Milo Weaver, former “Tourist,” a CIA-trained assassin, and now head of the secretive organization, the Library, has been in hiding in the Western Sahara when the CIA picks up his trail. They send Abdul Ghali, an analyst untested in the field, with a list of questions for the veteran agent because he’s been linked to a terrorist group.

Before they can even begin their conversation, two men attempt to kill them. They are Tourists, but they may not be taking orders from the CIA—their paymasters are unclear.

Determined to capture Milo’s story, Abdul goes on the run with him, learning how the Library unraveled and why Milo went into hiding. Hunted and with few allies, they must find out the complicated relationships and motivations driving the new Tourists. As Abdul begins to understand his own role, he has to decide where his loyalty lies—if he survives.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 (𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘰 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳 #4) by Olen Steinhauer questions the tension between global powers and international businesses. It explores the problem of making decisions with incomplete information, depending on people you can’t trust, and the ethics and efficacy of using assassination.

While there is a lot of action, the plot is built on intrigue and the feints feints and parries between the characters and organizations. It’s a fascinating read, and I liked the shifting points of view, with Leticia being my favorite character. I also liked that big business was a major factor in the narrative. While I didn’t mind not knowing all the pieces of the puzzle, at times, I did wish I had a bit more information at times, but all the strands came together in the end.

Fans of spy thrillers will enjoy this novel!

The Last Tourist by Olen Steinhauer is an entertaining spy novel. Steinhauer's plot features Milo Weaver and his sister Alexandra as they fight the bad guys. Unfortunately they are not sure who they can trust. The Last Tourist marks Steinhauer's return to his Milo Weaver series and many readers will enjoy the reappearance of characters from the previous novels. This was my first Steinhauer novel and I enjoyed the fast pace and interesting plot.

A novel by Olen Steinhauer

Abdul Ghazi wasn't a spy until he was one. Usually, he is a top analyst at CIA's Langley HQ and had been for fourteen years. As an analyst, Abdul worked in the Africa Section, principally because of his ethnic background. His parents had immigrated from Western Sahara before he was born, and at their insistence, he spoke Hassaniya Arabic growing up. Now, here he is in the land of his forefathers looking for a man who associates with known terrorists and who has an Interpol Red Notice with his face on it. That man is Milo Weaver, an old school spy, and Abdul is supposed to ask him twenty questions. That will have to wait because both of them are running for their lives.

As far as spy novels go, "The Last Tourist" has it all. It is well written, has the feel of today's news, the pace is fast, and the storyline is absorbing. Make no mistake; the world of Milo Weaver is not that of James Bond. There are no supervillains, fabulous cars, nor days of wine, women and more women. Milo works in today's brutal covert intelligence battlefield where men and women will kill you just because you are in their way. The author's best gift to his creation is a sense of tense realism that I have never encountered before. Fortunately, there are three novels in the Milo Weaver series that preceded this one, and I look forward to reading every page.

I applaud Olen Steinhauer's writing skills and highly recommend "The Last Tourist" to one and all.

My thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance digital galley of this excellent novel.

Stay Home & Read: The Last Tourist by Olen Steinhauer
Posted on March 24, 2020 by Kevin Holtsberry / 0 Comment
When this month started I wasn’t real bullish on the continued existence of this blog. But then the planet was hit with a pandemic, my kids schools were closed and I am working from home. I started musing on the fact that a lot of people might suddenly have more time on their hands and want to know about good books to read. In a making lemonade sort of way I thought maybe I could provide a service with something I’m calling #StayAtHomeAndRead. Unfortunately, as I was contemplating restarting this moribund blog my basement flooded which grabbed my attention for a few days.

But as luck would have it, what was schedule to be released today but a new book by one of my favorite authors. So I decided to start the series with The Last Tourist by friend of the blog Olen Steinhauer.

Publishers teaser:

In Olen Steinhauer’s bestseller An American Spy, reluctant CIA agent Milo Weaver thought he had finally put “Tourists”—CIA-trained assassins—to bed.

A decade later, Milo is hiding out in Western Sahara when a young CIA analyst arrives to question him about a series of suspicious deaths and terrorist chatter linked to him.

