Thanks to NetGalley for the audio ARC!

This story was so good! It’s a perfect thriller that’ll keep you guessing throughout. It’s based around a wife whose husband has been kidnapped. She has to make some tough decisions to get the ransom that’s been asked for in order to get him back - and in the process we uncover secrets that everyone would prefer stay secret.

I definitely enjoyed this story and the audio was fantastic. The narrator did a great job keeping with the intensity of the story and making it feel suspenseful!

There are some big triggers though - mainly kidnapping and rape - so be aware of those!

I recommend this to anyone who wants a suspenseful, fast paced read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another new to me author, and this one did not disappoint.

This book kept me invested from the beginning. The pacing was on target and I was engrossed in every detail and couldn't stop once I started. It was a bit of a chunker, but didn't feel like it in the midst of it.

The author doled out tiny tidbits of information about the characters and storyline which made me both go hmmmmm and keep me totally invested. I did figure out a twist or two prior to them being revealed, but the revelation was still a good one even when I knew, and there were several surprises!

Ariel Price is traveling along with her husband on a business trip in Lisbon. She wakes up in the morning in their hotel and he has vanished. The local police don't take her seriously, nor does the Embassy at first. And then the wild ride begins.

I enjoyed learing the backstory of John and Ariel. It was done in a way that, while it revealed some things to me along the way, it felt like I was part of the investigation. And rather than making me less interested, it peaked my interest. Both spouses have secrets and lies in their past, including a name change for each of them. John is a bit younger as well. And many suspicions arise with law enforcement and the Embassy as to what exactly happened. The story takes place in a relatively short time, but it was definitely action packed and suspenseful!

Many thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advance audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

This one was okay. I think the concept was great but the flow has some issues. I was mostly intrigued because Lisbon was one of my favorite places to visit a couple years ago.

I like the main character a lot. She is complex and has experienced significant trauma. She’s always on edge and rightfully so after her husband disappears on their trip.

I like that there were lots of agencies and police forces investigating what was unfolding. But at times there were too many folks to follow.

Unfortunately the middle is where I’m lost. It felt drawn out to the end which took away from the twist. I get that we were trying to get thrown off of the direction the story was going, but it just became, I guess, y exciting? I feel like this could have been 50 ish pages shorter to keep me interested.

The audiobook experience was great though! The voices were distinguishable and I think they added the emotion needed to keep you interested.

I think this is great for folks who are interested in international mysteries that discuss politics, socioeconomic is and revenge.

Overall, I give it 3 stars.

TW: Rape, sexual assault, gaslighting, kidnapping.

This book was long and just kind of meh for me. It seemed really over complicated and just really didn't hold any thrill to it for me.

What would you do if you woke up in a foreign country and your husband was missing? That is what happens to Ariel Price in "Two Nights in Lisbon," when her new husband, John in gone when she wakes up. Ariel, understandably alarmed, seeks help from the local police and the US Embassy, who don't seem to be taking her fear seriously. As they question Ariel, you start to wonder if Ariel even really knows her new husband. When a kidnapper calls Ariel and demands $3 million for John's safe return, Ariel must turn to a powerful, rich person from her past for help. This sets off a chain of events that could change the entire world.

Parts of this book are told in flashbacks, and I really liked getting to know Ariel's story this way. The author did a great job of making her a dynamic character, and I felt like I truly understood her motivations for doing things. I felt for her and rooted for her all the way to the end, even when she made decisions I did not agree with.

At over 400 pages, yes this is a long book, but don't give up on it. It is a slow burn, but I promise the ending is worth the wait. I was completely surprised and satisfied! Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good I bought the special edition hardcover from the UK to commemorate it. I love a good twist and this book has the biggest one that I never suspected AT ALL! I love when that happens and it makes you want to read it all over again to see if you can find where it would have been given away. But this is a solid thriller and there are no leaks . Sherlock himself would be stumped! I wish I could say more but I don't want to give it away. Just trust me this is a good one!

I will be reading more books from this author in the future!

Also, wonderful narration of all of the voices.

The latest book from Chris Pavone follows a woman in Lisbon trying to save her kidnapped husband. I’m a fan of his other books, and this one did not disappoint. The plot kept me engaged and wanting to keep listening. Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention to the details, but I didn’t have it all figured out in the end. The narrator was great, though the book probably could have been about 20% shorter. There are definitely trigger warnings if that’s something important to you. I didn’t find it too hard to follow the dual timelines in the audio, but if that’s a concern, the print or digital version might be a better option.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this book in for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Two Nights in Lisbon - audiobook review.

