This book was mostly a thrilling roller coaster ride. My only complaint is that it was on the long side at 448 pages. I loved the European settings, it makes me want to travel to Portugal, although I don’t want to get tangled up with the police there.

I enjoyed the setting of this psychological thriller and found the pace to be good but it felt too long. The length caused the story to drag in parts but overall it was a good story with surprises along the way

What a ride this book was. Pacy, twisty, and exceptionally well-written with a raft of interesting characters. Pavone's writing style really impressed me, it was subtly smart and seemed to nail descriptions of people, places and emotions! I am already recommending it to my friends.

A number of years ago when I was writing screenplays with Stephen Marro, a director and producer in New York, he often would ask me, “Maryann. Where’s the beef?”

What he meant was, where’s the meat of the story – the drama and suspense? How can we surprise the audience with something totally shocking and unexpected?

Stephen taught me a lot about how to add more beef to the writing, as well as how to recognize it when reading, and believe me when I say that there’s plenty of meat in this novel by Chris Pavone.

What starts out as a plotline that appears to be a straightforward story about a kidnapping, ransom, and potential release of the kidnap victim, becomes more convoluted as the story progresses. The question of who is behind the kidnapping. The question of what, if any, role does the wife play in it? The husband? The question of how explosive will the fact of how she gets the ransom money be, or even will it.

As well as the ultimate question of who has the power in this story. The Lisbon police? The CIA? The U.S. government? The wife? The powerful man she blackmails?

It’s hard to say much more about the plot without revealing spoilers, so I just end with saying that finding the answers to all those questions will keep readers engaged in this riveting story from page one to the end. So far Two Nights in Lisbon is ranking as a number one read for me for this year.

I really enjoyed this book! I was hooked right from the beginning by the mystery, an American woman wakes up to find her husband missing while on vacation in Lisbon. The cast of characters is interesting and well developed and the twists kept me on the edge of my seat

Two Nights in Lisbon
⭐️⭐️⭐️.9
Genre: Thriller
Format: Physical Book
Date Published: 5/24/22
Author: Chris Pavone
Publisher: Farrah, Straus, and Giroux
Pages: 436
Goodreads Rating: 3.86

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Farrah, Straus, and Giroux and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Ariel Pryce wakes up in Lisbon, alone. Her husband is gone—no warning, no note, not answering his phone. Something is wrong. She starts with hotel security, then the police, then the American embassy, at each confronting questions she can’t fully answer: What exactly is John doing in Lisbon? Why would he drag her along on his business trip? Who would want to harm him? And why does Ariel know so little about her new—much younger—husband?

My Thoughts: This is my oldest arc that I had not gotten to. I ended buying the physical book. I am glad that I did. From the first page, I was hooked. There are some slow parts but then there are some very fast parts. The only thing I would liked to have seen is that each chapter/section labeled a little more clearer as sometimes it took a few paragraphs to figure out who was who and the story. I loved the interweaves of Ariel, while you may not agree with some of her choices, you understood her choices. The characters were developed well with depth, secretive, mysterious, and brilliantly written. The author’s writing style was complex in layers, suspenseful, twisty, and keeps you engaged. The story starts with the kidnapping and then builds the backstories of the characters, then the plot is delivered in different twists, and then the ending is open. Maybe to write a follow up novel. This novel had the grades of a good thriller, its was suspenseful, twisty, fast paced, and page turning. I highly recommend picking up this book and/or adding to your TBR.

First and foremost, I'd like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone. I was excited to be able to read and review this book, especially since I'm a fan of the author's writing.

Chris Pavone weaved an intriguing story in "Two Nights in Lisbon" that had twists and turns galore that left me guessing until the very end. I found myself rooting for the main character and loved the fact that all the loose ends were wrapped up so there were no cliffhangers. I enjoyed the fact that the storyline switched back and forth between the present and past . . . making this novel a bit of a slow burn.

The main reason I gave "Two Nights in Lisbon" four stars out of five is that I didn't enjoy the fact that the narrator was unreliable. Another reason is that it seemed choppy at times.

Two Nights In Lisbon by Chris. Pavo need

This was a thriller cosy. Wife really didn’t know what was going on with her husband’s business.

May twists and turns. Well-written. Good character base. Many of them looking for her husband.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

This is my first book by this author and it just was not for me. The writing is just a little too slow for my taste and was devoid of entertainment. I'm sorry but I I just couldn't finish it.

I struggled to concentrate on Two Nights in Lisbon because Ariel can't focus on one thing without several tangential thoughts taking precedence. We jump back in time, often with no clue as to when we are in the past or the present. It's taking ages to get to the end of a conversation, let alone to the end of the book.

"one of those opportunities for the alpha moms to bake Instagrammable cakes. For these sorts of events Ariel buys a box of supermarket cookies, plunks it down on the table in its commercial packaging. She doesn't have time to bake on a weekday, and she's not going to pretend otherwise. In fact she's proud of it.
Plus she would never social-share a cake."

Ariel takes being judgmental to the extreme. While she mostly directs this judgment at herself - or a previous/historical version of herself - it's a very transparent veil over her disgust for other women; women who take care of themselves, who care about their appearance, their job, their outward impression. Even women who bake cookies or use social media provoke her ire. Apparently, it's okay to 'lurk' but not to have your face out there. It's very toxic and so prevalent throughout the narrative that it's hard not to take away the message that this is how the author views and evaluates women.

Every new part is more unbelievable than the last. But the worst part is that Two Nights in Lisbon is a successful mystery/thriller because it lies to you from the beginning. I'm all for an unreliable narrator, but that requires the protagonist to believe the bullshit they're spreading.

This is my first Chris Pavone novel and well I enjoyed my time with the book. I try not to read too much of the synopsis so I don't get spoiled. I just knew this was a mystery thriller that took place over two nights in Lisbon. Really, that was all I needed. Pavone's writing is enjoyable but at times can be repetitive. The story was fast paced and had multiple POVs which comes across more like a movie unfolding. There are flashbacks and at times they are not that noticeable. I wish there was a little more division between the current story and the past. With a full cast of characters, I felt each one was relatable and well developed. You really get to know the main protagonist which adds to the story and makes it interesting. I had many theories and came to the conclusion early on; however, the read was enjoyable because of the journey to get there. It didn't seem so straight forward to me, which I liked Pavone's creativity. I would recommend this for those who are into fast-paced, movie like thrillers and who enjoy escaping or traveling abroad. The story has some content warnings, so I definitely recommend checking those out before reading. They don't come out of no where so you can prepare.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for a digital readers copy in exchange for a honest review.

REceived this ARC and loved the story. Thank you NetG. Well written and fast moving. I have read this author before and I always enjoy this plots and stories

I had just returned from a trip to Lisbon when I began reading this book so I was excited to make comparisons and see if I recognized any of the city I saw in the story. The answer to that was mostly no, but it did help me have very completely imagined settings in my mind as I read.

We meet Ariel as she awakens in a hotel room in Lisbon to find her husband gone. She and John have only been married a year, and both the hotel staff, then the police, don't accept that she is immediately so sure something bad has happened to her husband John, whom she has only been married to for one year. Soon Ariel's worst fears are proven correct when a demand for ransom, far more money than Ariel has access to, is made.

It is at this point that we start peeling back multiple layers in the story. We begin to learn more about our main characters who have some secrets of their own. Eventually there were so many plotlines and balls being juggled in the air, I mentally pictured the writer plotting this book with little sticky notes completly covering a huge wall. Each new lead or reveal sends the story careening in a new direction. I'm not going to try to summarize this, as part of the fun is having it unfold before you. I was impressed, however, with the author's ability to come up with such a complex plot and keep it all straight.

My only negatives, which a couple of other reviewers have noted more clearly than I can: the book is maybe slightly long. And although the feminist plot line is very relevant, it occasionally struck me as a little heavy handed like the point was being hammered home. These are small quibbles, however. I found the read immensely satisfying and enjoyed every minute. I give it 4.5 stars, and I'm rounding up.

This is my first Chris Pavone novel and perhaps I should have started with his more widely read novel, The Expats. But alas, here we are. Two Nights in Lisbon is a mystery/thriller that centers on a newly married couple traveling to Lisbon, him for work and her as a tag-a-long tourist. The story starts quickly, with our narrator Ariel waking up to find her husband missing, but soon it starts to drag on. The story alternates timelines, providing a precise Lisbon timetable (“Chapter 4: Day 1. 10:44 A.M.”) and flashbacks of Ariel’s life. These flashbacks were filled with so much irrelevant information that they become tedious and created excessive pages of extraneous material. The only thing that kept me reading was knowing there was a “twist” at the end of it all - which ultimately did not make the effort worthwhile. Additionally, I would be remiss if I did not mention my biggest grievance with this novel. It is difficult as a female reader to read a female first-person point of view, written by a cis male. Especially when there is a “me too” theme, sexual assault, and so many interactions that he simply could never experience. There’s one thing to be an ally and promote literature from a first hand perspective and another thinking you can create that perspective yourself.

You’re in another country and your husband gets kidnapped…. What do you do?

Well, you figure out how to get him back…. You essentially blackmail someone from your past to get the money… And all the while you are also working with the police, CIA, and the Embassy… man, you’re good.

Thankfully, this is fiction because it is quite the tale. It was pretty good… even got to know who did what and why… I felt like it started off in the thick of things, but then kind of dragged. Last third was pretty eventful. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

This was not the book for me. I listened to the audiobook for this one and while the narration was great, the actual storyline frustrated me.

It took way too long to clue the reader in to what was happening. I like being left in the dark for Thrillers to unfold the story around the reader. But sometimes it is just overkill and I felt that in the case of this story.

By the time I got to the reveal, to the end, I just didn't like the story from being frustrated for too long.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC; this is my voluntary review.

I just finished the audio version of this book and wow! Great characters, compelling story-line, timeliness with current events. Lots of twists and turns and misdirection all combined to make the plot believable and the read a page-turner. Although I suspected the twist, it wasn't exactly like I thought, and I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied.

I highly recommend.

I did love the mystery of this book and the setting was fantastic and although I did find this book enjoyable I struggled as well it was very long and a little wordy at times with characters that were a bit hard to connect with hence the 3 stars but still an okay read

Much thanks to #netgalley and #FarrarStraus&Giroux. For allowing me this ARC to read and review all thoughts and opinions are strictly my own

This is a very long book and a slow start, so I put it off longer than I should have. After a couple of weeks of out-0f-it sick, I was behind on all of my reading commitments. But I have to tell you this is a keeper, offering a growing intensity peopled with folks you understand. It is a novel I am happy to refer to friends and family. Chris Pavone is an author I will follow, with a backlist of novels I will soon discover.

Ariel Pryce wakes up alone at about 9 AM at a hotel in Lisbon on what was to be a simple two-day business trip. Her husband of just months is gone, no note, no previously planned absence. The police basically laugh at her, explaining slowly that she can't report him missing after just two or three hours. Go back to the hotel, they tell her, and he will show up. She goes to the American Embassy and receives the same advice. Walking back to her hotel she is accosted by a masked guy on a motorbike who forces into her hand a cell phone which immediately rings, with a $3,000.000.00 demand for the ransom of her husband John, whom they have nabbed on his customary early morning run. Don't go to the police, they say. Or the embassy.

This was an excellent who-done-it without a wasted word. Loved the surprise ending, one I never even considered. An especially compelling read.

I received a complimentary electronic Advanced Readers Copy of this mystery novel from Netgalley, Chris Pavone, and the publisher, Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a blast to read. Great unreliable narrator story. Loved it. This was such a wonderful distraction for me while on a long business trip! 100% Recommend this.