Cover Image: Two Nights in Lisbon

Two Nights in Lisbon

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Member Reviews

“You think you know a person . . .Ariel Pryce wakes up in Lisbon, alone. Her husband is gone—no warning, no note, not answering his phone. Something is wrong.”

After hearing Anne Bogel recommend Two Nights in Lisbon on the What Should I Read Next episode 422, and realizing I had this unread title as an ARC on my NetGalley shelf, I finally read (and listened to the audiobook) to this novel by Chris Pavone. So glad I did! I loved that this suspenseful thriller was a twisty page turner without being overly gory or nightmarish. I liked that, afterwards, it made me think about the less obvious, but serious, ripple effects that can happen when rich politicians or people in power do bad things and buy their way out of them.
Other thoughts…
*I loved having the print and audiobook available. The audiobook was narrated by January LaVoy, who did a great job. Would definitely recommend it. Also, because of the timeline hopping between past and present, I was able to go back into the print copy if any confusion occurred.
*Great sense of place.
*In general, I liked the ending, but really would have liked John’s “Yes?” in the epilogue to have been a more detailed answer.
*As much as I liked this, there were places that this dragged and seemed redundant. Definitely could have been shorter in length.
*Trigger warning- Sexual assault, kidnapping, some drug use
Thank you to NetGalley and to Farrr, Straus and Giroux for this ARC in return for my honest review.

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This book has more turns and loops than a roller coaster. Ariel Pryce takes a trip with her new husband, John Wright but on the first night there, he goes missing. The book takes the reader on a twisty ride with Ariel (as narrator) and how she tries to find her husband. She is resourceful and a fighter. You wonder how she knows how to navigate through the chaos. Could the reader do the same if it happened to you?We learn of her back story as the real events are unfolding. At times this can be confusing and sometimes there is too much narrative. If you like a thriller, this one you will not be able to put down. I look forward to discussing it with my book club! Highly recommend.

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Intense, action packed and full of twists! I was tied up in this one until the end! Fantastic!

Thank you, Chris Pavone, the publisher and netgalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

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This is a unique, well-written mystery that I really enjoyed. My only gripe is that it's long for a thriller -- more than 400 pages! -- but I did have a good time reading it. My first Chris Pavone book and I'll definitely pick up his work again.

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I’m such a mood reader that it took me forever to pick this one up, but I’m so glad I finally did! This was a propulsive, twisty little thriller that kept me guessing at every turn. The final twist was a little unbelievable, but it didn’t lessen my overall enjoyment of the story in the slightest. 4.5 stars.

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The premise is definitely intriguing: a missing husband in Lisbon, but the pacing is slow and the book felt long for a thriller that takes place in two nights.

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Two Nights in Lisbon is a suspenseful thriller surrounding a woman who risks it all and puts it all on the line. This woman, Ariel Pryce awakens in Lisbon all alone. She quickly surmises that something is very wrong - her husband is gone, without warning, without a note .. and now he's not answering his phone. As this one is a race against time - across the world, this story kept me engaged until the very end.

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I am slowly make progress on my long overdue reviews as part of a New Year's resolution. I am determined to get caught up this year, even though I still sign up for new novels that pique my interest.
Ariel Pryce accompanies her new husband John Wright on a business trip to Lisbon. Things get off to a rough start after her goes out early the morning after they arrive at their hotel and disappears. Ariel is upset and alerts the hotel staff and local police. They don't seem too concerned since it has been less than twenty-four hours. All of a sudden everyone seems very interested after she receives a ransom demand. Even United States government officials jump into the fray making it appear politics may be involved.
The reader slowly learns Ariel's back story and why she changed her name. John isn't completely a reliable character either. Many events happen over the two nights and days in Lisbon. You would think the plot would be fast paced, but at over 500 pages that isn't true. Although there are many twist and turns that last until the end, repetition, one of my pet peeves, is used too often.
Looking at how "the other half lives" and how a simpler life can be fulfilling was entertaining on many levels. Chris Pavone was a new to me author. I would be open to reading another of his thrillers in the future.

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Such a great book and so very easy to read! It has so many twists and turns you would think that you were in the mountains LOL. I highly recommend this book! Hurry and pick yourself up a copy and sit down and enjoy yourself! Thank you for writing such a great book!

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This is my first book by Chris Pavone. It definitely won’t be my last. It is a perfect beach read! An international setting, Newly wed Ariel Pryce has accompanied her second husband on a business trip to Lisbon. She has left her son with her mom. Ariel wakes up in the hotel and cannot find John anywhere. She decides to go to the American Embassy and to the police. No one seems concerned. The book is rather slow in the beginning and her past is inserted throughout the book. The book picks up speed when a motorcycle looks like the driver is going to run over her. It stops and the driver hands her a cell phone. At this point, the story speeds up. There are a couple of twists I did not see. Obrigada por um bom livro!

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Ariel Pryce awakens in Lisbon to an unsettling reality—her husband is gone, leaving no trace, no warning, and not responding to any attempts at communication. As confusion and concern set in, Ariel embarks on a quest for answers, starting with hotel security, progressing to the police, and reaching out to the American embassy. Each encounter raises more questions that Ariel struggles to answer: What is John doing in Lisbon? Why did he bring her along on his business trip? Who might pose a threat to him? And why does Ariel know so little about her significantly younger husband?

The ticking clock intensifies Ariel's frustration and desperation, pushing her to the brink of running out of time. The one person who holds the key to unraveling the mystery is also the last person she wishes to ask for help.

The narrative establishes a compelling start, effectively portraying Ariel's mounting frustration and desperation in her quest to locate her missing husband. As readers delve into Ariel's backstory, empathy naturally builds for the challenges she has faced in the past. The involvement of the police, Consular Services, and the CIA adds layers of complexity to the story, though the initial lack of explanation in the first half may seem unrealistic.

The political undertones of the thriller emerge in the latter part of the narrative, contributing significantly to the suspense and overall atmosphere. While certain plot elements may feel somewhat predictable, and the pacing could be tightened, especially in the middle, the book manages to engage readers sufficiently, keeping them invested in discovering how the story will unfold in the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I am far behind on leaving feedback because I kept hoping I would go back to this book and it would get better. Unfortunately, after the opening chapter it didn't keep my attention at all. I didn't like the main character at all. I was expecting more of a thriller based on the description but I was generally bored. I couldn't finish it without skimming and I didn't feel like I missed much.

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In Two Nights in Lisbon, Ariel wakes up in Portugal alone to find her new husband John gone. She knows something is wrong and seeks the assistance of the hotel, the police, and then the US embassy to help her find him.

Each of these parties asks Ariel questions she has a hard time answering — Why is John here in Portugal? Why did she come with him? Which clients is he meeting with? The reality is, Ariel and John’s relationship moved quickly and she doesn’t have all the answers. When Ariel receives an update on John, she knows time is truly running out and desperation has left her limited options.

Even though I felt her demeanor toward others was off-putting at times, I felt for the high-stakes situation Ariel was in, and what she had been through, revealed through many flashbacks. That said, there was so much focus in this book on how women are wronged and I get it, we often are! It just began to feel like overkill in addition to slowing down the suspenseful pace of the story.

At one point, I thought I had to be near the end, only to see there were still almost 4 hours left in the audiobook! January Lavoy did a good job narrating and I enjoyed the conclusion of Two Nights in Lisbon though it took longer than necessary to get there — 3.5 stars

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Another great Pavone book, but that being said, it was not my favorite. The plot was twisty and kept me turning the pages, but there were places where it seemed to drag a bit. As always, the locales, characters and prose made for a good read.

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The synopsis of this book really grabbed my attention. However, this story went more of a crime-thriller direction that didn't work for me. For people looking for more of that crime story style, this is great.

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What do you do when you wake in a foreign country to find your recently wed husband missing without explanation and with no apparent witnesses seeing him leave your hotel? That’s the scenario that Ariel Pryce finds herself in Chris Pavone’s novel, “Two Nights in Lisbon.”

Upon finding her husband, John, oddly gone from their hotel room (although supposedly on a business-trip that she’s accompanied him on but hasn’t met any of his colleagues), Ariel soon learns that he’s being held hostage in exchange for a €3million Euro ransom with a short deadline.

However. police, consular officials and other authorities think that something stinks, and Ariel becomes their number one suspect because both she and John have too many oddities in their past and her behavior is definitely dodgy.

This is a long and winding journey but definitely worth the twist at the end. Be patient because it’s a provocative read.

TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Chris Pavone, and Publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux, MCD for this advance reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

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I had my book club ready this and I think everyone liked it, however one of the members sent the author an email and he was extremely rude to her so I won't be promoting his books.

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Thank you Farrar, Straus and Giroux, MCD ​and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
"Two Nights in Lisbon" is truly an intriguing read! The story commences with Ariel waking up to the unsettling discovery of her missing newlywed husband. The narrative unfolds in a captivating manner, keeping readers guessing and curious about the unfolding events in her relentless pursuit to find him.

The only downside, in my opinion, is its length, spanning over 400 pages. At times, the story feels like it could have been more concise, as it meandered a bit. Nevertheless, the satisfying ending compensates for this, and overall, I believe it is a good book worth recommending.

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Ariel Pryce accompanies her husband to Lisbon for a quick business trip. On the first morning she awakes to find her husband missing. She contacts hotel security, the local police, and then the American Embassy, each dismissing her fears. And then she receives a ransom note, and everyone takes her a bit more seriously. The amount requested is substantial, far more than Ariel or her husband has. There is only one person with vast resources she knows. The storyline is interesting and keeps you guessing and curious about what’s going to unravel next in her quest to find her husband. The backstory was just as fascinating as the present day situation with John being missing. The groundwork is laid to the point in which I didn't find it difficult to piece things together. Despite the fact I had a sense of the direction there were some questions I wanted answers to in order to fill in the blanks. Credit goes to the author because with other thrillers that can lead to me feeling bored but that certainly wasn't the case here as my interest level didn't wane. The writing was stellar, really crisp and compelling. The characterizations were excellent and the story was very tautly plotted and moved along at a good clip.

Thank you Net Galley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux MCD for the ARC

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This was a captivating novel that kept my heart rate up. Fast paced hunt for John, Ariels husband who was kidnapped on their work trip to Lisbon. With only 48 hours to hand over a large ransom, will she be able to do it? Ariel goes through obstacle after obstacle to meet the demands of the kidnappers. Long book but well worth it

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