Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Minotaur Books (2020), Edition: Reprint, 432 pages
Description
Fiction. Thriller. HTML: After being blackballed by the CIA, Milo Weaver finds himself compelleed to rejoin the elite network of top-secret black-ops agents called 'tourists'. But first he's required to prove his loyalty by killing an innocent teenage girl in Berlin. He has a daughter not much younger than the girl he's been tasked to abduct. As the gripping action unwinds, the brilliant, obese German espionage admininstrator searches for a traitor among the tourists..
User reviews
LibraryThing member nbmars
This is the second book in a post-9/11 spy/thriller series that features Milo Weaver, a CIA operative who formerly served as a “tourist,” or “on-call” assassin for the agency. Milo was competent at serving as a licensed killer, but he tired of the dangerous and lethal work and wanted to
In The Nearest Exit, Milo decides to go back to “tourist” work, but first is tasked with proving his worth by going to Berlin, killing a certain 15-year-old girl, and disposing of the body. Milo doesn’t have the stomach for this particular challenge, so he enlists the aid of his father, a former KGB operative who now works for the United Nations. He wants his father to help him stage a phony murder and hide the girl. In spite of Milo’s efforts to save her, however, the girl is found murdered, and German intelligence quickly identifies Milo and subjects him to a brutal interrogation. Milo is exonerated, but he now gets enmeshed in the search for a suspected “mole” in his own organization.
As in most good espionage novels, things are not as they appear, and Milo finds himself in a complex situation in which he doesn’t know whom to trust. Americans, Germans, Hungarians, Chinese, and (through his father) even the United Nations have operatives involved in seemingly interlocking conspiracies. Milo has to maneuver his way through a lethal and deadly game in which he doesn't even know who is on his side, and who is against him.
Evaluation: With the exception of one or two sadistic killers, most of Steinhauer’s characters are multidimensional and human, if not humane. Milo Weaver is very resourceful and competent, but he is not an invincible superhero like Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, so you can’t be sure that the author might not just kill him off. This second book is as good as the first in the series, with lots of action and suspense. There is, however, a bit of a stretch in plausibility, and some caricatured villains.
Note: This book won the 2010 Dashiell Hammett Prize for literary excellence in the field of crime writing.
(JAB)
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settle down, so at the end of the first book, he transferred to a desk job.In The Nearest Exit, Milo decides to go back to “tourist” work, but first is tasked with proving his worth by going to Berlin, killing a certain 15-year-old girl, and disposing of the body. Milo doesn’t have the stomach for this particular challenge, so he enlists the aid of his father, a former KGB operative who now works for the United Nations. He wants his father to help him stage a phony murder and hide the girl. In spite of Milo’s efforts to save her, however, the girl is found murdered, and German intelligence quickly identifies Milo and subjects him to a brutal interrogation. Milo is exonerated, but he now gets enmeshed in the search for a suspected “mole” in his own organization.
As in most good espionage novels, things are not as they appear, and Milo finds himself in a complex situation in which he doesn’t know whom to trust. Americans, Germans, Hungarians, Chinese, and (through his father) even the United Nations have operatives involved in seemingly interlocking conspiracies. Milo has to maneuver his way through a lethal and deadly game in which he doesn't even know who is on his side, and who is against him.
Evaluation: With the exception of one or two sadistic killers, most of Steinhauer’s characters are multidimensional and human, if not humane. Milo Weaver is very resourceful and competent, but he is not an invincible superhero like Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, so you can’t be sure that the author might not just kill him off. This second book is as good as the first in the series, with lots of action and suspense. There is, however, a bit of a stretch in plausibility, and some caricatured villains.
Note: This book won the 2010 Dashiell Hammett Prize for literary excellence in the field of crime writing.
(JAB)
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LibraryThing member nosajeel
This is the second in a trilogy about a disaffected CIA agent in a special covert op's unit where the field officers are known as tourists and their New York-based controllers as tour guides. I thought the first volume was decent but in my review wrote, "I don't think I'll be reading the sequel
The Nearest Exit is better than The Tourist, centering around a single incident where the hero is sent to kill a 16-year old girl for reasons that are unclear. The incidents around this cascade and unravel over an increasingly large canvas.
