What do you think?
Rate this book
Ben Treven #2
La celda naranja
¿Cómo puede ser una conspiración cuando todo el mundo es cómplice?
Ben Treven, agente al servicio del gobierno de Estados Unidos en operaciones de guerra encubierta, es arrestado en la prisión de Manila tras una pelea de bar. Allí recibe la visita de su antiguo superior, el coronel Scott Horton, quien le ofrece su libertad a cambio de encontrar y eliminar a Daniel Larison, un compañero de la unidad de Ben que ha robado noventa y dos cintas de la CIA que supuestamente demuestran brutales torturas a presos y que Larison está utilizando para chantajear al gobierno estadounidense.
Para cumplir su misión, Ben no sólo deberá enfrentarse a la CIA, a mercenarios y a buena parte de la Casa Blanca, sino que también competirá con Paula Lanier, una atractiva e inteligente agente del FBI que colaborará con él para conseguir las cintas.
Ben Treven, agente al servicio del gobierno de Estados Unidos en operaciones de guerra encubierta, es arrestado en la prisión de Manila tras una pelea de bar. Allí recibe la visita de su antiguo superior, el coronel Scott Horton, quien le ofrece su libertad a cambio de encontrar y eliminar a Daniel Larison, un compañero de la unidad de Ben que ha robado noventa y dos cintas de la CIA que supuestamente demuestran brutales torturas a presos y que Larison está utilizando para chantajear al gobierno estadounidense.
Para cumplir su misión, Ben no sólo deberá enfrentarse a la CIA, a mercenarios y a buena parte de la Casa Blanca, sino que también competirá con Paula Lanier, una atractiva e inteligente agente del FBI que colaborará con él para conseguir las cintas.
348 pages, Paperback
First published June 29, 2010
389 people are currently reading
1138 people want to read
About the author
Barry Eisler
87 books3,043 followersBarry Eisler spent three years in a covert position with the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, then worked as a technology lawyer and startup executive in Silicon Valley and Japan, earning his black belt at the Kodokan Judo Institute along the way. Eisler’s award-winning thrillers have been included in numerous “Best Of” lists, have been translated into nearly twenty languages, and include the #1 bestsellers Livia Lone, The Night Trade, and The Killer Collective. Eisler lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and, when he's not writing novels, blogs about national security and the media. www.barryeisler.com
Series:
* John Rain
Series:
* John Rain
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews
October 23, 2014
An interesting premise & I really liked the end. Political, but not party politics. Ben is definitely in a quandary with a lot of action & no one is clean. This is taken straight from the headlines, too. There's enough truth there that it makes you wonder if it is fiction or not.
I like Ben as a hero better than Rain. He's more believable - easier to relate to, especially in this situation. Great motivations for all the players & excellent characterization. Even the bad guys have understandable & believable motives.
I like Ben as a hero better than Rain. He's more believable - easier to relate to, especially in this situation. Great motivations for all the players & excellent characterization. Even the bad guys have understandable & believable motives.
July 21, 2023
Part of the Ben Treven series. I think Eisler was trying to do a riff on the Bourne theme with the series.
After a barfight in Thailand, Treven lands in jail. His former commanding officer gets him out, if he'll get some videotapes of the CIA torturing people. Treven doesn't really know what's going on the whole time.
After a barfight in Thailand, Treven lands in jail. His former commanding officer gets him out, if he'll get some videotapes of the CIA torturing people. Treven doesn't really know what's going on the whole time.
June 11, 2019
Videos von Verhören und Folter der CIA. Diese sind jetzt verschwunden. Das war die Schlagzeile damals. Genau da setzt die Story an.
Die Geschichte und das Netz aus Intrigen sind bis ins kleinste Detail durchdacht und interessant. Man kann sich vorstellen, dass das was erzählt wird auch genauso passiert. Es ist genug Wahres daran, dass man sich fragt, wo die Fiktion beginnt.
"Menschen haben immer eine Wahl. Sie tun nur so als hätten sie keine, um sich zu rechtfertigen, was sie ohnehin tun wollten."
Es fängt verschwörerisch gut an. Mit Folter, Vertuschung, dem Beeinflussen der Öffentlichkeit und dem System, das über allem steht.
Und die Guten können am Ende nicht gewinnen, denn hier gibt es keine Guten...
"Er gehörte gern zum inneren Zirkel. Es gefiel ihm, über die Geheimnisse hinter der Fassade Bescheid zu wissen, über die Art wie die Welt unter der Oberfläche, die jeder sehen konnte, wirklich funktionierte."
Ulrich, Lobbyist, ehemaliger Stabschef des Vizepräsidenten und die "Macht im Verborgenen" genannt, hat damals die Geschichte um die verschwundenen Videos gesponnen, obwohl klar war, dass sie gestohlen wurden. Genauso, wie Clements, der CIA-Vize, hat er Angst, wegen der Caspers - den unschuldigen, inoffiziellen Häftlingen, die im Auftrag der Regierung gefoltert und getötet wurden.
