The Tourisis by Christopher Reich is a page turning fast paced thriller. I read this as a stand alone and it certainly did not disappoint. It is a spy/action/love story about ex-cia agent Marc Dekker and his ex-mossad girlfriend Ava. Just before he was going to propose, she was kidnapped in the restaurant they were in. What follows is an action packed heart stopping story. Matt is mistakenly marked for execution by the deputy director of the CIA. In the race to find Ava and avoid death himself, we are on a fantastic ride. I highly recommend this book

For those who like action thrillers, I recommend Christopher Reich’s three series. Each features a man who is thrust into heart-stopping situations – Jonathan Ransom is a world-class mountaineer and surgeon for Doctors Without Borders; Simon Riske is a freelance industrial spy; and Mac Dekker is a retired CIA operative hiding in the mountains of Switzerland from assassins. This time out in The Tourists, Mac Dekker takes his girlfriend to Paris for dinner at the famous Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower to propose. But when she leaves to take a phone call, she never returns.
Of course, Mac’s “girlfriend” was once Mossad’s deadliest operative. So her disappearing can be either an operation of hers or something more sinister (like an international conspiracy). Mac has only hours to figure it all out, and the reader hangs on for dear life as the action begins.
Christopher Reich originally worked in finance, but fortunately, switched to writing for those of us who like the action thriller. The plots and settings are crisp and compelling, while the characterization is perhaps just ok. But if you read the entire series you begin to have a feel for these men who try to stay out of trouble but seem to find it consistently while they do the right thing. In this world where the “right thing” is often forgotten, I find reading these thrillers very enjoyable.
The third in the Matterhorn series with Mac Dekker, out in 2026, goes back in time to the eve of WWII when Mac’s grandfather is sent by the OSS to Switzerland to prevent the Germans from stealing money from a large Swiss bank to finance a weapons system. The Simon Riske series is set to begin Netflix production soon, and the Matterhorn Mac Dekker series is in talks to hopefully come to the big screen. Fingers crossed!
My rating: 4 of 5
This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. The Tourists was published on May 13, 2025.

Fabulous thriller! I absolutely loved this. The writing is fantastic, the characters are larger than life, the plot is pacey and complicated as is right and proper for a thriller. Plus, a fantastic sense of place with the dual locations of Paris and Switzerland.

The plot centres around the disappearance of Mac Dekker's girlfriend during a fancy lunch in Paris, minutes before Mac is due to propose. As Mac frantically tries to search for Ava, it becomes apparent Ava has been abducted. What follows is a page-turning frenzy of clever, complex plotting. The book is packed full of dodgy characters from a corrupt CIA boss through to a ruthless Qatari prince.

Apparently, this is the second in the Mac Dekker series. I will most certainly be seeking out the others!

A fast paced sequel to the first one in the series, Matterhorn. If you liked that one, you will be sure to like this too. This is of a very specific ex-spy-in-trouble kind of genre

Great to have Mac back! Story starts with lots of action, turns into a love story, but quickly gets back to the action when Mac’s girlfriend disappears. Mac is the pursuer and the pursued in another entertaining thriller.

Mac Dekker is back in Christopher Reich‘s “The Tourists”, a sequel to his previous novel “Matterhorn". And just like that previous book this is a fast-paced thriller with several explanatory flashbacks that set the stage for Mac racing against the clock to save someone he loves.

Robbie Steinhardt, Mac Dekker’s alias for his quiet retired life, is in Paris with Ava Attal, retired Mossad agent, nervous about proposing to her at dinner at the Eiffel Tower. Ava has been recovering from a gunshot wound, and this was their celebration of her complete recovery. Before he can pop the question, Ava gets a call that she steps away into the hall to take. And then never returns…

And so the race starts. Of course, no one at the restaurant saw or heard anything, but Ava would not have left on her own without saying anything. Mac has to track her down and find out what actually happened? But who was that call from? Just how “retired” is Ava? And is she in trouble now? Unfortunately that’s not Mac’s only issue. A CIA agent from his past who’s now a deputy director with her own agenda has Mac tagged with a red flag, marked for execution. And as the assassin closes in on Mac, the French police are also after him for a murder that he didn’t commit. Can he find Ava and rescue her before he gets taken out himself?

Meanwhile Ava is being held captive by a Qatari prince, whom she has secretly been tracking while getting therapy for her bullet wounds. It turns out he has accessed a lost tactical nuclear weapon, a weapon Ava lost years ago during a tense shootout in the Middle East. Now the prince is determined to derail a peace conference and kill the participants in an act of revenge against his family and Israel. Can Ava stop the prince from blowing up the conference?

The two worlds collide in a fierce chase across Paris with the clock ticking to the final showdown.

Similar to the first book, this is a fast-paced race through Paris to prevent a mass attack. If you understand that this is an airport read with a bunch of thriller cliches, it is a fun fast suspenseful joyride. If you're looking for something more, you may want to give this a pass. Formulaic? Yes. Fun? Also yes.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. Thank you!

If you are looking for a book that takes into account situations in the world today, this is it.

Resurrected ex-CIA operative and his Mossad trained partner return to a world they thought was over for them. But does that ever really happen in the espionage game? All the unsavory characters are brought into this narrative, from a spoiled, jealous prince from Qatar to some traitorous members of the Israeli government, throw in terrorists from all the major terrorist groups, Hamas, Hezbollah, etc. and a stolen nuclear bomb….what could possibly go wrong?

Who doesn’t want peace in the Middle East? Will it come to fruition at a peace conference with all the Arab countries in France, at the Versailles palace? Will Mac and Ava be successful in their quest to stop this terrorist plot? An adrenaline fueled race that will keep you enthralled.

Recommended!

Such an amazing book. This story was very intriguing from the beginning. I definitely will be reading more books by this author

“The Tourists” by Christopher Reich is the sophomore novel in the very fast paced and exciting new Mac Dekker series. Without revealing too much, Mac who is an ex special ops agent is about to propose to the love of his life who just happens to be a a top ranking Mossad agent when she suddenly disappears. As he begins the desperate search to find her, he uncovers a secret plot to restore peace to the Middle East and identifies a ruthless prince who is planning to disrupt the endeavor by detonating a nuclear bomb.
This book is non stop suspense with an edge of your seat ending. I am so looking forward to reading book #3.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this epic spy thriller.
Revealing more about Mac and Ava and their history.
A small nuclear bomb is lost - on Ava's watch. Years later, she hears through the grapevine that the same bomb aka Samson - is out there and being prepared for one big bang. Can she stop it in time? Can she include Mac in her planning?
Can they save the day - again?

A note to the publisher. The version I read still had misspellings. Jabr's name was spelled Jaber at one point and HangAr is for airplanes - HangEr is for clothes.

Looking forward to Part 3.

The Tourists is the second pulse pounding Mac Dekker adventure by the prolific thriller writer, Christopher Reich. Past titles have brought us Dr. Jonathan Ransom solving medical mysteries and Simon Riske in investigating the uber-wealthy with criminal secrets. Several outstanding standalone titles can also be found on my bookshelf. All have one common characteristic: exceptional storytelling. The Tourists more than holds its own in this regard.

Mac is a CIA employee carrying a bounty on his head—internally called a Red Flag—after being falsely accused of a treasonous act so he carefully faked his death nine years earlier and has been living under an assumed name in a remote Swiss village tending to farm animals. His quiet life is shattered when his son, also a CIA operative, was killed while saving Mac’s life in the riveting first book, Matterhorn.

