What do readers think of The Cairo Affair by Olen Steinhauer? Write your own review.

International intrigue done right! Sophie, the main character, is married to a U.S. foreign service officer. You sympathize with her as she flees to Cairo, looking for the truth. But who can she trust in a world where everyone speaks in half-truths and lies. And everyone seems to have at least one secret that needs to be kept. Even the name of the book means more than one thing. The story is told by several narrators, who carry the story forward and provide insights into Sophie and the other characters so you know them very well and understand why they act as they do. They also give you insight into the problem from many different perspectives, but it won't help you solve the mystery until the very end. This book was a great read and I need to find more of Steinhauer's books now.

I was already a fan of Olen Steinhauer and was not disappointed with his new novel. The characters are well developed and having the story told from their various perspectives is interesting. The book is a fast paced spy novel with political intrigue.

I enjoyed this book more than any of Olen Steinhauer's since his original four Eastern Bloc stories. The technique of repeating the story from the perspective of multiple characters did take a few chapters to get used to, but, by the end of the story, I felt it had enhanced the narrative

The plot is interesting and timely, but it plods along while various characters repeat the story. I experienced reader fatigue and feel the book needs a good edit to share off at least 50-75 pages. Having a female character emerge from a supporting "wife" role to main character is interesting. The timeline is hard to follow. A map of the area would improve reader comprehension.

If you like well drawn characters, this book is not for you. If you like action or suspense, this book is not for you. If you like to feel comfortable or identify with someone in the story, this book is not for you. It is a timely story with a modicum of interest but I experienced difficulty in liking any person or portion of the plot involved in the book. I ended up rushing through the final 100 pages just to see how the author concluded the slight mystery. A clever and unexpected close but not enough to give satisfaction. I usually like almost any book but I would not recommend this version and do not even plan on saving my copy.

Must admit "The Cairo Affair" is on my re-read list. Truly a book one needs to read in one sitting in order to follow the characters and the flow. I felt I lost some nuance by reading it in too many sessions. A re-read, even though I know the twists, would help solidify the details of this very current book. Additionally, I wanted to have a timeline for the Arab Spring events available as I read the book.

The development of the main characters, Sophie, Emmett and Zora, from 1991 to the present is a glimpse into the maturation of idealists. Plus the long term effects of seminal incidents in the decisions one makes into the future.

An intriguing book. Looking forward to sharing it with my friends and some great discussions to follow.

I can't exactly say what this book is about. A minor diplomat is shot in Budapest and it may or may not have anything to do with an affair his wife had in Cairo. She heads to Cairo to find out who murdered him. A CIA agent in DC thinks his plan to topple the Libyan government is being put into action. He meets with the diplomat shortly before he's shot. Then there are the diplomats/spies in Cairo and everybody seems to be selling/giving information to everybody else. This book requires at least a basic knowledge of the Arab Spring and Egyptian/Libyan/US politics. If you don't have that you will probably feel lost as I frequently did. The book toggles back and forth in time and in perspective and that added to the confusion for me. The book ends abruptly and I felt like the last few pages were missing. Maybe there's a sequel planned?

There's lots of intrigue but I feel that a more linear telling of the story would have been clearer.

I have read the Milo Weaver series by Olen Steinhauer and was looking forward to this book. I was not disappointed , anyone who likes spy novels, in the John Le Carre , Len Deighton vein, needs to pick this up. Its a great read, can't put down complex plot, multilayered. The chapters are divided as written by the main characters , it is a portrait of a marriage, betrayal and dangerous political games. 5 stars and well deserved!