A hefty 14.5 hour audio filled with suspense and topnotch narration by January Lavoy. An International Thriller set in Lisbon with Ariel and John, a relatively newly married couple, traveling for business when John is kidnapped. Ms. Lavoy does a fantastic job of inhabiting the character of Ariel while building her backstory. As an audiobook, the listeners have to pay attention to the quick change between characters and the then/now jumps that take place. At times, difficult to realize the change happened, they nonetheless add to the every increasing panicked pace of Ariel trying to get help.
Two Nights in Lisbon manages to throw out enough red herrings to confuse the local police, the American Embassy, and the CIA in the pursuit of finding John. In the meantime, Ariel is questioned repeatedly and often with suspicion but she is used to being considered at fault as opposed to being the victim. And there in lies the beauty in the backstory. As more is revealed about Ariel, motives are questioned and the scope of a businessman's abduction becomes much larger than first thought.

A well thought-out plot with more at stake than money. With a jaundiced eye on the behaviors of future and current politicians, Ariel is set to take her back her power. Two Nights in Lisbon is a smart and relevant story.


My copy was provided via Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for my copy. All opinions are mine.

This one wasn't for me. I thought from the description that it was going to be full of action but it turned out to be description heavy and more suspense oriented. Good writing though, if suspense is your thing.

3.5 stars, rounded up

I have long been a Chris Pavone fan and don't think his books get enough attention. This was an exciting adventure story set in Lisbon when a woman named Ariel accompanies her new husband on a business trip and when she wakes up one morning he has disappeared. She frantically goes to the police and the embassy, but they don't think she should be worked up so soon. As events unfold, nothing is as it seems.

There were a couple of things that made this book not quite four stars. First, it's really long and I think it could have been cut down a bit and still been intriguing. Second, there were certain times where it seemed like a lecture rather than a story--there were many soapbox moments where the author would pontificate about the insidious nature of media/technology, rape culture, power, etc. It pulled me out of the story because even though the lectures were relevant to the plot, it didn't flow well.

Other than that, this is a story filled with surprises and twists, the types that I've definitely come to expect from a Pavone novel. The ending perfectly tied together the loose ends and left me feeling very satisfied. I liked and connected with the characters and was rooting for their success, even when they weren't altogether reliable narrators. That's not a spoiler--once you start going back and forth in time you know that there's obviously something going on below the surface.

I listened to this as an audiobook and January LaVoy is an incredible narrator. She captured Ariel's voice and made the book more captivating and believable.

I look forward to Pavone's next international thriller, if you enjoy this genre I urge you to pick up his books!

Just when I thought I had this story figured out, it twisted around on me at the end! This novel feels very timely, and despite feeling like sections could have been shortened to help with the flow, the payout was more than worth it! I couldn’t put this one down and was on the edge of my seat waiting to know “who did it.” Will absolutely be returning to this author. (Book does contain scenes of rape and sexual assault).

Ariel and her new husband John are in Lisbon for her husband's work. She wakes to find her husband uncharacteristically missing. In a foreign country where she doesn’t speak the language, how could she find him, and just as important, who could she trust? Friends and enemies aren’t easily determined.
Ariel attempts to seek aid with the local police and US Embassy. When she doesn’t receive the assistance she was hoping for, she goes looking for clues to her husbands disappearance on her own. While doing so, she receives a ransom demand for 3 million euros. She quickly realizes she actually knows very little about her younger husband and even less about why he brought her on this business trip. She’s left with no choice but to contact the one person who she never wanted to talk to again for the help she desperately needs. And then the plot thickens… and twists..

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

January LaVoy is an amazing narrator. She took this long list of characters and made it feel like it was a full cast narration. The highlight of this audiobook.

I've read and enjoyed other Pavone thrillers, which is why I requested this one, plus the summary sounded quite interesting. Unfortunately this title did not live up to expectations. The story is long, roughly 400 pages or 15 hours and would be a better, tighter, more thrilling adventure if about a quarter of it was cut. The cast of characters was too long and involved too many agencies that it was hard to follow while listening to the audiobook. With so many characters there's hardly any depth to them so the reader's interest isn't there, compounded by the fact that we're told things instead of showing. I think if the story started with the readers knowing about the set-up at the beginning this could have been an interesting revenge thriller. It's not like you don't quickly figure out what's going on with the marriage, so just start there and move on.

*Trigger warning*- I usually hesitate to post these, but this book needs it: rape/ sexual assault. Please tread carefully. This is a major theme of the book and not a scene you could gloss pass.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and MacMillan Audio for my ARC of Two Nights in Lisbon.

Narrator January LaVoy is the perfect voice for this book and completely captured me from the first word.

