I, Spy?

Sophie Green Mystery #1

by Kate Johnson

"Never underestimate the blonde."

The British spy is elegant, suave and sophisticated. The British spy is not blonde, built and confused.

But Sophie Green is, and she s just been hired by a highly secret government agency. She drives a car the colour of bile and is obsessed with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." She doesn t know which end of the gun to fire from and her hair hasn t been natural since she was twelve. But that s not going to stop her from trying to save the day, once she figures out who to save it from.

Sexy spies, plane crashes, firebombs and multicoloured cocktails they re all in a day s work for Sophie. Roll over, Bond, there s a new bombshell in town. And it s got Sophie s name on it



Warning, this title contains guns, swearing, dark thoughts about cheerful people, incomprehensible Britishisms, and painful sarcasm."

Genres: Mystery, Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary, Ebooks, Fiction, Humor

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 6, 2007

About the author

Kate Johnson lives in rural Essex where she belongs to a pride of cats and puts up with a demon puppy. She did actually do most of her homework, but quickly so as to have more time to stare out of the window thinking about heroes. Stay in school, kids. Kate has done a variety of not-particularly great jobs, ranging from airport check-in to lab assistant, but much prefers writing for a living. For one thing, the hours are better, and no one ever tells her off for not ironing her shirt. In fact, the lack of ironing might be the single greatest advantage to being an author. Kate loves going off at mad tangents, which you’d surely never have guessed, but also enjoys reading romance and fantasy, watching funny stuff on TV, drinking coffee by the gallon and occasionally leaving the house. The Untied Kingdom is her first novel to be published in the UK.

Reviews

[Tuuli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover and blurb of this book put me off it for a long time. I'm not much one for the bumbling heroine who the world and everyone in it is determined to make a fool out of every five seconds. I just don't see what so funny about it. Sure, I like to laugh at people too but in small doses and mostly with them. So yeah, I was pretty sure this wouldn't be my cup of tea.

Boy, did I kick myself twenty pages in. I loved Sophie. Sure, things often didn't quite go her way but I didn't mind. She wasn't the universe's punching bag - she was funny, selfish, sarcastic, jaded and human. I was particularly tickled by the tales of her car and cat, they made me feel connected to her. High time someone shares my taste in cars.

I had some qualms, had to suspend my disbelief a little, but overall reading I, Spy? was a highly entertaining experience for me.

[Beverly Warembourg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Call me a prude or old-fashioned, but I've never understood a writer's need to use the "F" word...especially in something supposed to be a comedic mystery. I'm also not a fan of sexual descriptors. Granted that is my own bias, which is why I gave it 3 stars. I would have liked to see where this was going, but the constant use of the "F" word and sexual innuendos turned me off.

If you don't mind those things and like a light-hearted British read, then you will enjoy this.(less)

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very pleasant, light spy spoof, easy and quick to read. The first-person narration takes us into the mind, heart, and soul of a genuine Ditsy Blonde named Sophie Green, who is of course recruited to be a most unlikely spy, all while working as an airport check-in clerk. The structure and routines of a British international airport are written from experience, and that really helps the story along.

The agency that takes Sophie on, a forgotten branch of British military intelligence called Special Operations 17, has dwindled to a staff of four: the boss, called One; the master spies, Two (aka Maria) and Three (aka Luke); and Four, a factotum named Alexa who holds the secret office and its operation together. To increase their substance in the bureaucracy, Two and Three are instructed to find a recruit; Two brings in Five, aka Macbeth, who could play linebacker for an American football team and has a criminal record and inclinations; and Sophie makes Six when Three (Luke, remember) likes the gumption she shows by chasing after a bad guy through the airport baggage belt at great risk to herself when the regular police don't show up. Ditsy, you see, with gumption.

I found myself laughing out loud again and again, and that would never happen if she weren't also quite sincere, and not forever obsessed with looks and clothes like some other heroines; it's a nice set-up for comedy. And the way this story ends (no spoiler tags for that) makes it a much bigger spoof of spy literature than it seemed to be most of the way through.

Oh, there's also gruesome killings, bits of gore here and there, and a plane crash killing all 147 aboard; bad guys will be bad guys. And of course Sophie has the hots for various guys, good and bad, but you just know she'll get that all sorted out and hook up with Three. I liked it; maybe you will too.

