A great return to form by the author, with a timely novel, great characters and themes. Probably the best novel yet by Steinhauer, who has already an impressive body of work. Told from various perspectives, it is engaging, suspenseful and a very fine portrait of the American society at this moment. For Steinhauer fans, also includes an appearance of a beloved character from the Tourist Trilogy.

I received this ARC of Middleman from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion about this book by Olen Steinhauer. I had read high praise for his previous books. This is a thriller about the US government, extreme leftists, and terrorists. It got my attention initially, but as I continued to read there were too many different characters, too many entanglements, and it all became so tedious to read. It was a chore to finish and the ending was not satisfying. So, that is just my own opinion.

I can’t put my finger on what didn’t work. Maybe it’s just my current mood, but I was underwhelmed by the book and struggled to finish it. Part of the problem may be that it is a little too timely. I read to escape, and this felt like reading the newspaper. Trump and his cronies, the current state of the Republican Party, the entire political landscape of my beloved country, all terrify me. The news brings nothing but sadness and disappointment, fear and anger. This book brought the same. This wasn’t some kind of dystopian political thriller. It’s all too plausible. So, kudos to Mr. Steinhauer for that. For me, this kind of reality-fiction is just too much, too soon. Maybe in 20 years, if America survives and somehow thrives post-Trump, this would be a fun political thriller. For now, this book just left me feeling depressed. I never felt the edge of your seat, what’s going to happen next, concern for any of the characters, that I expect to feel in a thriller. Maybe that was part of the problem, too. I didn’t connect to anyone, didn’t care about the outcome, and just felt as hopeless about the events of the book as I do about real life and I had hoped for more from this book.

I like Olen Steinhauer. His thrillers are generally well-plotted, fast-paced and credible. The Middleman is a bit of a departure— until it’s not.. One might find that this neat circle jerks them into a state of ‘what?’ But it is believable and makes a kind of sense. Logic aside, the story really gets going after the first 75 pages or so and pages magically turn themselves. He telegraphs some of his punches but to no great harm to the narrative. Note to author: Get Kevin into the Great Game.

THE MIDDLEMAN

Young people start disappearing. They leave behind their cell phones, credit cards, and all personal belongings.

This was complex story involving the interactions between a radical leftist group and the FBI. The Massive Brigade was initially developed in Europe as a peaceful movement with Socialist leanings. But things go wrong, violent events happen, and the group is labeled as a terrorist organization.

Rachel Proulx is the lead investigator for the FBI, having followed the Brigade's charismatic leader, Martin Bishop, over the years as the movement developed. Working with various other agents, Proulx begins to unravel the truth behind what really happened with the Brigade which seems to differ from the FBI sanctioned reports.

This book is a good political story. I wouldn't describe it as a thriller, because the pace was fairly steady. Not really exciting, but more of a consistent unveiling of bits of information that fill in the blanks. I found it to be suspenseful and packed with plenty of undercover spies, secret wealthy handlers, and questionable FBI agents, which held my interest until the very end.

I would have enjoyed more character development, but overall a satisfying read. Definitely makes you think about the reality we are presented with.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Olen Steinhauer, and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book has swirling loops of conspiracy theories. It also seems to introduce a new character on every other page. I thought it was convoluted, dull and full of people about whom I did not care. I also don't think that, given our current political debacle, this is a particularly good time to bash the credibility of the FBI. Since not all of the conspiracies are tidied up at the end of the book, I assume that a sequel is planned. I won't be reading it. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I finished this book and was left hanging. It's story line is quite believable, yet something was missing for me. Maybe the number of characters and loose ends.... It definitely is a story that fits the current political climate with unrest and the rise of hate groups and mistrust in the veracity of our leaders. Just not a big fan.

This may be one of the better books to be released this summer. It was a fascinating read by a very talented author. It is a story about power, politics, freedom, democracy, the voice of the people, fighting against "the system", and the list goes on. It is extremely relevant in the turbulent political climate we find ourselves in today. The book is well paced and gives perspectives from multiple people on various sides of the issues. It is very well done. There was one point in the latter parts of the book that left me with an audible gasp. A certain person profession was mentioned, followed a bit later by a name. That was a genius inclusion into an already great story.

For me this is a definite 9-9.5 out of 10 story.

I received a free e-book copy of the story from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my thoughts and feelings about the book.

