St. Martin's Press
March 2015
Spy-thriller Steinhauer has written another powerful story, this about two CIA agents still imperiled years later by an international terrorist event. The plot line in his latest book takes several surprising 180-degree turns that has the reader racing to keep up with the story. In all, this suspense tale presents a great read, though different in several ways from his The Tourist trilogy.
What's different about this book
Described as "cerebral" by the publisher, this book is built on the literary technique of a single point in time serving as the narrative focus. At a quiet dinner, ten years after they were involved in a political fiasco, two agents arrange to meet once again. This device of having as much of the action as possible occur at a single setting is well-crafted, and by skillfully providing background and context, Steinhauer succeeds in developing his cast of characters as well as drawing the reader into the storyline. Unexpected twists and developments in the narration slowly serve to reveal earlier puzzling references. This tale is masterfully crafted and delivered to the reader who should trust Steinhauer to make it all make sense.
What I'll do now that I've read it
This will be easy to book-talk to my mystery-suspense genre readers of all ages. Putting this book on the library shelf next to the Tourist trilogy will seem somehow incongruous -- the "feel" of the book is different from those earlier stories. But All the Old Knives will be an entertaining read, if not to the same depth of engagement as The Tourist.
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