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.
plan2read's review
3.0
This third installment in the series was disappointing and anti-climatic as compared to his previous books. By now, Milo Weaver appears as a beleaguered mash-up of Jack Bauer and Sydney Bristow, half secret agent and half family man anxious to protect and return to his loved ones. Here his previously fine-tuned spy skills are in decline, as is the status of the off-the-books intelligence department he works for. The story draws in characters and plot lines from the previous two books which can be alternately satisfying and confusing, and while shifting allegiances and variable perspectives are trademark moves by this author, this time the multiple views weighed down the story by keeping the main character at arms’ length throughout. The book’s saving grace was the hope it holds out for a bigger plot pay-off in the next book.
jasonfurman's review
4.0
A fast-paced conclusion to The Tourist trilogy. It unpeals like an onion, with each part retelling some of the previous story from a different perspective but then pushing the narrative forward further in time. It is an interesting technique that is well executed.
The first layer of the onion is about 100 pages set in China focused almost exclusively on Chinese spies/bureaucrats--with only glimpses of the previous American characters through their eyes. But then it goes around the world and culminates in a focus on Milo Weaver, the hero of the trilogy.
It is morally ambiguous, the espionage itself seems pointless, everyone involved is trying to balance their families and other concerns with their "jobs", all of which makes it a little reminscent of John le Carré and not at all of your Ludlum's or other thriller/adventure writers. It is also decently, although not outstandingly, written.
After the first book I said I wouldn't read the second. But I couldn't help myself and once you've read that, it's worth reading the third as well.
The first layer of the onion is about 100 pages set in China focused almost exclusively on Chinese spies/bureaucrats--with only glimpses of the previous American characters through their eyes. But then it goes around the world and culminates in a focus on Milo Weaver, the hero of the trilogy.
It is morally ambiguous, the espionage itself seems pointless, everyone involved is trying to balance their families and other concerns with their "jobs", all of which makes it a little reminscent of John le Carré and not at all of your Ludlum's or other thriller/adventure writers. It is also decently, although not outstandingly, written.
After the first book I said I wouldn't read the second. But I couldn't help myself and once you've read that, it's worth reading the third as well.
starsbooksandtea's review
5.0
About: Milo is back where he started in the CIA. This time he's uncovered a conspiracy. There's a mole in the department. Unsure who to trust, he must figure out a way to put together a team so that they can get to the bottom of it before everybody is in danger. His former boss has also gone missing.
Plot: This book was just as action-packed as the first two. I wasn't really surprised. I was happy to see more of the wife and daughter in this book. I was mostly happy to see more of the father in the book though. He seems like a decent man underneath it all. He also wants his son to take over his career when he passes.
Characters: Milo is a very work driven guy. He will stop it at nothing to get his job done and keep his loved ones safe. His wife and kid are seriously wonderful people. He tries his wife's patience with his job sometimes, but they find a way to make it work. I really loved the father the best. He's one of my favorite characters.
Narration: This book was narrated by the same person as book two. David Pittu. He did a really good job. I'm still impressed with how much he sounds like the person who narrated book one though. If I didn't know better, I would say he just got a professional name change. I like his voice though.
Suggestions: None
Recommend: Yes, but please read the first two books first.
Plot: This book was just as action-packed as the first two. I wasn't really surprised. I was happy to see more of the wife and daughter in this book. I was mostly happy to see more of the father in the book though. He seems like a decent man underneath it all. He also wants his son to take over his career when he passes.
Characters: Milo is a very work driven guy. He will stop it at nothing to get his job done and keep his loved ones safe. His wife and kid are seriously wonderful people. He tries his wife's patience with his job sometimes, but they find a way to make it work. I really loved the father the best. He's one of my favorite characters.
Narration: This book was narrated by the same person as book two. David Pittu. He did a really good job. I'm still impressed with how much he sounds like the person who narrated book one though. If I didn't know better, I would say he just got a professional name change. I like his voice though.
Suggestions: None
Recommend: Yes, but please read the first two books first.
martyfried's review
4.0
I thought this series was pretty entertaining, but a bit confusing sometimes, mostly due to shifting point of view so the time would shift unexpectedly. That wasn't too bad, but the ending... I literally felt like I fell off a cliff or something when the book just ended with no warning, it seemed. I guess we're either supposed to guess what happens afterward, or there will be another book. I'm hoping for more.
robinlovesreading's review
4.0
If I didn't have this book on the reader after finishing the second book in the series, The Nearest Exit, just before starting this, I would have thought our intrepid spy Milo Weaver had met an untimely end. Obviously that was not the case, because this thrilling and exciting story by Olen Steinhauer has continued with this very book, An American Spy.
During the course of this series, I have seen Milo rise, fall and rise again, only to fall yet again. A former CIA agent, Milo is now employed with the ultra secret the Department of Tourism. Milo is not your typical hero. He is flawed, can be self-destructive and self-centered. But, he does appreciate justice and works feverishly hard at catching the bad guys. And that is what it is all about in this series.
He is a man well-traveled, often emotionally damaged, with fractured relationships, and has the ability to lose his scruples if things reach a certain point. Milo is called The Tourist, and he is not the only one. They are an elite team and pretty much have their own value system.
The story never stopped when it came to action. I powered through it and really enjoyed reading something so exciting, although this is a rather new turn for me. I am looking forward to the next (maybe last?) book in the series, The Last Tourist, coming in 2020.
Many thanks to Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
During the course of this series, I have seen Milo rise, fall and rise again, only to fall yet again. A former CIA agent, Milo is now employed with the ultra secret the Department of Tourism. Milo is not your typical hero. He is flawed, can be self-destructive and self-centered. But, he does appreciate justice and works feverishly hard at catching the bad guys. And that is what it is all about in this series.
He is a man well-traveled, often emotionally damaged, with fractured relationships, and has the ability to lose his scruples if things reach a certain point. Milo is called The Tourist, and he is not the only one. They are an elite team and pretty much have their own value system.
The story never stopped when it came to action. I powered through it and really enjoyed reading something so exciting, although this is a rather new turn for me. I am looking forward to the next (maybe last?) book in the series, The Last Tourist, coming in 2020.
Many thanks to Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
sarahndipity's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
2.25
Definitely less successful than books 1 and 2. Book 3 is confusing, jumping between points of view and between points on the timeline.
jenaje's review
5.0
This book was good. I mean damn good. Probably one of the best books overall that I've read in a while. Sure, it's not perfect; there are some tedious points, and the way the overlapping stories are sometimes retold got old here and there dragged on sometimes, but all in all this was excellent.
I gave the first two books in this trilogy 5 stars, and they deserved them on their own. Compared to this book though they're 4 stars, or they're 5 stars and this is 6. Through the whole series we really grew to like Milo Weaver. This book only made this stronger. I wanted only the best for Milo, and as things deteriorated, I really hurt for him. Stop reading this review and read this series. Now.
I gave the first two books in this trilogy 5 stars, and they deserved them on their own. Compared to this book though they're 4 stars, or they're 5 stars and this is 6. Through the whole series we really grew to like Milo Weaver. This book only made this stronger. I wanted only the best for Milo, and as things deteriorated, I really hurt for him. Stop reading this review and read this series. Now.
juli_f's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0