The Travelers

January 4, 2016
One torrid tryst with a bewitching blond in Argentina might be all it takes to torpedo the comfortable existence of Will Rhodes, the globe-trotting hero of this fast-paced but far-fetched thriller from Edgar-winner Pavone (The Accident). With evidence of his infidelity as leverage, the temptress, who calls herself Elle and presents herself as an Australian freelance wine writer, strong-arms the New York–based journalist for Travelers magazine into a string of dangerous covert ops during his assignments that increasingly, perplexingly, appear to target his Travelers colleagues, especially his boss, Malcolm Somers. Understandably preoccupied with the quagmire of lies and secrets into which he’s sinking, Will only belatedly begins to notice that his smart, sexy wife, Chloe, might be leading something of a secret life herself. With its intricate plot pinballing down dual, occasionally crisscrossing tracks, the story offers plenty of page-turning action in exotic locales—though some readers may lament the lack of a truly likable central character to root for. Agent: David Gernert, Gernert Company.

February 1, 2016

Pavone's thrilling new novel opens with a pulse-pounding scene and never lets up. Will Rhodes is a travel writer, working for a high-profile magazine with field offices all over the world. While navigating the communication minefields of an increasingly tense marriage and a bleak personal financial situation, Will takes on an assignment to write about the expat life abroad. In Argentina, he is faced with temptations he cannot resist, and what follows is a complication that turns his life upside down and inside out. Running the genre gamut from espionage novel to action/adventure to investigatory mystery, this tightly woven thriller is smart, sharp, and packed with nonstop exploits. VERDICT The best-selling author of The Expats and The Accident excels at suspense and action, penning the perfect balance of tautness and complexity to keep the story moving forward at a breakneck pace. Spy/thriller aficionados as well as literary fiction readers who like dipping into well-spun commercial fare will add this title to their library holds list. [See Prepub Alert, 9/14/15.]--Julie Kane, Washington & Lee Lib., Lexington, VA

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 15, 2015
Many thrillers seem to be written with an eye toward Hollywood: handsome Jason Bournetypes defying death to save the world from some grisly apocalyptic fate. Pavone (The Accident, 2014), goes a different way, offering engaging, complex, fully fleshed characters with believable backstories and narrative depth and elegance to go along with suspense and derring-do. Venerable and respected Travelers magazine offers good writing and photography showcasing the most desirable travel destinations in the world. But Editor Malcolm Somers is also running a spy agency from the magazine's Manhattan offices. Staff writer Will Rhodes is close to Somers, but he is completely unaware of Malcolm's sideline. Will is more concerned with his ramshackle Brooklyn brownstone that he can't afford to rehab and the strains in his marriage to beautiful Chloe. He is also unaware that Chloe is one of Malcolm's operatives. But the faithful husband is seduced by a dazzling woman while on assignment in Argentina, and she promptly tells Will that he is now a covert asset of the CIA. But the big question is, Who is funding Travelers? The CIA? A rogue cadre within the agency? Another nation? Or is Malcolm simply a mercenary, selling intel to the highest bidder? Tradecraft and murder play out from Argentina to Iceland; red herrings come every few pages. The Travelers is engaging and stylish enough to become a Hollywood property, but it is also one of the most intelligent thrillers of the year.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)