Having read all of Olen Steinhauer's books, I am accustomed to esoteric motifs being mixed with espionage themes. His new work is based on a rather unrealistic premise that 400 people would chose to "disappear: simultaneously into a shadowy apocalyptic cult. I found it hard to generate much interest in the lead characters or in their actions. The denouement also felt contrived and trite, to make a puppet-master in the high echelons responsible.

Interesting characters, INTENSE action., believable settings. Not sure that the situation is believable.

The Middleman by Olen Steinhauer is a highly recommended political thriller.

One day in 2017 four hundred people disappear, leaving behind everything, all ID, cell phones, family, jobs, and friends. The group is a part of the Massive Brigade, led by social justice warrior Martin Bishop and Ben Mittag, and their first coordinated act is this complete disappearance and silence. The FBI assigns Special Agent Rachel Proulx to follow the group since she has been keeping track of Martin Bishop as well as left-wing political groups, since 2016.

FBI agent, Kevin Moore, is undercover with the Brigade, and has an insider's view of their actions. Between Kevin and Rachel the reader can follow what happens. When the actions taken by the Brigade on July 4th set off a string of events, it seemingly results in the success of the FBI's handling of the incidents and the group, but both Kevin and Rachel know more information than the public. The two end up privately working together to uncover the inside information being kept from the public.

This is a timely thriller with an alternate history timeline that should resonate with many readers who should be able to draw some comparisons to current political/social events. The plot and information is complicated and there is much more going on than you will have answers for until much later in the novel. I appreciated the role the media played in the novel - both being manipulated to create public opinion and making the news follow their ideological slant.

While Rachel and Kevin are both likeable characters, some of the rest of the characters seem less finely drawn. The ultimate cause the brigade is publicly denouncing doesn't quite take on the menace and evil that it should, given the acts carried out by the group and the seriousness of the uncovered information.

The Middleman is entertaining and engrossing thriller. Steinhauer knows how to create a complicated plot, add in a timely political climate, and slowly allow points to be revealed along the way to the conclusion.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Press via Netgalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2018/08/the-middleman.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2491380434
https://www.librarything.com/work/18025306/book/159325403
https://twitter.com/SheTreadsSoftly/status/1028691885496455168

This wasn't a book for me. While I liked the description, I found the pace slow and the characters wholly unsympathetic. I try not to give a poor review and it is clear that many other readers thoroughly enjoyed The Middleman.
It may be that I am a bit tired of the political posturing and talk, so I couldn't get into the characters' motivation.

THE MIDDLEMAN BY OLEN STEINHAUER
Perhaps I should get the disclosures out of the way. I’ve been a fan of Olen Steinhauer since I stumbled upon Bridge of Sighs in 2005. I have interviewed him a couple of times, and have even started watching the TV show he created and produces, Berlin Station (by purchasing it on Amazon because I didn’t have Epix, I might add).

So I was excited when I found out he had a novel coming out this summer. I didn’t want to read it too far from pub day because then you either have to write your review and hold it until the publication day is closer or you write the review some, potentially significant, time after you read it and it feels disconnected. So I held off until closer to the announced pub date and took it on vacation with me so I could have large chunks of time to read it. Good decision in that I really enjoyed it. But, I forgot how bad I am at managing my time and so here it is past the publication date and I haven’t posted a review.

Caveats, disclosures and confessions aside, I enjoyed The Middleman and found myself furtively reading it trying to find out what happens in the end. I read it late into the night and got up and went out onto the waterside deck and finished it. (And who should appear at the end but Milo Weaver! Now I want to go back and re-read that series.)

I’m not going offer a formal review (you’re shocked I know) but let me tell you what I liked and deal with some criticisms I have come across.

I really enjoyed how Steinhauer approaches the issues from a variety of perspectives You have leaders within the Massive Brigade, you have “everyday people” who join up with the group and its leaders, you have FBI secret agents working inside the group and you have the FBI agent working to stop them.

The book takes you through a political and cultural moment when revolution seems in the air; when tensions are high and violence seems imminent. It offers you a chance to imagine what a historical moment like this might look and feel like from a variety of perspectives.

And of course, as even the novel’s detractors will admit, Steinhauer is a master with words and prose. It may be in the thriller genre (more on that later) but it is with literary skill that Steinhauer writes.