Ein abtrünniger Agent, der seinen Tod vorgetäuscht hat um seiner Vergangenheit zu entkommen, träumt von einem Leben mit seinem Liebhaber. Der ehemalige Geheimagent Ben soll den Mann finden, der die Videos entwendet hat und jetzt die Regierung erpresst.
Die CIA, das FBI, die NSA, Blackwater, das Justizministerium - alle Behörden arbeiten an diesem Fall und umkreisen sich misstrauisch. Insgeheim haben alle eigene Motive und arbeiten gegeneinander. Somit auch gegen Ben. Und dann gibt es noch die Eigensinnige, die inoffiziell arbeiten...
"Was glauben sie für wen sie in Wirklichkeit arbeiten? König und Vaterland? Oder nur für den König."
Keiner der Protagonisten ist sonderlich sympathisch, aber man lernt Ben kennen und kann irgendwie verstehen, was in ihm vorgeht. Man begreift, wie er funktioniert.
Es ist spannend und rasant, leider aber auch zu komplex und fesselt nicht weil man über Begriffe aus dem Bereich der Geheimdienste, Folter-Praktiken und Politik stolpert. Außerdem sind so viele Personen und Behörden beteiligt, dass es schwierig ist sich einen Überblick zu verschaffen und ihn zu behalten. Dadurch wird das Lesen holprig, alles zusammen ist einfach zu viel.
Das amerikanische Denken und die Hintergründe des Systems werden gut dargestellt. Genauso wie die subtile Kritik an der Allgemeinheit. Und leider ist das alles nicht ausschließlich amerikanisch.
"...was wäre wichtiger? Dass die Amerikaner sicher sind, oder dass sie sich sicher fühlen?"
Begeistert war ich vom Literaturverzeichnis am Ende. Sich durch die verschiedenen Artikel zu lesen, war fast besser als das Buch.
Die Geschichte und das Netz aus Intrigen sind bis ins kleinste Detail durchdacht und interessant. Man kann sich vorstellen, dass das was erzählt wird auch genauso passiert. Es ist genug Wahres daran, dass man sich fragt, wo die Fiktion beginnt.
"Menschen haben immer eine Wahl. Sie tun nur so als hätten sie keine, um sich zu rechtfertigen, was sie ohnehin tun wollten."
Es fängt verschwörerisch gut an. Mit Folter, Vertuschung, dem Beeinflussen der Öffentlichkeit und dem System, das über allem steht.
Und die Guten können am Ende nicht gewinnen, denn hier gibt es keine Guten...
"Er gehörte gern zum inneren Zirkel. Es gefiel ihm, über die Geheimnisse hinter der Fassade Bescheid zu wissen, über die Art wie die Welt unter der Oberfläche, die jeder sehen konnte, wirklich funktionierte."
Ulrich, Lobbyist, ehemaliger Stabschef des Vizepräsidenten und die "Macht im Verborgenen" genannt, hat damals die Geschichte um die verschwundenen Videos gesponnen, obwohl klar war, dass sie gestohlen wurden. Genauso, wie Clements, der CIA-Vize, hat er Angst, wegen der Caspers - den unschuldigen, inoffiziellen Häftlingen, die im Auftrag der Regierung gefoltert und getötet wurden.
Ein abtrünniger Agent, der seinen Tod vorgetäuscht hat um seiner Vergangenheit zu entkommen, träumt von einem Leben mit seinem Liebhaber. Der ehemalige Geheimagent Ben soll den Mann finden, der die Videos entwendet hat und jetzt die Regierung erpresst.
Die CIA, das FBI, die NSA, Blackwater, das Justizministerium - alle Behörden arbeiten an diesem Fall und umkreisen sich misstrauisch. Insgeheim haben alle eigene Motive und arbeiten gegeneinander. Somit auch gegen Ben. Und dann gibt es noch die Eigensinnige, die inoffiziell arbeiten...
"Was glauben sie für wen sie in Wirklichkeit arbeiten? König und Vaterland? Oder nur für den König."
Keiner der Protagonisten ist sonderlich sympathisch, aber man lernt Ben kennen und kann irgendwie verstehen, was in ihm vorgeht. Man begreift, wie er funktioniert.
Es ist spannend und rasant, leider aber auch zu komplex und fesselt nicht weil man über Begriffe aus dem Bereich der Geheimdienste, Folter-Praktiken und Politik stolpert. Außerdem sind so viele Personen und Behörden beteiligt, dass es schwierig ist sich einen Überblick zu verschaffen und ihn zu behalten. Dadurch wird das Lesen holprig, alles zusammen ist einfach zu viel.
Das amerikanische Denken und die Hintergründe des Systems werden gut dargestellt. Genauso wie die subtile Kritik an der Allgemeinheit. Und leider ist das alles nicht ausschließlich amerikanisch.
