mbondlamberty's review
Good read. Not a thriller per se, but still compelling.
Multiple narrators, some unreliable, and not a totally satisfying ending, but still a good read.
Multiple narrators, some unreliable, and not a totally satisfying ending, but still a good read.
patsycathcart's review
4.0
Well, this one took me a while. I listened to this one and I think I would have caught on better and been less confused if I had read it. It should make an excellent movie.
mxinky's review
3.0
I liked the structure of this story, but the main character could have been a lot more fleshed out. Worth reading if you like espionage stories.
cybergoths's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
5.0
lolalu's review against another edition
dark
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
3.5
cnorbury's review against another edition
3.0
All the credit in the world to the author for taking a literary chance and writing a spy thriller with virtually no thrills or action. The structure was also reminiscent of Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl" with the use of dual POVs--Henry and Celia--who end up being both protagonist and antagonist in their stories.
Unfortunately, the stylistic choices didn't work for me. The plot centered around what happened in an earlier terrorist incident and how it was handled by CIA operatives Henry and Celia and other members of the Vienna office. Most of the scenes were set in a quiet restaurant in Carmel, CA, and featured verbal sparring between Henry and Celia. It soon became clear they were once lovers but now are in an adversarial relationship with each trying to get something from the other. What that is, is the question. It centers on finding some sort of leak in CIA security that leads to more than 100 deaths in a plane hijacking incident.
While the style of story presentation didn't work for me, I enjoyed the author's rich vocabulary and deep dive into the psychological thriller aspect of this story. But overall, there was too much introspection, finger-pointing, and blame-gaming by the characters. But I'd read more Steinhauer based on his writing chops. He's obviously a talented wordsmith.
Unfortunately, the stylistic choices didn't work for me. The plot centered around what happened in an earlier terrorist incident and how it was handled by CIA operatives Henry and Celia and other members of the Vienna office. Most of the scenes were set in a quiet restaurant in Carmel, CA, and featured verbal sparring between Henry and Celia. It soon became clear they were once lovers but now are in an adversarial relationship with each trying to get something from the other. What that is, is the question. It centers on finding some sort of leak in CIA security that leads to more than 100 deaths in a plane hijacking incident.
While the style of story presentation didn't work for me, I enjoyed the author's rich vocabulary and deep dive into the psychological thriller aspect of this story. But overall, there was too much introspection, finger-pointing, and blame-gaming by the characters. But I'd read more Steinhauer based on his writing chops. He's obviously a talented wordsmith.
lisagray68's review
dark
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
4.5
thewordwitch's review
4.0
More of a 3.5. Easy to guess the culprit, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
dannb's review
4.0
Twisty, turny. My first of his... may have to investigate more! Via audio... it was sometimes tricky to realize when descriptions were "nightmares" and not actual actions.