The Expats
A Novel
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3.8 • 825 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • EDGAR AWARD WINNER • ANTHONY AWARD WINNER
“Expertly and intricately plotted, with a story spiraling into disaster and a satisfyingly huge amount of double-crossing, The Expats certainly doesn’t feel like a first novel. This is an impressively assured entry to the thriller scene.”—The Guardian (UK)
Can we ever escape our secrets?
In the cobblestoned streets of Luxembourg, Kate Moore's days are filled with playdates and coffee mornings, her weekends spent in Paris and skiing in the Alps. But Kate is also guarding a tremendous, life-defining secret—one that's become so unbearable that it begins to unravel her newly established expat life. She suspects that another American couple are not who they claim to be; her husband is acting suspiciously; and as she travels around Europe, she finds herself looking over her shoulder, increasingly terrified that her own past is catching up with her. As Kate begins to dig, to uncover the secrets of the people around her, she finds herself buried in layers of deceit so thick they threaten her family, her marriage, and her life.
Stylish and sophisticated, fiercely intelligent, and expertly crafted, The Expats proves Chris Pavone to be a writer of tremendous talent.
Now with an except from Chris Pavone’s novel, The Accident
Also features Extra Libris material, including a reader’s guide and bonus content
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Chris Pavone kicks off his fun, modern spy thriller series by introducing us to his heroine: undercover CIA agent turned stay-at-home mom Kate Moore. When Kate’s banker husband, Dexter, lands a lucrative European job, she tries to fit in with the other American moms. But old habits die hard—and Kate soon realizes she has no idea what Dexter does at work all day. Pavone’s clever parallels between marital secrets and international espionage are quite funny, but as Kate walks a deadly tightrope between her old and new worlds, The Expats turns into a cool, zippy spy thriller.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Fans of John le Carr and Robert Ludlum will welcome former book editor Pavone's first novel, a meticulously plotted, psychologically complex spy thriller. When Dexter Moore, a financial systems security expert in Washington, D.C., receives a lucrative offer to work for a bank in Luxembourg, his wife, Kate, resigns her position as a CIA operative a job her husband knows nothing about and vows to recreate herself as a devoted wife and mother to their two boys. But Kate soon discovers that computer geek Dexter has been living a secret life as well, and that he may be a thief being investigated by the FBI and Interpol who's stolen millions of euros in online banking transactions. The sheer amount of bombshell plot twists are nothing short of extraordinary, but it's Pavone's portrayal of Kate and her quest to find meaning in her charade of an existence that makes this book such a powerful read.
Customer Reviews
Chronology Issues
I enjoyed the read, but it was very hard for me to keep track of the chronology of the story. I had to go back many times and re-read chapters. I believe that the time line could have been better organized.
The Expats
Having lived in The Netherlands and Ireland, and working in the financial services business (at a fairly senior level), I have to admit that this was a fairly enjoyable read. Locales and descriptions are accurate. The emotions are VERY close to reality. Trailing expat spouses are in a really tough situation.
However, Dexter would have hooked up the camera. He would never have been so sloppy (I'm not half as bright as he is, and I would never make the neophyte errors he did) and covered his tracks better ... I know that I did.
The Luxembourg descriptions are close to accurate ... The Grand Hotel and Restaurant Speltz would be better described.
On a scale of 100, I would give this an 85.
Expats
Possibly an author with "ADD". I like novels with twists and turns, but this was a confusing read.
Would be considered over priced as a hardback, definitely so as an e-book.