Although filled with very conventional and hackneyed tradecraft and double crosses, and with some especially silly elements (like a Senator who takes over operational control of the CIA unit with help from his Chief of Staff and Legislative Director), the plot is reasonably gripping, the writing is not distractingly bad, and overall I do plan to read the final book in the trilogy as soon as it's released.
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anytime soon." Sooner than I expected, I ended up reading the second volume.The Nearest Exit is better than The Tourist, centering around a single incident where the hero is sent to kill a 16-year old girl for reasons that are unclear. The incidents around this cascade and unravel over an increasingly large canvas.
Although filled with very conventional and hackneyed tradecraft and double crosses, and with some especially silly elements (like a Senator who takes over operational control of the CIA unit with help from his Chief of Staff and Legislative Director), the plot is reasonably gripping, the writing is not distractingly bad, and overall I do plan to read the final book in the trilogy as soon as it's released.
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LibraryThing member BillPilgrim
The Nearest Exit, by Olen Steinhauer 8/4/14
Espionage; CIA; Europe
This is second of the Milo Weaver books. I read the last one, An American Spy, first, and the first one, The Tourist, more recently. It actually helped, I think, to have read the third book before this one. It helped me to understand
I enjoyed the book alot. I got drawn into the story and read it quickly. I didn't want to stop the flow of the story by putting the book down.
I've also read Steinhauer's most recent book, The Cairo Affair, and now I want to read all of his other books.
Espionage; CIA; Europe
This is second of the Milo Weaver books. I read the last one, An American Spy, first, and the first one, The Tourist, more recently. It actually helped, I think, to have read the third book before this one. It helped me to understand
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some of what was happening, without ruining anything. At least it didn't ruin it for me, but it might for someone else.I enjoyed the book alot. I got drawn into the story and read it quickly. I didn't want to stop the flow of the story by putting the book down.
I've also read Steinhauer's most recent book, The Cairo Affair, and now I want to read all of his other books.
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LibraryThing member shaososa
In this sequel to the wonderful "The Tourist" ,Steinhauer keeps his hero Milo Weaver globetrotting doing his best to figure out whether or not there is a mole in the CIA. It would be hard to write something to top "The Tourist", but here Stienhauer comes close. The book suffers (as did the first
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one) when the plot drifts to Weaver's home life. But the strong legs of the plot and the fantastic ending is more than enough to keep the pages turning. Show Less
LibraryThing member norinrad10
This is hands down the best thriller I've read in years. The character of Milo Weaver is so well constructed that you find yourself wrapped up in his life immediately. The machinations that go on globally are just frightening. If you like world wide thrillers with a plot that is constantly twisting
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I strongly encourage you to read this one. I know i wait with baited breath for the next one. Show Less
LibraryThing member jasonlf
This is the second in a trilogy about a disaffected CIA agent in a special covert op's unit where the field officers are known as tourists and their New York-based controllers as tour guides. I thought the first volume was decent but in my review wrote, "I don't think I'll be reading the sequel
The Nearest Exit is better than The Tourist, centering around a single incident where the hero is sent to kill a 16-year old girl for reasons that are unclear. The incidents around this cascade and unravel over an increasingly large canvas.
Although filled with very conventional and hackneyed tradecraft and double crosses, and with some especially silly elements (like a Senator who takes over operational control of the CIA unit with help from his Chief of Staff and Legislative Director), the plot is reasonably gripping, the writing is not distractingly bad, and overall I do plan to read the final book in the trilogy as soon as it's released.
Show More
anytime soon." Sooner than I expected, I ended up reading the second volume.The Nearest Exit is better than The Tourist, centering around a single incident where the hero is sent to kill a 16-year old girl for reasons that are unclear. The incidents around this cascade and unravel over an increasingly large canvas.
Although filled with very conventional and hackneyed tradecraft and double crosses, and with some especially silly elements (like a Senator who takes over operational control of the CIA unit with help from his Chief of Staff and Legislative Director), the plot is reasonably gripping, the writing is not distractingly bad, and overall I do plan to read the final book in the trilogy as soon as it's released.