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ (for sentimental reasons, I’ll rate it a 4)

I read this when I was like 12? (Don’t judge, it was free on Amazon at the time) and I remembered it being cute and funny. I had thought about rereading it to see if it had aged well, and honestly it did!! It’s so cute; think Mr. and Mrs. Smith kinda vibes except Angelina Jolie’s character is like a badass Elle woods? Idk, some parts can be a little quirky but overall such a fun read!!

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this 3 1/4 stars, because while it was a completely unbelievable (as in suspend belief in the real world), tale of a British Airline worker is overnight is recruited and becomes a spy, it still was interesting, with a good story. I laughed, and wanted to finish, which is more than can be said for many books. Sophie's antics do become a little silly and ridiculous by the end, but then the entire fictional splinter group of spies is also a little silly and ridiculous. This is no Jason Bourne, but more like Stephanie Plum trying to be Jason Bourne, although Sophie is smart, and I did enjoy how she'd managed to figure out how to break into places that were intended to be secure.

I'd go so far as to say recommend, because yeah, I think I'd read another.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a bit to warm up to the main character but once I did I enjoyed the story.

An amusing cozy spy mystery with a touch of romance and a protag who is nearly always her worst enemy. She ends up being lucky when she really needs it and a bit off the wall most other times. She has a good voice and while she isn't a wonderful person all around, she's definitely got potential.

I will most likely look into reading sequels.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The looked like it'd be silly - and it was - and yet it was a fun silly. I was kind of reminded of the television show "Chuck" - not really in the plot, but just in the feel of the book. I really liked the voice of the main character, and she is also pretty gutsy. It was a good, amusing read.

[Elli (Kindig Blog) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main problem I had with this book was the main character, which is a big problem when the novel is written in 1st person! Sophie Green seems to be shallow, one dimensional and annoying and the choices that she makes just seem very unrealistic and unrelatable to me.

The plot of the book is quite different from the usual espionage scenario but the ending is too hurried, the conclusion is such a twist (although, honestly quite a predictable one) because we struggle to work out how Sophie comes to the conclusion without any prior hints or fore-thought.

All in all, I paid nothing for it so I gained nothing and lost nothing, and wont be interested in the sequels. As you now have to pay for it I would say 'avoid!' as there are a lot better books out there to spend your money on.

[Sneha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, light, easy read. Skip if you can't stand cursing. Sex scenes are not graphic.

I enjoyed this book. The main character works for an airline, sees something she shouldn't, and is recruited to join a secret spy agency no one has ever heard of. There are a few parts where I didn't want to stop reading.

Great book for unwinding/relaxing.

[glitrbug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect if all the grim news has got you down. Tall, buxom blond who works the desks at a small airport accidentally helps out a spy. She has that sarcastic British humor I find so amusing. The spy finds her to be his polar opposite and opposites attract. This was really the funniest thing I read in ages.

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful

Ridiculous story line

Unrealistic characters

Total nonsense

Oh and the foul snobbish manner in which the 'heroine' and friend mocked the academic credentials of her brother's girlfriend was disgusting - nasty character presumably spouting the writer's own views

[Sabrina Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good book. I think I might have enjoyed it more if it was a little shorter. I really did enjoy it but it seemed to go on for a long time. But I like her as she is nice and feisty. It will be fun to read the rest of the series.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fun from beginning to end. Just thinking about this book makes me smile. The character Sophia is so funny. Every character is well developed and feels real. If you need a break, or holiday read this is it.

[Jenni O'Danu) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, silly mystery wuth an engaging lead.

Really enjoyed reading this during a very stressful week. Looking forward to more in this series. Sophie is a hoot.

[Angel Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit too fanciful for me. I like my murder mystery with a side of believability.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute and fun to read

Totally love the mixture of mystery, hilarity, and complexity. Super cute and fun to read. Can't want to read the next book.

[Charlie Hau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great little story that's full of silly scenes, innuendo and a completely British way of being a spy! Sophie is bored of working for the budget airline company, having no money and being taken for a blonde bimbo. So after helping to stop a criminal she naturally joins an undercover spy agency. Suitable for everyone, its the kind of book you can devour on a train journey or beach.

