Five years ago I read "The Tourist" by Olen Steinhauer. This novel's protagonist is the reluctant spy Milo Weaver. He followed that book up with a couple more to form a trilogy. By the time we get to the third book the story lines are so complex that we almost feel the need to create wall charts to keep track of the action. Almost. Steinhauer writes intricate stories that dazzle and entertain.
Steinhauer decided it was time to take a break from the Tourist series. His latest novel, "The Cairo Affair" unfolds in places like Libya, Hungary, Egypt, and the former Yugoslavia. As this novel opens an espionage agent is having dinner with his wife. He has just told her that he suspects she has had an affair with his boss back in Cairo. At that point a hit man strolls into the restaurant and assassinates our unfortunate cuckold. And we're off!
In this interview the author talks about his creative process, his decision to put Milo Weaver on the shelf for a while, and his next book which he has already written.
