 The Specialists: Model Spy
Book #1 in the series
by Shannon Greenland
Release Date: May 2007
Publisher: Speak, An Imprint of Penguin Group
Nominated for the 2009 popular paperback award by the American Library Association
Sixteen-year-old Kelly James is in a lot of hot water. When David, her incredibly nice, not to mention super cute and irresistible, college RA, asked her to uncover some top-secret information, she thought why not? All she has to do is hack into the government's main computer system. Simple enough for a computer techie genius like herself. But a few hours later, she is caught. Only this isn't a run-of-the-mill arrest. Rather than serve a jail sentence in a juvenile detention, she accepts the option to change her identity and enlist in a secret government spy agency that trains teen agents to go undercover. After all, she has no family or friends at school. What does she have to lose? Instantly, Kelly Spree, a.k.a. girl genius GiGi, is born. And as if that wasn't overwhelming enough, she discovers that David works for this agency as well. Before she even begins to understand what is going on, she's sent on her first mission as an undercover model. Her partner? None other than David himself!
REVIEWS
"Thrills, chills, and espionage! THE SPECIALISTS is a rocket-paced ride of excitement, romance, and fun!" ~ Jax Abbott, award-winning author of SUPER WHAT?
“A great fast paced read.” ~ Front Street Reviews
“A thrilling ride to something/somewhere. Highly recommend this book!” ~Armchair Interviews
“An awesome debut for Ms. Greenland. MODEL SPY totally rocks!”
~ Echelon Press
“Don’t miss out on this great spy novel full of intrigue, drama, and one very big crush.”
- Teens Read Too
“The concept is fun and it’s nice to see a girl as a spy, a role usually reserved for boys in action books.”
~ KLIATT
“I loved the non-stop action, cool spy gadgets, international flair, and the touch of romance.”
~Book Muncher
EXCERPT
The entire greenhouse brightened with white light, and a shrill siren went off.
David grabbed my hand, and we took off down the path. Metal grids began unrolling from the ceiling, securing the greenhouse's glass panes and prohibiting anyone from exiting. We cut through hedges and greenery and slid through a spiny shrub to our entrance hole.
TL was right there, waiting for us. I glanced up to see a metal grid grinding toward us. David grabbed the back of my shirt and pants and shoved me through, then dove after me. A split second later, the grid slammed over our hole, shutting us out.
We bolted across the open frosty lawn to where Jonathan waited. In the distance we heard the pack of Dobermans. Jonathan dropped to his hands and knees at the base of the wrought-iron fence. Using him as a step, David bounced onto his back and over the ten-foot tall barrier. I went next with TL giving me a helpful push up and over. David caught me, TL landed beside us, and Jonathan quickly scaled the fence.
With Jonathan safely on our side, we took off across the road and into the woods.
A mile later, we burst through the trees on the outskirts of an Ushbanian town, a different one from where the modeling school and hotel were located. I knew from our preoperations session that we would split up if something like this happened. David and I in one direction, TL in another, and Jonathan in yet another.
A police siren pierced the air. David grabbed my hand and yanked me down an alley. We ran past a Dumpster and skidded to a halt when a police car pulled in the opposite end. David backed me up against the side of a building and plastered his body to mine. Our chests heaved against each other with winded breaths.
He buried his mouth against my ear. "Wrap. Your. Arms. Around. Me."
I did as he instructed, my heart hammering, keeping the police car in my peripheral vision. It slowly rolled toward us. "It's coming," I hissed, desperately trying to think of what to do next.
"Sorry," he mumbled right before crushing his mouth to mine.
Oh my God, I'm sixteen, and I've never been kissed. Please let me be doing this right.
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