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wanted to like it as I thought it would be like the show "Chuck."
It just didn't grab me, I did not finish it.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sophie falls into being a spy. Basically Bridget Jones becomes Stephanie Plum. Bonus for the Cockney rhyming slang.

[Shanyn Hosier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I immediately fell in love with the heroine, Sophie Green, a harried British airport employee. She's endearing, charming, flawed but lovable. Luca/Luke Sharpe is a capable alpha hero as a gorgeous undercover spy, and the romantic tension and chemistry between the two are wonderful.

I found the mystery to be engaging, and it was loads of fun to see Sophie learn to be a spy by the seat of her pants. The premise of SO17 was a bit weak - a small collection of motley, half-assed and underfunded spies was entertaining if not very believable. Johnson's writing style is right up my alley: dry and humorous with lots of snappy dialogue and slightly dated pop culture references. I enjoyed the use of first person, and I'm a sucker for all the British humor and slang, and the vulgarisms didn't bother me a bit. (My absolute favorite: "Her Ladyboat" in reference to an aristocrat)

That being said, the airline and airport details were a bit overdone and got a little tedious. Sophie's accidental trip to Rome stretched credibility, and the bizarre cave-in scene in an abandoned building had me completely flummoxed. Did Sophie and Luke really have sex on a pile of rubble after she'd been shot and concussed or not? And if so, how could Luke be such a schmuck to do so? I was so wrapped up in the anticipation of when they'd finally get together, and the author reduced it to a profoundly unsexy description that was a huge letdown. (Spoiler for the actual quote follows...)

...And then he pulled the rather ruined dress off me and I pulled his clothes off him, and then we were naked and once we were naked we got pretty hot and pretty happy, and then...

God, I can't believe I had sex in the rubble.

Really? That's it? ARGH! And to rub salt in the wound, Sophie spends the rest of the book offering up thoughts about how great the sex was, and how she couldn't wait to do it again, but zero details. Maybe I'm a perv, but a sexy description of the actual act (even in flowery language) would've been appreciated.

Still and all, I enjoyed the writer's style and voice enough to buy the next three sequels, so that's saying something. And I read all four within one week's time.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this on the Kindle app for my android phone because it was offered for free. I actually had it on my reading list long before downloading it, but was excited to see it offered for free!

I will say reading this book on my phone did participate to the experience I had with it. I found it really difficult the first few chapters to keep up with the story because I could not tell where exactly I was in the text.

Aside from that, I loved this book. I read it extremely quickly as it's a fast and light read. The book picks up with action right away in the first chapter, and by the end of chapter 4 - I could not put the book down! I found several parts of the book extremely funny, because Sophie is quite the unlikely spy. I suspect if I was better equipped with British colloquialisms - I would have laughed many more times than I actually did. There were a few times I found myself lost because I didn't quite understand the British words used or the airline lingo that was also used. But I was able to read those parts and not find myself confused in the story.

The story has an expertly written mystery, plenty of foreshadowing and red herrings through into the story - and keeps you guessing the outcome of the case as you read. I was extremely shocked about the outcome, which was excellent. Usually I will skip ahead to see what happens so I'm not as surprised - but I couldn't do this when reading it on my phone!

I am so eager to read the other three Sohpie Green books and am so upset my library doesn't carry them, otherwise I could go check them out right now to finish the series!

[Marj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophie Green, British, young, single and working at a local airport, is asked to become an agent of a secret government agency. A less likely agent you'll never suspect, and yet, she somehow manages to come out (mostly) all right.

I started this story expecting a nice cozy mystery, with a bit of humor. Yikes, was I wrong. There is a little too much swearing, a little too much sex, and a little more gore than you would expect to see in a cozy mystery.

But there is a mystery, and it is filled with humor, from the situations Sophie gets herself into, to her remarks, to the whole concept of Sophie being a secret agent. I started the book, thinking I'd read for 15 or 20 minutes before going to bed. Several hours later I finished the book, and went to bed much later than I had intended.

[Romancefangirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much fun. I came to this book via Kate Johnson's erotic romance alter-ego and coulnd't be more surprised and delighted. Sophie Green is a heroine to adore. She's not a deadly assassin, she's not infallable, but boy, is she fun to read about. Snarky, sarcastic and more than a little cheeky, Sophie Green handles herself well in the surreal and highly dangerous situations the plot sees her in. The chemistry between she and the hero (or is that heroes, cause there is more than one hunky male catching Sophie's eye) is almost mouthwatering.

