Scan barcode
tobinlopes's review
3.0
The third installment of the Tourist "adventures" is just as complex, thrilling, and detailed as the other two. While Milo is "The" Tourist, an especially secret CIA asset, he's not the only one in these tales.
Early in this book we meet two others, one enemy and one frenemy. Milo doesn't make an appearance until later. But that's o.k. because he might be the least interesting of the folks in this tale.
As with the previous books the plot, motivations, and actions are so complex as to be irrelevant but as long as you know this, and are comfortable with it - through simply concentrating on the major players and not the type of guns they have - I think you'll enjoy this modern spy story.
I recommend it for any spy thriller fans who aren't just looking for chase scene after chase scene (which this doesn't have any of - in the blockbuster movie sense).
I gave it a 7/10 on my personal scale.
-tpl
Early in this book we meet two others, one enemy and one frenemy. Milo doesn't make an appearance until later. But that's o.k. because he might be the least interesting of the folks in this tale.
As with the previous books the plot, motivations, and actions are so complex as to be irrelevant but as long as you know this, and are comfortable with it - through simply concentrating on the major players and not the type of guns they have - I think you'll enjoy this modern spy story.
I recommend it for any spy thriller fans who aren't just looking for chase scene after chase scene (which this doesn't have any of - in the blockbuster movie sense).
I gave it a 7/10 on my personal scale.
Spoiler
I'll certainly be reading the next installment with Milo at the top.-tpl
adamrshields's review against another edition
4.0
Short review: I really like spy novels. This is the best series of any modern spy novels that I have read. The characters are much more nuanced and believable than the older cold war spy novels, but that also means that the good guys are not as good and the bad guys are not as evil. What many people will not like about this book is the way it deals with time lines. It tells about 1/3 of the story from a single character (not Milo Weaver) then from there flips around to a bunch of different characters. There is an ending, but then what is essentially an epilogue that catches the reader up with the other characters and tells you why things happened the way that they did.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/american-spy/
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/american-spy/
slytherreader's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
liberrydude's review
3.0
Just who is "An American Spy"? The first 90 or so pages it's all about the Chinese spymaster. Milo Weaver doesn't turn up until after these 90 pages. There's an American spy in the midst of the Chinese intelligence apparatus too. I'd read the first two books in the series and this one is similar in its Ludlum-Le Carre like twists and duplicity-Steinhauer I prefer. Just when you think you understand who is doing what to whom, another part ensues and your framework of reality is shattered. Revenge and protect the family at all costs themes dominate this work but you're never sure who is manipulating whom. Even at the end when it "ends" you're being set up for the next book and you have absolutely no idea where that one's going to go. However, I'm looking forward to it. One shocking event in this book other than the usual violence and manipulation of information was pretty mind-blowing. It's all surreal too with these spies playing hide and seek on planes throughout the world and in some cases being caught, sometimes killed, and then released or traded to go out and play again.
joestewart's review
4.0
This one was more complicated, perhaps because of the Chinese names, than previous Milo novels. And, now that I've finished, I'm not sure I really understand what took place - you'd think I would be dissatisfied with that outcome, but I'm not. It was pretty good.
nattygsmith's review
4.0
A great spy novel, with great continuity from the last two Milo Weaver novels. Fun, fast-paced, and intricate without being needlessly complicated or jargonistic.
abibliofob's review
3.0
It was not the best one in the series but it fills in some knowledge about Milo. I still enjoy Steinhauers writing but I felt the story lacking something. I have to thank #MinotaurBooks and StMartinsPress and #Netgalley for making this available to me and I will continue with the adventures of Milo Weaver By Olen Steinhauer.
eldiente's review
3.0
Audio version. The Milo Weaver character is getting more domesticated. Not as much adventure or mystery in this third installment.
mommasaystoread's review
2.0
Well, I left book 2 in the Milo Weaver series with a so-so feeling and wasn't sure if I was going to continue. Obviously, I decided to try one more time, and my experience with this one made up my mind. The thing that stood out most was that Milo is barely included in this one, which is odd to me since this is supposed to be his series. However, that was not the clincher for me. In fact, I've never managed to quite warm up to Milo, and the lack of any real character development in this one didn't do much to change my feelings for him. The story is repetitive. So much so that this book could've been a much shorter read without repeated play by plays of scenes that have already happened. It felt a bit like a sports play being aired from different perspectives, which would've been okay had it not happened so often. Then we have quite a lot of characters, some who would come in briefly only to pop back up much later, leaving me to flip back through the book to remind myself of who they were. Finally, the story was seriously convoluted, which is saying something, considering the genre. In the end, I think it's a safe bet that this series is not for me, and I won't be continuing with Milo Weaver.