Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone

In Chris Pavone’s latest thriller, Two Nights in Lisbon (2022), a woman wakes up alone in a hotel in Lisbon — her husband is gone. No note, no phone message… and we are off on the rollercoaster journey of Pavone’s fifth exciting novel. I have been a fan of Pavone’s books since his first, The ExPat (2012), and this latest is just as gripping if not more so. Imagine the terror of being in a foreign country you know nothing about and your loved one is simply “gone.” The Police are not helpful, strange new facts emerge about the husband you think you know, and the only one who cares to hunt for him is you. Through a back story we begin to see that there is always more to a story than at first we believe. Ah, the plot does indeed thicken.

International mysteries are always a treat if they include insight into another place — Pavone is wonderful at introducing us to European cities, their culture, people and geography, as his novels unfold. Here we walk the streets of Lisbon and the area around Lisbon with our heroine as she pieces together what is going on. I just returned from my first trip to Lisbon so this novel was a special treat for me. And fortunately, I didn’t lose any of my loved ones!

I love endings that you suspect but are still surprised when they develop. Pavone leads us here and there in Lisbon and in where we think the story is going… only to show us there is more to a place and story than first impressions. I love Lisbon, and I love this book. Take a trip to a wonderful city while enjoying a clever story. My rating 5 of 5 stars.

Another Gray Man Hit

Another fast ride with The Gray Man! In Mark Greaney’s latest, Burner, Court Gentry thwarts the Russian mafia and the CIA on a full train-ride through Switzerland and in an airplane hanger with foam spray spreading from the fire alarm which The Gray Man, of course, pulled. Greaney never disappoints me with his Gray Man stories. This time the story is especially timely since it involves the US just about to sign an agreement with the Russians to allow them to keep various stolen areas of the Ukraine if trade can start up again. Win-win for everyone but the Ukrainians, and seeing that The Gray Man has better values than the US government, he does his exciting best to stop the agreement, the mafia and the CIA.

I like that Gentry, our hero, has a love interest now, and Zoya is especially determined to stop the Russians and US from this agreement. Both Court and Zoya’s characters have developed with more nuances and real-life issues. You would expect to grow tired of the same old Gray Man doing the same old thing — but you don’t. Greaney adds just enough cleverness and new angles to the story here to keep me reading and enjoying my ride. I am hoping for more Court and Zoya team endeavors! There are plenty more bad guys to thwart, as we all know. For a timely thrill, I give this a 4 out of 5 stars.

This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. Burner Published Feb. 21, 2023.