Sophie Kohl is living her worst nightmare. Minutes after she confesses to her husband, a mid-level diplomat at the American embassy in Hungary, that she had an affair while they were in Cairo, he is shot in the head and killed.
Stan Bertolli, a Cairo-based CIA agent, has fielded his share of midnight calls. But his heart skips a beat when he hears the voice of the only woman he ever truly loved, calling to ask why her husband has been assassinated.
Omar Halawi has worked in Egyptian intelligence for years, and he knows how to play the game. Foreign agents pass him occasional information, he returns the favor, and everyone's happy. But the murder of a diplomat in Hungary has ripples all the way to Cairo, and Omar must follow the fall-out wherever it leads.
American analyst Jibril Aziz knows more about Stumbler, a covert operation rejected by the CIA, than anyone. So when it appears someone else has obtained a copy of the blueprints, Jibril alone knows the danger it represents.
As these players converge in Cairo in The Cairo Affair, Olen Steinhauer's masterful manipulations slowly unveil a portrait of a marriage, a jigsaw puzzle of loyalty and betrayal, against a dangerous world of political games where allegiances are never clear and outcomes are never guaranteed.
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“For
Steinhauer’s newest international spy thriller, Edoardo Ballerini gives
the auditory impression of a multicast production. As the setting moves
throughout Eastern Europe and North Africa, Ballerini guides the
listener along with graceful changes in dialect. And as the plot
alternates perspectives—telling the same story over from different
characters’ viewpoints—Ballerini keeps the audience from losing track
with a distinctive voice and tone for each person. He’s so good that
it’s hard to believe it’s just one narrator. Ballerini’s pacing exudes
an atmosphere of deception, darkness, and despair, reflective of both
the characters and setting. A powerful and captivating performance of a
powerful and captivating story.”
—
AudioFile