I loved the Expats, another novel by Chris Pavone - I thought it was a fabulous book and I recommended it to everyone. So when I received an ARC of #TwoNightsInLisbon from #netgalley I was super excited... Let the reading commence....

The main character Ariel is married to a much younger man. One morning she wakes up in Lisbon and her husband is missing. While reading this, and watching the story unfold in my head I had so many questions:
What happened to her husband?
What does she really know about him?
What secrets does Ariel have, and why did she change her name?

I loved the way that the story unfolded. I kept thinking :one more chapter" so I could see what happened next.

However.. (there is always a "but" ). On one hand I liked how nobody really believed her or took her seriously - mostly because she was a woman.. The sense of a woman struggling in a male world really resonated. On the other hand, I felt the male/female struggle was a bit over the top. It felt like she thought the men didn't help, not because they felt she was "less", but because they all wanted to have sex with her. This really annoyed me. It took me out of the story at times.

I do want to thank the author, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

Two Nights in Lisbon is a decent thriller that readers of the genre will likely enjoy, though I don't think it's pulling in a larger audience. What I mean by that is, it follows the conventions, it's not particularly unique, and it stays in its lane, never venturing into a literary space. While I've never read anything by Chris Pavone and didn't know going into it whether Chris was a male or female, it's instantly recognizable as a story about a female character, as written by a man. This isn't to say it's <i>bad</i>, or that men shouldn't be allowed to write female leads, but it comes across as a more factual, action-thriller than something emotional, like a psychological thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley for recommending this book. The book was great! The ending was a surprise. Ariel wakes up in Lisbon to find her husband gone. He has been kidnapped. What does she know about him? Can she trust the local police, the Embassy. or the CIA? Why did she change her name? I love how all the pieces came together. I will definitely be reading more Chris Pavone.

This book is great. Just when I thought I figured things out, it looked like something else was happening. I stayed up late last night so I could finish it. I needed to know what happened. Just loved it!

Chris Pavone's thrillers are always intelligent, whiplash-paced reads, but TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON ranks among the best of his work. Tautly plotted and richly characterized, this novel rockets out the gate with surprises--and they never stop coming. Highly recommended.

If I could have given it ten stars, I would.

It took me just a tad longer than two nights to devour Chris Pavone’s Two Nights in Lisbon. I could have finished it faster, but I wanted to draw it out, savor the of the unfolding story and the genius in the way he reveals it. This is not your ordinary thriller where we try to figure out how the situation will be resolved, nor is it the ordinary mystery. Every well-drawn character has a mystery of her or his own, each revealed slowly, tantalizingly, as the story progresses.

Ariel Pryce is a newlywed whose husband is kidnapped and held for ransom over two nights in Lisbon. But she is so much more than that and her story is deep and complex. Pavone does a marvelous job of getting inside her head and taking the reader on her journey. Secrets. So many secrets, all leading up to a conclusion I never saw coming. And the author’s take on the challenges of a woman navigating a man’s world is spot on.

I have read several of Pavone’s novels and loved them, but this is the best yet.

And once I finished I felt a great sense of loss, as in, where am I going to find another read that will envelope, entertain and amaze me as much as this one has?

Two Nights in Lisbon, was one of my most sought after reads for 2022. First off the cover is easy on the eyes and had me so curious to see the content. I don't think I could have ever anticipated what a wild ride this book would take me on.

Two Nights in Lisbon, is going to break the internet on release day.

I know that my nightmares at time can seem way too real and I wake up almost in shock not knowing if what happened was a dream or reality. Now, imagine going to bed next to your spouse in a foreign country and waking to find that they have disappeared?

Now, on top of all of this, no one believes you or at least takes you seriously.

Sounds like a living nightmare, correct?

This was a quick read and panic filled suspense novel. If you are looking for something that will keep your interest and be a quick and easy read, this book is for you .

Took me for a ride, kept me reading when I thought I can could just "finish this chapter" right from the first paragraph to the last page. Highly recommend.

This book was so good!

Thank you to Netgallery & Chris Pavone for this ARC of Two Nights In Lisbon.

From the very first chapter the story hooked me and I was invested in finding out the answers the whole time.

Without spoiling any of the story - what seems is not the case in the book and every time I thought I figured out what was happening, it all changed.

There were some very far fetched ideas in some parts and that's possibly the only thing that keeps me from rating this a 5 star.

A great book and I would definitely recommend! I can't wait to read more from Chris Pavone!

I agree with Stephen King....I've never read a book that I couldn't put down', but this one is close. Fact is, I've never completed a book faster. All the accolades are well deserved. Pavone writes a highly structured novel with tight twists and second guessing. The persons you encounter are not who you think they are. Or are they? This is sure to hit the top of the best seller lists. 5 stars..

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e ARC of this book.
Excellent plot that keeps one guessing and never lets up on surprising twists.
Occasionally drags a bit but mostly a book I didn't want to put down.

Ariel, basically a newlywed, awakens in Lisbon at 7:28 am (it’s her much younger new husband’s work trip and a chance to see a new country for her) and John is gone. No note. He’s not answering his phone (and, drat, like my husband, isn’t sharing his location for Find My). How long should she wait until she’s legitimately worried to do something? In Chris Pavone’s “Two Nights in Lisbon,” Ariel doesn’t wait long and is soon talking to hotel staff members by 8:00am, calling the police by 9:00am, visiting the American Embassy by 11:30am, and somehow drawing the attention of the CIA and a reporter by 1:00pm (me, I’d probably go shopping all day before I start this process). OK, you almost want to say “Chill out, Ariel” but then by 7:00pm there really is a ransom demand of 3 million euros for John — an amount that Ariel doesn’t have.

How Ariel tries to obtain John’s freedom and the way the people in her orbit are observing her, investigating her past and John’s as well (the police, the embassy, the CIA - why the CIA?, the reporter) make up a twisty, suspenseful thriller that becomes more complicated than a simple kidnapping story. It’s a smart, intelligent thriller with layers of mysteries that unfold into a bigger story. I really enjoyed this book and would have read it in one sitting if sleeping wasn’t necessary. 4 stars!

Thank you to Farrar, Straus, and Giroux and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES The missing husband’s missing eyes are green.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO But there are poor, unhappy houseplants under grow lights in the windowless bookstore basement that need to be liberated.
There goes a Tesla (in present day books, someone owns an electric vehicle): YES Persephone of Ariel’s bookshop, née Ember, has one.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Two Nights in Lisbon and for allowing me to read and review this novel.

I’m a huge fan of face paced thrillers and page turners that keep you up way past your bedtime. Sadly, this was not one of those. Ariel is an annoying, un-relatable character. Every man on earth either wants to rape her or is a misogynistic asshole, or both. She is so beautiful that the common man just cannot control themselves because they are all untrustworthy animals. Nobody takes her seriously because she is a woman and she believes women are seen as hysterical, nonsensical, unintelligent idiots. That is not an exaggeration. This narrative truly exhausted me and resulted in so much eye rolling on my part, because it’s embedded into every aspect of this book.

The story line is convoluted. I got lost keeping track of who worked for the Portuguese police, the CIA and the US Embassy. The flash backs between the two timelines lost the tension build up in the present day, and I honestly found myself not even caring what happened to John. Not once was I invested in the characters. Additionally, the plot was way too drawn out. I was excited by the description of this novel, and it had potential, but it fizzled out for me.

Two Nights in Lisbon is my first book by Chris Pavone. It starts off good with Aerial and her new husband on a business trip in Lisbon and she wakes up in their hotel room to find him missing. She goes to the police who insists he hasn’t been missing that long. Then she goes to the Embassy and they aren’t helping either. To me, this book just dragged on and on and I was losing interest about midway. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. I will look forward to more books by this author.

This was an excellent read. It only took a few chapters to pull me right into this story. Ariel wakes up in Lisbon but her husband John is not in the room. She can’t reach him by phone and knows that something must have happened to him. She tries both the police and the US Embassy but is turned away. Why is she so worried when it hasn’t even been 24 hours. She can’t seem to answer all of the questions coming her way. Is it possible Ariel is involved with John’s disappearance and more importantly, if not, why was he kidnapped? This story had twists and turns on every page. You’ll definitely play out some scenarios in your head about Ariel and John and what might be going on here! This book pulled me in. The author did a great job giving you little juicy tidbits that pulled you into the mystery. It really kept me on the edge of my seat and I read this in just two days! My first thought was what the heck is going on. As you get further into the story you will be thinking, no way! By the end you’ll be simply saying, Wow, I didn’t see that coming, or did I!!!
Thank you to Net-Galley for an advanced Reader Copy. I am not required to leave a review! This is a great book!

This book was great, the characters were well developed. The plot was interesting. Highly recommend it.

Buckle up, readers, Chris Pavone is back! I've been eagerly awaiting his next novel and, let me tell you, TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON does not disappoint. This is a thrill ride from start to finish.

I connected with Ariel right away and was so curious to unravel the mystery of what happened to her husband. Pavone does such a great job at creating a dramatic scenario populated by realistic characters with genuine, relatable problems.

This story is fast-paced, as we've come to expect from Pavone's novels. For those who haven't read him before, rest assured, this is a stand-alone (not part of a series).

I especially appreciated the way everything comes together in the end. TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON is a well-crafted, supremely entertaining suspense novel.

I have a confession, I always read the last chapter first. Yes, I know how evil and wrong that is. Thinking I knew about how the story is going to go I sit in my comfy chair with my mocha macchiato and open this book. After I reread the last chapter I look at my cat and ask her what in the world just happened?! You think you know what will happen but you do not. Do yourself a favor, read this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for granting me an ARC of this book. I’ve been in a bit of a slump lately, and Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone pulled me out of it within the first few chapters. Exciting, twisty, gripping, and absolutely satisfying are the words I’d use to describe this book. I’m already looking up other books by Chris Pavone, and will be adding Pavone to my preorder list.

Two Nights in Lisbon was a real whirlwind. I started it in the morning and finished it the same day. It was a pleasure to see the hazy outline of what truly happened come into focus. Highly recommended.

Two Nights in Lisbon was a fantastic read.
Chris Pavone is seriously an outstanding writer and I have no idea what rock I've been hiding under. How have I not read his books yet?
This story didn't disappoint. This one kept me guessing. Chris has created a character so compelling and interesting I had to keep reading.
I loved everything about our MC, I loved her journey throughout the entire book and the unknowing was just fabulous.
It was hard to put down because so much was happening I had to keep going.
A well written, suspenseful and atmospheric novel, that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish!

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, MCD
Thank you for this eARC!
I will post to my blog and platforms close to pub date!