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Two Nights in Lisbon is the latest novel by Chris Pavone, an author known for crafting fly by the seat of your pants international thrillers. This was my first!

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Ariel Pryce wakes up in her hotel room alone in Lisbon. Her new husband, John, is gone, leaving no note, and no one has seen him. Ariel knows something is wrong. Like any distressed person would, in a foreign country, Ariel checks with the hotel - nothing; the police - nothing; the embassy - nothing. How well does she know her much younger husband? What is he doing in Lisbon? All questions, she cannot answer. Finally, she's contacted by the kidnapper asking for a ransom. Three million euros. Where will she get the money? The one person who can help is the last person she wants to ask. Desperate times call for desperate measures and what lengths will a wife go to get her husband back? 

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This story grips you from the very first page and propels you down the path of a harrowing journey of a woman trying to rescue her husband in a foreign country. What starts as a fast-paced thriller full of international intrigue, possibly espionage, turns into a social critique of the world today while maintaining a tense and suspenseful narrative set in the streets of Lisbon, Portugal, across time and beyond. This one will keep you guessing, and you might not see what's around the next bend. 

What I liked: 
-Plot-driven - extremely fast-paced
-Multiple points of view to build on various plot points
-We stay in the present, but consistently go back in time to learn more about the characters
-Location - brought me back to Lisbon (one of the reasons I chose this book!) 
-Nothing is what it seems!
-No stone is left unturned; the end of the story is very satisfying

While this was a fast-paced read for me and I did end up enjoying it, part of the message that I believe the author was trying to get across to readers (no spoilers!) was lost in the vitriol he had towards men when he was telling the story from the female perspective - especially Ariel. She still was a very strong character and her life experience made her the woman that we come to know by the end. Make no mistake, I absolutely understand where her character was coming from as you delve deeper into her past to unlock precarious truths. Once I got to the second half of the book and truly understood what was REALLY going on, the book skyrocketed and I could ultimately see what Pavone was going for - a social critique of the world today with all of our flaws on display for everyone to see. 

Altogether, this was 4 out of 5 stars for me. The only reason it isn't higher is due to the thought processes the male author applied to the female characters. However, if you want an exciting thriller to keep you entertained, engaged, and wondering "what the heck could possibly happen next?!" - this might be the book for you. The best part: everything is wrapped up nice and tidy at the end leaving no plot holes - well, maybe just one. Expect this one out in May 2022.

I loved this intriguing mystery about a new wife dealing with her husband's kidnapping while she is travelling with him on business n Lisbon. This face paced book with plot twists through the end was very difficult to put down!

So out of transparency I have to state this: I love Chris Pavone's books so I was terribly excited to read his new mystery. The pages flew by with the novel's compelling twists and turns as I eagerly devoured more chapters. When Ariel Pryce goes to Lisbon with her newly married husband of 3 months, nothing goes as planned. What was supposed to be a business trip turns out to be anything but. Waking up one morning she finds him missing from his bed only to eventually find he has been kidnapped. Going to the local authorities, US embassy and even the CIA, she was on a relentless mission for someone to take her seriously. In the meantime we find that she had changed her identity a while back. Who really was this woman ? Credible or not? Background information is supplied about a horrid incident that took place during her previous marriage and the circumstances around it that led to a divorce. The person involved made her sign an NDA which becomes important to the story's evolution. Without giving away this complex story, the suspense was undeniable. It was such a wicked ride of being dumbfounded by the wild plot twists; just like a stack of legos whose tower kept getting higher and higher until it all fell down. I did have some issues regarding the police. I just couldn't imagine that they would actually take Ariel's claims that seriously and involve themselves to such a degree, spending an inordinate amount of time to get to the bottom of the case. Parts of the book that felt too preachy were ripped out of headlines i.e. Harvey Weinstein. I must admit I disliked the ending, but that is no fault of Pavone's..I just wanted MORE...!!!

This book came highly recommended and it did not disappoint!!!
To be honest, I wasn't sucked in until the second chapter but after that....WOAH.
For whatever reason I imagined this as a movie or a series much like the Flight Attendant.. The mental movie played the whole time and I loved every minute of it!

Ariel Price can't find her husband. She has accompanied him on a work trip to Lisbon, and awakens in the hostel confused and lost. She doesn't speak the language, she doesn't know anyone, she isn't even sure if he's missing - but he's gone without a note or a sign.

Thus starts a massively exciting tale. as Ariel single handedly handles the police, the kidnappers, the CIA and much more. This is the kind of twisty story that is believable yet out of this world. If you want to stay up all night tonight, grab #TwoNightsInLisbon! You won't be disappointed! #netgalley #netgalleyreads
#FarrarStrausandGiroux, #MCD

While I enjoy suspense/thrillers, political and crime stories aren't really my go to themes, so, this book was a little outside my realm of normal reading. It's a good story with lots of twists and turns. I can't say I didn't see a lot of the plots coming but you never know until "you know"! It was a good read, nothing amazing but not bad either, worth finishing but also worth the 3 star rating.

Well written thriller that loses steam 3/4 of the way through the novel. Still, a fun beach or plane read.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58772746

A woman wakes up in her hotel room in Portugal to find her new husband is missing. She encounters numerous roadblocks as she tries to get the local police and the US Embassy to take her concerns seriously. As the drama unfolds, we learn more about her past and that of her husband. When a kidnapper contacts her, she must locate a ransom. Will he be returned? A suspenseful mystery with some surprises!

Interesting plot that kept me on my toes. Lots of twists and turns. I also liked the setting and seeing the character navigate Portuguese culture.

Years ago, Ariel left behind a life of luxury and a husband who was not supportive when she needed him most. She now lives on a farm with her teenage son. She has a new life and a new husband, John. While accompanying John on a business trip to Lisbon, Ariel wakes one morning to find him gone. No note, no explanation, nothing. The local police and the American Embassy don’t seem to take her worries seriously and she tries desperately to find clues on her own.

This is a new-to-me author. The story was extremely long, with trauma, suspense, action, drama, secrets, twists and turns, and an ending I didn’t see coming despite everything we learn along the way.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my rat time reading a Chris Pavone book and after reading two nights in Lisbon it won’t be my last. This book is filled with intrigue and the author gets your attention immediately with a kidnapping that takes place in Lisbon. I found that my interest in the book increased significantly as the book progressed with new revelations throughout the book. The Main character, Aryel Price, seemed to me to be Avery unstable person but as the book progresses., she is anything but that. We learn a lot about her past to help us understand the present and that is critical to the conclusion of this book. The book is filled with unexpected twists and for me it was hard to put down as I progressed through it. I highly recommend this book and am eagerly anticipating selecting another book written by ChrisPavone

I love books like this because there are enough bread crumbs for me to figure out what’s going on and feel smart but still enough surprises that I’m completely entertained. From the start, there was a seemingly innocuous event that was referenced and my mind perked up and I thought, why is this scene here? There has to be a reason. And eventually it was very clear how it all played out.

By the same token, I was surprised at all of the flashback time spent on Ariel’s first marriage and in general depressed by more incidents where a woman is assaulted and viewed as less than by the perpetrator and those around her. However, in the end I can see that wasn’t a detour but critical to the plot.

The story might be a bit of a bait and switch from what I expected, but I have no complaints it was a very satisfying read.

Pavone's golden touch with international thrillers remains intact. In this tale, Ariel Price wakes up in Lisbon alone. Her husband has disappeared without a word and something is clearly wrong. Desperate, she tries to enlist help from the hotel, the police, and later, the U.S. embassy. As the CIA and an inquisitive journalist get involved in the story, the layers get peeled back from decades-old secrets, and Ariel's past takes on worrying political ramifications. Pavone spins his story deftly, toggling back and forth between past hurts and present machinations before arriving at his powerful conclusion. Recommended.

QUICK TAKE: I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller about an American woman who must do whatever it takes to rescue her husband when he is kidnapped while they are away on a trip in Lisbon. I thought Pavone did a nice job with alternating points of view and timeline jumps, though I struggled with the big twist and thought it was ultimately a bit convoluted (and you know it is when the character actually points it out!). Overall I think this is a perfect slump-buster of a book or great for anyone looking for a international thriller.

4.75 STARS

From start to finish, “Two Nights in Lisbon” is a crazy roller coaster ride of sudden dips, wild turns, and unexpected twists all along the way. Truly, it is a unique, enthralling story that I was hard-pressed to put down, starting and finishing it in just one day. That’s not to say that I didn’t experience a few hiccups when it came to the author’s writing. The transition from present to past and back again wasn’t as smooth and clear as I would have liked. That said, I quickly acclimated to the author’s style, and it was no longer an issue when it came to losing myself between the pages of this riveting book. I didn’t even mind the fact that it seemed a bit longer than necessary, as everything that played out was ultimately relevant to the story as a whole. If you enjoy books filled with plenty of intrigue and suspense, then “Two Nights in Lisbon” should definitely be at the top of your TBR list!

If you have ever watched the movie “Mean Girls” and you hear Cady say “ it’s not my fault you’re in love with me!”, that is the vibe I get from the main character Areil….that’s bad. I have never eyerolled so hard at how much everyone wants to assault this woman or worship the ground she walks on because she’s THAT beautiful. Bye. Story was way too convoluted and the ending twist had plot holes. This didn’t have to be more than 300 pages.

I kept checking Chris Pavone's wiki page to make sure he wasn't a woman. His perspective on working women and sexism in every day life is so refreshing. This was a twisty turny fun and smart ride.

I find Chris Pavone's books to be hit-or-miss, but I liked this one. It was full of twists and turns, but it was well-plotted and paced and all of the loose ends got tied up. I just really enjoyed it and Ariel was an extremely likeable main character. It's a really great international thriller and would make a great movie. It's very rare to find a story of this kind with a woman as the main character!

I’ll admit to a cardinal sin by reviewing a book I won’t finish. By less than the halfway point, I’d decided my life is too short to spend any more of it wading through this codswallop.

I have to give the author props for writing a book that seems as if it’s written by a teen girl although the protagonist/narrator is supposed to be 40 years old. The book reads like an episode from “Sex and the City” because the narrator is constantly second guessing herself, giving dozens of nonsensical rationales for every act, utterance or even look given by all but herself. From the very beginning, I was desperately wishing she’d just shut up and get on with it.

The plot is plain from the start. A woman with a mysterious past wakes up in the mysterious to her city of Lisbon finding her almost newlywed second husband who, natch, also has a mysterious past gone. Conveniently to the plot, but absurd in life, neither of these remarrieds investigated each other prior to the marriage. Just to pile on a silly construct from which to erect a novel, the protagonist has accompanied her husband on a business trip not knowing why he had to do it in Portugal or who he was doing it with. Worse, she lacks the wit to make a single phone call to the home office to find out.

Instead, she prefers wandering about in a daze – again to create what really is an idiotic sense of mystery because any non-idiot would have figured a good deal of it out. This includes the police one of who is male which starts the anti-male rants that from then on, arrive regularly. The male policeman doesn’t believe her showing in the real world he has some sense but in the world of the novel, a typical man who discounts women.

Then we have the leftist tropes. I don’t mind a leftist slant to anything but do when they are baseless tropes tossed in to make the novel they’re in appear hip with the times. We have the protagonist internally wailing about her life having a constant being attacked by men with no one to help her. This morphs into an alternate trope where she takes a women’s unarmed self-defense class that makes her, a 130 lb. housewife, suddenly able to easily defeat a 200 lb. blue collar worker to the point he’s disabled long enough for her to ransack his truck.

Of course, chapters before, we’re telegraphed this incident by his truck being described as having an NRA sticker. Such as sticker is surely the hallmark of evil blue collar rapists everywhere. As a corollary, she wisely chooses not to retain a pistol for her self-defense because, here comes the trope, everybody knows one who owns a gun dies by the gun.

Her fantasyland aggression and Jet Li abilities continue when she notices a man trailing her on the public streets of Lisbon. Super-Housewife, imagining another fantasy conspiracy against her, embarks on a completely unjustified attack, again disabling a man who, in reality would cripple her with one swipe. He’s harmed to the point where he’s on his knees begging her for mercy. He’s innocent of any evil intent but the real-world consequences of her launching such a unjustified attack is never mentioned. After all, she’s a woman who, by that virtue alone, can do no wrong.

When it served her convenience, she needed help from a sketchy source who, in seeking said help, sicced the authorities on. She’s got the loyalty of a viper.

Of course we’re in the early 2020s so we need a touch of woke. Finally, we got her musing about how online misinformation will “end democracy” which is the current woke catch phrase. I hope the author edits this book from time to time as the catchphrase inevitably changes.

The book takes place in the past but, given the weary convention of the last five years, is told in the present. It reads like, “She beats up the world’s heavyweight boxing champion because he shot her a look she didn’t understand” instead of “She beat up the world’s heavyweight boxing champion because he shot her a look she didn’t understand”.

In the end, I didn’t care for the constant and tedious politics, the protagonist who varies from being a helpless victim to being more effective than Reacher, a plot that only exists because people do not behave in plausibly and finally, because I lacked empathy with any of the characters or even NPCs. I’m out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the mystery of the kidnapping of Ariel's husband while on a business trip with her husband in Lisbon. However, sometimes the story got too bogged down in Ariel's past history. It was necessary to give background to her life but Ariel is an aggravating character. I wish the author had focused more on the kidnapping, the ransom, the outcome of the payment and the ending and just kept the story as a thriller. It was just too "woke" .

This is the first book by Chris Pavone that I have read. I absolutely loved everything about this book. .I liked Ariel because she wasn't just another dumb woman doing dumb woman things. She did what she had to do and I loved it!! I found most of the characters to be well developed and interesting.
This book was a real roller coaster ride for me. Every time I thought I knew what was coming I was totally wrong right down to the very last page.