Now, criticisms and problems. The first issue is that the back cover of the review copy I received blares:

DEAR 2018,

YOU HAVE

YOUR

THRILLER

So what is a thriller? Let’s be lazy and use WikiPedia:

Thrillers generally keep the audience on the “edge of their seats” as the plot builds towards a climax. The cover-up of important information is a common element. Literary devices such as red herrings, plot twists, and cliffhangers are used extensively. A thriller is usually a villain-driven plot, whereby he or she presents obstacles that the protagonist must overcome.

Now, you will recognize elements of this definition in The Middleman. But it didn’t strike me as a “keep you on the edge of your seats” type story. Suspense? Sure. Cover-ups and plot twists? Yes, but it doesn’t have the fast paced, race to the finish type style from start to finish. Again, it has more of a literary approach, which I very much enjoyed, and some people noted that in places like Goodreads and Amazon.

What about the “pros?” Here is Publishers Weekly:

Steinhauer has captured a very contemporary, very American angst—“people are going to have to pull a trigger, just to be heard”—but the book’s muddled second half will leave many readers frustrated because the polarities aren’t that clear. Rachel Proulx, an earnest FBI agent, is obviously one of the good guys, but the ostensible bad guys are less well-delineated—and the denouement is unsatisfying. Steinhauer fans will hope for a return to form next time.

This gets to the villian driven plot part noted above. There really isn’t a villian per se. As I said, Steinhauer attempts to offer a variety of perspectives and personalities caught up in the events. It isn’t clear who exactly the bad guys are and who the good guys are; except perhaps the FBI leadership and one particular agent in particular.

I think it is safe to say that Steinhauer has a left-leaning bent (we know the election threw a monkey wrench in his plans for this novel and caused him to reconsider his approach) and he portrays the Massive Brigade, or at least elements of it, sympathetically. He even seems understanding of the temptation to violence. But in the end, violence leads not to solutions but the undermining of the very values the protestors claim to represent.

Kirkus touches on another element of this potential problem:

Steinhauer (All the Old Knives, 2015, etc.) is a veteran, a real pro; the issues raised in this well-paced thriller are serious and timely, and the characters are believable and likable. But the targets of the Brigade, corporate conspiracy and the protection of the rich from public scrutiny, never quite reach a viscerally threatening level, and the individuals who conspire to preserve the status quo seem merely bureaucratically venal.

A professional and entertaining thriller a little short on menace.

If the Massive Brigade isn’t the villain, the corporate oligarchs and the politicians who protect them are sort of villains off stage. But as Kirkus notes, this makes them shadowy and vague rather menacing and sharp.

It feels like the classic Cold War espionage style: a place where there are few black and whites and instead mostly grays. Rachel Proulx assumes she is on the side of the good guys until events force her to reassess her perspective. An undercover agent inside the Massive Brigade, Kevin Moore, is also forced to consider not only how far he will go to infiltrate the group but whose side he is really on.

Scott Turow in a featured review in the New York Times gets at the pros and cons of this approach:

“The Middleman” is smart and entertaining and consistently intriguing, clipping along in brief chapters, somewhat reminiscent of the novels of James Patterson, and often animated by lovely, spare descriptive writing. (“They returned to I-80, and as they progressed, Kevin watched the unraveling of civilization. After Rocklin the landscape flattened, speckled with burned yellow grass and low trees. … Eventually, they got off of 80 … to where humans had given up trying to control the land at all.”) Yet because the premise of “The Middleman” is so audacious and because its point of view is fragmented, the novel doesn’t fully exhibit the propulsive force of some of Steinhauer’s spy fiction.

What makes up for that is the neat feat of asking serious political questions without burdening the suspense. In an era of rising income inequality, of unlimited corporate spending on campaign messaging that allows the richest forces in our society to gain unprecedented political power, of voters left and right rallying to outcries about a corrupt system and Washington as a swamp in search of a drain, why can no unity be forged between the viewers of Fox News and MSNBC, who instead prefer mutual vilification? Like the rest of us, Steinhauer is better at asking questions than providing answers.

That was my reaction as well. Did everything come together perfectly? No. I am still not sure I understand the ending with Milo Weaver. Was it a hold on to your pants type of ride from the opening lines? No, but I neither expected that or needed it to be entertained. I just enjoyed the way Steinhauer explored what Turow calls the audacious premise — a mass popular revolt against corporate power. I don’t exactly share his politics but am a big fan of his writing.

If, like me, you prefer your thrillers with a literary touch,even if that means a little less pace and action, you will enjoy The Middleman. Even if you disagree, I bet it will make you think about the world we live in and what might lie in the future.