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LibraryThing member martitia
This espionage novel is the sequel to The Tourist. Milo Weaver works for a secret department in the CIA as a spy. He has a family and a secret that could cost him his life. It is a strongly-plotted espionage novel with a remarkable ending.
LibraryThing member everfresh1
I was not that impressed by 'The Tourist' but decided to give this sequel a go. Wrong decision. It's even worse. Couldn't even finish.
LibraryThing member cacky
Fantastic sequel to [The Tourist]. Can hardly wait for the last of this trilogy.
LibraryThing member mr.mcox
The Nearest Exit picks up where The Tourist left off. The novelty of a spy who'd rather not be a spy has worn off by this time, but Steinhauer has replaced it with Weaver's struggles to return to a family that has been torn apart by the lack of trust that goes along with his profession. It's a well
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woven story that doesn't have as many surprises as I recall in The Tourist, but still an enjoyable read. Show Less
LibraryThing member ssimon2000
Excellent second book in the Milo Weaver series!
LibraryThing member kvrfan
In the category of spy novels, this is as good as it gets. The Nearest Exit is a sequel to Steinhauer's earlier novel, The Tourist, which focuses on Milo Weaver, an agent within the CIA's super-secret "Department of Tourism." "Tourists" are akin to those with the "OO" designation in the James Bond
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universe--assigned to the toughest jobs, often including assassinations. Reading The Tourist took all the romance out of the "spy business" for me, as it made evident that the one distinguishing characteristic for excelling as a spy is a extraordinary gift for lying. Lying is required for the spy's survival, of course, but as one creates as his world a "wilderness of mirrors," all hope for a genuine relationship with another person is lost. It took me a long time to get comfortable with The Tourist's world, which is probably why I like The Nearest Exit better: having already grown familiar with the world in which it took place, and I could get quickly get engaged with the intricacies of the plot. Since it had been some time since I had read The Tourist, I was happy Steinhauer took occasions through the story to remind me of the key things that happened in the previous book. The story was well-crafted, introducing enough elements that I wasn't sure exactly where it was heading, but they kept me turning the pages to a conclusion that brought all those elements together. Show Less
LibraryThing member MikeBruscellSr
Steinhauer does a creditable job on this sequel, however, I occasionally was confused as to how events were unfolding, especially toward the end of the book. There were a few pages I had to read two or three times to understand time, place and action. This occurred when the author melded a
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character's real-time action with the character's recollection of a conversation he had apparently had at an earlier time. Unfortunately, the transition was badly written, very rough,and the action difficult to follow. This occurred a couple of times in the book and it was quite disconcerting. I'm not sure I will give Steinhauer another chance, when there are so many other authors out there who tell a tale more smoothly. Show Less
LibraryThing member MikeBruscellSr
Steinhauer does a creditable job on this sequel, however, I occasionally was confused as to how events were unfolding, especially toward the end of the book. There were a few pages I had to read two or three times to understand time, place and action. This occurred when the author melded a
Show More
character's real-time action with the character's recollection of a conversation he had apparently had at an earlier time. Unfortunately, the transition was badly written, very rough,and the action difficult to follow. This occurred a couple of times in the book and it was quite disconcerting. I'm not sure I will give Steinhauer another chance, when there are so many other authors out there who tell a tale more smoothly. Show Less
LibraryThing member dh-writer
A real thrill ride. Couldn't put it down. Stayed up until I really couldn't keep my eyes open. Finished it in two days. The action and suspense never stop. Thoroughly enjoyable. Have fun.
LibraryThing member PattyLee
Well done. Even though I had not read the first book in the series, it is interesting and fast paced.
Awards
RUSA CODES Reading List (Winner — 2011)
Hammett Prize (Nominee — 2010)
The New York Times Notable Books of the Year (Fiction & Poetry — 2010)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2010-05-11
Physical description
432 p.; 8.31 inches
ISBN
1250622107 / 9781250622105