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    The Middleman: A Novel
    The Middleman: A Novel
    The Middleman: A Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Middleman: A Novel

    Written by Olen Steinhauer

    Narrated by Ari Fliakos

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    "Steinhauer once again demonstrates his mastery in creating suspense...Ari Fliakos calmly narrates while capturing colorfully the array of characters in this multilayered book." — Washington Post

    In The Middleman, Olen Steinhauer, New York Times bestselling author of ten titles, including The Tourist and The Cairo Affair, delivers a compelling portrait of a nation on the edge of revolution, and the deepest motives of the men and women on the opposite sides of the divide.

    One day in the early summer of 2017, about four hundred people disappear from their lives. They leave behind cell phones, credit cards, jobs, houses, families--everything--all on the same day. Where have they gone? Why? The only answer, for weeks, is silence.

    Kevin Moore is one of them. Former military, disaffected, restless, Kevin leaves behind his retail job in San Francisco, sends a good-bye text to his mother, dumps his phone and wallet into a trash can, and disappears.

    The movement calls itself the Massive Brigade, and they believe change isn't coming fast enough to America. But are they a protest organization, a political movement, or a terrorist group? What do they want? The FBI isn't taking any chances. Special Agent Rachel Proulx has been following the growth of left-wing political groups in the U.S. since the fall of 2016, and is very familiar with Martin Bishop, the charismatic leader of the Massive Brigade. But she needs her colleagues to take her seriously in order to find these people before they put their plan--whatever it is--into action.

    What Rachel uncovers will shock the entire nation, and the aftermath of her investigation will reverberate through the FBI to the highest levels of government.

    More praise for The Middleman:

    "The Middleman is smart and entertaining and consistently intriguing" — New York Times Book Review

    "The Middleman, with its abundance of multidimensional characters and political viewpoints, is a thought-provoking novel that never ceases to excite as a thriller." — Wall Street Journal

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateAug 7, 2018
    ISBN9781427267719
    Author

    Olen Steinhauer

    Olen Steinhauer was raised in Texas and now lives in Budapest, Hungary. He was inspired to write his Eastern European series while on a Fulbright Scholarship in Romania. His first four novels have been nominated for many awards, including the CWA Historical Dagger and an Edgar, and have been critically acclaimed. ‘The Tourist’ has been optioned for filming by George Clooney.

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    Reviews for The Middleman

    3.5/5

    62 ratings10 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Takes a little time to get interesting, but overall a good book. This book is an easy read and has a fairly decent plot line.
    • 3/5
      The motivation of the dissidents is not well articulated nor is the ending of the book.
    • 2/5
      This book has swirling loops of conspiracy theories. It also seems to introduce a new character on every other page. I thought it was convoluted, dull and full of people about whom I did not care. I also don't think that, given our current political debacle, this is a particularly good time to bash the credibility of the FBI. Since not all of the conspiracies are tidied up at the end of the book, I assume that a sequel is planned. I won't be reading it. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
    • 5/5
      The Middle-Man is an excellent book. It felt like it was mimicking real life. From the very beginning until the end the suspense continued. The characters were all believable and the descriptions of the scenery were easy to imagine. I highly recommend The Middle-Man by Olen Steinhauer.
    • 4/5
      I appreciated the voice acting, the fast paced story and how many characters’ lives and perspectives the plotting allows the reader to access. Most of all I’m totally blow away by how tightly woven the story is against recent events and today’s concerns.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this thrill ride of a book to the max!This book is current, edgy, precise, scary, and told in a grabbing manner. I love the various perspectives of the speakers. They all have a story to tell, and their stories are all important. It was action-packed from the beginning and did not let up. Discoveries were made from beginning to end. Kept me riveted. I related to many of the characters in a substantial way.What shone through to me in all of it, was the fact that we are all humans. Regardless of beliefs, when push comes to shove, there are common factors.A fascinating read and one I'm sure any spy, mystery, thriller, political thriller readers will love.This book was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.
    • 2/5
      Competently plotted, but the writing needs more personality.
    • 4/5
      This was a well written and enjoyable story. A police procedural with a female protagonist set in current times includes terroristic groups and bureaucratic bumbling. It can, in short, be considered an interesting "how-to" instruction for becoming part of the FBI upper management. No one emerges as a lily white, savior, of morality, both the terrorists and the bureaucrats are less-than-pure. Commentary on the current state of the nation and world.
    • 5/5
      The Middleman from Olen Steinhauer is a thriller that is as current as the latest asinine Presidential* tweet, except this novel is from an intelligent mind and makes sense. This is about both domestic terrorism and corrupt government. Neither side comes out clean and, just like life, neither side is perfect.One of the valuable points here is the danger of a charismatic leader, whether that person wants to do good (as in the novel) or wants to do bad (as in real life). I think I will leave the overt social and political commentary there since this novel is more than just some left or right wing critique, it is a compelling story.There are plenty of surprises and one or two things that were telegraphed. Overall both the thought-provoking aspects and the mystery aspect kept me wanting to read more. The characters are well developed and generally act as their personalities would indicate. You will find characters to dislike and to like, and maybe a little of both.One more political comment: this book is not a screed on either end of the current political spectrum. Some positives are given to both sides (as if there are only 2 sides, but anyway) and both sides also display their negatives. As long as you aren't afraid of your positions being questioned then you can enjoy the story and perhaps gain some perspective to improve your own views. If you're afraid of light being shed on your positions, on either side, you may not enjoy this as much. It won't be because of the novel, it will be because you are weak in your position, which is far too common nowadays as well.I would recommend this to any reader who can enjoy a political thriller without getting all hurt because it didn't cater to your views exclusively. If you need to only hear what is in your echo chamber, stay on social media.Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads.
    • 3/5
      Having read two previous books [The Tourist and The Nearest Exit ] by Olen Steinhauer, I looked forward to reading his latest, The Middleman. I was neither disappointed nor overwhelmed. This one is a pretty good thriller in which the female protagonist, an FBI agent, can’t quite figure out what some would-be not-quite-terrorists are up to and later, why their two principal leaders are assassinated, why someone is trying to kill her, and why the FBI (her own agency) seems out to get her. To find the answer, she turns to the tried-and-true question of “qui bono?”, or in modern parlance, “follow the money.” Evalaution: This book is not especially suspenseful, and it based on a somewhat implausible premise. Nonetheless, it is sufficiently complicated and convoluted to keep your interest. Good airplane reading. (JAB)