The Travelers by Chris Pavone: A Review

 

"Many people assume that spies, traitors, and double agents are all motivated by political convictions.  Not so.  The vast majority of espionage is committed for a very simple reason: money."  Will Rhodes is a man who is desperately in need of money.  His house in Brooklyn is falling apart as he writes for Travelers magazine, a magazine that also runs a luxury travel agency.  By working in a dying industry with an even more threatened niche, Will’s finances are not looking good.  That is until he meets Elle Hardwick while on assignment and succumbs to temptation when he sleeps with her.  Soon, the video of Will and Elle’s tryst is used to coerce him into working as a spy for the CIA.  Soon, Will begins to wonder if he is really working for the organizations he believes he is working for or if he is working for someone else.

The Travelers is a spy thriller that has a lot of twists and turns but can be somewhat predictable.  If you are looking for a quick read or an emotional novel, this isn’t it.  If you are looking for an easy-to-read, fun, mystery novel that is filled with espionage-related themes, this is the book for you.  This is a great book for a beach day or whenever you want some light reading.  

This book does not take place in one locale.  Will (and many of the other characters) travel the world and there are many beautiful descriptions of travel locations, both well-known and those that are not well-known.  The characters are well-developed and very interesting.  Even though we find out that Will cheated on his wife shortly after we meet him, he is still a likeable character.  Will’s boss, Malcolm, seems unlikeable in the beginning but he grows on you towards the end.

The author, Chris Pavone, has written two other books The Expats and The Accident.  You can read more about both of them, as well as more about The Travelers, on his website.

This book is currently available and can be purchased from major booksellers.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.  Visit the publisher, Penguin Random House, for booksellers and information about the book.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am not associated with Goodreads in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 

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