Their conversation is soon interrupted by a new breed of Tourists intent on killing them both, forcing them to run.

As he tells his story, Milo is joined by colleagues and enemies from his long history in the world of intelligence, and the young analyst wonders what to believe. He wonders, too, if he’ll survive this encounter.

Perhaps I should get the disclosures out of the way. I’ve been a fan of Olen Steinhauer since I stumbled upon Bridge of Sighs in 2005. I have interviewed him a couple of times, and have even started watching the TV show he created and produces, Berlin Station (by purchasing it on Amazon because I didn’t have Epix, I might add). Unlike with The Middleman, from which the above disclosure is taken, this time I didn’t forget to post a review on pub day. So I got that goin for me.

My take?

Short version: Classic Steinhauer! Intelligent espionage fiction with twist and turns and a global conspiracy. Old characters and new. Makes me want to go back and re-read the whole series with Milo Weaver. And delete a bunch of apps off my phone…


I just want to point out that I dashed off the above on Goodreads and only today found out that Bookpage basically said the same thing:

…once you read this one, you will want to go back and read the others, so just get them all and block out a long weekend to enjoy some of the finest modern spy thrillers.

Sightly longer version: Steinhauer offers the complexity and depth of more literary writers but within the espionage genre. He builds complex and multifaceted characters and shows you the world through their eyes. He evocatively describes people and places all over the world in ways that make you think he spends all of his time traveling and researching these things in person; he puts you there with words.

Here is what I wrote about An American Spy:

There is an underlying tension in espionage – and thus in spy fiction – in that at root it is the search for truth and yet in pursuing that elusive truth, truth itself – or at least honesty and veracity – are the first causality (cliché perhaps but accurate I think). An American Spy mirrors this and in fact forces the reader to wrestle with it and “live” in this type of world. You find yourself constantly trying to understand the strategy and motivations of each side while guessing their next steps – in other words, thinking like a spy. What also becomes clear is how the nature of the trade undermines trust and casts doubt on everything.

That is true of The Last Tourist except with a twist. What if multinational corporations started acting like nation states? So now you have the politics and espionage involved since time began but an added complication of powerful, wealthy and technologically cutting-edge worldwide companies playing a role.

The engine of Steinhauer’s work is not action, although there are bursts of that too, but the underlying question of motives and strategy; who is doing what and why? And this includes Milo himself; what is he doing and why. But you get to try and understand the world from a variety of perspectives: the perhaps naive CIA analyst sent to find Milo; Milo’s own sister pulled into operations to save her brother’s life; the cold blooded, usually, freelance killer being recruited by a variety of sides; the international diplomats playing The Game; etc. And not just the mechanical sort of motivations but the worldview and morals of the characters; what truly means something to them when everything is on the line.

Just when you think you have grab the thread, something twists or turns and you are back to questioning what you thought you knew. Which is kind the point.

As I said, I am biased. I am a fan of Steinhauer and loved thoroughly enjoyed The Last Tourist but others did too:

Booklist:

What follows is a byzantine tale of alliances formed and discarded, double crosses tripled and quadrupled, in which “corporations are the new nation-states,” with their own armies. Like John le Carré’s Agent Running in the Field (2019), Steinhauer pits a disenchanted agent, an ideologue no more, against the new evil empire, multinational corporations for whom “money knows no borders.” It’s not a fair fight, but Milo is a hell of a counterpuncher, and we love rooting for him.

Publisher’s Weekly:

No dummies survive in this twisty shadow realm, and Milo’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.

So if you are looking something to read in these difficult times and enjoy intelligent fiction, check out the The Last Tourist. And if you haven’t already, for pete’s sake, go back and read the back catalog…

It’s been 8 years since we’ve had a novel dedicated to the trials and tribulations of Milo Weaver, Olen Steinhauer’s former spy turned spymaster. Milo was a member of a secretive CIA department called Tourism, it’s agents tasked with cleaning up messes that the government didn’t want to have to acknowledge. Members of the department, called “tourists” would fan out around the world killing those who got in the way of the good ol’ US of A. At the end of An American Spy, the department had been decimated by its rivals in the Chinese government and put in mothballs. Weaver ended up taking over for his father as the head of yet another secret spy agency, this one called “the library” and run out of the UN by Milo’s father, a former Russian spy. Despite the rather loopy description above when you read the novels Steinhauer manages to keep the concept grounded in reality, mostly succeeding in making the wild leaps feel natural.
The Last Tourist begins from the point of view of a CIA analyst, Abdul Ghalili, sent far away from his desk to Laayoune, Western Sahara to debrief Milo after he’s reached out to the CIA. Ghalili is a fish out of water, quickly out of his element and left at the mercy of people far above him. A fresh point of view turns out to be a good way to reintroduce some of the characters we haven’t seen in years, as well as offer another character besides Milo whose story we’re invested in.
After a surprising cameo appearance in his previous book, The Middleman, in his latest we get a fuller picture of what Milo has been up to over the past few years. His job as head of the Library has been going relatively smoothly and kept him and his family out of the line of fire, getting back to some level of normalcy after the rollercoaster that the first three books put the characters through. In the past, Steinhauer’s best trick has been balancing the spy stuff with more mundane, but relatable, family drama and that continues here. Which would fill you with more dread, assassins chasing after you or being called into the principal’s office for a meeting about your delinquent child? I know my choice.
As the action ramps up we learn that someone has restarted the Department of Tourism and isn’t too keen to have any old staff members wandering around. It puts Milo off his game and as the story plays out we learn there’s a darker reason for Ghalili’s involvement.
Although the human stories are strong, the plot mechanics behind the forces at work seemed apparent from the start and while many of the references to current events made the book of the moment, I worry about how it holds up long term. To Steinhauer’s credit, The Tourist came quite directly out of 9/11 and still stands up as a great thriller, so maybe that won’t be as big of a concern for The Last Tourist.
If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the next appearance of Milo Weaver and his fellow tourists, you won’t be disappointed in this book. As with the best of his previous books, Steinhauer mixes high concept spy antics with family drama and the volatile political moment we seem to be living through in a lively and exciting manner.

The chemistry between these two is explosive, but they have to jump through hoops and navigate obstacles, before they are able to get to their happy ending. I really enjoyed this book.

Rating: 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

Strap in for another wild ride in the world of Milo Weaver. You are going to need your seat belt in order to survive all the blind curves and steep descents that Olen Steinhauer throws at you in this the fourth installment of his Milo Weaver suspense series.

This book is all over the map, literally. While it could be read as a standalone, I think you’d miss some of the more nuanced clues if this was your first foray into Milo’s world. Believe me, in order to keep pace with the goings-on; you don’t want to miss any clues! Besides, why deprive yourself of the fun of reading Milo’s first three adventures? The modern spy thriller isn’t written as much as it used to be, or at least they don’t come to my attention as much as they used to. This is a solid series that isn’t stuck in the Cold War era.

This is great book for spy-thriller aficionados, and readers who enjoy fast-paced plots with plenty of action.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, St Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books; and the author, Olen Steinhauer, for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Milo Weaver is back in The Last Tourist, this time trying to defend himself against a Red Notice. It's been 10 years since the last installment of this series and we find Milo in hiding and trying to get his story out to the CIA. The Agency sends Abdul to collect him and his story, but things turn deadly. Can Milo and company save the world from themselves before they are extingushed?

This genre is so far from my normal comfort zone, but I loved it. With so many players in the espionage game, I have to really pay attention to the details, but it keeps me locked on the book and reading for hours. Milo is an interesting character, cold when he needs to be, but humanized when he's with his wife and daughter. Suspenseful and intriguing, pick this one up for a great distraction from the world today!

A comprehensive political thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and also has the potential to give you trust issues. It details shadowy government organizations working against the people they are supposed to protect. It has great characters and conversations that border on the surreal. It shows how the work of spies can have a great impact on a family. It is truly a remarkable story.
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Politics, espionage, spies and international global action made for a great novel.
The Last Tourist is Book 4 in the Milo Weaver Series.

There was a plethora of characters, which were complex and complicated with story telling alternating between past and present that put me on a crazy ride.

Great book, I highly recommend.

This seemed like a thrilling conclusion the series about traveling spies. Jam packed with action,globe-trotting and lots of people in a complex plot

and killers from all over the world.

A Complex International Spy Thriller

The novel starts with Abdul Ghali, CIA desk-bound Africa analyst, is called into his section head’s office. He was handed a thick and heavily redacted file on a former employee, Milo Weaver, who had left the CIA to work with the United Nations. Weaver also seems to have connections to a terrorist group, the Massive Brigade, and several months ago he dropped off the grid. He was just found in Western Sahara, and his section chief wanted him to go there and ask him 20 questions. Abdul is not sure why he was chosen. His parents are from that part of the world. He knows the native language. But, he never had been a field operative. Also, Milo is American and is fluent in English! Lastly, there is a CIA operative in Western Sahara. When Abdul is interviewing Milo, they are interrupted, and Milo tells Abdul why he was selected! The main storyline shifts back and to cover the time when Milo went off the grid.

For me the main storyline started very slowly. This first section did not capture my attention and left me wanting. That quickly changed at the very end of the first section through the rest of the novel. Eventually, the main storyline captured my attention. The cast is very diverse from multiple to many people from two terror groups, CIA, diplomatic and intelligence services from 12 countries, an NGO intelligence organization, and a global cabal of companies. The action stretches from Japan west to the United States and Northern Africa to central Europe. To add a little more flavor to this mix, global real events are sprinkled throughout the novel. On the plus side there are plenty twists and misdirections in the plot that helped keep my interest.

The B-storyline also is rich and complex. Milo seems to have a personal relationship with many of the characters in the novel. Much of Milo’s history is covered is covered; the essentials that make him Milo. Abdul’s character and background with his family also is covered in depth. These story lines are well integrated into the main storyline, and for me enriched the novel and my enjoyment.

There is not any sex. The violence is both described after the fact and some as it occurs. The language is moderate with a few very vulgar terms included. This level was not a negative mark for me but may be by some readers sensitive to this. Because of the large number of characters, I did use the search capability of my e-reader quite a few times to refresh my memory of who’s who. Lastly, this is the fourth book in the series, and the first that I have read. I did not feel after reading this novel that I needed to have read the others. When I looked up the titles of the other novels, I would say you still can read this novel first, but you may enjoy it more if you read the other novels first.

Overall, this was a slow but enjoyable read for me. It was a little more challenging for me that the novels I usually read. This novel did meet my criteria for a high rating but not the highest. I rate this novel with four stars. If this novel looks interesting, do give it a try.

I have received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from St Martin’s Press with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

I had not read a spy thriller in a long time. I was excited to start The Last Tourist by Olen Steinhauer. Unfortunately, I found this book confusing with so many characters. I tried to take notes but became frustrated and could not just enjoy the story. I also did not realize this was the fourth in a series. Maybe if I had read the first book and understood Milo Weaver, I would have enjoyed this book more. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As always, another great story by Olen Steinhauer and great next installment to the series. As always, the author delivers on intrigue, action and suspense. A must read.

I had a hard time getting into this one. The writing is good and details suggest extensive research, so I think it's just a case of picking up a book at the wrong time. I will come back to it when I feel ready to immerse in this world and the extensive pages of dialogue.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. .

The Last Tourist by Olen Steinhauer is a highly recommended, complex espionage thriller and the fourth novel featuring Milo Weaver.

It is a decade since ex-CIA agent Milo Weaver thought the corps of CIA-trained assassins called "Tourists" had finally ended. Milo is the head of the Library, a secret espionage operation buried within the UN’s bureaucracy. He has his own concerns with the Library, but a series of violent assaults point to a group of assassins back at work and they seem to be operating outside the reach of any country's control. Milo is driven into hiding in the Western Sahara when a young inexperienced CIA analyst arrives to question him, which results in both of them running for their lives.

This is a tension pack, complex novel set in the underworld of espionage, with danger at every turn as both sides engage maneuvers, parries, deflections, and double-crossing. It is a demanding plot that does require you to pay close attention as you read to characters, the backstories, their actions and loyalties. Everyone is suspect. Everyone has their own agenda. It must be noted that this novel is not a mindless way to pass the time. You are going to have to actively follow the myriad of characters and the complicated plot.

I have not read the previous Milo Weaver novels. It may have helped me with some of the backstory if I had, but I did manage to follow what was happening and unpack the history. Of course, you'll have to pick all of this up while you are racing along with the breakneck pace and trying to tamp down your level of tension as the plot threads unfold. It's a wild, convoluted ride with a plot that contains layers upon layers of information. Milo Weaver is a great character and surviving depends upon his acumen and intelligence.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Macmillian.
After publication the review will be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

This is a convoluted tale, matching the politics of real life, on the lines of “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Maybe. Unless I need need something from my enemy today, and let’s see how that works out in the short term. Author Olen Steinhauer diligently examines all angles, parading many different names and characters in front of us. Even the minor characters are allowed to display their emotions and thoughts, thus breathing life in them rather than forcing readers to endure flat characterizations.

This book is in the subgenre of spy stories that focuses more on intrigue rather than chapter after chapter of gunfights and car chases. While there is action throughout the story, much of the tale concerns the relationships between the characters and their actions to help or mislead their friends and adversaries. Milo Weaver tells much of the story, although others involved in the story tell their parts at times.

Kudos to Mr. Steinhauer, as the preparation and research to write a book rich with background information must have involved a ton of time. With the multitude of people introduced, I found myself reading slower than normal, ensuring that I “met” each person introduced as he or she might show up in a later chapter. When reading other books whose authors try achieve the same effect, I have felt frustration with trying to remember everybody. With “The Last Tourist,” however, it was similar to cooking and eating a great dinner. The best things are meant to be simmered and then slowly savored.

I’ve read one other book in the Milo Weaver series, not enough to know everything that has happened in his fictional life but enough to appreciate Mr. Steinhauer’s work. Even though the character of Milo Weaver has a long history, there is no issue reading this current book as a standalone. There is enough explanation to allow me to easily follow how everyone has a history with Milo, yet not enough is revealed to prevent me from reading those earlier novels. I always appreciate when a writer can accomplish that for readers. Great spy thriller for those readers who appreciate an immense amount of background details. Five stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary electronic copy of this title.

I must admit I chose this advance reader copy from NetGalley by accident. I didn’t realize it was a full on soy novel or the 4th in a series. It’s well written and has an interesting storyline, but it is not my cup of tea. If spy novels are your thing I absolutely recommend it. I found myself a bit confused by not knowing Milo’s backstory, the history of the Tourists, and various characters. I spent some mental energy trying to figure out what was suspenseful characterization or who I would have known from previous books. I may find myself going back and reading the other books some day.

Interesting story and characters but this book was not for me. I haven't read the other books by this author but the story of espionage was not for me. It did appear that the author did a lot of research for this book and I think folks that were interesting in the hunt would be into this book.

Thank you St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read this book.

3.75 Stars

This is the fourth book in the Milo Weaver series by Olen Steinhauer.

Great novel but I was confused. I really do like a good spy novel but I was a bit perplexed by this one. In some ways it was easy to follow and in other ways I was totally baffled. And that is the way it should be in spy books, right?

This says it is a Milo Weaver book but it really didn’t feel like it to me. Milo wasn’t actually what I would consider the main POV. It was shared with two other characters who in reality seemed to just shine off the page more than Weaver did. I have not read any of the other books in the Milo Weaver series so I may be behind the eight ball here. The resurrection of “The Library” and the “Tourists” from the Department of Tourism that spy for it was particularly interesting to me. Not sure if this was a part of the previous three novels.

If you love a good action adventure story with tons of drama and a killing or two, then this is for you. I don’t think I was in the right mind-space for it right now. All the technical stuff just went over my head and I kept confusing who was speaking as the “I” character from time to time. The POV jumped around a lot. Too much for my brain, apparently. Don’t let that dissuade you from reading this novel. It is very good. Reccommended.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.