First published in 2010; reissued by Minotaur Books on February 4, 2020

The Nearest Exit is the second novel in Olen Steinhauer’s Milo Weaver trilogy. The trilogy was recently reissued because a fourth novel will soon be added to the series.

As we learned in The Tourist, Milo does nasty work for a branch of the CIA that few people know exist. Together with the Tourist Agents who research and support their missions, Tourists travel around the world imposing America’s will on foreign entities, usually by killing people the Tourist masterminds have come to dislike.

Milo didn’t seem to have or want much of a future as a Tourist by the time the first novel ended. He wanted to devote himself to his wife and daughter, not to the whims of his agency. When the new boss wants Milo to return, Milo finds he has little choice. Milo begins with some baby assignments but is eventually charged with killing a 15-year-old girl named Adriana Stanescu. Milo wonders if he is being asked to kill a child to prove his loyalty, but having a daughter of his own, he finds a way to circumvent the mission without jeopardizing his career. To achieve that goal, he enlists the help of his father, who is running a little spy operation of his own for the UN, unbeknownst to pretty much everyone except Milo.

Adriana’s eventual fate pits Milo against his boss, his father, and a highly placed German law enforcement agent named Erika Schwartz. Erika is morbidly obese and a serious alcoholic, although she reserves her heaviest drinking for the end of the workday. She’s also astonishingly good at her job, making her the most intriguing supporting character in the book.

Erika has a video of Milo kidnapping Adriana, which turns her into one of Milo’s many adversaries. Adriana’s father is another. But the most formidable of the group is a Chinese spymaster who may or may not have planted a mole among the Tourists — or perhaps among the few Senate aides who are cleared to know about the Tourist program.

The plot combines traditional themes of betrayal with a clever Chinese scheme that has Milo more than once changing his mind about the existence of a mole. By the time the action winds down, things are not looking good for the Tourists. Milo’s future seems particularly bleak, as does his marriage, which has not benefitted from his employer-imposed secretiveness or from his absences from the family as he charges off to make the world safer. Even the CIA-approved marriage counselor has some doubts about Milo’s ability to focus on his family.

Unlike the first novel, the story ends on something of a cliffhanger. That’s not unexpected in a trilogy and, having read the first two, I can’t imagine that any spy fiction fan would forego the pleasure of reading the third installment. The combination of strong plotting, international intrigue, and sharp characterizations enshrine Steinhauer in the top echelon of American spy novelists.

RECOMMENDED

If you loved The Tourist then you are going to love this as well! It takes a bit to get back into it but then you are right there with them. It’s a great spy book, so full of intrigue and so action packed! You are going to have to give it a go! Thanks for the great book Olen !

The Nearest Exit is the second installment of the Milo Weaver Tourist series. In this book, Milo is trying to clear his name and get back to a normal family life with his wife, Tina and daughter, Stephanie. Of course, nothing goes as planned and the story ends with a huge cliffhanger. 

This sequel was even better than the first book in the series in my opinion. And this is the least likely genre I would normally pick up to read. I love hearing about the international cities and the spy plots. I love the cliffhanger and can’t wait to sink my teeth into book three.

This is the third or fourth Milo Weaver book I have read.  All read pretty well.  It would have been better had I read them in the proper order.  Milo Weaver is/was an agent in a specialized CIA group known as the Tourists.  They are about as secret as can be.  He is in and out and is back in again here.  At least for a while.  With a new boss who doesn't know if he can trust him and suspicions of a mole, Milo is in a really bad spot trying to do what is right.  While all this is going on, he is trying to make amends with his wife and daughter.  

A good read, but be aware, that there are language issues.

A great 2nd book in a great spy series! As good or better than expected, no let up in the global espionage shenanigans. Excellent writing, and I’m on to book three soon. I recommend this series to spy-espionage fans. Good stuff.

I received a free copy of The Nearest Exit from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is the second book in the Milo Weaver saga by Olen Steinhuaer and it is essential to have read the first one, The Tourist, in order to have this book make any sense. The events of this novel are predicated on the first one and there are frequent references to the conspiracies, characters, and events. Even though I had read The Tourist, I found there were times that my memory didn't provide the background support required.

Milo tried to leave the CIA and the tourist (assassin) business. But the events of the first novel drew him back and now his marriage is threatened by the secrets and lies that permeate everything and everyone surrounding Milo. Milo's reintroduction to the tourist business means that he is given numerous smaller tasks to assess his willingness and ability to follow orders. His assignment to kidnap and murder a teenage girl, however, forces him to question the need for his unbridled loyalty. Gradually, readers learn the painful truth about the young girl's past and how it intersects with the highest (or lowest) echelons of the spy world.

Steinhauer's characters are well drawn and, where appropriate, serve as blind loyalists to the cause. Milo's doubts and double dealings make him a lonely anomaly. His marriage and family sustain him so their potential loss sends him reeling.

I gave this book two stars because of the intensive requirement to remember the labyrinth of events from the first novel.

Maybe I was a little too enthusiastic when I downloaded all three books in this series - and even the fourth one recently.
Although I can understand why this is such a popular series, for me it doesn't work as well as I would like to. It is fast paced and very well written but there is just too much of everything. Having said this, I found The Nearest Exit included way too much from The Tourist so sometimes I had the feeling reading the same book again.
Milo himself is an intriguing man so I will certainly read parts three and four to see where the story goes. 

Thanks to Minotaur and Netgalley for this digital review copy.

