Rick Klau reviewed The travelers by Chris Pavone
Review of 'The travelers' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Thoroughly enjoyable story. Pavone has a gift for the tiny detail that sheds light on a character; my favorite throw-away line in the book has to be when one of the main characters puts a glass of Scotch down on the table, then picks it up to look for a coaster - while his internal monologue acknowledges that the Scotch is at room temperature, it's in a glass, the table is glass, and there is no risk of condensation, therefore no need for a coaster. He does it because the absence of a coaster would infuriate his wife (there's even a callback to this later on, when she goes looking for a coaster for her own drink)... and in that moment, Pavone conveyed a rich background of information about their marriage, their quirks, their priorities. I knew who both characters were, all because of a coaster.
Beyond that, I enjoyed …
Thoroughly enjoyable story. Pavone has a gift for the tiny detail that sheds light on a character; my favorite throw-away line in the book has to be when one of the main characters puts a glass of Scotch down on the table, then picks it up to look for a coaster - while his internal monologue acknowledges that the Scotch is at room temperature, it's in a glass, the table is glass, and there is no risk of condensation, therefore no need for a coaster. He does it because the absence of a coaster would infuriate his wife (there's even a callback to this later on, when she goes looking for a coaster for her own drink)... and in that moment, Pavone conveyed a rich background of information about their marriage, their quirks, their priorities. I knew who both characters were, all because of a coaster.
Beyond that, I enjoyed the Hitchcockian nature of the story – few people are exactly what they seem, few explanations can be taken at face value. Though I didn't love all of the characters (that's by design, I think), I understood them. And it was hard to find fault with their decisions at major moments in the book – the very nature of the overly complex operation produces flawed outcomes, something I think Pavone did a good job illustrating throughout the story.
If you enjoy spy thrillers, or appreciate a well-crafted story that holds its cards close to its vest, you'll enjoy The Travelers.