
This was such a quick and fast-paced story that holds your attention as you read from page to page and I now can't wait to read Book #1 Paris to Die For.
This was such a quick and fast-paced story that holds your attention as you read from page to page and I now can't wait to read Book #1 Paris to Die For.
October 1, 2012
This was a GoodReads giveaway.
Sorry to report that this particular copy had a printer's issue with pages 264 and 273. Both of these pages were barely legible with about 20 % totally illegible. Just needed to do some creative guessing. If I had purchased it, I would be asking for a replacement.
I had not previously read the first book in the series. I am very interested so I will be running out to find a copy. As I expected with an historical slant, the story likes to weave in historic events and characters. I like the events. Some of the cameos are just tossed in for little reason. Perhaps my ignorance of minor events and gossip of those days works against me.
Okay, I am very detail oriented, so some small items nag at me. For example, I don't find it very likely that a padlock that had been buried for almost a century can be picked with a bobby pin. Overlooking these types of details, it is a fun romp through history. Who would imagine that before she became the first lady, Jackie would be such a different person than what I was taught. It is an extremely strong female lead for a woman in the 1950's.
The story appears to be independent of the first in the series. I will know better after I catch up.
Go get your copy. Enjoy!
Sorry to report that this particular copy had a printer's issue with pages 264 and 273. Both of these pages were barely legible with about 20 % totally illegible. Just needed to do some creative guessing. If I had purchased it, I would be asking for a replacement.
I had not previously read the first book in the series. I am very interested so I will be running out to find a copy. As I expected with an historical slant, the story likes to weave in historic events and characters. I like the events. Some of the cameos are just tossed in for little reason. Perhaps my ignorance of minor events and gossip of those days works against me.
Okay, I am very detail oriented, so some small items nag at me. For example, I don't find it very likely that a padlock that had been buried for almost a century can be picked with a bobby pin. Overlooking these types of details, it is a fun romp through history. Who would imagine that before she became the first lady, Jackie would be such a different person than what I was taught. It is an extremely strong female lead for a woman in the 1950's.
The story appears to be independent of the first in the series. I will know better after I catch up.
Go get your copy. Enjoy!
October 16, 2012
My full review on Literary Inklings
The story weaves history with fiction in a way that feels completely new, taking liberties as a necessity to explore the many scenarios Jackie could have found herself in. The reader is pulled deeply into the era with the appearances of artistic icons and the plethora of pop culture references that reflect life in the ‘50s. Even the historical timeline plays a central role in eliciting humor and engagement from the reader, as we see nuggets of thoughts from Jackie on what the future might hold if Cuba comes under the control of young Fidel Castro. The authors use a diverse and extensive selection of history, both in the worlds of politics and the arts, to drop smartly-planned quips that allow us to enjoy the freedom of knowing how things work out. Read more...
The story weaves history with fiction in a way that feels completely new, taking liberties as a necessity to explore the many scenarios Jackie could have found herself in. The reader is pulled deeply into the era with the appearances of artistic icons and the plethora of pop culture references that reflect life in the ‘50s. Even the historical timeline plays a central role in eliciting humor and engagement from the reader, as we see nuggets of thoughts from Jackie on what the future might hold if Cuba comes under the control of young Fidel Castro. The authors use a diverse and extensive selection of history, both in the worlds of politics and the arts, to drop smartly-planned quips that allow us to enjoy the freedom of knowing how things work out. Read more...
September 21, 2015
It was fun fluff. There were two plots that start out as completely separate - hidden treasure and Fidel Casto, and yet somehow they end up coming together. There's a sweet, almost innocent, romance between Jackie and her Cuban contact. And there's clothes, definitely clothes.
The one thing that did bother me was Jackie's CIA cover being a reporter. One of the no-no in international relations is having journalists not only cover the news but acting on behalf of their government. It's why we end up with journalists being held in detention in other countries - no because they are spies, but because that government believes so. So even if being a columnist was Jackie's real life job (I'm assuming that part is truth), it made me uncomfortable. Which giving the fluff quotient of this story is really my issue.
The one thing that did bother me was Jackie's CIA cover being a reporter. One of the no-no in international relations is having journalists not only cover the news but acting on behalf of their government. It's why we end up with journalists being held in detention in other countries - no because they are spies, but because that government believes so. So even if being a columnist was Jackie's real life job (I'm assuming that part is truth), it made me uncomfortable. Which giving the fluff quotient of this story is really my issue.
