The Expats

A Novel

By: Chris Pavone

Narrated by: Mozhan Marnò

Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

The international thriller that Patricia Cornwell says is “bristling with suspense” about an American abroad who finds herself in complex web of intrigue.

Can We Ever Escape Our Secrets?

Kate Moore is a working mother, struggling to make ends meet, to raise children, to keep a spark in her marriage... and to maintain an increasingly unbearable life-defining secret. So when her husband is offered a lucrative job in Luxembourg, she jumps at the chance to leave behind her double-life, to start anew.

She begins to reinvent herself as an expat, finding her way in a language she doesn’t speak, doing the housewifely things she’s never before done - playdates and coffee mornings, daily cooking and never-ending laundry. Meanwhile, her husband works incessantly, at a job Kate has never understood, for a banking client she’s not allowed to know. He’s becoming distant and evasive; she’s getting lonely and bored.

Then another American couple arrives. Kate soon becomes suspicious that these people are not who they say they are, and she’s terrified that her own past is catching up to her. So Kate begins to dig, to peel back the layers of deception that surround her. She discovers fake offices and shell corporations and a hidden gun, a mysterious farmhouse and numbered accounts with bewildering sums of money, and finally unravels the mind-boggling long-play con that threatens her family, her marriage, and her life.

Stylish and sophisticated, fiercely intelligent and expertly crafted, The Expats proves Chris Pavone to be a writer of tremendous talent.

©2012 Chris Pavone (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A stunningly assured first novel.... An intricate, suspenseful plot that is only resolved in the final pages. The juxtaposition of marital deceptions and espionage is brilliantly employed.... A must for espionage fans.” ( Booklist)

“Brilliant, insanely clever, and delectably readable, this debut thriller breaks the espionage genre bounds with its American-as-apple-pie heroine... Pavone displays the best characteristics of the form and will earn a faithful and yearning readership.” ( Library Journal)

“Fans of John le Carre and Robert Ludlum will welcome [this] meticulously plotted, psychologically complex spy thriller.... The sheer amount of bombshell plot twists are nothing short of extraordinary, but it’s Pavone’s portrayal of Kate and her quest to find meaning in her charade of an existence that makes this book such a powerful read.” ( Publishers Weekly)

Loved it

Great story, well written. Gets you from the first and doesn't let you go. Well crafted thriller that doesn't rely on violence to create intensity. The suspense is all in the gradual unfolding of the mystery. My only quibble is the narration doesn't give the date for when the chapter is taking place. Because the story jumps forward and backwards in time this can be confusing. However, a careful listen will eventually make things clear. Well worth the effort.

At times confusing, but overall entertaining

My husband and I bought this book because we too have been expats and in many ways miss that life. These expats are nothing like us though, which made the story much more interesting than if the book were about my expat life. We certainly enjoyed the book, evidenced by our desire to get in the car to drive somewhere, anywhere, so that we could continue listening.

Like many others have already mentioned, though, the book is confusing. Perhaps this would be one that would be better read than listened to. Often we had to pause the book to ask one another "when" in the story we were. Despite that, it was a good read, and if you don't have time to buy the book and read it in a comfy chair, the audio book is an acceptable alternative.

LOVED IT!!

What made the experience of listening to The Expats the most enjoyable?

The story was well-crafted, lots of twists and turns!! Like other reviewers said, you have to pay attention and the flashbacks are a bit hard at first but once you get used to that, it's fine.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, it had many aspects i was not expecting....and i have to admit, was late getting into my office because i was still listening in the car :)

What about Mozhan Marno’s performance did you like?

The narrator was easy to listen to, a good performance.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend!!!

Good beach book

The main character was interesting but the plot was a bit silly. While the first half of the book was original, the second half was dull. It was easy to anticipate the plot twists. Still, I listened until the end. If the author writes a second novel with the same main character, I don't think I will download it. This is a good book for the beach but not a stellar book that will leave you thinking about it long after you have finished.

So-So story with some serious downsides

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would change two things:

1. The author's obvious disdain for housewives. The main character's hatred of being a wife and mom is so obvious and cliched that it's nearly painful to listen to.

2. The interminable lists. Every other chapter is full of almost a bulleted list of descriptors. For example:

Kate stands in the French doors of the sitting room; rugs piled upon rugs, wedding cake moldings, shelves filled with books and bowls, vases with cut flowers, ornate frames for small oil paintings, distressed gilt-edged mirrors .... and on and on and on and on. It's almost too much to handle. This would probably be easier in a printed book that you could skip over the endless, list-style descriptions of nearly EVERYTHING, but in an audiobook, it's very hard to get through.

Would you ever listen to anything by Chris Pavone again?

Maybe.

I really enjoyed the Travelers, but this one was a bit difficult to get through. I will very carefully consider various reviews before I listen to another.

What does Mozhan Marno bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her narration was great, female voices were excellent; but like many male narrators that butcher female voices, she butchered the male voices.

Do you think The Expats needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. This one was quite enough.

This was a believable tell full of details.

Great story that was relatable and never crossed the line into the realm of the too-far-fetched.

sooo boring

The summary of the book sold this story as a spy thriller wrapped up in the context of the difficulty of family life. The story never moves beyond the main character's constant inner dialogue of how she feels about her actions and the situations around them. I find myself annoyed with at least 4 chapters of contemplation between each forward movement in the plot. My 10 hour drive was made exponentially more tedious by this book.

Confusing time line

The timeline of the book jumps around so much. It is confusing to follow along. ALSO it’s low key racist, like not overtly but there are side comments through out the book that perpetuate stereotypes of people of colour. 0/10 recommend

boring book

What disappointed you about The Expats?

Not a great story... it dragged on for me. I stuck with it just to see what would happen... it really wasn't worth it. Maybe it was the reader....?

Bad Language and Sexual Content

What disappointed you about The Expats?

The story is not good enough to out weigh the foul language and sexual content. Don't waste your $ or time.