The Cairo Affair by Olen Steinhauer

This book was very reminiscent of Lawrence Durrell’s “The Alexandria Quartet”, one of my classic favorites.  And this is not just because of the Egyptian setting; or post-recent “Arab-Spring wars”; but also because of the author’s deftness of handling multiple voices for narration, an always difficult undertaking.

Alas, this is not (yet) a quartet, albeit a riveting 400-page read.  As with Durrell’s book, the plot lines fall somewhat within the domain of the foreign services, the secret ones.  I’m starting this write-up only having arrived at page 100 of 400, but I’m already caught up in the depth of the plotlines, a myriad of them.  

The depth comes from thoughtful, human characterizations, of which JC Oates is my capable standard.  The reader feels that this story is so believably real, that even as characters are shot and killed, the others move on, as they must, as though this is a necessarily acceptable part of life.  The women are written really well: no need in the movie for reed-thin Eurasians, nor booby blondes.

I’ll tune back in half way through.

Just as le Carré is always saying, the espionage world messes with the minds and morals of those who engage within it.  Lying, cheating and deception are so engrained in their way of life that they can no longer tell up from down.  Even time becomes difficult to grasp ahold of, “What did I tell her yesterday and what will I say to her tomorrow?”

Wow.!  Good through the final page.!  Not a twist; but an unexpected outcome.

All of my early praise continued to be justified throughout.