The Takedown, the first novel for adult readers by Carlie Walker, is as much a Christmas romance as it is an action-packed comedy. Sydney ran away from her life to join the CIA, never expecting to land right back in idyllic Maine where "[h]ip-tall, light-up candy canes line the sidewalks." Her new directive is to gather intel on the head of a crime family--who is engaged to her little sister. And if stopping the wedding, reconnecting with family, and staying undercover isn't enough, there's also Nick the bodyguard, who Sydney has to seduce for reasons of covert operations only--certainly not because he charms in his holiday sweater, sings Mariah Carey at karaoke, and is particular about his floss brand.
Walker captures moments of tense missions as easily as she does those of sweet family dynamics (Grandma Ruby roping Sydney into reprising her role as a donkey in the local Christmas pageant), along with the hilarity of two operatives conversing earnestly in a local Moose Lodge. As Sydney notes, "underneath it all I'm terrified. I'm just terrified that by wanting to be unknowable, I'll actually become unknowable, to everyone." This double-agent caper with a sizzling undercurrent of attraction culminates in a frenetic holiday dinner that feels both excessive and oddly relatable. The Takedown, delightfully comical with an emotional punch, will leave readers merry and grateful for their own family's holiday chaos--because at least they're not sitting at the Christmas dinner table trying to salvage a CIA operation, repair a sisterhood, and figure out whether the guy they're falling for can be trusted. --Kristen Coates, editor and freelance reviewer