Those who have read this blog for any length of time will know that I am a fan of Olen Steinhauer. I have read all of his books and have enjoyed each one. I have interviewed him and interacted with him online (but have yet to meet him in person). So I am not an unbiased observer but a fan. Take that for what it is worth.
With this in mind, I recently picked up On the Lisbon Disaster to get my Steinhauer fix until the release of The Cairo Affair in later this month.
In a thrilling e-original story, New York Times bestselling espionage master Olen Steinhauer introduces the enigmatic John Calhoun, an international security contractor who plays a prominent role in Steinhauer’s upcoming novel The Cairo Affair.
Before his assignment to the CIA’s Cairo office, John worked in Lisbon, Portugal, where he took part in an extraordinary rendition—the apprehension of a wanted individual for interrogation. But from the beginning of the operation nothing goes as planned, and for John, it soon becomes much more than a career-defining moment; how he handles this crisis will define who he is as a person.
It turned out to be an e-teaser of sorts for the forthcoming novel but a very well done one at that. Tension, bursts of action, complex attempts at the sorting of truth from lies and the inevitable resulting grays, questions about identity and the choices we make: classic Steinhauer really.
Certainly made me want to read the full length novel but whether it is worth less than a dollar is up to you. Since I would gladly give the author a dollar given all the great books he has delivered it is an easy choice for me.
The ebook also includes an introduction to soon to be released novel; which I foolishly read only to get to the cliffhanger ending with a growing dread that I didn’t have the rest of the book to immediately read. I should have learned my lesson with Neil Gaiman). But fear not, I have acquired an advance reading copy of The Cairo Affair. And as a service to you, dear reader, I will promptly read it and report back in this space.