"...was wäre wichtiger? Dass die Amerikaner sicher sind, oder dass sie sich sicher fühlen?"
Begeistert war ich vom Literaturverzeichnis am Ende. Sich durch die verschiedenen Artikel zu lesen, war fast besser als das Buch.
July 22, 2010
During the Bush presidency, the CIA taped various interrogations and it was reported in the news that the tapes of the interrogations were destroyed.
Eisler's latest novel, literally ripped right from this headline is that that the tapes were not destroyed, but were in fact ripped off by a rogue agent who is blackmailing the USA that he will release the tapes unless paid $100 million in diamonds.
Ben Treven is recruited by Horton, his boss at the JSOS to track down who took the tapes. Treven is joined by a FBI agent Lanier as they try to track the agent's whereabouts. Helped by a tip from the agent's wife, Treven and Lanier track the agent to Costa Rica.
Meanwhile in the USA, Ulrich, the prior assistant to the Vice President, who is now a lobbyist, has learned of the missing tapes. Ulrich, who knew the tapes were never destroyed because he created the whole cover story of their destruction when they went missing, is in contact with Clements, a senior agent of the CIA, who is also looking for the tapes. Ulrich, who does not trust the CIA, also has his own sources looking for the tapes because he does not want to go down for the misdeeds on the tapes because he was involved with the Caspers, apparently innocent persons who were tortured and killed by the government.
The book is a very good thriller and although the ending is a little of a cop-out, it does speak to the idea that in these type of real situations there is no real ending. The good guys, and in this novel, there are no real good guys, do not win. They system wins.
Eisler's latest novel, literally ripped right from this headline is that that the tapes were not destroyed, but were in fact ripped off by a rogue agent who is blackmailing the USA that he will release the tapes unless paid $100 million in diamonds.
Ben Treven is recruited by Horton, his boss at the JSOS to track down who took the tapes. Treven is joined by a FBI agent Lanier as they try to track the agent's whereabouts. Helped by a tip from the agent's wife, Treven and Lanier track the agent to Costa Rica.
Meanwhile in the USA, Ulrich, the prior assistant to the Vice President, who is now a lobbyist, has learned of the missing tapes. Ulrich, who knew the tapes were never destroyed because he created the whole cover story of their destruction when they went missing, is in contact with Clements, a senior agent of the CIA, who is also looking for the tapes. Ulrich, who does not trust the CIA, also has his own sources looking for the tapes because he does not want to go down for the misdeeds on the tapes because he was involved with the Caspers, apparently innocent persons who were tortured and killed by the government.
The book is a very good thriller and although the ending is a little of a cop-out, it does speak to the idea that in these type of real situations there is no real ending. The good guys, and in this novel, there are no real good guys, do not win. They system wins.
July 13, 2023
5 stars
I wasn't crazy about the political nature of this book, at first. I grew to enjoy the not-at-all playful battles between government agencies (FBI, NSA, CIA, etc.).
Treven is probably too similar to John Rain, but I don't mind that either. I like both characters.
Once again, the procedural, descriptive nature of Eisler's work keeps me coming back.
I managed to acquire all of his current books during Audible's last sale and I'm not even half-way through. I have really enjoyed all of them.
I wasn't crazy about the political nature of this book, at first. I grew to enjoy the not-at-all playful battles between government agencies (FBI, NSA, CIA, etc.).
Treven is probably too similar to John Rain, but I don't mind that either. I like both characters.
Once again, the procedural, descriptive nature of Eisler's work keeps me coming back.
I managed to acquire all of his current books during Audible's last sale and I'm not even half-way through. I have really enjoyed all of them.
July 12, 2010
He's never failed me yet - Barry Eisler's books have been consistently exciting, gripping, can't-put-down thrillers, especially the John Rain titles. However, with INSIDE OUT he exceeds his own high standards with a revealing look at the netherworld of official torture, killings, and ghosting of detaineees. While it is a brilliant fictional account, don't think for a minute that it's fiction...simply think.
After a deadly barroom brawl black ops soldier Ben Treven (remembered from FAULT LINE) is tossed into a nightmarish Manilla prison where he fears he'll never be given a hearing but left to rot in the cell he shares with a dozen other prisoners. Enter Colonel Scott Horton (Hort), Ben's commander. Why is Hort there? In his words, "When I heard they had visiting hours in hell, I just couldn't stay away."
Hort offers him release....at a cost. Ninety-two torture tapes have been stolen from the CIA by a rogue member of Ben's unit, Daniel Larison, who is blackmailing the U.S. government for a million in uncut diamonds. These tapes are incendiary showing torture approved by the office of the U.S. Vice President. Ben is to find and get rid of Larison. At some level Ben seems to realize that he is being manipulated and threatened, but could not resist Hort's approval nor deny his desperate need to get out of prison. Little did he know or even dare imagine the twists and turns, machinations and betrayals that he would face.
