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cornbread's review against another edition
4.0
engrossing & pretty airtight but not 100% sold on the revealed intentions
stevelarsen's review against another edition
5.0
I loved the Mick Herron books (Slow Horses series) and a friend recommended Steinhauer. This was a fascinating story that kept me guessing, right up to the end. Very well done.
lamom77's review against another edition
3.0
I actually give this 3.5 stars. It started out kind of slow, but was definitely hard to put down in the last half of the book. It had a fairly predictable ending, but still was a well laid out story.
sarahtokar's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
2.5
I picked this up prior to a trip to Vienna, hoping for some local ambience and/or history. This type of spy thriller doesn't usually interest me, so my low rating isn't a reflection of the author's skill. I just wasn't grabbed by the characters and the mix of love story/CIA operations/terrorist attack. And I didn't get any Vienna scenery or history, so that was disappointing.
in_and_out_of_the_stash's review against another edition
3.0
Reading the author's acknowledgements it implies that the story takes place in one locale - a dinner table - but that is not strictly true because background to the story takes place elsewhere. (Think The Dinner.)
Who knows what is gradually revealed, the pace is slow like a leisurely dinner but not boring.
Also not convoluted like The Cairo Affair.
Who knows what is gradually revealed, the pace is slow like a leisurely dinner but not boring.
Also not convoluted like The Cairo Affair.
nickbollinger's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
kmarceauxgalli's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The book is a slow read and at times hard to follow until you get a bit further along and after halfway through starts making sense and the suspense pulls you to the end.
zare_i's review against another edition
5.0
Olen Steinhauer writes yet another excellent story about secrets and how they affect ones lives.
Two agents (Henry and Celia) share a very troubled past but what are they ready to do in order to survive the aftermath of their actions?
Story revolves around a dinner between Henry and Celia. Henry an active agent stationed in Vienna and Celia, retired agent seeking comfort in normal civilian life. Henry aims to find out what exactly happened in Vienna (where they were both stationed) six years back and what was the cause of bloody failure at the airport - event that marked them both in so many ways. To achieve his goal he arranges for friendly dinner with Celia and during the conversation at the table reader is presented with the plenty of skeletons-from-the-closet from both parties.
Excellent novel, highly recommended to all fans of spy-fiction and thrillers in general.
Two agents (Henry and Celia) share a very troubled past but what are they ready to do in order to survive the aftermath of their actions?
Story revolves around a dinner between Henry and Celia. Henry an active agent stationed in Vienna and Celia, retired agent seeking comfort in normal civilian life. Henry aims to find out what exactly happened in Vienna (where they were both stationed) six years back and what was the cause of bloody failure at the airport - event that marked them both in so many ways. To achieve his goal he arranges for friendly dinner with Celia and during the conversation at the table reader is presented with the plenty of skeletons-from-the-closet from both parties.
Excellent novel, highly recommended to all fans of spy-fiction and thrillers in general.
jbarr5's review against another edition
4.0
All the old knives by Olan Steinhauer
Sounded like a good book. Starts out with Henry Colham and he's leaving CA, plane is delayed.
Celia Fabrough he plans to visit before he heads back to Vienna. She's now married to Drew and 2 boys.
She left the spy career behind. Story goes back in time and we find out how they met and their lives then working for the CIA til the terrorists hijack the plane and kill a stewardess.
Was their identity comprised? That's what he needs to find out, by asking her more questions of what she knows/remembers.
What I like about this book is that it's an audiobook and each of the characters get their own chapters with right voices: female voice for her, male voice for him.
Fast paced action and not predictable.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Sounded like a good book. Starts out with Henry Colham and he's leaving CA, plane is delayed.
Celia Fabrough he plans to visit before he heads back to Vienna. She's now married to Drew and 2 boys.
She left the spy career behind. Story goes back in time and we find out how they met and their lives then working for the CIA til the terrorists hijack the plane and kill a stewardess.
Was their identity comprised? That's what he needs to find out, by asking her more questions of what she knows/remembers.
What I like about this book is that it's an audiobook and each of the characters get their own chapters with right voices: female voice for her, male voice for him.
Fast paced action and not predictable.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
rschmidt7's review against another edition
2.0
Mediocre Euro CIA thriller. A quick read but nothing new, innovative, or smart. Ending was decent with a little ambiguity. Shitty protagonist(s) with a dual point of view, neither likable, neither sympathetic.
I need to read “The Tourist” to see if this author is all he’s hyped up to be. Not impressed by this one. Glad it was a free library checkout.
I need to read “The Tourist” to see if this author is all he’s hyped up to be. Not impressed by this one. Glad it was a free library checkout.