The Last Tourist--A Novel

Starred review from January 27, 2020
A decade ago, the CIA’s Department of Tourism, a corps of highly trained assassins, went defunct, but now something similar has emerged from its ruins in bestseller Steinhauer’s stunning fourth thriller featuring ex-CIA operative Milo Weaver (after 2012’s An American Spy). As chief of the Library, a stealthy espionage operation buried within the UN’s bureaucracy, Weaver has been attempting to serve as a reasonably honest broker of sensitive information, but a series of increasingly violent assaults drives him into hiding in the Western Sahara. Milo eventually figures out that he’s being pursued by a darkly plausible, utterly ruthless assassins corps created by multinational corporations acting beyond the reach of any country’s laws to lock down global dominance. No dummies survive in this twisty shadow realm, and Weaver’s wits keep him alive as the complex, layered plot reaches a shrewd, nuanced climax at the World Economic Forum, leaving the reader with the hope that global elites can’t rig the rules of every game. The author does a masterly job of evoking dingy desert cities and the rarified air of Davos, Switzerland. Steinhauer reinforces his position at the top of the espionage genre. 125,000-copy announced first printing. Agent: Stephanie Cabot, Gernert Co.

David Pittu's narration sounds so conversational--even conspiratorial--that it feels as though he's speaking directly to listeners. He also helps listeners follow the twisting plot of this thriller. Milo Weaver, a one-time CIA agent, is approached about a group of agents he once brought together and thought he had disbanded. Now it appears they are still out there. If so, who is leading them? How pervasive is their network, and how far does it extend into our digital lives? The action takes place around the globe, and Pittu juggles an impressive range of characters and accents. Listeners will admire his skill as he creates an unsettling, immersive experience. L.W.S. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine