This is a kinda dark political thriller. When over 400 people just disappear, their families are left to wonder why. Unfortunately, the FBI also wonders why they are gone. Are they part of terrorist group, just a political group that is protesting, these are the questions that need to be answered and fast. Special Agent Rachel Proulx needs these questions answered before something bad happens, which is what she fears.

Perhaps not my favorite Steinhauer book, I nevertheless enjoyed this. Maybe it just hit a little too close to home for me, and I find myself reading more for escape these days. In any event, if you're looking for a fictional look at our current world, you could do much much worse than this!

Steinhauer writes thrillers with complicated plots where somehow, he manages to get all the pieces to fit together in the end. But before that, it is a rollercoaster ride to get there.
First, there is Martin Bishop. He runs the website, the Propaganda Ministry, and is the voice and inspiration of the Massive Brigade—a leftist movement designed to challenge the corporate order.
Second, there is FBI special agent, specializing in left-wing organizations, Rachel Proulx.
Third, there is Kevin Moore, a military veteran, now undercover FBI agent within the Massive Brigade.
Finally, there is the complicated and mostly broken marriage between Ingrid and David Parker. Ingrid, the daughter of a communist union organizer, is drawn to Martin Bishop and his movement.

The author moves the plot along deftly but you need to pay attention because there is a lot to keep track of, and admittedly, several times I felt I lost my overview of what is going on: a bombing in Germany, a missile in a garage, assassinations), double-crossing agents, a right-wing TV personality, and much, much more.
Action-packed is an understatement and I enjoyed myself. I will be back for more Steinhauer in the future.

The charismatic leader of a leftist group in the U.S. goes on the run when it becomes evident that his organization is gathering high caliber weapons with ominous purposes. From the underground, he calls young followers to vanish without a warning. Hundreds disappear overnight across the country and the FBI has no trace to follow. The chief of an FBI unit monitoring the group (almost from its obscure beginnings) is reluctant to believe they have become radicalized. The leader’s speeches point to that, but it has always seemed more rhetorical than actual. Has that changed, and to what extent? Who is funding the group and to what purpose?

I requested this ARC because I have read two novels by Steinhauer, one of them being All the Old Knives, which blew me away, so I was expecting something in the same vein. Though a political thriller, The Middleman leans more on the political than on the thriller portion, and not to great effect. Interesting and insightful development on how a leftist group can quickly radicalize if given enough leash, and how appearances can be deceiving.

Disclaimer: I received from the publisher a free e-book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is a spy thriller. It's not Bond, but it's interesting once you get into it. The plot feels choppy, but it pulls together by the end of the book. Yes, the government is corrupt. That's not surprising. The reading is a bit dry, I was able to be distracted in several places but I wanted to know how things ended. That was another issue. The ending is too open-ended for me. Possibly because this will be a series, but I really don't like it when that happens. 

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

Steinhauer writes of politics like an insider with all the connections. The twists and intelligence in his writing are engaging.

Thank you so much for this ARC.

I am so sorry but I was not able to get into this book. Better luck next time.

First rate thriller from one of the best authors around. Loved all of Mr. Steinhauer's books. This one, The Middleman, was worth the wait! Highly recommend.

St. Martin's Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Middleman. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

400 people disappear from their lives, leaving their phones and identifying information behind. The FBI is called in to investigate, with Special Agent Rachel Proulx leading the charge. As they try to track the whereabouts of the missing, a movement that calls itself The Massive Brigade is revealed. Led by Martin Bishop, the group declares its position in the most violent of ways. They claim to want change, but are they willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals? Is the FBI?

The biggest issue that I had with The Middleman is the constant shifting of perspectives, from the FBI and Rachel Proulx, in particular, and the members and periphery characters attached to The Massive Brigade. There are too many characters and, as the author tries to explain their involvement, the plot gets lost. The author takes so long to get to the point that I did not feel the urgency or the strong desire behind The Massive Brigade. As the plot shifts in the middle, the story becomes more interesting, but it was not enough to resurrect this book for me. This should have been a compelling read, especially given the fact that it mimics certain aspects of modern society. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend The Middleman to other readers.

