The Expats (edición 2012)

The Expats is an espionage novel with a few interesting twists. The main character is a young mother, apparently renouncing her job in administration to follow her husband on a lucrative job abroad, but she is in fact an ex-CIA agent and her new life as a housewife contrasts sharply with her glamorous past. Thankfully, she hasn’t lost her acuity and is quick to find out that something is very strange about his husband’s new job. And what about those all-too-friendly fellow expats?

The fact that the main character is a powerful woman is a nice change from the usual espionage novels. Plus, the contrast between her struggle to keep up taking care of her family while conducting her personal investigation is another thing I liked in that book. Finally, it gave a pretty good description of what it’s like to move to a foreign country… ( )

If you read/enjoyed "The Gone Girl", this one may be on your list, also.
Life in Luxemborg as an 'expat' among the small but close American community and a woman adjusting to being a Mom and coffee-klatcher after having left a CIA job. But, oh, the secrets she holds and if . . . . or when - will they be exposed and by whom ?
However, what about her husband who brought them here for a well paid job which he shares nothing about? Does he have secrets, also ? What about the newest friends ?
Twist, Turn, Twist, Turn, Twist, Turn and I couldn't guess all the surprises.
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A first book and I hope the first of many. Good writing, good story . Great descriptions of expat living and experiences. ( )

Big league secrets between a husband and wife make this story work. Kate's background in the CIA as a former case manager and sometime assassin makes it all too easy for her to be suspicious of everyone, and ultimately, her own husband.

Dexter has always seemed to be a low profile computer geek--gentle and loving. When he is offered a very lucrative job in cyber security by a large and unnamed bank in Luxembourg, Kate resigns her career with the CIA to become a very, very bored housewife and joins the local expat community of equally bored wives in Luxembourg.

Because of the secretive nature of his job, Dexter is not allowed to tell Kate anything about his job. Initially, because of her own background, she tolerates the lack of information and his explanations. Later, this will contribute to her own suspicions, her need to investigate and finally, to try and shield her husband from the consequences of his actions. ( )

Kate is your average working mom. She's in the house taking care of the kids when her husband comes home and tells her they're moving to Luxembourg... within the month. Kate jumps at the chance to leave her job, except she never really told her husband what she really does for a living. When the family arrives in their new home, Kate starts her new role as a housewife and full-time mom. As her husband starts to grow distant and Kate starts to worry, a new couple moves into their neighborhood, but Kate suspects that they are not as they seem... just as she realizes that her past may have caught up with her.

Whoa. This book was freaking amazing! I love spy novels. I especially love spy novels that take place in Europe. But a spy novel in Europe with a FEMALE protagonist seemed too good to be true... and yet here we are with this wonderful book! I think what makes this book so compelling (besides the nonstop suspense) is that Kate has a real life. She isn't the solitary aging man with no strings attached and badly stained teeth from too much whiskey and smoking. She has a real family which she must protect at the same time as figuring out what the heck is going on around her.

This isn't just a one dimensional book about spies. It is about how a marriage can be just as complicated as politics and international relations. There were a few elements of Gone Girl in it for me insomuch as there is this sense that you never really know who you are married to. I hope you will pick this one up for a great read. It's quick, but has depth, and it is definitely worth it. I can't wait to see what Pavone comes up with next!

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for letting me read and review this book! ( )