The Tourists begins with Mac and his lover, recovering Mossad operative Ava Attal, taking a long weekend in Paris where Mac has plans to ask her to marry him. For the last year Ava has been in rehab clinic working hard to regain full strength from gunshot wounds. Together they have been caring for Katya, Mac’s granddaughter. What better place to propose to the love of your life than the Eiffel Tower, right? A nervous Mac is all set to pop the question when Ava suddenly excuses herself from the table to use the loo but never returns. Mac is confused about her sudden disappearance, instinctually understands she was coerced to leave, and is determined to locate her. The hunt begins as Mac uses his past skills to search for the missing Ava.

The Tourists chapters move between Ava and her backstory that led to her disappearance, a Qatari prince who is one of the world’s wealthiest men but unsatisfied with the succession plan in Qatar, Mac’s determination to find Ava, a CIA deputy director who has a personal history with Mac and wants him to pay for turning his back on her, and a Parisian cop who moonlights as an assassin and is being paid to kill Mac at the CIA’s direction. The author weaves all these interesting characters into an explosive (pun intended) story taking us across Paris to uncover a sinister plot to disrupt a key Middle East/Western powers peace treaty. The historically important Palace of Versailles is serving as host to world leaders from the UAE. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Israel, France, Germany, the UK, and US to sign a treaty creating a future peace alliance. Mac’s relentless search for Ava brings him to the forefront of the plot and his determination to prevent a terrorist attempt to overturn the peace accord.

The well drawn characters, an ingenious plot, continuous action, and Paris and the Swiss Alps as the backdrop will engage the reader for several pleasurable hours. The Tourists is a must read for thriller fans. It will be time well spent. My thanks to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this terrific novel.

The Tourists is an exciting and intriguing novel set against the background of mid east tensions with the main characters a “retired” CIA agent and a “retired “ Mossad agent. The novel is fast paced and immensely entertaining as the two agents are embroiled in a plot to restore peace to the Middle East and the world, in general, despite the efforts of someone who is planning on disrupting the proceedings with the detonation of a nuclear device. The writing is excellent and I particularly liked the reference “Lucy, you got some splaining to do.”
I wholeheartedly recommend this novel and thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer and, particularly, Christopher Reich, for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.

Another great read in the Mac Dekker series. This is the second book, and both were great. Enjoyed the characters, and had great plots/pacing. Can't wait for the next book in the series. #TheTourists #NetGalley

It would give me great pleasure to write a rave review of one of my favorite authors' latest novel. Christopher Reich has frequently mesmerized me with his novels. So I am sorry to say that The Tourists did not match my expectations. The plot seems convoluted and extremely unlikely. The character development is thin. It really was not much of a pleasure to read.I'm sorry for expecting more.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC,

Fabulous read.
Ex special ops agent Mac is about to propose to Ava, the love of his life who also happens
to be a longtime top ranking agent of the Mossad. Just as he is about to, hopefully, change both the rest of their lives,
Ava excuses see herself to take a phone call.
And never returns.
And so begins the search as Mac goes on a desperate hunt for the woman he lives, discovering a plot that
threatens to change the world.
The story takes off with intrigue, suspense and riveting non stop action filled with
twists and turns that will keep you reeling.
Great characters with perfect definitions and a storyline set to super exciting.
Absolutely thrilling story.
The Tourists is a five star read from start to finish.

Mac Dekker, es un exagente de la CIA que ha vivido casi una década en el anonimato tras ser acusado injustamente de traición. Pero justo cuando parece que puede recuperar su libertad y construir una nueva vida con Ava, la mujer que ama, todo vuelve a desmoronarse.

La historia se inicia cuando Ava desaparece misteriosamente durante una cena en París. A partir de ese momento, Mac se ve obligado a regresar al mundo que había dejado atrás: uno de conspiraciones, organizaciones secretas y misiones imposibles. Lo que comienza como una búsqueda personal pronto se convierte en un enfrentamiento a escala internacional, donde los límites entre aliados y enemigos son borrosos, y donde nadie es quien aparenta ser.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest