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Frederick M. (Wilmington, NC)
A wonderful spy thriller
I enjoyed this book more than any of Olen Steinhauer's since his original four Eastern Bloc stories. The technique of repeating the story from the perspective of multiple characters did take a few chapters to get used to, but, by the end of the story, I felt it had enhanced the narrative
Constance C. (Manchester, NH)
the cairo affair
I have read the Milo Weaver series by Olen Steinhauer and was looking forward to this book. I was not disappointed , anyone who likes spy novels, in the John Le Carre , Len Deighton vein, needs to pick this up. Its a great read, can't put down complex plot, multilayered. The chapters are divided as written by the main characters , it is a portrait of a marriage, betrayal and dangerous political games. 5 stars and well deserved!
Beverly D. (Palm Harbor, FL)/East Lake Community L
wow.
I LOVED this book.I am generally not a spy/thriller reader but this story was so current and gripping. Keeping track of the various characters was simple as the author flowed the story seamlessly. That the "main" character was a woman was a big plus for me. Their secrets, international agendas, moral questions and BIG betrayals. What more could you look for in a thriller? The tying in of the Arab Spring made the story even more immediate. Highly recommended!
Georgette I. (Oxford, GA)
The Cairo Affair
Rarely has a book captured my attention from the first to last page, but The Cario Affair by Olen Steinhauer did just that. This contemporary spy novel is fast paced yet easy to follow. Although different time periods are used to unravel the story line, recent events surrounding the "Arab Spring" bring this novel full circle. I highly recommend this terrific read.
Eileen P. (Pittsford, NY)
Current events come to life
A well-written, fast read that is marvelously entertaining. Steinhauer uses multiple viewpoints to great effect. His characters are believable, and appropriately complicated. The story unfolds in an unexpected, but completely plausible manner. The way he uses recent events in the Middle East is quite remarkable. Highly recommended.
Mal
Every bit a thriller
This book had my full attention from the beginning and it kept increasing. From the turn of the first page until the turn of the last page I was completely and totally immersed. Steinhauer designed a climax worth noticing and since this novel is similar to a maze he masterfully succeeded. An amateur could not have pulled the apex off but Steinhauer is not an amateur.
Cairo is vividly described, you take in the environment and its senses. The characters seem 'real' and immediately you find yourself involved in their presence. The spies are human and not overly theatrical or dramatized, rather every day people
…more doing what they do. With their 'real' portrayal it causes the reader to be empathetic, you have an understanding of the reasons they did what they did. If they were portrayed in another fashion I am certain having this unspoken understanding and empathy would not be possible.
Reading The Cairo Affair was similar to finding your way out of an intricate maze, just when you think you have grasped the maze you are wrong - every bit a spy thriller with numerous suspenseful moments. No question this would make for an incredible movie, no small undertaking but incredible in the very least but the book will always reign supreme - far too many details to translate to film without taking away from its beauty, huge undertaking, perhaps a possibility in talented hands.
Steinhauer crafted an outstanding piece of work in both writing and narrative with multiple heart stopping moments, character driven and every ounce a thriller. (less)I enjoyed most of this book although the changing viewpoints made Part IV a little difficult to follow. I didn't especially like the characters (which is not to say that I didn't like the book) but was intrigued by their changing roles throughout the book and I could empathize with many of them.
I would say my knowledge of the various governments and coups in the Middle East is perfunctory at best, and as a result, I may have missed some of the importance of the activities in the book, but I got the story along with the layered identities and multiple betrayals inherent in any spy novel. The author used the
…more exotic locations of Eastern Europe, Egypt and Libya for backdrops to his story, and added current (2011) political events to enhance the intrigue to the book.
I was disappointed in the ambiguous ending and would have liked more closure especially for Sophie. John was dropped after page 228, then showed up again on page 407 without anything in between. And I still don't know the significance of the boy on the bridge who threw the statue of Lenin in the river or why Sophie kept thinking about it - it really didn't add much to move the story along. (less)Good story line about spies, diplomats and government agencies, and how they interact with information, secrets and intel collected while living overseas with their allies. You get various points of view from the characters about how they give and receive their needed information and what to do with it once it has been received. Can you rely on the information you've gotten? What do you do with it once you've received it?
That is all something that Sophie must decide when her husband, a diplomat, has just been killed in front of her in a restaurant in Budapest. Why was he a target? Did it have something to do
…more with her affair while living in Cairo? or was it something her husband was working on?
It is sometimes a bit confusing to remember which character you are reading about and if you are in the present or in a flashback, but still a book worth reading. This is my first Olen Steinhauer book I have read and plan on reading some of his earlier material. (less)