Of course, Larison and the missing tapes are of great interest not only to the CIA, but also the FBI, and other political figures. The FBI is represented by Paula Lanier, a beauteous agent, which gives Eisler the opportunity to pen one hot sex scene. Nonetheless pleasure aside,, Ben finds himself unable to distinguish between friend and enemy, always guarding his back, and realizing that there is even more to the tapes than their explosive content.
At heart INSIDE OUT reveals the education of Ben in the ways of political conspiracies, and the lengths to which others will go to gain or retain power. After his three years in the CIA it is a story only Eisler could have and should have written. Forged with tension, terror, and truth it should be required reading. Exhaustively researched the book includes a Bibliography and an impressive list of Sources. INSIDE OUT is listed as fiction - read it and then ask why.
- Gail Cooke
After a deadly barroom brawl black ops soldier Ben Treven (remembered from FAULT LINE) is tossed into a nightmarish Manilla prison where he fears he'll never be given a hearing but left to rot in the cell he shares with a dozen other prisoners. Enter Colonel Scott Horton (Hort), Ben's commander. Why is Hort there? In his words, "When I heard they had visiting hours in hell, I just couldn't stay away."
Hort offers him release....at a cost. Ninety-two torture tapes have been stolen from the CIA by a rogue member of Ben's unit, Daniel Larison, who is blackmailing the U.S. government for a million in uncut diamonds. These tapes are incendiary showing torture approved by the office of the U.S. Vice President. Ben is to find and get rid of Larison. At some level Ben seems to realize that he is being manipulated and threatened, but could not resist Hort's approval nor deny his desperate need to get out of prison. Little did he know or even dare imagine the twists and turns, machinations and betrayals that he would face.
Of course, Larison and the missing tapes are of great interest not only to the CIA, but also the FBI, and other political figures. The FBI is represented by Paula Lanier, a beauteous agent, which gives Eisler the opportunity to pen one hot sex scene. Nonetheless pleasure aside,, Ben finds himself unable to distinguish between friend and enemy, always guarding his back, and realizing that there is even more to the tapes than their explosive content.
At heart INSIDE OUT reveals the education of Ben in the ways of political conspiracies, and the lengths to which others will go to gain or retain power. After his three years in the CIA it is a story only Eisler could have and should have written. Forged with tension, terror, and truth it should be required reading. Exhaustively researched the book includes a Bibliography and an impressive list of Sources. INSIDE OUT is listed as fiction - read it and then ask why.
- Gail Cooke
August 4, 2012
I just finished an Advanced Reader's Edition of Barry Eisler's newest thriller "Inside Out," and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fast paced, engaging, and had a profound insight on certain political controversies going on in the world around us. So not only was it an addictive action yarn, but also a work of fiction that made you think a little about what really happens behind certain closed doors. How much was fiction, and how much of the plot line was real? More on this in a moment, but this is a book I highly recommend if you enjoy action, military tactics, government agencies that when mixed together look like alphabet soup, and a good story line to keep you reading right up to an ending that caught me by surprise, but made me eager to learn what Eisler has in store for future novels.
If you read Eisler's last book, "Fault Line," you'll be familiar with the main character Ben Treven, and you know he's a black ops soldier. Now, with "Inside Out," we get to learn more about Treven and see him in a different kind of mission. Not to worry, if you have not read "Fault Line," this book stands alone, and very little was mentioned regarding the happenings of the previous novel. (However, I enjoyed that book too, so you might want to pick it up and read it first.) While Ben's brother was a major player in "Fault Line," this story is all about Ben.
I you are a fan of Eisler's first six books about the half-Japanese Assassin John Rain, you'll particularly enjoy the reference to Rain in this book. I know it made me smile as I read it. I thought it was pretty cool how Eisler worked the character from those novels to be mentioned here. For fans, you'll like it.
So yes, it is a fun story. The book has fast paced action, tactics, and a plot that twists enough to keep you guessing. Sure, there were some things I figured out, or saw coming, but not everything, so it kept my interest. I also like how Eisler writes about places. He does a great job of explaining and describing places. Here's the kicker. I mentioned above that the book makes you think about things that are going on, and wonder just how much is real life. Well, the book contains a long list of sources that show that the story may not be as much fiction as you think, and some of this does go on in real life. I did not look at all these sources, there are over eighty, but it might be some interesting reading for those inclined to research these kinds of things.
I was waiting to see where Eisler was going to take Ben Treven after "Fault Line," and I was not disappointed. If you've liked Eisler's earlier works, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one too. However, this book did something else, which was brilliant, it made me really want to see where Eisler will go next. Check it out and enjoy a good summer thriller.
If you read Eisler's last book, "Fault Line," you'll be familiar with the main character Ben Treven, and you know he's a black ops soldier. Now, with "Inside Out," we get to learn more about Treven and see him in a different kind of mission. Not to worry, if you have not read "Fault Line," this book stands alone, and very little was mentioned regarding the happenings of the previous novel. (However, I enjoyed that book too, so you might want to pick it up and read it first.) While Ben's brother was a major player in "Fault Line," this story is all about Ben.