Murder, Blackmail, and a Mole in the Department of Tourism

Milo Weaver’s chance to have a life working as an administrative bureaucrat in the CIA was blown after his last case. Now he’s back as a tourist in the CIA, but he has to prove his loyalty. In this second novel, Weaver is handed a complex case involving the murder of a young girl, blackmail of a German spy, and the suspicion of a mole in the Department of Tourism. 

This is not the exotic world of romantic spies like James Bond. This is a dirty world where compromises are made rather than arrests. Instead of a clean distinction between good and evil, it’s a murky world of expedience. Loyalty is questionable and agents are expendable. 

There is more violence in this book than the first book. There is also more character development. There is moral ambiguity and Weaver is faced with choices he doesn’t want to make. There is plenty of suspense and twists, but the major factor is the arena in which these flawed characters operate. 

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

"The Nearest Exit" serves as a mostly okay sequel to "The Tourist". It does have it's predictable plot points, it does manage to be entertaining and interesting. It serves as a decent follow up.

The second book was just as exciting and suspenseful as the first. The plot twists keep you turning pages to see if you've come to the right conclusion.

In the first book of the series, The Tourist, Milo Weaver was drawn back into the lies and secrets that are sometimes the fiber of the CIA in order to investigate one of his own colleagues. He had to go deep, very deep.

Now, Milo has new bosses, and must prove his loyalty. His prior life is yet unknown to them, but he still has rather high reaches in the Department of Tourism, a secret part of the CIA.

In this story, we have a secondary character, Xin Zhu. Milo does whatever he can, and believe me, he does quite a lot, to bring Zhu down. It is busy, graphic, violent and intriguing. Yeah, hard to believe so much could happen in a relatively short period of time, but, after all, it is a spy thriller. Think of a Hollywood blockbuster or two of the same ilk, and you will find yourself enjoying this novel and turning pages faster than you could imagine.

If I hadn't had the third book, An American Spy, already downloaded on my Kindle, I would have thought Milo came to an end in this book.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

While I’m sure the author put a great deal of time into writing The Nearest Exit, I’m sad to say that it is not one of my favorite books.

The plot was scattered and complex to the point of confusion.  Milo’s assignment is to kill a 15-year old to prove his loyalty? Really?  Then he’s to continue with more dirty work.

The characters were hard to follow with too many, first of all, and then too many names and aliases for some.  Who was the good guy?  Who was the bad guy?  Is he still the good guy?  Or has he turned bad guy?  I never did connect with – or like – any of the characters.  The ending was the best part.

Violence is rampant and nearly everyone is dead.  I admit, I speed read through the last chapters, but I don’t think I missed anything.  No recommendation to read this one from me, I’m afraid.

Absolutely fantastic!!  Loving this series and can't wait for the next book!!  Would highly recommend this series to anyone!

As the 2nd book in this series, Olen Steinhauer sets Milo Weaver into the middle of a moral dilemma that no one should have to face.  Circumstances have returned Milo to "tourist" status and he's not as comfortable in this life as he was before.  The story line builds to the point where Milo must go outside of his normal channels to solve this thriller and keep the world safe.  So far it's Milo=2, bad guys=0!

Minotaur Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Nearest Exit. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Milo Weaver is back with the Department of Tourism, quite reluctantly and under protest. Having to prove his loyalty, Milo must successfully complete a test that includes the abduction and murder of a teenage girl. Already conflicted about the morality of his job, will Milo be able to perform the task assigned him? Will his disillusionment with his career ultimately lead to Milo's downfall?

The problem is simple, with regards to this novel. I really do not like Milo Weaver and do not find him to be a redeeming character. The exploration of his vices is repetitive, constantly reminding the reader that Milo is disturbed by what he has done and has to do as a tourist. I understand the demons in his head, but the constant bombardment of this information does nothing to enhance my interest in the man. The premise was interesting, but the plot was not thrilling enough or suspenseful. I usually like novels involving espionage for the breakneck pace and thrilling moments, but The Nearest Exit did not capture my attention. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend The Nearest Exit to other readers.

For those of us who love international spy thrillers this series is one of the good ones.

I highly encourage you to read the first in the series before moving on so you can keep up on the background of the characters. The writing is good and the plot keeps moving from one thing to the next until I felt like I was in a maze with no way out. But persevere as I did and you will not be disappointed. I'm ready for the next one!

This was a nice fast paced thriller for me. I love reading Olen Steinhauer and this was no exception. Highly recommended!

This is the second book in the series following Milo Weaver. He's a spy and this book is written very well, full of action, moral questions and twists and turns. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is book 2 in the Milo Weaver series and it continues on in the same vein. Picking up with our unfortunate spy Milo Weaver has ended up back in the Department of Tourism under a new managing director. After his misfortunes in book one, he feels his new director is giving him a complex series of tests to prove his loyalty. His penultimate task is to kidnap a Moldovan teenage girl and kill her. Struggling with the decision, he ultimately decides he cannot complete the task and enlists the aid of his Russian father. Things spin out of control quickly when the girl escapes and someone kills her anyway. From there the story becomes a complex, twisted story of governments doing favors for each other through secret channels and international revenge plots. These stories always seem to be disturbingly realistic. The last 100 pages or so are pure excitement, and it ends with a shock. Always a pleasure to read this series. I look forward to more in the series

This is the second book in a series. The first was a disappointment and I was hoping that this one would be an improvement, but it is not to be and so I slogged my way through book two. This is a spy novel that is somewhat predictable with a lot of cliches located throughout the book. While the book is somewhat interesting it is one that the reader can easily walk away from for a while and then circle back to - it is not a page turner. I found it interesting that is was a New York Times bestseller meaning that the book must of either resonated with a number of readers or had a very captivating public relations push. 

I received a free Kindle ARC courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would provide an honest review and post it on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.