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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
Though I'm a fan of fiction and mysteries I don't often pick up spy thrillers but my boyfriend enjoyed it so I figured I would give it a go, and I was not disappointed. (It didn't hurt that the cover boasted a beaming recommendation from the one and only Stephen King.)
Milo Weaver is a Tourist, a member of black ops of "The Company," ie, the CIA and he is as good at his job as he is unhappy. I don't want to say much about his novel, lest I give anything away, but it is well-written, complex, and full of twists and turns. It took me a little while to get in to the rhythm of to to but once I did I stuck with it and couldn't put it down. I'm pleased to now realize this is first of a series and I intend to read on. If like me you have enjoyed reading mystery novels but haven't read any good ones in quite some time, give this a try.
Milo Weaver is a Tourist, a member of black ops of "The Company," ie, the CIA and he is as good at his job as he is unhappy. I don't want to say much about his novel, lest I give anything away, but it is well-written, complex, and full of twists and turns. It took me a little while to get in to the rhythm of to to but once I did I stuck with it and couldn't put it down. I'm pleased to now realize this is first of a series and I intend to read on. If like me you have enjoyed reading mystery novels but haven't read any good ones in quite some time, give this a try.
revised this to 4 stars after reading the sequel, which makes reading both books together much more satisfying.
Milo Weaver works for the CIA as an undercover agent in Europe and gets recalled back to the States after a job does not end well. The stateside capture of a highly wanted assassin leads the reader through Milo's very secret past and how that intersects with is very real and current life. It's been awhile since I've read a "spy novel" and I enjoyed the twists and turns. My only complaint is how quickly Tina seemed to turn against Milo, especially given their background and how they met. I understand it helps to add to Milo's inner conflict, but I hope we get to see her again. The great thing about being late to this book is that there are 3 others in the series for me to read. I look forward to spending more time in this world.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up The Tourist, but I'm happy to say it was a solid read I thoroughly enjoyed! Right from the start, I really liked Milo. There's something so compelling about a character who’s incredibly good at what he does but is also burnt out, jaded, and disillusioned by it. (Okay, so this isn't a new trope in the spy thriller genre, but it really worked for me here.) Milo’s complexity, his views on the world, and, most importantly, his dedication to his family had me hooked.
Speaking of family, the story really took off for me once Milo’s wife and daughter entered the picture. His wife, Tina, is smart, strong, and capable of thinking for herself. Her viewpoint added so much to the story. I loved that despite how much she loved her husband, she wasn’t blindly loyal. Instead, she had had her own questions and doubts about Milo’s life. And his daughter, Stephanie, is a firecracker who stole every scene she was in.
The political intrigue and behind-the-scenes machinations were surprisingly engaging. I’m not usually big on politics, but the way Steinhauer wove the political backstory into the narrative felt natural and added an extra layer of depth to the plot. It made the stakes feel global, and that sense of a bigger picture also helped keep me invested as I read.
Overall, The Tourist is well-written, tightly plotted, and offers a central character who's easy to root for. I'll definitely pick up the next book in the series.
Purchased at the airport but not compelling enough to have read on the plane (weak opening).
Ultimately enjoyed, especially nuanced political views and the exploration of work/life balance.
Unless you are going to go all the way with crazy schemes (a la Bourne identity or Alias) internal back stabbing and whodunit here was a bit too much. Stick to the tradecraft and less of the outlandish secret agents and double crossers.
Ultimately enjoyed, especially nuanced political views and the exploration of work/life balance.
Unless you are going to go all the way with crazy schemes (a la Bourne identity or Alias) internal back stabbing and whodunit here was a bit too much. Stick to the tradecraft and less of the outlandish secret agents and double crossers.
Fictional Espionage stories usually falter because of two key components for me:
1) The spies are pseudo-jedis, in that they can make anyone do anything at any time; AND
2) The spies are techno-geniuses and manipulate everything that has an electric current running through it.
One of the things that The Tourist work so well, is that it plays to the “everyman” spy. Someone who has some natural aptitude towards being sociable and manipulative but isn’t necessarily going to be the Luke Skywalker of schmoozing.
The main character, Milo Weaver, is recruited by the CIA out of college because he displays some natural aptitude and, without spoiling anything, some other ties to the spy world. We meet Milo at the end of his days in field work, he is depressed and in a very dark spiral, just about to hit the bottom. He meets someone who changes that (it sounds more cliched than it is) and we jump to arguably the high point of his life, chasing down a spy through the US.
This book is a thriller, so I won’t get into anymore details than this, but the story is complex and develops over the course of the entire novel, right down to the big reveal. The pacing is excellent, with short, choppy – chapters to parallel the events and the mental state that Milo is in. When he has room to breath so does the reader, and the chapter lengths extend during these parts to allow for that.
But what makes The Tourist so good, is that each character feels very well developed. There are classic spy tropes on full display here, like the young kid who is slightly to over eager and not quite as finessed as some of the “old knives” to borrow a phrase from a later Steinhauer novel. Milo is the cornerstone of this; he is not the best mind or the best physical specimen, or even the best techno-wizard. He is past his prime and does not belong out in the world on his feet anymore. Most often he is stumbling through information that the regular person would not be able to piece together. This may sound like the classic spy who is not what he used to be kind of thing, and it is, but is so well done that it feels, well, real.
The Tourist is a great standalone thriller that takes you for quite an entertaining ride. If you like it, then good news is that there are more sequels then you probably would expect for a story like this!
1) The spies are pseudo-jedis, in that they can make anyone do anything at any time; AND
2) The spies are techno-geniuses and manipulate everything that has an electric current running through it.
One of the things that The Tourist work so well, is that it plays to the “everyman” spy. Someone who has some natural aptitude towards being sociable and manipulative but isn’t necessarily going to be the Luke Skywalker of schmoozing.
The main character, Milo Weaver, is recruited by the CIA out of college because he displays some natural aptitude and, without spoiling anything, some other ties to the spy world. We meet Milo at the end of his days in field work, he is depressed and in a very dark spiral, just about to hit the bottom. He meets someone who changes that (it sounds more cliched than it is) and we jump to arguably the high point of his life, chasing down a spy through the US.
This book is a thriller, so I won’t get into anymore details than this, but the story is complex and develops over the course of the entire novel, right down to the big reveal. The pacing is excellent, with short, choppy – chapters to parallel the events and the mental state that Milo is in. When he has room to breath so does the reader, and the chapter lengths extend during these parts to allow for that.
But what makes The Tourist so good, is that each character feels very well developed. There are classic spy tropes on full display here, like the young kid who is slightly to over eager and not quite as finessed as some of the “old knives” to borrow a phrase from a later Steinhauer novel. Milo is the cornerstone of this; he is not the best mind or the best physical specimen, or even the best techno-wizard. He is past his prime and does not belong out in the world on his feet anymore. Most often he is stumbling through information that the regular person would not be able to piece together. This may sound like the classic spy who is not what he used to be kind of thing, and it is, but is so well done that it feels, well, real.
The Tourist is a great standalone thriller that takes you for quite an entertaining ride. If you like it, then good news is that there are more sequels then you probably would expect for a story like this!
This was exactly what I wanted to read at the moment. I really enjoyed the twists and turns and thought it was well thought out and executed. The writing was neither great nor terrible, but did the job. It didn't get in the way. I'm not quite satisfied with the very ending, but it's because it had to set up the next book, and I understand that, but I'm not likely going to pick up the next one. I don't usually read these kinds of books and I'm afraid of it getting old, so I'm content to just leave it here for now. Still, I recommend picking this up if you like espionage spy stories. Admittedly I've not read much if any of this kind of book, so maybe I'm not the best person to listen to, but to those looking to get into it, maybe this would be a good start.
I give it a meh+ for overuse of exposition and inability to make me care about the main character. The plot was fine, though unremarkable, and I disliked having it relayed instead of experiencing it. I also found the six year old unbelievable.
This was one of the few spy novels I have ever read. I found it to be well written but there were a lot of people. I typically don’t read spy/politically inclined novels as I get a bit lost with all the levels of government and whose who.
I did enjoy the storyline and the twists and turns of intrigue and betrayal. It sure brings to mind the saying “don’t trust anyone!” This book didn’t bring out any emotions in me it was a fairly straight forward read.
If you like spy novels this would be a good book to read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC for an honest review.
I did enjoy the storyline and the twists and turns of intrigue and betrayal. It sure brings to mind the saying “don’t trust anyone!” This book didn’t bring out any emotions in me it was a fairly straight forward read.
If you like spy novels this would be a good book to read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC for an honest review.
Milo, the suicidal spy, is an unlikely hero. I liked this a lot. I'll be looking for the next in the series and checking out other books by this author.