When Ariel Price wakes up in Lisbon following a romantic evening with her husband, she’s shocked to find that he isn’t there. She knows that running off without so much as his cell phone is not like him so after a few hours, she goes to the police.

Nothing about her husband’s disappearance is easy and within a couple of days, she’s making international headlines. It turns out that Ariel has some secrets that really shouldn’t have been shared with anyone else. But, is she the bad guy? I’d say absolutely not.

Pavone’s writing style is captivating, thrilling, and creates beautiful imagery for the reader. Having no experience in the setting of Portugal, I thought I’d struggle to immerse in the story. I’m pleased to say that I was SO wrong. I was able to be sucked right in and not turn away until the very last word.

And that TWIST ENDING?? Come on, now. So great.

4 ⭐️

Wow, a whirlwind of an international incident. What appears to be a travel nightmare for Ariel when her husband is kidnapped for ransom in a foreign country, spirals into an international incident. With local cops, U.S. embassy, press, and who knows who else involved in helping retrieve her husband back, or are they?

With unexpected twists at every turn this book instantly hooks its audience. However, with the plethora of characters it became hard to keep track audibly of everyone involved, their role, etc.

Regardless, this one will stick with me for quite some time. Truly well done!

Newlyweds John and Ariel have traveled to Lisbon for John's business ventures. One morning Ariel wakes up to find that John has gone missing. She immediately suspects foul play and goes to the local authorities and US embassy for help, but is dismissed as being an overreactive/hysterical woman. Then a large ransom demand appears and Ariel begins to wonder how well she really knows her husband.

The first bit of this story is a slow burn. You will likely have plenty of questions and no clear answers are given early on. There are flashbacks to Ariel's previous marriage and you are left to wonder why you should care about her past. Her husband has been taken and the ransom seems excessive so you are left to wonder what is so important about John to justify that monetary demand., etc.... All I can say is, stick with it!

January LaVoy is one of my favorite narrators so I was happy to get the opportunity to listen to the audiobook. She did a great job as usual. There are time shifts in this book which may have been more instantly noticeable had I read it, but I did still enjoy the audiobook version. This is my first Chris Pavone book but it won’t be my last. Ultimately, I loved the way everything came together. I could easily see this as a tv mini-series and I envisioned either Julia Stiles or Yvonne Strahovski playing Ariel when I read the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this book in for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Wow. This book kept me on my toes. I kept wondering what was happening. In psychological thrillers I'm one of those that skips to the end to know what's happened. But with an audiobook I couldn't. I had to keep listening and stressing about it all. It's definitely slow building. But I had to know what was going on. The ending was surprising. Definitely worth the listen.

Two Nights in Lisbon is the newest political thriller, of sorts, by Chris Pavone. This novel is complex, layered and intricate, but also really quite gripping.

Ariel Price travels with her new husband on his business trip to the beautiful city of Lisbon. When she awakes on their first morning there, he is unexpectedly gone. Due to a series of clues, she suspects that he has been kidnapped for ransom and her theories prove true. As she seeks help from hotel security, then local authorities and eventually escalates matters to the embassy, she finds little assistance, or truly anyone who will take her concerns seriously. A resourceful woman, she is forced to take matters into her own hands by diving into a past she’d rather forget.

Two Nights in Lisbon is the story of secrets, lies, cover-ups and scandal. It delves into some deeper, darker, but relevant topics with clarity and a wealth of knowledge. Though I guessed part of the reveal, I found the unraveling of the mystery quite satisfying. Chris Pavone is truly a skilled writer who creates intelligent plots. This story admittedly was quite long, and that will deter some from picking it up, but it was an engaging story and I found it thoroughly enjoyable.

January LaVoy narrated the audio-version of Two Nights In Lisbon, and she did a spectacular job! Her voice is clear, articulate and embodies the nuances of the character perfectly. She’s truly one of my favorite audiobook narrators.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audio-version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Pavone's first 2 books, this one was a struggle, I could not connect with the characters, and was not drawn into the story as I was with his first book. Thriller readers will enjoy and will recommend to them. I appreciate the opportunity to listen to the ARC.

Excellent and well-written mystery! The ending wasn't completely predictable either. Definitely recommend.

** spoiler alert ** While the basic premise of this book was interesting, there were a couple things that kept this book from getting a better rating from me.

First, I didn't like the main character, Ariel. She was so convinced that her good looks have been so detrimental to her in her life. Oh, poor Ariel. I could just imagine her saying, "Please, no one look at me." And then in the next breath, "Why is no one looking at me?"

Second, there were parts of the story that really dragged for me and were repetitive. It took a long time to have the Lisbon police talk to Ariel and look into her case. And I thought there were too many flashbacks to her old life.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for this advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.