After struggling with two demanding
jobs, two toddlers and a house that's falling apart, Dexter, Kate's
husband, lands a lucrative job in Luxemburg. Kate has dreamed of
being a stay-at-home mom. Her job as a field agent for the CIA and
even her current desk job seem too fraught with danger for her young
family. Feeling that she's making a good decision, she quits her job
and the family moves to Europe. Then the problems start. Dexter's job
has some mysterious aspects. One of the other expat moms forces a
friendship that Kate isn't sure she trusts. Deceptions multiply,
Kate's instincts as a spy lead her to investigate her friends and
eventually her husband.
The novel is filled with puzzles and
intrigue. If you like thrillers you'll enjoy trying to figure out
this one. I particularly liked the setting. Pavone made the expat
experience with the attendant travel to European cites come to life.
I did, however, have some problems with
the book. The story is told predominantly through Kate's thoughts. As
she becomes increasingly distrustful of her environment and questions
her decision of quitting her job, her thoughts turn into many
paragraphs of angst. I found it boring and didn't think the character
rang true. This was particularly the case when there were so many
hints that something wasn't right. I would have expected an ex-CIA
agent to have been more alert and suspicious.
Many of the details were off, as though
Pavone was trying too hard to create suspense and misdirect the
reader. However, it is an interesting read, particularly if you love
spy novels, but be prepared to wade through a lot of internal dialog.
I reviewed this book as part of the
Amazon Vine Program: The Expats by Chris Pavone.
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