heather0927's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
lindajo's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent! Loved this book. I enjoyed how it went back and forth between the past and present as it got closer to revealing the truth behind the story.
graceem11's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
sav_j's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
jen_carbary's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this one. Plot moved right along and kept me guessing.
bookishwendy's review against another edition
2.0
I went into this book expecting something more LeCarre, but this veered more into pulp spy plot, but instead of chase scenes and shootouts we get...international moms drinking coffee in Luxembourg. Surprisingly, the coffee-drinking, shopping Luxembourg sections ("our house has no closets! To Ikea!") were my favorite parts. The European jet-setting (ok, more like expat family road-trip than private jet) to museums, ski resorts and iconic cities are captured very well. The spy story--just okay. But protagonist Kate Moore flummoxed me most. She is an ex-CIA agent-turned-stay-at-home-mom who has apparently not retained many of her spy skills, because she veers from Nancy drew impulsive office break-ins (without gloves or contingency plans) to bad-ass strip-for-the-illegal-weapons-dealer to get a good deal on a black market gun (oh wait, a guy wrote this? I so couldn't telllll.....). We're told she's super smart--except she claims to not know where Luxembourg is--isn't it a city in Germany? If only she'd been a mere State Department desk-jockey who'd always yearned to be A Really Awesome Spy I might have bought her behavior as an enthusiastic amateur. As a (we're told) grizzled veteran, she comes off as reckless and stupid. But then she has some great moments bonding with the other expat ladies over coffee. I'm so confused about what she is supposed to be. This was kind of a fun read in places, but more frustrating than enjoyable overall.
omerd84's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
kelseybooone's review against another edition
2.0
I could not get into this book no matter how hard I tried. Never have I taken over two months to finish a book.
I can’t put my finger on what it was, but something about this book was off-putting. There is not a book I DNF, but this one was close.
And truly, the writing wasn’t bad, I was genuinely interested in certain parts of the book. The depiction of expat life had me daydreaming what it’d be like. But overall, just not my kind of book.
I can’t put my finger on what it was, but something about this book was off-putting. There is not a book I DNF, but this one was close.
And truly, the writing wasn’t bad, I was genuinely interested in certain parts of the book. The depiction of expat life had me daydreaming what it’d be like. But overall, just not my kind of book.
sonham's review against another edition
4.0
Sehr spannend und immer wieder für eine Überraschung gut.
pnelson384's review against another edition
3.0
This is a book about a woman who finds out that there is more than meets the eye to know about many people in her life - her husband, her friends, her ex-pat community. This is balanced by the secrets she herself keeps from everyone. The plot is complicated and the story pops back and forth in time, but the author does a good job of answering all the reader's questions. Sometimes you read a book that builds and builds and then just ends in a hurry. This book does a good job of rewarding the reader with an ending that answers questions and isn't too hurried or too drawn out.