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A review by zare_i
The Cairo Affair by Olen Steinhauer
5.0
What if whatever haunts you is not because of what you think but because of some obscure reason lost in the past - what if you are in danger because of what someone else thinks you know.
This is the corner-stone of this novel.
All the characters have done something bad (some something outright terrible) in the past and they are now chased down [and quite the few killed] because somebody has a feeling that they know too much (or maybe everything). Because of this it is decided to eliminate them just to be on the safe side.
Sophie, main character is wannabe Mata Hari - she enjoys living on the edge but very soon this takes its toll. She might seem to be an over-dramatic at times but what exactly one is to expect from situated person that wants more but settles on the role of the happy wife.
From all the characters she is most probably the most "damaged" one. But her guilt and loss pushes her forward while trying to solve the mystery and without her, total amateur in the spy-games, professionals would stop stirring the hornet's nest way earlier and leave the things lie down.
John, US agent, maybe best epitomizes the survivalist approach to intelligence activities - know nothing, hear nothing and play outright dumb in order to live through yet another day. Because if you become curious very soon the shadows will strike (like it happened to majority of characters in this novel) so better leave it to people who are at least payed to be nosy and are not expendable.
If above sounds like total opposite to what intelligence gathering is supposed to be you are right but in the world where you know secrets about others and you think other's actions are because of your secrets or actions in the past who can you actually believe to be "on the side of the Angels"?
Excellent, very paranoid novel, written in beautiful style that will make you devour 500+ pages in couple of hours. Could it be done in fewer number of pages - definitely could, but this page surplus does not diminish the story in any way.
Highly recommended.
This is the corner-stone of this novel.
All the characters have done something bad (some something outright terrible) in the past and they are now chased down [and quite the few killed] because somebody has a feeling that they know too much (or maybe everything). Because of this it is decided to eliminate them just to be on the safe side.
Sophie, main character is wannabe Mata Hari - she enjoys living on the edge but very soon this takes its toll. She might seem to be an over-dramatic at times but what exactly one is to expect from situated person that wants more but settles on the role of the happy wife.
From all the characters she is most probably the most "damaged" one. But her guilt and loss pushes her forward while trying to solve the mystery and without her, total amateur in the spy-games, professionals would stop stirring the hornet's nest way earlier and leave the things lie down.
John, US agent, maybe best epitomizes the survivalist approach to intelligence activities - know nothing, hear nothing and play outright dumb in order to live through yet another day. Because if you become curious very soon the shadows will strike (like it happened to majority of characters in this novel) so better leave it to people who are at least payed to be nosy and are not expendable.
If above sounds like total opposite to what intelligence gathering is supposed to be you are right but in the world where you know secrets about others and you think other's actions are because of your secrets or actions in the past who can you actually believe to be "on the side of the Angels"?
Excellent, very paranoid novel, written in beautiful style that will make you devour 500+ pages in couple of hours. Could it be done in fewer number of pages - definitely could, but this page surplus does not diminish the story in any way.
Highly recommended.