I you are a fan of Eisler's first six books about the half-Japanese Assassin John Rain, you'll particularly enjoy the reference to Rain in this book. I know it made me smile as I read it. I thought it was pretty cool how Eisler worked the character from those novels to be mentioned here. For fans, you'll like it.
So yes, it is a fun story. The book has fast paced action, tactics, and a plot that twists enough to keep you guessing. Sure, there were some things I figured out, or saw coming, but not everything, so it kept my interest. I also like how Eisler writes about places. He does a great job of explaining and describing places. Here's the kicker. I mentioned above that the book makes you think about things that are going on, and wonder just how much is real life. Well, the book contains a long list of sources that show that the story may not be as much fiction as you think, and some of this does go on in real life. I did not look at all these sources, there are over eighty, but it might be some interesting reading for those inclined to research these kinds of things.
I was waiting to see where Eisler was going to take Ben Treven after "Fault Line," and I was not disappointed. If you've liked Eisler's earlier works, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one too. However, this book did something else, which was brilliant, it made me really want to see where Eisler will go next. Check it out and enjoy a good summer thriller.
October 8, 2013
Inside Out Excerpt from Inside out by Barry Eisler."This is the propulsive thriller that only former CIA operative turned bestselling novelist Barry Eisler could write.Marooned in a Manila jail after a bar fight fatality, black ops soldier Ben Treven gets a visit from his former commander, Colonel Scott Horton, who explains the price of Ben’s release: Find and eliminate Daniel Larison, a rogue operator from Ben’s unit who has stolen ninety-two torture tapes from the CIA and is using them to blackmail the U.S. government.But other players are after the tapes, too, and to find Larison, Ben will have to survive CIA hit teams, Blackwater mercenaries, and the long reach of the White House. He’ll also have to find a way to handle Paula Lanier, a smart, sexy FBI agent who has her own reasons for wanting the tapes and is determined to get them before Ben does. With the stakes this high, everyone has an angle—everyone but Ben, who will have to find the right alliance if he wants to stay alive.From the Hardcover edition."My Take:First I'd like to thank Goodreads for winning this book in their First Read giveaway. When I started reading Inside Out by Barry Eisler I read it like any other fiction book, as fiction. This book is filled with many twists and turns of survival in the pursuit of finding CIA interrogation tapes of torture on the captured individuals allegedly responsible for the 9/11 hijacking and destruction of the twin towers in New York and the Pentagon building and the Pittsburgh hijacking and crash. As I came closer to the end of the book it became very clear to me that the events discussed in the book were actually true. The characters were very well articulated throughout the book and I felt as though I was right there in the midst of the action as I was reading.It really hit home when I read the author's notes regarding the tapes and how finding them may overtake his story and his explanation stressing the fact that the tapes would never be found. The author's source list of the events are overwhelming and gave me the feeling that things aren't always what they seem in our nations government.I would like to read Barry Eisler's book "Fault Line" to have a better understanding of Ben's life before this book.
July 20, 2010
Ben Treven is front and center again as Rain takes a break. Inside Out is one of the most provocative and enjoyable novels I have read in quite some time. I have been fortunate to have read all of Barry Eisler’s novels, and I am not going out on a limb in saying that this is probably his best work to date. Once you open it up and start to read it, putting it down is very difficult. I basically became a Casper to my family on the beach as I didn’t want to put this down. Passing up a chance to inflict more damage in bocce or ladder ball is not something I usually do.
Barry Eisler has put together a novel that is as close to hitting a ten as I think anyone has come in quite a while. Inside Out will entertain you, and at the same time make you question some very fundamental elements of our everyday life. The plot and subplots are woven together in such a way that the ending is even more mind blowing, the questions larger than anticipated. The levels to which this novel ascends are amazing, timely, controversial, provocative, and altogether too entertaining. This is the total package.
Ben Treven really has his hands full throughout the novel, and Eisler has created another franchise character for himself that is as strong, if not stronger than Rain. Treven carries enough emotional baggage to make him fun and unstable, but grounded enough to help him see things through. Inside Out for me, is thus far, the best work of fiction I have read this year, period. There are some serious novels, by some of the industries heaviest hitters coming soon, but I don’t see anyone coming close to the total package Barry Eisler has slammed down here in Inside Out. Who is your favorite Barry Eisler main character, Rain or Trever?
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Facebook. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Book Blogs, and also look for our posts on Amazon. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; we will see you tomorrow. Have a great day.
Barry Eisler has put together a novel that is as close to hitting a ten as I think anyone has come in quite a while. Inside Out will entertain you, and at the same time make you question some very fundamental elements of our everyday life. The plot and subplots are woven together in such a way that the ending is even more mind blowing, the questions larger than anticipated. The levels to which this novel ascends are amazing, timely, controversial, provocative, and altogether too entertaining. This is the total package.