This novel about politics is thought-provoking, as the author writes about politicians doing one thing in public and another behind the scenes. This is timely in our current political climate, even though it is fiction. Interesting read!

I made a mistake when I got The Middleman from NetGalley. I wasn’t paying attention, thought I hit the Read Now button for another book and ended up with this one instead. I do not like political/espionage thrillers. I have read them, even reviewed them, in the past. I can’t get into the books. So, I wasn’t very happy when I realized what I did. But, I decided to suck it up.

I couldn’t get into the book. I struggled to finish it. If I didn’t have a personal goal of not DNF’ing a book, then it would have been DNF’d and forgotten about. But, I stuck it out. It took me 4 nights to finish this book. 4 torturous nights of me falling asleep while reading. That is something I rarely do.

I did like the plot. It was something that I could see happening in real life. 400 young people disappearing all at once. All 400 have traces to a domestic terrorist group. Told from 4 different POV’s, this should have been a riveting book. Instead, I ended up getting bored with the book halfway through. If the author had stuck with one or two POV’s, then it would have worked. But with 4 different ones. Well, I had a hard time keeping track of everything. Even with the chapters marked.

I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. It drove me nuts because I need to have at least 1 connection in the book. I didn’t have any.

I did feel that the book did fit in with the mystery genre pretty well. The story with the 2nd in command of the terrorist group was well-played out. I didn’t see him being who he was until it was explained at the end. As for the thriller genre, not so much. I kept losing attention, which isn’t good in a thriller. You need to be sucked into a thriller book and then spit out at the end feeling. The Middleman didn’t do that. The same thing goes for suspense. The book should have been fast-paced right from the start. Instead, it started off slowly. It did pick up steam by the middle of the book, only to slow down by the end of the book. Very frustrating to read.

I do feel that there was a huge hole in the plotline in the middle of the book. Take for instance Rachel being in the hospital. I had to reread the chapters leading up to her being injured for any mention of her getting hurt. There was nothing. But suddenly, she was on medical leave from a bad injury. Made 100% no sense to me. There are a few more examples but I don’t want to make a novel out of my review.

There was also some lag in the plotline. One right around Rachel’s injury. The other was when Kevin was in Europe, chasing leads all over the place. The author recovered very well but still.

The end of The Middleman was confusing. Not in the sense how it ended. I agreed with the explanations that Rachel got about the case. It was the ending involving another key character. I kind of shook my head and wondered “Why was she there? How did she get there?” I was also left wondering if that group was going to be reborn. Something about what the men were talking about made me wonder that. There were also some unfinished storylines that made me go “Huh“. I hate it when storylines are left unfinished. I hate it even more when it was attached to a major storyline. No closure makes me cranky.

Why I rated The Middleman 2 stars. There were huge holes in the plotline mid-book. There were dropped storylines. There were too many POV’s. There were some things that I did like about The Middleman. I did like the plot. I felt that the mystery angle of the book was well written.

What I liked about The Middleman (to recap):

A) The plot

B) The mystery angle of the book was well written.

What I disliked about The Middleman (to recap):

A) Huge holes in the plotline

B) Dropped storyline

C) Too many POV’s

I would give The Middleman an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is graphic violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would not reread The Middleman. I would not recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Middleman.

All opinions stated in this review of The Middleman are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

'The Middleman' is New York Times Bestselling author Olen Steinhauer's first book in his new 'Middleman' series and is another sweeping espionage thriller from a true master of the spy genre. This time the author has penned a book in which politics is heavily involved in the storyline. Although this was my first book by this author I have read widely within the espionage genre for many years.

It's 2017 and summer has arrived in the United States of America, four-hundred people vacate their lives with no prior warning, most of them leaving behind families and jobs they had put considerable effort into maintaining. The movement these people join is in fact known to the FBI as the The Massive Brigade. As they do with many groups that may be considered a threat, the FBI assign Special Agent Rachel Proulx to monitor what the group are getting up to and to work out whether they are in fact dangerous or merely harmless and what their achievements and future aspirations are. What she uncovers is devastating and will have a lasting impact on the future of the country as well as surprising the FBI and the highest levels of the government.

