Member Reviews
Thanks to NetGalley and St..Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the review copy of The Last Tourist.
I have read other books by the author, but had not read any of the Milo Weaver series. This was a great introduction for me and I will go back and read and the previous novels in the series. If you like espionage stories with lots of action, but not just random violence, this is for you. Lots of twists and turns, references to current affairs. Great read!.
I didn't realize The Last Tourist was the final story in a spy series when I requested the book, and I was unfamiliar with the characters, but the author's exceptional writing kept me reading the pages. Not my usual fare, but a well-written novel. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC to read and review.
Free ARC from Net Galley
Is the the last; that should be the question. With a market that is seemingly written for the Y/A audience this is a reader that requires no distraction and a reder's discipline. It is worth the journey. No super heroes here but rather super smooth
The story and plot was all over the place, and even after reading several chapters I didn't have the faintest clue as to what was going on. I ended up giving up after about 4 chapters in.
The Last Tourist (Milo Weaver Book 4) by Olen Steinhauer finds Milo being questioned by a CIA Analyst about some murders. Having thought the Tourist threat had ended, Milo is surprised by the appearance of a new breed of Tourists determined to kill them both. Milo is back in the thick of it, running for his life.
This is the final book in the series taking place 10 years after Book 3 and recalls many of the characters Milo has encountered in this series.
I was given an ARC of the book by #NetGalley [NetGalley URL] I am voluntarily posting an honest review.
An amazing continuation of Steinhauer's Tourist/Milo Weaver trilogy! I would be very reluctant to call it a conclusion and am hopeful that Steinhauer has plans for more in this series run, as he continues to world build in other related novels like The Middleman.
Highly recommend the book to anyone and definitely any Steinhauer fans. The book can stand on its own as well though those who have read through the Tourist trilogy and The Middleman will enjoy seeing familiar faces.
I enjoyed this spy thriller. It engaged my attention right in the beginning. The characters are interesting and the elements of the story feel quite timely in our current political climate.
Received an arc from NetGalley for review.
This was my first Milo Weaver novel and I just could not get into it. I was able to get thru it but didn’t really enjoy myself along the way. It is densely plotted and there is a lot going on. If you are a fan of the previous books in the series, yo7 will undoubtedly enjoy this one too. If you are new though, maybe start with an earlier book?
Milo Weaver is back! This isn't necessarily an easy book to read. What I mean is that one of the highest compliments I can give an author is to say their book was a fabulous beach read. I don't live in a place where I can devour books 12 months of the year at the beach, but it means that it would have been a perfect read if I could. Engaging, with a well written, fast-moving plot, and a descriptive location: these are the books that have me furiously flipping pages to find out what the heck is going on.
Not that I don't enjoy books that don't fit that mold, and this was one of them. The Last Tourist is an espionage thriller full of political intrigue, a huge cast of characters, and a story that spans the globe. I started out treating this as a beach read but soon realized my mistake. It took focus to not suddenly realize I hadn't absorbed what I read and have to flip back to figure out what I missed. That isn't a bad thing as a compelling, multi-layered story is indeed enjoyable, just be prepared for an awful lot to occur at a breakneck pace. Once I found my comfortable reading zone, I lost myself in this book.
Another fabulous Milo story! I like the intrigue, action and political plotting. Milo appears to be slowing down and the Library patrons are getting more demanding. Is Milo on his way out? Really enjoyed the book! A great addition to the series.
Being part of the Milo Weaver series I found this book to be a little slower than the others. It was still good but it took a while to get into it.
very entertaining. Kind of Tom Clancy like. If you enjoy hidden agencies, conspiracy novels, and a bit of CIA type behaviors....you will enjoy this one
A CIA analyst is sent to meet with a man that heads the Library, a secret agency that operates out of the public sight. He is to meet with him to find out why the Library has gone from benignly watching/reporting information to actively manipulating with information .
The story then follows how it all came about. I really liked this book. It does give you some pause to wonder what goes on behind the scenes that we can see......
highly recommend .
You'll never figure out this intriguing, action packed plot until the finish and you can't put it down until you do!
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not really a Steinhauer fan. I didn't- past tense - like his rambling writing style. Too hard to stay interested until he got to the point.
This installment of Milos journey is different. It's narrative is focused and thoughtful. The story has tension and suspense.
Full disclosure. I'm not really a Steinhauer fan. His previous books featuring Milo and the Tourists (what a name for a rock band, huh?) have left me pretty cold. One I couldn't even finish. Too rambling, too unfocused, sometimes downright incoherent.
But we live in hope and Steinhauer does write in a genre I love, so I tried THE LAST TOURIST anyway, And it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. It's a solid and unexpectedly involving narrative wrapped in le Carre like reflection and character development. That's a great combination. I may even reconsider and become a Steinhauer fan.
Complex, Often-Times Confusing Spy Story!
The Last Tourist is Olen Steinhauer's fourth novel featuring Milo Weaver. If you read at least two books in this series you know that Milo Weaver was a CIA "tourist” until almost all of his fellow operatives were decimated by a Chinese spymaster, and the clandestine Department of Tourism was shut down. I enjoyed all three of the first three books a lot because of there requiring the reader to pay careful attention in order to unravel all of the layers of intrigue, double crosses and plot twists.
Unfortunately, while not a bad book per se, my level of enjoyment with The Last Tourist was well below the preceding books in the series, At best, I’d consider it to be an average book. This is largely due to my finding it too often getting “out of control” with its complexity and, thus, generating a reading experience that was highlighted more by feelings of confusion that satisfaction.. Further, I frequently felt In need of a scorecard to keep track of the large cast of characters, particularly since many of the characters have foreign-sounding names that will likely be unfamiliar to many readers.
Perhaps because of my having to deal with a sudden personal loss in my life shortly after starting this book, I wasn’t able to devote the total concentration required to be able to appreciate all of its nuances and, most importantly, to be able to understand how all of the complicated and, at times, confusing elements get tied together by the end of the book. Or, perhaps, my finding the book to be overly complex and confusing stems from the fact that the author.allowed too much time to go by between the publication of The Last Tourist and the three previous in the series (i.e. 7-10 years)
Nonetheless, be forewarned that The Last Tourist is not a fast-paced book and while it is a spy story, it is not an especially action-oriented thriller. In my opinion, an important strength of The Last Tourist is derived from Steinhauer's strong ability to create plot elements that you will mostly find interesting, well-written and well-researched (despite their complexity which will at times cause you to scratch your head while trying to keep up with what is happening, and why).
2 1/2 stars rounded up to 3 stars.
#The Last Tourist. #Net Galley
When CIA analyst Abdul Ghali is sent to Africa due to his family background and language knowledge, he expects a lot but surely not what his trip will turn into. He quickly finds Milo Weaver who runs the so-called “Library”, an organisation with its very own agenda between governments, international conglomerates and high ideals. A number of suspicious murders of members of the “Library” have triggered questions at home and it does not take too long for Ghali to become a target himself. He can flee with Weaver who then reveals what has been going on in the last couple of months: an incredible international conspiracy.
The final part of the Milo Weaver series is a highly complex spy novel linking political and economic interests with current events. There are not many global stakeholders missing and Olen Steinhauer‘s concept will be hard to surpass since it combines fast-paced suspense and authenticity concerning international politics and economics.
For me personally, the sheer number of characters and their individual agenda was a bit too much in order to simply enjoy the novel. I had to re-read several parts and take notes not to get lost. On the one hand, I enjoy demanding plots, on the other hand, this results also in demanding a bit less enjoyable reads. It definitely is also advisable to read the other novels of the “Tourism” series. The atmosphere created is convincing even so it was at times a bit over the top. All in all, a demanding espionage novel which takes some time to digest.
This is a fast-moving thriller that does not let the reader rest - you must pay attention! If you savor stories that are as intelligent as those of John le Carre, this is the book for you. There is a rather large cast of pertinent characters but they are well described and well developed with their roles clearly delineated by the author, so there is no problem keeping track of them. Their machinations and motivations are another matter and of course these are what drive the action. This book does not lack action!
As events evolve, there are of course fewer characters as it is an international thriller.
The author is Olen Steinhauer and this is the first of his books that I have read. He has written many as well as the TV series "The Berlin Station" which aired for three seasons. The Tourist delivers - it is an international spy thriller packed with fascinating characters who drive the story along at lightning speed. I found it to be a very entertaining and absorbing read. My only quibble with it is its anti-Americanism, political correctness that pops up here and there. Most normal people know that kidnapping teenaged girls is despicable and I didn't quite understand why Mr. Steinhauer continually brought that up throughout the book. To my mind, there are some preachy undertones here but I have found that to be in the case over the past couple of years, where many authors feel the need to preach their political and social views instead of just entertaining the reader. That did not detract me from enjoying the story, however.
I gave it 4 stars for the magnificently developed storyline and great writing. I felt that switching from first person with Abdul, the American CIA analyst, and then narrative tense with the rest of the cast was distracting. and to my mind, it did not add anything to the story to "get into" Abdul's head that deeply. He simply wasn't that interesting.
I do recommend this book and I intend to keep Mr. Steinhauer on my To Read List.
I would like to thank the publisher and Net Galley for granting me the privilege of reading a galley of The Tourist in exchange for an honest review. It is set for publication in March 2020 by MacMillan's Minotaur Books.
This book was a little hard to get into at first. It is about international intrigue and undercover government operations in the present day. Once I established what was going on and who was who it became very interesting. Lots of food for thought here. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
For those that love a good spy story, this book is for you! Milo believes he is finally out of the business of murder and mayhem. As a former "Tourist", the CIA name for assassin agents, he is ready for a rest. But then he gets that call he has been dreading - just one more job to do! This one will keep you up all night trying to figure out what is real and what is a lie. Lots of terrific characters and non=stop action. Thank you to NetGalley for the read, looking forward to more of Milo!