Strong example of how a slow burn can lead to a strong fiery blaze.

Strong timely themes were embedded throughout this riveting political thriller.

Highly recommend to all political thriller fans.

Title was archived before I could review it sadly. Guess I will have to buy it if I would like to read it. I am new to the Galley and was not aware of the fact that the archival date meant that I could not access the title anymore. Too bad

This book was STUNNING. I was immediately hooked from page one, and couldn't put it down for a second. You know the kind of book where you're constantly left guessing who is good and who's bad? Which side is the "right" side? Yeah, this is one of those books. It's extremely timely, enough so that you could easily imagine these events unfolding in the present day. Steinhauer builds intrigue and suspense so deftly you almost don't even notice what he's doing to you until you're sitting upright, heart pounding, gripping the edge of your seat--until you have to stop reading for dinner and feel like you're in a daze, unable to think about anything else. If you like moral ambiguity, antiheroes, political thrillers, and losing sleep...this one's for you.

Olen Steinhauer continues to deliver real world situations and characters that are completely believable. The action in this novel was even faster paced than his last and I rarely put the book down after starting. I loved how he continued to weave characters from previous novels into the story line.

Not and easy to read book in today's political climate and i kept putting ion the bottom. Well written but I think too over the top. maybe not though!

What if the Occupy movement, or Bernie Sanders for that matter, had gone underground and formed a political terrorist cell after the 2016 election? What if, in an eerie and nonviolent way, thousands of young people quietly walked away from society—disappeared—and caused a local and ultimately national news sensation? What if corrupt FBI agents then infiltrate the terrorist cell? These are the premises of Olen Steinhauer's new novel, The Middleman. Author of ten other books, plus the acclaimed TV series, Berlin Station, he has written a thriller for these troubled times. [longer review will appear on The Internet Review of Books' website this month]

I am very sorry that this particular book just was not right for me. It is obviously well written and the suspense and mysteriousness of the story will certainly appeal to many other readers, just not this one. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a review copy. This is my honest opinion.

A little late on this one after it got lost in the CONTENTNAMI we're all trying to keep up with--I appreciated the Author's Note at the end of this ultimately very satisfying slow-burner, as it "explained" Steinhauser's process in a way that underscored this reader's sense of having taken a real journey with this title.

In the summer of 2017, something very odd begins to happen across the United States. One by one, people are breaking all ties with the modern world, discarding all their technology and identity and disappearing into thin air. Families are desperate for answers. The FBI begins to investigate after the disappearances are tied to a group identifying itself as the Massive Brigade, just one of many groups that have formed after the shocking 2016 election. The group seems to have no definitive agenda, claiming only to be preparing for the “change” that is coming to America. FBI Special Agent Rachel Proulx is assigned the case and knows that with the country as divided as it is, finding the missing citizens could be the only way to prevent a major uprising.

“The Middleman” by Olen Steinhauer is a riveting, timely novel about political unrest and the power of charisma. Set in the first year of the Trump presidency, it is easy to imagine opening tomorrow’s paper and seeing a headline that emulates the plot of this book. The current political climate in
America is ripe for that same kind of uprising that takes place in this book and there are plenty of outspoken pundits on which the character of “Martin Bishop” could be based. The story flowed well overall, although there were some slow points and the switching between storytellers was a little hard to follow at times. However, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it with a 3/5 star rating.

*A copy of the ebook was the only consideration received in exchange for this review.*

The beginning was too vague with too many bits of various information. The story just didn't pull me in to keep reading and stopped after the first couple of chapters.

A very remarkable read. I really like the way the author crafts his plots and creates his characters. An even paced book that will make it hard to put down.