Ben Treven really has his hands full throughout the novel, and Eisler has created another franchise character for himself that is as strong, if not stronger than Rain. Treven carries enough emotional baggage to make him fun and unstable, but grounded enough to help him see things through. Inside Out for me, is thus far, the best work of fiction I have read this year, period. There are some serious novels, by some of the industries heaviest hitters coming soon, but I don’t see anyone coming close to the total package Barry Eisler has slammed down here in Inside Out. Who is your favorite Barry Eisler main character, Rain or Trever?
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Facebook. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Book Blogs, and also look for our posts on Amazon. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; we will see you tomorrow. Have a great day.
October 5, 2010
Ben Traven is in jail in Manila when his boss, Scott Horton, manages his release. Hort needs Ben to perform a vital mission.
Rogue agent, Daniel Larison feels betrayed by the government and has stolen ninety-two torture tapes from the CIA. He's blackmailing the government and will release the tapes to the media unless he gets his payoff.
The CIA, FBI and other government agencies are after Larison and Hort wants Ben to locate him.
Ben gets a lead from Larison's former wife, Marcy, that Larson might be in Costa Rica. The FBI were staking out Marcy's house and two agents want Ben to accompany them for questioning but wind up in a hospital. However a petite young black FBI agent, Paula Lanier, gets the drop on Ben and convinces him that they should work together.
Like many thrillers today, there is competition between government agencies and when independent contractors are brought in, to apprehend Larison, they seem to have no intelligence for field work. Larison is able to spot them, overcome a tranquilizing dart and eliminate twelve men without much effort. This disregard for life and unemotional approach to killing fellow Americans left me cold. The fact that Ben was ordered to observe this action and did little to prevent it also seemed inconsistent with what an honorable agent would do.
The story also had its mandatory romance scene. The rough sex action added nothing to the plot and was unnecessary.
I found that the characters were stereotypical, from the acency leaders to the men in the field. The story also meandered and didn't hold my attention as well as it should have. Finally, the conclusion was unsatisfactory. I could see that there was a good deal of research about these tapes but after reading the author's excellent John Rain novels, this story disappointed.
Note: I did think it was fun that Ben's superior is named Scott Horton and Scott Horton is the name of one of the people who wrote a blurb on the novel's back cover. This Scott Horton is a contributing editor of "Harpers."
Rogue agent, Daniel Larison feels betrayed by the government and has stolen ninety-two torture tapes from the CIA. He's blackmailing the government and will release the tapes to the media unless he gets his payoff.
The CIA, FBI and other government agencies are after Larison and Hort wants Ben to locate him.
Ben gets a lead from Larison's former wife, Marcy, that Larson might be in Costa Rica. The FBI were staking out Marcy's house and two agents want Ben to accompany them for questioning but wind up in a hospital. However a petite young black FBI agent, Paula Lanier, gets the drop on Ben and convinces him that they should work together.
Like many thrillers today, there is competition between government agencies and when independent contractors are brought in, to apprehend Larison, they seem to have no intelligence for field work. Larison is able to spot them, overcome a tranquilizing dart and eliminate twelve men without much effort. This disregard for life and unemotional approach to killing fellow Americans left me cold. The fact that Ben was ordered to observe this action and did little to prevent it also seemed inconsistent with what an honorable agent would do.
The story also had its mandatory romance scene. The rough sex action added nothing to the plot and was unnecessary.
I found that the characters were stereotypical, from the acency leaders to the men in the field. The story also meandered and didn't hold my attention as well as it should have. Finally, the conclusion was unsatisfactory. I could see that there was a good deal of research about these tapes but after reading the author's excellent John Rain novels, this story disappointed.
Note: I did think it was fun that Ben's superior is named Scott Horton and Scott Horton is the name of one of the people who wrote a blurb on the novel's back cover. This Scott Horton is a contributing editor of "Harpers."
October 19, 2010
Inside Out is the second book in Barry Eisler's Ben Treven series. Ben Treven is a black ops soldier who recent had everything he believes in turned upside down in the previous novel Fault Line. This time Ben has been asked to track down a rogue operator who is threatening the US government with revealing tapes of American soldiers torturing prisoners all in the name of war. Ben, with the help of FBI agent Paula Lanier, must stop Larison before these tapes are revealed to the American people.
While Inside Out had many of the things I enjoyed about Fault Line, the first Ben Treven novel, it also didn't quite live up to my expectations. I think Inside Out was much more focused on the external conflict Ben was facing in hunting down Larison and was much less focused on Ben's relationships with those around him. Inside Out also seemed transitional in the fact that Ben is being groomed to take on more a leadership role and active participant in his division than just being a mindless drone that just takes orders and executes them.
There is no doubt that Barry Eisler writes a compelling, well researched and believable story. He is extremely knowledgeable in the nuances of the United States government and how it would manage a crisis it didn't want the American public getting wind of. It actually makes a person wonder at just what kinds of things are being kept hidden from us. Barry also can write compelling characters and gives the reader insight into how a soldier, especially a fierce, loyal and aggressive soldier views the world. I found it very interesting how Paula would psychoanalyze Ben and hit the nail right on the head. I do wish that there would have been more romance between these two, although the one sex scene in the book was smoking hot! Also, I felt like certain issues were wrapped up rather quickly at the end. But, I am definitely going to be reading the next Ben Treven novel.
While Inside Out had many of the things I enjoyed about Fault Line, the first Ben Treven novel, it also didn't quite live up to my expectations. I think Inside Out was much more focused on the external conflict Ben was facing in hunting down Larison and was much less focused on Ben's relationships with those around him. Inside Out also seemed transitional in the fact that Ben is being groomed to take on more a leadership role and active participant in his division than just being a mindless drone that just takes orders and executes them.
There is no doubt that Barry Eisler writes a compelling, well researched and believable story. He is extremely knowledgeable in the nuances of the United States government and how it would manage a crisis it didn't want the American public getting wind of. It actually makes a person wonder at just what kinds of things are being kept hidden from us. Barry also can write compelling characters and gives the reader insight into how a soldier, especially a fierce, loyal and aggressive soldier views the world. I found it very interesting how Paula would psychoanalyze Ben and hit the nail right on the head. I do wish that there would have been more romance between these two, although the one sex scene in the book was smoking hot! Also, I felt like certain issues were wrapped up rather quickly at the end. But, I am definitely going to be reading the next Ben Treven novel.
August 29, 2017
This was the first Barry Eisler book I read and I will likely go on to read another.
First, the good: The story is fast-paced, which I really like, especially in thrillers or mysteries. Eisler clearly knows his stuff, and I felt I learned a bit from this book, even if what I learned was a bit disconcerting.
Here come the little critiques: I didn't very much care for the protagonist. Ben Treven is not a bad guy, but he didn't interest me much. I felt he was a bit of a hot-head and didn't care that much about his peers, though that changed a bit more toward the end. To put it simply, I don't want to meet him. Another point, the sex scene. It was definitely explicit, more so because I wasn't really expecting it. I'm not very fond of graphic sex in books, because it makes me feel like a voyeur and I try to skip over it. But it was only one scene, so if you are like me disinclined to read it, it's not a bit part of the book.
This sounds as though there it a lot more bad than good, which isn't the case and I'm sorry if it sounds that way. The book was well-written and unusual and while I'm not so keen on Ben Treven, Eisler seems like a very interesting and, I think, mostly like-minded person, which makes me inclined to seek out his other books.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
First, the good: The story is fast-paced, which I really like, especially in thrillers or mysteries. Eisler clearly knows his stuff, and I felt I learned a bit from this book, even if what I learned was a bit disconcerting.
Here come the little critiques: I didn't very much care for the protagonist. Ben Treven is not a bad guy, but he didn't interest me much. I felt he was a bit of a hot-head and didn't care that much about his peers, though that changed a bit more toward the end. To put it simply, I don't want to meet him. Another point, the sex scene. It was definitely explicit, more so because I wasn't really expecting it. I'm not very fond of graphic sex in books, because it makes me feel like a voyeur and I try to skip over it. But it was only one scene, so if you are like me disinclined to read it, it's not a bit part of the book.
This sounds as though there it a lot more bad than good, which isn't the case and I'm sorry if it sounds that way. The book was well-written and unusual and while I'm not so keen on Ben Treven, Eisler seems like a very interesting and, I think, mostly like-minded person, which makes me inclined to seek out his other books.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
August 12, 2010
Loved the book, didn't think much of the protagonist, though. I enjoyed the read, but probably won't read it again.
Stuff I liked: the shadowy government manipulations were great - so accurate and so depressing. There was this picture of Obama when he walked out of the FBI building, after he was elected and before he became President, and in the caption it said that he'd been briefed on Presidential-legal confidential information. His facial expression in that photo was amazing - he looked like he'd aged 10 years in the one day he spent in that building. Just shell-shocked. My mind kept going back to that photograph as I read this book.
I loved the love interest. I loved that she was black, first of all (considering that 12% of the US population is black, it seems like black women are horribly under-represented as romantic interests in genre fiction), but mostly I loved that she managed to turn every misconception about her to her own advantage. I hope we see more of her as this series progresses.
Overall, I don't think these books are as good as the John Rain books, mostly because I don't think the main character is as thoughtful or relatable. But he seemed to evolve a lot over the course of this book, and I've got high hopes for future installments.
Stuff I liked: the shadowy government manipulations were great - so accurate and so depressing. There was this picture of Obama when he walked out of the FBI building, after he was elected and before he became President, and in the caption it said that he'd been briefed on Presidential-legal confidential information. His facial expression in that photo was amazing - he looked like he'd aged 10 years in the one day he spent in that building. Just shell-shocked. My mind kept going back to that photograph as I read this book.