I loved the synopsis so much as it truly felt as though I had commissioned this book for myself as it sounded right up my street with the perfect combination of elements melted together into a stunning amalgamation. Steinhauer uses the political climate in the U.S. as both inspiration and a backdrop to the story and ratchets up the tension from first page until the last, the conclusion leaves many aspects of the plot unresolved presumably to continue it in 'Middleman #2'. He highlights that the potential for a terrorist organisation to gain a foothold happens particularly when people feel disillusioned and their trust for elite politicians is lacking - this is happening everywhere at the moment but is easy to see very clearly in places like Syria and Iraq where ISIS/Daesh have taken advantage of the lack of widespread support for the current government/those in authority. The themes explored in the book are timely and feel as though they could have been ripped straight from the headlines.

This is a masterclass in how to write spy thriller and feels authentic as well being an enthralling and exhilarating edge-of-your-seat thrill ride that I enjoyed immensely! The writing was wonderfully immersive and flowed well, the pace judged impeccably and the plot twists shocking and exciting, you can't ask for much more! I also appreciated that this was an intelligent thriller that was thought-provoking in terms of the topics it explores. I read a lot from many of the crime fiction sub-genres and most books that fit that description tend to be throwaway stories which is regrettable as I am much happier when a title explores deeper topics... Even when the story is one that is sickeningly plausible in this day and age.

All in all, I had a throroughly delightful time whilst reading this complex, nuanced story and will be purchasing the rest of Steinhauer's books that I haven't had the pleasure of reading as of yet which I will look forward to diving right in over the summer. I will be keeping my eyes open for his future books too. I have no hesitation in recommending 'The Middleman' to fellow crime buffs.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Steinhauer never disappoints when it comes to taut writing, well-crafted plot and exceptionally sympathetic characters. Set in today's America, this novel touches on themes that will be familiar to all and raises questions about what might be the forces shaping contemporary society -- and which would have the power to change it.

Very interesting and more complex than usual thriller that walks the fine line between exploitation of the current political situation and well imagined fiction. The Massive Brigade and Martin Bishop could be real, which makes this all the more thought provoking. FBI agents Rachel Proulx and Kevin Moore have more on their hands than they could have possibly imagined when they took on this case- and it was good to read the story from their perspectives, as well as from others. The role of the government and media in whipping up a frenzy about this type of activity is well documented but Steinhauer does a good job of making a fresh run at the issue. It's hard to review this sort of novel without spoilers but suffice it to say it's one where you might think you know what's going to happen and then you don't. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This was a very good read.

Opening an Olen Steinhauer book is what I imagine opening a Tiffany’s gift box would be like, with joy, anticipation, and the smug satisfaction of being one of a lucky ones. Lucky comes because Steinhauer is too unknown. Maybe his TV show-Berlin Station will bring him the readership he deserves.
The Middleman returns Steinhauer, in spirit only, to the original stomping grounds of his police procedurals in an unnamed communist country. In those books, terror is mostly a product of the state, as is media control. There are also tiny pockets of resistance, sometimes only by individuals. In The Middleman the country is the United States, not some unnamed communist country. Also, this is not in some dystopian future, this is now.
One day, four hundred people walk away from their lives. The FBI knows a bit about the Massive Brigade, the group these people are joining. As the FBI does with many groups, even those not considered to be a threat, it has assigned S/A Rachel Proulx to monitor the group. With the disappearances, Proulx is suddenly given a much larger budget, a larger office and more people to work with. The Massive Brigade could be hot stuff! The end of the world as we know it, as certain media commentators would have us believe.
Maybe The Massive Brigade is hot stuff, because the world is most certainly changing and maybe the four hundred people of The Massive Brigade are enough to hold back the tide and make their own changes. Steinhauer is masterful in portraying “the what ares” and “the what ifs.”
Told by four major POV’s, The Middleman explores the motivations and the growth of those characters, including us on their journeys. The journeys sets the four antagonists on their separate dangerous paths, bringing them together at various times in surprising ways.
They are all pawns in a fascinating, topsy-turvy world, pawns just not in the United States but in Europe too.
Here is where I am disappointed, the diamond in my Tiffany box doesn’t fit, too large, maybe? The ending is just too convoluted. I had to read it twice, and even then I had questions. As a gift to Sheinhauer’s fans a character from a couple other books shows up to explain his role as a sort of deux ex machina.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I found this to be an enjoyable and modern thriller. The action centers around a charismatic leader who is stirring up young adults to threaten violence in order to stand up for their political beliefs. Creating sleeper cells of American youth, these young believers are "activated" one day for purposes and to action that they are unsure of. Steinhauer is a go-to author for me, and I pick up his books based on his name alone because he can be counted on to deliver a seat-of-your-pants ride every time. This is no exception.