3 and 1/2 stars for me. This second book in the series was not as interesting as the first to me.  There were so many foreign names, and so much very detailed intrigue, with many foreign countries, that it was slow going.  It was interesting, and I read to the end, but not as enjoyable.  Some people may just love those things, but it was a little confusing, and having to concentrate on those details slogged the story down for me.  Thank you to NetGalleey, Olen Steinhauer and Minotaur Books for generously giving me an ARC of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.  
An interesting espionage story, lots of twists and turns along the way.

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The Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer is the second book featuring ex-CIA assassin/family man Milo Weaver. The novel involves the fictional “tourism” department of the CIA and it is the secondbook in the Milo Weaver series.

Milo Weaver is enjoying his quite life after leaving the CIA. As Milo soon finds out, his services are needed again when he is forced back into the “Tourism” Department.

To prove his loyalty to his new bosses, Milo kidnaps a young German immigrant, only to later discover she was killed. Milo, now wanted for murder, must unravel layers of bureaucracy and double crosses to solve this mystery.

If Mr. Steinhauer keeps writing this way he’s soon going to be in the list of my favorite writers. In The Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer bats the story out of the park again, with an unbelievable plot involving the CIA, Germany’s secret service as well as a guest appearances by the Ukrainians and Chinese.

As in the first book, The Tourist, the plot is complex and the narrative flows. The author keeps his excellent story line of vague political morals where the good guys and bad guys seem to be cut from the same cloths, only working under different flags.

The central theme of this book is whether or not taking the life of an innocent child could be used as a reason for the greater good. The question becomes what exactly is “the greater good”, are those that decide this point looking out for the population at larger, or for their own self-interest. In Milo Weaver’s world, full of amoral co-workers, the twists never stop and the sense of justice doesn’t even exist.

As in the first book, Mr. Steinhauer doesn’t shy away from pitting his protagonist’s job against his personal life. Weaver keeps paying a very steep price, personally, for his decision to be a moral beacon in an immoral environment.

The world built in this book is a complex maze of shadows and shifting realities. There are no bad guys, because there are no good guys for comparison, as seen from the trenches of the espionage world.

This book is the second in the trilogy about former CIA spy Milo Weaver. I liked the first book better but this was a pretty good read.

The first part of the book had me turning pages but when they introduced the German agent I felt it started to drag a bit.  Nothing that would make me abandon the book and I admit once the character was “flashed out” I enjoyed it more.  You definitely want to start with the first book in the series and I certainly look forward to the last book to wrap it up.  Like the Bourne Identity – you want to make that journey from the beginning of Milo’s story to the end.

Good character development from the first book and this second story picked up smoothly from the first.  If you are a fan of espionage you may like this book.  Hoping it becomes a movie!

I received this complimentary copy from NetGalley and opinions are all mine; I was not compensated for this review.

I read The Nearest Exit, by Olen Stein Hauer, directly after reading the first book of the series (The Tourist). While both are eminently readable, The Nearest Exit is more than just a follow up book. It trumps the starter book, holding twists that surprised me and left me thinking for hours. As a former spy and author of my own bestselling espionage thriller series (DS Kane's Spies Lie series), I was both entertained and enlightened, and highly recommend Steinhauer's The Nearest Exit.

This is the second of three Milo Weaver books I read.  It was my least favorite of the set.  Milo is a CIA man out of retirement. He has skills. He also has morals and occasional questions regarding his assignments.  The China aspect of The Nearest Exit was intriguing. This book seemed a little out of balance, the first half moved very quickly and then it lost momentum for me. I like the Milo Weaver character, he's really well drawn and engaging. The secondary characters seemed strong as well.  This book probably wouldnt stand alone, as the backstory is complicated.  I'm sticking with the series, though perhaps a break between books would have been a good idea. 
3.0
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

The story continues as Milo returns to his job as a "tourist" (which as a spy).  This one was a little better than the first one.  It may have been because I had more back story.  I was given a copy from Net Galley to review - if not I may not have finished it.  I think it is just not my cup of tea.  The writing is good and the locations interesting.

A good follow up to the previous book. This book also had a good plot, interesting characters and an exciting location. A fun to read heart racing thriller mystery. Would recommend to my mom who loves these types of books.

