Book Review: The Last Tourist by Olen Steinhauer

I wasn’t sure about this one at first, but it turns out Steinhauer’s Milo Weaver series is, in fact, just as compelling even when the action turns away from Milo for the beginning of the book… In earlier books in the series, I’ve commented that I vastly prefer it when Milo takes center stage – that continues to be true. While I didn’t mind Abdul’s first-person narration by the end, it did throw me at first and if I hadn’t already been so committed to the series, it might have turned me off. Not because there’s anything wrong with him as a character, but because I read these books entirely because of Milo.

He’s a fantastic character – bent almost to the point of being dysfunctionally broken by the system that created him. He’s Jason Bourne before he realizes he’s Jason Bourne – someone with a preternatural ability to stay alive despite the unbelievable odds stacked against him. But unlike Bourne, Milo always feels human and possible. It makes the books resonate with me in a way that the Bourne’s never did, for all that they are entertaining…

In this latest installment, Milo is once again facing an unbearable amount of evil vitriol aimed at him and his. Once again, he finds allies in the most unlikely places – and enemies (even if occasionally well-intentioned) as well. This ability to write complex interwoven narratives around multiple characters over multiple timelines and locations is one of the great strengths in this series for me. I can’t even imagine what it must be like to write them – there are SO MANY THINGS going on at all times, the ones that seem like red herrings usually aren’t and the ones that do not, well, you never really know about those. They have a tendency to reappear at the most unlikely times and result in the most unlikely consequences. It makes for a very tense (in the best possible way) read that requires attention to detail and an ability to roll with things as they play out. It’s active reading, and I love it for that.

You never know what will come next for Milo Weaver, and that includes whether there will continue to BE a Milo Weaver. When Steinhauer decides he’s done, it’ll be a shame – so here’s hoping he puts it off a little longer and this latest title indicates a revitalization of the series!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.