July 31, 2013
This book came along just in time to save me from starvation, as, after devouring the first book (Paris to Die For) in this series, I found myself hungry for further intrigue and adventure with the clever and resourceful Jaqueline Bouvier. This second book is the perfect summer – or anytime – read; it engaged me from the first page, courtesy of scenes and characters so vivid, I felt as though I were seeing the book as a movie (yes, please) even as I read. I like a fast moving book with romance, excitement, suspense, and humor, and all those elements were present in abundance, along with surprise appearances by characters – I won’t spoil it by saying who – I recognized from the timeline of the early 50s. And it passed handily my litmus test for that 5th star: that feeling of disappointment when there are no more pages to read.
July 3, 2016
Jackie is on the run in yet another country. She works for the CIA and often this means her life is in danger. Her boss sent her to Cuba to see if a new upstart, Fidel Castro, is going to be a detriment to the USA. But once there she is involved in solving a treasure map and rescuing a new friend.
The cast of famous characters is endless. The plot is twisted and exciting. The premise for this book was not something I'd imagined, but it was easy to believe. It was a lot of fun to follow the author as she wove the story through history and explained some of what happened before Kennedy took office. A delightful story that will amuse and entertain even those who aren't into history.
I received this book from Hachette Book Group in exchange for my honest review.
The cast of famous characters is endless. The plot is twisted and exciting. The premise for this book was not something I'd imagined, but it was easy to believe. It was a lot of fun to follow the author as she wove the story through history and explained some of what happened before Kennedy took office. A delightful story that will amuse and entertain even those who aren't into history.
I received this book from Hachette Book Group in exchange for my honest review.
September 27, 2012
I truly appreciate receiving this complimentary copy of Spy in a Little Black Dress from Goodreads First Reads. What an entertaining tale about the world of the CIA! Jackie Bouvier, a novice CIA agent, often finds herself jumping from the frying pan into the fire. I thoroughly enjoyed the roller coaster ride with Jackie in this James Bond-type read as she hobnobs with well-known political figures and celebrities in the entertainment realm. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a good laugh and a lighthearted look at "spy" adventures.
October 13, 2013
If you enjoy historical fiction you will love this book. It was a good book and really engages the reader. It is about Jackie Kennedy being a spy for the CIA before she was married. Maxine Kenneth did a great job with this book. I did not read the first of this series so not sure how much I missed in the first book called Paris to Die For so I intend to read it as well. I won a copy of this book in the Goodreads giveaway.
October 2, 2012
I am always excited to start reading a new smart action story and I was thrilled after I finished the first chapter of this book! I especially enjoyed how fast paced and smart the story is. Her trip to Cuba is intriguing. I stayed a little past my usual bedtime because I was engrossed with Jackie's exciting life.
October 13, 2012
This was a fun read. I enjoyed my "trip" to Cuba with Jackie Bouvier(aka Jackie Kennedy) I especially liked her encounter with the crocodiles. She made a fun spy. Maxine Kenneth came up with a great plot line.
February 11, 2013
I received this book for free from the goodreads firstreads giveaway. I loved this book, the idea of Jackie as a CIA operative is unusual and at the same time completely believable. I would recommend this book to fans of spy novels of all kinds.
July 11, 2014
I received this book through the First Reads giveaway program on Goodreads.
Okay, not the best, but not the worst book. Bit of chick-lit spy but doesn't give you that edge of your seat suspense or can't put this book down yet.
Okay, not the best, but not the worst book. Bit of chick-lit spy but doesn't give you that edge of your seat suspense or can't put this book down yet.
October 27, 2012
Using former first lady as main character gave this one some extra zip. Clever use of plot line & expansion of characters was a plus.
January 21, 2013
Another great "Jackie" read.
January 3, 2013
it was different than I am use to reading but I finished it. I enjoyed the twist and turns of the spy Jackie. the other characters were interesting too.
April 11, 2013
Review Posted at ChickLit Central
http://www.chicklitcentral.com/2013/0...
http://www.chicklitcentral.com/2013/0...
August 5, 2016
It had no suspense, no "I cant put this down till I make sure she is safe" feeling. It felt as if it was trying to be Historical fiction but did not quite cut it.
April 17, 2013
Cute, clever, and a fun, fast read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews