First of all this is a 5 STAR novel but I only gave it 4. The reason is that is that the first 80% of the story is marvelous pacing, characters, dialogue, I mean it hits all the review writers "three pointers" if you will but the last 20% the author got lost it almost seemed to me. The last 20% took one of my stars away.

I just could not get into this book. Not sure it was the author’s fault or the content. I might try again at a later time tho.

My thanks for the early copy of this book, another excellent read by Steinhauer! As the synopsis alludes to, this thriller hits on timely topics and the emotional state of affairs in the world today. As with other his other novels, the characters are unique, complex, and well constructed, not merely basic cutouts that tend to clutter the genre. For fans of Steinhauer's previous novels this is a must, you won't be disappointed.

This wouldn't normally be the type of thriller I read but in saying that I am so glad I did, this book was a fast paced complex political modern day thriller, although its fiction, it wouldn't be far off the realm of reality which is quite chilling to think about! Very well written, edge of your seat chewing your finger nails, gasping ALOT!! Would highly recommend to those looking for something edgy.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

From the very first paragraph of The Middleman, I was hooked! This is a book that you should not begin reading unless you have time to read it all - at once - without stopping. It is an "unputdownable" page turning thriller!

Generally I don't read books about the US government, FBI or CIA any longer. The truth in the world is too terrible and I don't like to see espionage glorified. However, the promise of a book that didn't sway too far one way or the other politically that also offered up "conspiracy theories," the FBI's role in the protests, a "new revolution" and more was so current and on point that I had to take a look. I am so glad that I did. This book had my attention from beginning to end with absolutely no lag time in between!

Olen Steinhauer, the best selling author of The Cairo Affair and many other thrillers, knows how to weave together a tale of espionage, current events and human emotion. There was enough technical "feeb" talk to give the book authenticity without ever crossing the line into boring or eye-rolling scenarios. His perception of current and global events is remarkable and so spot on that I expected to log into my news feed and read about this incident in real time - the realism of this novel is chillingly accurate!

The premise is that America is on the brink of a revolution and the FBI is either a step behind the revolutionaries or has infiltrated the group (read the book to know for sure, no spoilers here.) When hundreds of people literally vanish from their lives leaving behind everything and everyone they cared about, Special Agent Rachel Prouix is tasked with finding the missing and the leaders of this massive revolutionary band of insurgents. What she discovers will shock both her and you and leave you scrambling to read faster toward the end of the book!

If you enjoy thrillers, police procedurals, suspense, espionage or just a really well written exciting storyline, then you will love this book. I highly recommend it!

It’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys in this modern day thriller. The Massive Brigade is lead by Martin Bishop, a charismatic, peace-loving antagonist who wants the world to sing in perfect harmony. He is joined by Benjamin Mittag, a thug who would just as soon take over the United States by causing mayhem in the establishment. Together they recruit a group of innocents to their cause by coaxing them to leave their old life behind and join the Brigade.

On the other side, you have FBI Assistant Director Mark Paulson, who is the voice of law and order but seems to have other interests in mind as he pursues the members of the Massive Brigade. He is assisted by Special Agent Rachel Proulx and the FBI counterterrorism team who search for the leaders of the Brigade as well as the people who have abandoned the life they knew to follow the movement. Mysterious things begin to happen, unexplainable yet undeniable, and the next thing you know no one and everyone are suspects.

Olen Steinhauer expertly weaves the different groups throughout the book, each having their own story to tell and each capturing your imagination and enticing you to join their side of the issue. There is a lot of interaction between characters, providing depth to the story and an emotional involvement for the reader. If you enjoy politically themed thrillers you will enjoy reading The Middleman.

I received a free advance copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Another book I just could not get into. Too much info on every character in the book is given in the first chapter. Let us get to know a couple of characters first and then start feeding us more info, more people, more plots., The book never grabbed me and I felt that there is enough politics doing on right now without wanting or needing to read more politics. I stopped about 10% into the book and was happy to see it go.
I read to be entertained and this was not an entertaining book.
Thanks NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The galley was so badly formatted and such an unpleasant jumble on my screen that I gave up even trying to read it after a few pages. The publisher should be ashamed of sending a mess like this to readers...

The Middleman is pretty much what is happening today in real life with some real people whose names have been changed and then some made-up people who probably exist in real life anyway. Of course the plot isn’t real life but it’s so close to real life that everything seems 100% plausible… I mean The Middleman could technically be a leaked very secret classified FBI or CIA file for all we know… Anyway, The Middleman reads as a thriller and will most likely be classed as a thriller and it was a very enjoyable, albeit chilling read. I’m not too sure enjoyable is really the right word though to be honest, because none of the story is particularly enjoyable. The Middleman is a good read though.

It’s 2017 and in the US the people are on the brink of a revolution. Regular protests take place because of police brutality, racism, gun violence, violence against immigrants, against women, civil rights are slowly and surely being squashed everywhere (ring any bells?). Suddenly 400 people disappear from their lives without a trace, and the Massive Brigade, up until then just another group on the radar, seems to move into action. Special Agent Rachel Proulx floors the accelerator on her investigation into left-wing activist groups and discovers that nothing is as it seems.

Nothing is as it seems right through to the very last words the reader will find. The Middleman is a good book, it brings up some timely events and issues, and basically leaves you with a big glaring question: where are you going to be when it starts going down?

Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur books for the advance copy!

Exceptionally subtle and twisted, and superb in its timely subject matter. There are some true surprises throughout and especially near the end. The characters have depth, not too much backstory, just the right balance of motivation and obscurity. The author has really captured not just this moment in history, but also a good sample of its prelude and plenty of questions for the reader to think on long after the book is done.

In the penultimate pages of this intriguing thriller about the FBI' s pursuit of the charismatic leader of an unusual protest movement - one that starts with the unexplained disappearance of hundreds of mostly young people and takes a bloody turn shortly afterward with a series of political assassinations on July 4 - fans of Steinhauer' s Milo Weaver series will enjoy his reappearance, however brief. Close readers of this celebrated writer's work may not be completely surprised - the CIA 's Department of Tourism may not have prevailed in the politically tumultuous present, but Milo was always a survivor. Some terrific new characters surface in this new outing, like Kevin, who uncovers the real conspiracy behind the protest movement; Rachel, the FBI agent who wrote the book on radical groups and knows there's another agenda behind this one, and Ingrid, the pregnant wife of a failing mystery writer whose old leftist sympathies are aroused by its charismatic leader. Thoroughly involving, brilliantly paced, and a satisfying read.

Gotta tell ya, the first hour, I almost moved on after nearly choking on the leftist, fascist, anarchist, utopian mind slop. I am so glad I persevered, because Steinhauer was just setting me up for a terrific tale that kept me glimpsing, guessing, and gut-wrenching all the way to the end. A great tale for our times that provokes thought about the many dimensions of big-C Corruption that seems to have infected every facet of public life in the 21st century. This is my first Steinhauer, but it will not be my last.

This book was a bullet. Fast and lasting in its impact. There are other cliches I could apply as well, but in the end none of them would truly offer the proper clarity as to how well developed this novel really is. The writing is rich and layered, as are the characters. I hope to read more about Rachel Proulx and Kevin Moore, two characters at the core of the story. Occasionally I come across a novel that I feel is not served by offering up a synopsis of its plot. A novel I hope readers will just read and enjoy without any preconceived notions. THE MIDDLEMAN falls in that category. But alas it is naive to believe enough readers would take an ambiguous review and feel compelled to buy a book; and I want people to buy this book. So, in a nutshell, here is a quick plot summary: During a balmy summer day in 2017 nearly four hundred people walk away from their lives, disappearing into the ether. They leave behind their technology, their jobs, their families. The aforementioned Kevin Moore is one of them. Soon it becomes apparent that the vanished are part of a group known as the Massive Brigade, fronted by the charismatic Martin Bishop. Questions abound as to the group’s purpose. Violence? Revolution? FBI Special Agent Rachel Proulx is tasked with finding the missing and heading off any threat they pose. And in the end what she unearths rocks the US and touches some of the highest levels of government. This is a must-read for fans of crime fiction.

This is a complex political thriller with the FBI and a terrorist group pitted against each other. It isn’t always easy to tell who the good guys and bad guys are. Guess that’s part of the thrill!

This book begins at a cocktail party where two leaders of a mysterious cult-like organization are drawn into a confrontation but then disappear. Soon, hundreds of young people also vanish at the same time on the same day and the FBI fears future violence. Although this premise has promise, it is inconceivable that hundreds of people could simply walk out of their lives and stay hidden for weeks in 2018. Perhaps if it were a few here and a few more there, but all at once? Or, if the action took place before CCTV and cell phones.

Even more mysterious : although all of the vanished are known to be followers of a charismatic leader of the cult, the organization itself has no real message. From the "Massive Brigade" website, we glean the following: "When the federal government goes after us, we'll have to go underground." Since there is no evidence that the federal government is actually going after anyone, it is difficult to see a compelling reason to jump out a window or walk away from your job with no money and no phone and get into a car with a stranger heading off to who knows where?

There are other clues: namely, cash. How much money does it take to transport 400 people in secret all over the country, house them and feed them for weeks on end using cash? So, four hundred people are in multiple destinations waiting for something - how long would it take for these people to get bored and head out to a bar? Hike to a town and phone home? Not one of them so much as has a toothache and needs a dentist or needs a prescription refill?

The FBI's crack counterterrorism team is clueless but they are charged with stopping whatever crime is sure to be coming. They already have a constructed narrative before any action takes place. And, in fact, a crime is committed. Several. Since where this is all headed is obvious, it's either chuck it about now or keep reading. I kept reading as this guy knows how to write -

Anyway, the agency assigns a team of top agents to find the leaders and the missing followers in order to determine motives. No clue. Unfortunately, the reader figures out who is behind the entire nefarious doings before any real action takes place, it's hard to imagine the crack FBI team being led down the garden path.

Through a series of blunders on the parts of the cult, the crack FBI team manages to create a big mess. Since it is difficult to hide that many people for very long, one "safe" house is located and a shoot out ensues with several followers killed and F.B.I. agents wounded. This is the point where differing narratives collide. Rachel, the lead agent for the investigation, remembers things differently from another high ranking agent. Rachel finds little support for her recollections.

The book moves from an investigation into the cult itself and into the investigation of the investigation itself. Another agent who infiltrated the cult and whose recollections of the standoff more closely align with Rachel's is placed on leave. Rachel herself is presented with a non-disclosure agreement forbidding her from speaking to anyone about the incident. When she refuses to sign, an attempt is made on her life and she finds herself on the run without knowing why.

With the help of her fellow agent and a few of the witnesses from the incident and while blundering from one thing to another, the agents' eyes are finally opened to what the reader figured out several hundred pages earlier.

I read this book mostly because there were so many wonderful reviews. I had never heard of author before but I gather he has written a few political books and has a growing fan club.

Given the times, it is fascinating reading conspiracy books about US government and especially it's involvement with Big Banks. This book was started after Trump was elected and ended this week according the dates of the chapters.

I really enjoyed the book. It read quickly, I stumbled over nothing. I kept all the various characters clear in spite of the fact that many were named Mary and George! I liked the heroine if indeed she is on. She was brave and no nonsense and took a few big blows for the team.

As with many well written books, it took unexpected turns and twists. The author dropped a few clues so that you could see some things coming but not all nor why. And like so many good political books coming out now, the basic premise is totally plausible. In fact, I'd be surprised to learn that nothing of the sort was happening anywhere. You have to read it to understand that sentence. And the end of the book is not the end. It's just a trailing off and we are left with our imaginations.

The title of the book is wonderful. When one understands who exactly the middleman is and how the whole thing works, one realises the amount of power that the rich and the banks have. And how many pawns there are out here in the world for them to play with. Nothing is sacred. I actually learned some things that I believe could easily happen in the Age of Trump..

If you like a good conspiracy theory book, get this one and enjoy.

I could not get invested in this book. Therefore, I could not finish it. Perhaps just not a “good fit” for me.

The Middleman is a contemporary thriller. It was ironic that the last date given in the novel is tomorrow, May 24th, 2018. A group of people suspected of being domestic terrorists is the focus of the first half, the second half is the unraveling of the first half. Author Olen Steinhauer plays his cards well, skillfully laying clues and raising questions in the first half that he adeptly and with suspense holds over the second half. People, democracy, money and power all come to grips, embodied by both and perhaps good FBI agents. One thing we learn is to trust no one. Steinhauer gives us good reason to hold that idea close. Thanks, NetGalley for the ARC.

A twisty and whiplashed-paced thriller from a master of the genre. Steinhauer gets better with every book.

"Some might say that caring about a handful of lives is the definition of civilization."

The Middleman is a timely political thriller that poses some tough questions without offering easy answers. Special Agent Rachel Proulx had sounded the first warning bells when she picked up on the potential issues with a left-wing group called Massive Brigade. When it seems Massive Brigade is actively engaged in civil disruption and ready to commit acts of terrorism she leads an FBI manhunt for the group's leaders. Steinhauer's engaging style, believable characters and intense story will have readers turning the pages and seeking answers to the very end.

While the first part of the book is set up as a clear FBI investigation, with insights from characters involved with the group woven in through alternating narratives with Steinhauer's FBI protagonist, that really is just one part of the story. The Middleman is a story in two parts, with the first part emphasizing the hunt.

The second part focuses on the hunted.

It would risk spoilers to say too much more than that. While there was a fair bit in the investigative side that readers may be able to piece together, the 'who' isn't always the most pertinent factor. Sometimes it's the 'why' and the 'how' that are significant, and no matter what I suspected as a I read, surprises were in store. Everything was not as it seemed.

In an era with growing distrust in politicians, political institutions and law enforcement, The Middleman casts a harsh light on racial tensions in America, the willingness of government agencies to lie for their own benefit and how law enforcement plays politics with people's lives. There are questions here worth considering, and as people take to the streets in increasing numbers to protest in real life, reality is mirrored by some of the events in The Middleman. There's a lot here that will resonate with readers.

The fact that it feels all too real is a credit to the writer but that also means this isn't escapist fiction. There are no easy answers and there's no magic wand that rights the world and restores faith in the institutions that society has created. Perhaps some will look to the characters that do give us hope there are good people in the world and find comfort. Others may focus on the systemic corruption and whether it's possible to really change things.

Sandra Ruttan, founder and editor for Toe Six Press, author of The Spying Moon (Down and Out Books, Fall 2018)
- review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon and published by Toe Six Press