Chick-lit with just the right touch of danger and humor. As good as any Janet Evanovich book. Have bought the second book in the series and can't wait for it to arrive.

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this would be like a British version of the Stephanie Plum series but Sophie Green is not as likeable or funny. It's not a matter of cultural differences since even though I'm American, I've lived in the UK for years and my husband is English. It was stuff like "my desperate need to be close to the beautiful people" - she just came across as too hung up on appearances.

I also found a lot of it unrealistic. For example, Sophie walks in on an undercover agent making a bust and he later tells her she knows too much before then immediately proceeding to tell her far more about the case than she needs to know or that he'd be authorized to tell her.

It's a shame because I was looking forward to this but I couldn't get into it.

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and witty, this book was a delight to read from start to finish. Maybe it's because I could relate to the lead character so very well (not with the spy business, you understand, but with being slightly obsessed with Buffy, cocktails and shopping? Yes!)

I read the book in a day, and am definitely going to be looking up more. Sophie Green is a likeable, funny, typically British girl who ends up saving the day on several occasions and proves that busty blonds can be far more than the typical sterotype would have you believe. All of the characters are well-rounded and perfectly brought to life, and the plot twist at the end was nicely revealed.

I thoroughly enjoyed losing myself in Sophie's world on this (rare) sunny Sunday!

[Miles · Rating 2 out of 5]

English chick lit action story that fell short. There were some funny parts, but telling a story in the first person raises the stakes. By the end of the book I was getting tired of the main character, Sophie Green. She is a 5'10" busty blonde bombshell who all the men flirt with, but has no self-confidence. She says that she is not smart, but everyone else in the story disagrees. She can't work computers but she finds missing video files in the computer archives, etc. The British phrases were fun, but I think that the book was targeted at a 20-year old girl wanting some mindless entertainment on a beach holiday - definitely not me. Why Amazon Kindle described this as a young adult book is beyond me - there is plenty in here that is not appropriate for younger readers.

[Vanessa Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books make no sense. Why would a government just let random people become spies? And also give them no training? And not mind when they kill people or leave them locked in basement cells without actually arresting them?

Also, you can't bundle up your cat and bring her to your parents' house without a second thought and talk about how the cat knows the house so well that she wakes up earlier than at home because she remembers that's when your dad wakes up and feeds her and then later have a cat sitter at your apt because it may be too traumatic to have the cat stay at your parents' because as a cat she has a short memory just because both scenarios are convenient to the plot at different times. Yes, I realize that was a run-on sentence.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I downloaded this from amazon at the time it was a free read.

This was a great read! I loved Sophie. A British airline employee who is beyond obsessed with Buffy finds herself in all kinds of shenanigans. Luke/Luca a SEXY special secret agent recruits her to help him catch the bad guys. Her claim to fame is she's smarter then she looks. All she desires is a gun but has yet to obtain a license. After witnessing something she shouldn't have her life had been put in danger and she began receiving some bloody fingers in the mail. The adventure and trouble she winds up in was hysterical and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed the start of this series and can not wait to download the next one!

[Lorretta · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a pretty standard plug in character names, nationalities, and choose plot A or B book. It had a few good laughs and I enjoyed the British flair; it probably made the book seem better than it was.

Sophie is living a mediocre life as an airline agent when she stumbles onto a secret agency. By twists and turns that are unbelievable, she is recruited into said secret agency. Right from the bat, she does not follow orders and does incredibly stupid things. I was glad when she kept getting hurt.

Tammy the cat was the most original character in the book.

This would be a good throwaway book at the beach or lounging vacation. So glad it was a kindle freebie.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Not great, and not really Stephanie Plum, but not bad. First in the series about Sophie Green, spy and airline check-in counter girl. Enter two handsome fellows, plus parents, plus brother's band. Hijinks ensue. Clutziness prevails. Sophie seems to have the same decision-making issues that Stephanie Plum often faces, but with far more grievous bodily injury to herself. Also, one of the worst...we'll call it "sex" scenes ever in a book.

But, good summer read. I recommend it if you already read that type of thing.