While still a good book, I did not find "The Nearest Exit" as enjoyable as "The Tourist".  I liked the interaction between Milo Weaver and his father, Yevgeny Primakov.  I also enjoyed some of the new characters, especially Director Erica Schwartz of the BND.  However, I did not particularly care for one of the major plotlines.  Furthermore, the story felt rather disjointed, as if the author threw a bunch of things together in order to progress to the larger plotline involving the Chinese that will be the focus of the third book.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

The saga continues as Milo returns to his old job as a "tourist" (which is CIA spy).  This is a very complex spy thriller with bad guys and badder guys.  The world of intrigue and international spies is all about greed and revenge.  Milo is asked to do something that even he can't do and as he sets about to convince his boss and the world that he did do it everything goes out of control.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Tourist and dove right into this second-in-series to see what on earth Milo Weaver would find himself embroiled in this time. The Tourists are in trouble, Milo's been in jail, people are dead... It had all the hallmarks of a throat-clencher - and it did open that way. Then in the middle the focus of the story started to shift between a woman we (eventually) discover is a semi-disgraced German intelligence agent and Milo, and that's when things started to waver a bit for me.  Ultimately, the shift made sense and offered a depth to the story that I enjoyed - but only after the personalities were all explained and the overlaps made clear, and that took a little time. In the last quarter things fell back into the rhythm I'd come to expect from The Tourist, but I must confess I found the plot lagging a bit in that middle section...  Still, on the whole it was another solid four-star read - my unsolicited advice to other readers is to not let yourself get distracted when things seem a bit random, and trust in Steinhauer to bring it all together!

I enjoy Olen Steinhauer’s writing style.  I previously read his first two books about this character, Milo. This third installment lived up to my expectations as it was just as well written and as intriguing as the first two. This is definitely an author I want to keep my eye on.

This is with out a doubt one of the best book I’ve read in a long time 
The way the author portrayed the characters was amazing 
Will recommend this to my family and friends

I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley. In this rollercoaster ride you are drawn to the shocking ending and it is definitely worth reading. Talk about edge of your seat, candle burning reading!

The Nearest Exit is a good book with interesting and storyline. Well written and fascinating. This is the second I have read by this author.

I liked The Tourist a lot -- I loved The Nearest Exit. The book picks up where the last one left off: with Milo Weaver battered, sad, and back on the front lines of the spy business. This story displays the nasty, brutish business of spydom where the "why" is often far more sordid than patriotic. At the heart of the story is Weaver's search for a mole while at the same time desperately manoeuvering to avoid following some pretty awful orders. As Weaver follows the clues he also tries to figure out how to come back in from the cold to reclaim his family and his reputation. A terrific read -- the more Weaver learns, the more impressed I too was with the machinations at the heart of the novel.

*Just posted a review on Amazon.

Thanks for the ARC NET GALLEY the premier digital service of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book will make you a fan, even if it is #2.  Ground view of espionage and the price it costs nations and individuals.  You will love Milo, and the many parts of his character.

I got The Tourist, not realizing somehow it, and its subsequent other novels, were spy novels.  I am, unfortunately, not a fan of spy novels.  So my review really doesn't have to do with how good a book this is, but just that I am not interested in reading a spy novel.  I didn't want to give it a one star, based on my own personal taste and not having read it, felt it would be unfair to give it a 5 star, so I settled on 3 stars.

After reading the first Milo Weaver book, I quickly jumped into this one. My hope was that the author was finding his footing and laying the groundwork for a compelling spy series and things would pick up with this book. Instead, I found more of the same, loads of lengthy dialogue, repetitiveness, and bits of action followed by page after page of slow-moving story. The story has great potential but seems to always stay just this side of the compelling read that it could be. I'm two for two now on this series that can't seem to cross over into something memorable, something that would make me want to continue on. As it stands, I'm on the fence about the series and its main character, so I think I'll be taking a break before considering the next Milo Weaver story.

I was hooked from the very beginning. This is a complicated story with lots of secrets. I felt for the main character as he goes on quite a ride. #The Nearest Exit #NetGalley