The Tourist

A Novel

By: Olen Steinhauer

Narrated by: Tom Weiner

Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the vein of John le Carré and Graham Greene, this contemporary international thriller follows Milo Weaver as he is drawn into a conspiracy that links riots in the Sudan, an assassin committing suicide, and an old friend who's been accused of selling secrets to the Chinese. Once the CIA and Homeland Security are after him, the only way for him to survive is to return, headfirst, into Tourism.

©2009 Olen Steinhauer (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"[Weaver] is the perfect hero for such a richly nuanced tale." ( Booklist)
"Superbly accomplished at both plotting and characterization....highly recommended." ( Library Journal)

I loved this book

I loved this book. I mostly listen to audiobooks while driving and found that I was glad to sit at red lights and run errands across town for more listening time with this story.

"Spy tales focused on international deception in the post 9/11 world" according to Steinhauer's web site. That's a good description. I am really looking forward to the next book in the Milo Weaver saga.

The narrator does a great job. His "female voices" were sometimes a bit much, but overall listening to this narrator was a pleasure.

A book not for dummies

This is a first rate novel, but I will tell you (what might appear arrogantly) that this book is NOT written for a person who needs to be led by the nose through the intricate twists and turns of a spy novel. It is complex and a review of the plot would be difficult. Suffice it to say that I believe you will find it very enjoyable.

Our hero... the tourist (a CIA field officer)... is not at all what he seems to be. Perfect for a spy, of course! The cracks in his veneer are clear for all to see.

Seldom do a spy's family take part in a spy novel... except peripherally... but here, they merge nicely into a subplot and are active characters. They are likable.

There are numerous changes in time, in character and you must pay attention.

The reader had a nasty job with this book because of those many characters, their positions and their nationalities... and I think he did a credible job.

This book is not intuitive. It requires the concentration that readers of a John LeCarre novel must have in order to enjoy it. By no means though is it LeCarre. Not better... not worse... just really good.

You may eventually see the final direction of this novel, but you sure won't see it until the last hour or so... and even then, it will surprise you.

This is my first read of this author... and when I finish this review, I'll try another.

As so often is true, pay NO attention to the "Publisher's Summary". It is nonsense and must have been written either by a complete idiot or a person who never read the book. It damns it with faint praise. It is better than the summary.

I gave it 5 stars. I expect you will like it also.

Old school international espionage

A very good spy novel, lots of twists and turns, very solid plot, dialog and writing. This story is narrated well and had an ending that is suspenseful and out of the grasp of predictability and so is a fun ending. The story stays within the bounds of believability and takes the reader on a trip through Europe and other exotic locals mingling with other "tourists" the nomenclature for spys in this novel. If you like international espionage then this would be a book you would enjoy. If you are looking for a departure from the normal crime saga this would be a good pick as well - highly recommended.

Brilliant and Realistic

Great story and writing. I've often wondered if the thriller hero could ever be a truly ordinary person in skills, equipment and resources. Steinhauer answered my question with a resounding, "yes." Although Milo Weaver's CIA tech resources aren't much more than can be found in Radio Shack and his talents and intelligence aren't extraordinary, one third through the book i was spellbound. This is not just a riveting story, Steinhauer either accidentally or intentionally changes the readers perspective maximizing the book's emotional drama. I think Steinhauer may manipulate the reader as well as he writes providing the reader with profoundly thrilling experience. Moreover, he adds far more depth to Milo's"civilian" side than most of our "dark-humble-thriller-heros." Initially, I was motivated to turn the next page to catch up to Milo, then once caught, a perspective bigger than Milo envisions emerges giving us glimpses into the diabolical intrigue awaiting our protagonist letting the reader actively bring the clues together to formulate the conspiracy afoot, versus spoon feeding us the plot. For those who don't work on guessing the underlying plot, it is soon revealed by the author. But Milo''s way out and any solution remains seemingly impossible. Tiny clues provided by the author though out the story give life to deeper dimension and storyline. The book stands easily on its own even though it's the first of a trilogy. I didn't have that unfinished feeling a cliffhanger provides, but I was so enamored with Milo, I couldn't wait to get to the next one.

Disappointing

This book might be good, but the reader is not. He seems like he is reading the news, rushing through the sentences, all in the same cadence (except when he does an accent). If this book plot is nuanced as the reviewers say, why not get a nuanced reading? Or at least some expressiveness or variation in tone or inflection. If I had a slow speed on my iPod, I would use it, just to get through the book. But after about an hour of straining to keep up with his reading, I have lost track of the plot and I have absolutely no connection with the main character. This is a disappointment. I wish I had not bought this one, but I got sucked in by all the promotion.

What a tangled web we weave....

This is an espionage spy novel. This is not an action thriller with fireworks every other page and feats of a super human strength... This is a novel that requires patience and thought as the story develops into an plot of intrigue and mystery. This novel is not for folks looking for Mitch Rapp or "The Gray man" type of action, this is more on the order of Silva and le Carre.... The characters are complex, the plot complex, and the ending fulfilling. Someone once said you can tell the quality of the novel by how long after you finish the book you continue to think about the characters; I won't forget these characters anytime soon!!! If you are into espionage novels that are complex cat and mouse spy stories I recommend you give this novel a try.

Boring listen

The story is marginally interesting, but I found my mind constantly wandering off while istening. The narrator is extremely boring and monotonous, its hard to stay interested.

Snoozer...zzz

I fell a sleep several times trying to get thru this book...

Had to keep replaying the parts where I dozed off.

It just never got better.

OK book; rotten reading

The author weaves an interesting tale that CIA adventure story afficianados like myself will enjoy. However, it kind of peters out near the end and never delivers on its promise. The big problem with this book is that the reader does a horrendous job. While he does OK on some of the male characters, you are not sure whether to laugh or retch each time that he provides a female characterization. It is really too bad because while I did not love the book, I think that I could have enjoyed it considerably more if it had a decent reader. Overall, there are better summer listens out there than this.

Interesting...

I found myself torn over this audiobook. The genre is one of my absolute favorites. I was drawn to the author because at Amazon, he was consistently touted as "heir to Le Carre." But the plot seems to me very cliched, and I had some difficulty liking most of the characters. On reflection and careful review of the reviews, I have come to suspect that my problems may have been with the narrator, not the author. At any rate, it was well worth the time invested, and it is important to support younger authors with promising careers. I'll be watching to see the reactions of other Audible customers.