The Travelers: A Novel

I cannot recall why I purchased "Travelers" but I wish I hadn't because it is not for me. Pavone writes well and that's usually enough to keep me hooked until I'm hooked, if you know what I mean. Unfortunately, in terms of the actual 'hook' of they story, it is too obtuse and the mystery too slowly developed to have kept my interest.Superficially, the story of Will Rhodes life as a travel writer should zing. He's getting out and about to some really interesting places, after all. But he's basically a lazy slob who is disappointed that he's not lived the wonderful life his imagination laid out for him, but so passive that his lack of self-assessed success is hardly surprising and I just wanted to shake him off the page and get him to do something proactive.Counterpointing Rhodes' ennui is the mystery of the Travelers magazine itself, and especially his boss as the Grand Poobar of some secret, shadowy dealings or organization or Government Department or some such...it was taking so long to develop that I literally lost interest.Now despite Pavone writing well, the prose is overwrought in too many places, describing items and events in too much detail and dripping with such ponderous intent that I found myself skipping paragraphs to get to the meat of the story. And yet it's the exact opposite in other places, skipping lively and delicately into Rhodes' emotional state as he falls headlong into lust on one of this trips. But that never made up for the ponderous stuff and my tolerance for that is low so I've given up reading at about the halfway mark.I'm not sure what exact genre "Travelers" fits into. The Kindle blurb calls it "The pulse-racing international thriller of the year" but it did not set my pulse racing at any point. Rhodes is an anti-hero at best, a sad slob at worst, and just not that compelling to me. His boss seems cut from the era when 'harass' was two words and Rhodes is so disconnected from his wife she may as well be a cardboard cutout. Perhaps everything accelerated the very next page after the one I gave up, but a thriller has to thrill and this had none of that for me.

Although not particularly well-crafted, this novel did more or less hold my interest--mainly because Pavone does have a way with words, and I enjoy his descriptions of places most of us will never see. I did like "The Travelers" better than "The Accident", but both are weak quasi-sequels to "The Expats." As with all his books, Pavone's inability (or refusal) to clearly delineate flashbacks, time changes, etc. becomes annoying. Often the only clue is that he switches from present tense to past tense, and even that isn't always consistent. This means the reader (who probably doesn't have a crystal ball) has to pay too much attention to the writing mechanics and do a lot of guessing in order to avoid getting lost amid the convolutions of the plot.I feel that Pavone is capable of so much more than what we're seeing. To date, his only well-fleshed-out character has been Kate in "The Expats", which also offers the only decent plot. I would love to see him put together another story that doesn't read like a "slap it together and get paid" type of effort.

In his third novel, The Travelers, Chris Pavone weaves a tale so baffling that you’re likely to be shocked again and again as the truth at the heart of the story gradually floats to the surface. Once again, as in his previous books, Pavone’s subject matter is espionage. The scene shifts rapidly and frequently from New York City to Mendoza, Argentina, Falls Church, Virginia, Paris, Capri, Istanbul, and other spots around the globe, including the Spanish Pyrenees and rural Iceland. The suspense is intoxicating.Will Rhodes writes about food for a 70-year-old New York-based business that operates a high-end travel magazine and a bespoke travel agency under the name Travelers. When he started at the company three years earlier, his wife Chloe left her job there because she thought their marriage would suffer if they both worked at the same place. She now works freelance. Will is deeply in love with her and committed to the marriage, but the allure of a strikingly beautiful and seductive woman he meets on the road is irresistible. However, shortly after the two fall into bed together he learns that she isn’t who she said she was. (Yes, we saw this one coming.)As the tale unfolds, Will finds himself repeatedly confused, betrayed, battered, and caught up in a high-stakes game of global espionage. Along the way, we meet rogue agents, a scheming corporate raider, hired assassins, a massive worldwide conspiracy, and enough surprises to fuel a dozen mysteries. Chris Pavone has written a spy story that ranks with the best of them.

This novel was at the top of my heap of books-to-read on the beach during Spring Break. Simply stated, this gig was heated —and I couldn’t put it down. I read both of Pavone’s other novels — The Accident and The Expats — and I knew this novel would have me at Page One. Pavone’s true talent lies in his serpentine scenarios; the weaving of characters, time and place. I love that I always learn something with his work— covert CIA ops and complicated spycraft. I relish not knowing who is good, who is evil, and who is a little bit of both. His cast of characters tend to go rogue, which makes for great suspense. I especially admire Pavone’s depiction of women — smart, savvy, sexy, strong of body/mind, and intensely strategic. His protagonist Will Rhodes was admirable, vulnerable, and learned to hurdle the seemingly insurmountable twists and turns; the tripwires throughout the novel. Pavone is a highly skilled observer of people and places, which lent each scene authenticity—one truly feels she is in the heart of Paris, Iceland, etc. I highly recommend this novel. It’s a mover and shaker. Intelligent, descriptive and edgy--be prepared to stay up way past your bedtime...

I think I was reading a different book to the reviewers on the cover. I haven't found the wit and charm, the smart and elegant writing. I am 150 pages in, and pretty much nothing has happened, apart from what we're told on the back cover: 150 pages summed up in a dozen lines, it does not bode well.I haven't found much of a plot - just a rather tired honey-pot trap (gosh I really did not see that coming, did I?).The writing is very odd - is this a satire? - every page is peppered with "lists of three", or just long lists (of what he thinks, what he's saying, what he does) - "he stops to snap pictures, to jot notes, to focus on being here" "he picks up a branch, strips it of twigs and leaves, and starts using it as a walking stick" (from same paragraph), "he walks to a pump on the side of the street, pistons the handle, eliciting a gush of water" (opposite page). And that continues right the way through. So many commas and long sentences It gets very repetitive, and rather boring - an awful lot of padding - dull and lazy writing. Talking of dull, did we really need 10 pages of Malcolm's presentation to an unknown group of people about Travellers, the magazine (powerpoint, of course, but - heh, this guy is cool - he doesn't really like it).And the characters are unpleasant and uninspiring - certainly not "fully-fleshed". The men seem stuck in an adolescent world, where beautiful women are there to be admired, looked at, and sexually available (in their minds). Will and Malcolm have the conversations of 15 year-olds. Noone is really believable - actually none of this is, it's a world the author wants to believe is true, without much reference to the real one. There are better authors, who evoke this world with greater skill and interest.No, I really cannot face another 500 pages of this.

This is a novel about the intricacies and subterfuges of spy rings, legal and illegal. Right from the start the suspense mounts as to who is who, and why. The main characters are clearly defined and the plot, while it may seem outlandish, has been rendered credible. The descriptions of places ranging from Iceland to Argentina, and many spots in between, are accurate and appealing.

I purchased this title following very favourable reviews in papers, but it is not for me. Although I managed to finish it, I found the entire story thoroughly confusing and , having finished it could not tell you what the purpose or plot was. Didn`t enjoy it at all

This is a really well written/plotted thriller. The characters are believable and likeable which (to me) is very important. I've been to a number of locations mentioned in the narrative and they are well described. This may sound patronising (it's a compliment); Mr Pavone's prose style is very English, as in written by a Brit. Read it, you will enjoy it. Now for another CP oeuvre.

Such a good read - I'm almost finished and really don't want it to end. Its intelligent, thought provoking and exciting with twists and turns yet remins plausible and realistic. I love Chris's writing and he gets better with each book. Can't wait for the next one.