The novel comes out in October 2016. My major problem with the book is that while the plot is definitely twisty and unique, the characters are all so bland. I now look forward to the fourth book which was recently added. “Without balance, a life is no longer worth the effort.”, “The jacket,” Milo repeated, and Grainger gave him a sour look before stretching an arm into his blazer. I'm not really sure if I would call it a spy story but it was great and different from most I've read except maybe The spy who came in from the cold. The hottest conspiracy thriller....what conspiracy? He also spent a year in Romania on a Fulbright grant, an experience that helped inspire his first five books. The book's description promised me time travel, and in that it did deliver. We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day. I have read and re-read books of my favourite authors Le Carre and Deighton. There were a few twists that elevated the listening experience, the audio book reader did a decent (though not exceptionally so) job. The plot seemed rather ho hum, typical. It must have been headache-producing for Dickinson to produce such a tortured plot. The author has a very clever concept - Secret agent/hit men tourists run by office-based travel agents for a top secret department within a department at the CIA called the Department of Tourism. What started out as a firm 3-star novel (mostly because spy books belong to a genre I never could quite penetrate) finished up as a near-enough-to-four-star novel that I gave it the benefit of the up-rounding. This is the first installment in the stories of a spy aka a tourist [hence the title] by the name of Milo Weaver. The premise is great, I love time travel stories (The Time Traveler's Wife, The First Fifteen Lives Of Harry August (OK, not strictly time travel, but close enough), 11/22/63, Lightning (Dean Koontz), The Shining Girls and All Our Wrong Todays are among my favourites), and the blurb seemed to suggest something new being brought to the genre. In their defense, they build up for quite some time that there is not going to be a revealed answer for it, though. Four stars! The book jumps from the travel rep's POV to the tourist's POV without warning. There was something 'off' about the way the action was written but characters were written really well and plot twists were interesting. What a fortune decision! Where is the story? Steinhauer is a good writer and he takes the time with his characters, but there just wasn't enough otherness here to distract me from the spyness of it all. I picked this book up just by chance, thought that the publisher's blurb made it sound interesting and decided to try it. Lately, my favorite spy, espionage, thriller writers have gotten a bit boring. A spy novel which seems to take place in Europe mostly but is very US centric. This series is second right after I am Pilgrim. Having crossed paths with a few directors of major research libraries at Ivy League institutions, I can say that one would absolutely never become a director of a library such as Avery without being worldly, very well educated, well-traveled, a little bit aggressive, and well more advanced in one's career than once could possibly be at the age of, say, 35 to 40. ---. This was an advanced reading copy. I compulsively reread it. You're off the charts. While China's interest in Sudan's oil is mentioned, interpersonal human drama is the real center of this absorbing 6th novel from expatriate Olen Steinhauer. The Last Tourist by Olen Steinhauer (Minotaur Books). I thought this book was pretty unusual, not your typical spy novel. The characters are well nuanced. There's twist there, there, and oh, there. Shifting shapes, names, loyalties are as loosely moored as ever in the spy industry. I think this is one of those books that people are either going to absolutely love or absolutely despise. Probably the first one. I will be thinking about this book for a. I find the low reviews shocking. Milo does not have James Bond’s suave demeanor or Jason Bourne’. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Eight years later, Weaver, who has been working on tracking an assassin is called back to New York to investigate Davis who supposedly has turned. A nice concept that needs more polishing. [They do not. The ending seemed rushed to me. Start by marking “The Tourist (Milo Weaver #1)” as Want to Read: Error rating book. I found Steinhauer's writing style a bit hard to follow so I think I will let the rest of this series rest, unread. I like spy thrillers, but this one was a little different than what I'm used to. I've read far worse books with much higher average ratings. Maybe because this. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. I only read Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon series when stolen or forged art is involved, and Brian Haig. Book Review. I am looking forward to reading this author's other books I bought on Amazon and hoping that I don't experience disappointment. This is the lowest rated book I've ever read on Goodreads and I don't think it deserves it. The trilogy is marvelous, every page exciting and asking you to read on dear reader, read on. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. I did. There's a problem loading this menu right now. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 23, 2013. The novel comes out in October 2016. "―The Boston Globe. An engaging writing style, likable characters, and an exciting story line, hook you early. An interesting spy novel with well developed characters. The only reason I finished this is because it was an ARC and I was obligated to stick it out. They find him tied to a Russian, and in the ensuing gun battle, Weaver is injured, the thief is killed and Weaver meets his soon to be wife. I'm torn between rating it a three or a four. I did enjoy the book otherwise. I kept thinking - several times -. That coupled with the fact that I have always had lower standards for audio books than I do for paper/digital paper ones made me give this one a go. This book kept me reading. A little disappointed? I did enjoy the bo. Life as a Tourist is a little different from ordinary life. Shifting shapes, names, loyalties are as loosely moored as ever in the spy industry. Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2014. A really interesting concept, but almost impossible to enjoy. So Variety says George Clooney’s production company has acquired the film rights to “The Tourist,” an espionage thriller by … I am so curious to find out if the author ever revealed what happened during the NEES. It held my interest, but mainly because I was trying so hard to figure out what was going on. ), which was confusing. Steinhauer does a very good job creating characters one cares about. [I couldn't finish this book. I personally enjoy getting on a rollercoaster ride, being surprised, then getting off raving about how much fun it was. Only the big and dark worldweb of spy and manipulations. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I was so looking forward to reading this and yuck what a dud sorry . The Tourist, as it turns out, is a time travel book, and “tourism” refers to the excursions back to the past by persons in the future. A little disappointed? "[A] TOUR DE FORCE… First-rate popular fiction…The Tourist is SERIOUS ENTERTAINMENT that raises interesting questions. Edgar-finalist Steinhauer takes a break from his crime series set in an unnamed Eastern European country under Communist rule (Liberation Movements, etc.) by Redhook. “Olen Steinhauer evokes the work of spy novel greats like John le Carré with his new novel, The Tourist…As in the best of le Carre'swork, the clandestine world of The Tourist is as much about bureaucrats as it is about black bag ops. Le Carre writes one book per year. By Charlie Gofen. In addition, none of the other characters were that interesting. He did the right thing by modelling his work on the great spy novelists of old. more, please! Former tourist turned travel agent Milo Weaver brought back into the field to investigate one of their own only to find himself the subject of scrutiny. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. March 3rd 2009 To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. This is the first book in what began as a trilogy and now has morphed into a four book story. Deceit is thick in the air in this modern spy novel. Milo Weaver used to be a tourist, one of the CIA's special field agents without a home or a name. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. To be honest, I was digging this book in the beginning. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. Now he's working a desk at the agency's New York headquarters. THE TOURISTOLEN STEINHAUERMilo Weaver has tried to leave his old life of secrets and lies behind by giving up his job as a "tourist" for the CIA―an undercover agent with no home, no identity. He is also the creator of the Epix TV series Berlin Station. Conspiracy theories threaded throughout the book. The only thing Alex Berenson wrote that I enjoyed was his 2008 review in NY Times of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. No, this isn't your Mitch Rapp or Jack Reacher. Except to the Company and the Bureau of Tourism. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. "―Los Angeles TimesMilo Weaver has tried to leave his old life of secrets and lies behind by giving up his job as a "tourist" for the CIA―an undercover agent with no home, no identity. Olen Steinhauer is a wonderful storyteller who is smart, observant, and witty. to deliver an outstanding stand-alone, a contemporary spy thriller. Let me just say, I do not have a clue what happened. Milo works for Tom Granger who runs the operation out of offices in New York. I had never read a Steinhauer book but based upon the good reviews given this book in this forum, Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2015. In some books this may work, but in this one it just made it an impossible read and I reluctantly had to bail. There is nothing to complain about the writing, but to fit the storyline together is almost impossible. Maybe because this is the first in series, it didn't develop all the way to leave some things for further books, maybe I just wasn't in love with Milo Weaver, not sure. Too much alcohol, uppers and cigarettes. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. The mystery is complex, and there's no doubt I lost my way a few times, but the author does an admirable job of keeping the reader engaged despite the twists and turns. The plot is terrific. Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2014. He is also a Dashiell Hammett Award winner, a two-time Edgar Award finalist, and has been nominated for the Anthony, Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, Ellis Peters Historical Dagger, Macavity, and Barry awards. This book was so good that when I checked it out from the library months ago, I couldn't bring myself to return it. I identified so completely with the protagonist (to call him a hero is a stretch) that I cried a couple times for his travails and cheered aloud with his triumphs. Thank you NetGalley and Robert Dickenson for allowing me to read this in return for an honest review. a real dud . I read it in a couple of hours on my day off, enjoyed it, but with the understanding it doesn't really compare to John Le Carre type thrillers. Just it stunk sorry but it did and stunk to high heaven . He was raised in Virginia, and now divides his time between New York and Budapest. I’m not sure I’m any the wiser now than when I began the book. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 23, 2011. Therefore, no way for me to gain an emotional connection to them. I have no idea if Deighton writes any more. And there is an Easter egg for fans of the Yalta Boulevard series. I was feeling the futuristic vibe. Steinhauer is a good writer and he takes the time with his characters, but there just wasn't enough otherness here to distract me from the spyness of it all.