I loved the love interest. I loved that she was black, first of all (considering that 12% of the US population is black, it seems like black women are horribly under-represented as romantic interests in genre fiction), but mostly I loved that she managed to turn every misconception about her to her own advantage. I hope we see more of her as this series progresses.
Overall, I don't think these books are as good as the John Rain books, mostly because I don't think the main character is as thoughtful or relatable. But he seemed to evolve a lot over the course of this book, and I've got high hopes for future installments.
May 6, 2010
An operative is rescued from a Manila jail (after an angry rampage) and sent to locate a former operative who holds 92 tapes of torturing done at secret prisons for terrorists, etc. The conflict of CIA, FBI and special ops makes it a complex plot.
This was an ARC and the first I'd read from Barry Eisler, but I'll be looking for his books in the future. His inside knowledge of operatives is apparent, and his pragmatic view of political interworkings rings too true for comfort.
This was an ARC and the first I'd read from Barry Eisler, but I'll be looking for his books in the future. His inside knowledge of operatives is apparent, and his pragmatic view of political interworkings rings too true for comfort.
August 14, 2010
Ben Treven is tossed into a hellhole jail for a barfight in which he killed an Aussie sailor. Rescued by his commander, Hort, he is asked to help neutralize a former colleague, who is blackmailing the U.S. government over terrorist interrogation tapes. After trashing her two colleagues, Ben decides to join forces with a black female FBI agent to trap the target. Decent, but not on a par with the John Rain series.
December 25, 2022
Rating: 4 stars
The next two books in this series feature characters from other Eisler book series. I've already read the Killer Collective (Book #4) as part of the Livia Lone series plus I have been reading the John Rain books. So, now I have to pick up The Detachment (Book #3). It isn't as confusing as it sounds. Characters from other series appear, but the plot itself is self-contained. Anyway--there is a lot of action, killing, violence, and political commentary. Lots to think about. I would suggest that readers start with Fault Line (Book #1).
Marooned in a Manila jail after a bar fight fatality, black ops soldier Ben Treven gets a visit from his former commander, Colonel Scott Horton, who explains the price of Ben’s release: Find and eliminate Daniel Larison, a rogue operator from Ben’s unit who has stolen ninety-two torture tapes from the CIA and is using them to blackmail the U.S. government. But other players are after the tapes, too, and to find Larison, Ben will have to survive CIA hit teams, Blackwater mercenaries, and the long reach of the White House. He’ll also have to find a way to handle Paula Lanier, a smart, sexy FBI agent who has her own reasons for wanting the tapes and is determined to get them before Ben does. With the stakes this high, everyone has an angle—everyone but Ben, who will have to find the right alliance if he wants to stay alive.
The next two books in this series feature characters from other Eisler book series. I've already read the Killer Collective (Book #4) as part of the Livia Lone series plus I have been reading the John Rain books. So, now I have to pick up The Detachment (Book #3). It isn't as confusing as it sounds. Characters from other series appear, but the plot itself is self-contained. Anyway--there is a lot of action, killing, violence, and political commentary. Lots to think about. I would suggest that readers start with Fault Line (Book #1).
Marooned in a Manila jail after a bar fight fatality, black ops soldier Ben Treven gets a visit from his former commander, Colonel Scott Horton, who explains the price of Ben’s release: Find and eliminate Daniel Larison, a rogue operator from Ben’s unit who has stolen ninety-two torture tapes from the CIA and is using them to blackmail the U.S. government. But other players are after the tapes, too, and to find Larison, Ben will have to survive CIA hit teams, Blackwater mercenaries, and the long reach of the White House. He’ll also have to find a way to handle Paula Lanier, a smart, sexy FBI agent who has her own reasons for wanting the tapes and is determined to get them before Ben does. With the stakes this high, everyone has an angle—everyone but Ben, who will have to find the right alliance if he wants to stay alive.
September 23, 2018
This is the 2nd novel following Been Treven, a black ops soldier/spy who works for the cladestine dept, and gets caught up in a cover up. One that follows the real life story in the wake of 9-11 when the U.S. was accused of destroying interreogation tapes involving torture and murder.
I enjoyed everything about this book, other than it being part of a series and felt.. like a part, instead of whole. But fast paced, intelligent, poignant and violent, this thriller delivers the goods, just the finale needs work.
I enjoyed everything about this book, other than it being part of a series and felt.. like a part, instead of whole. But fast paced, intelligent, poignant and violent, this thriller delivers the goods, just the finale needs work.
June 15, 2021
This is a very smart and entertaining thriller. It’s rare to find a book in this genre that brings about new ways of seeing, and although the vision is highly cynical, much of it rings true and does inspire the reader to work towards a better society. The notion of political conniving that forces the actions of others against their will is a compelling and frightful experience that this novel executes flawlessly. The framework and feel of the book reminds me of the excellent film “Body of Lies” which I also highly recommend.
March 7, 2021
Acceptable thriller a more realistic plot line (taken from actual headlines) and more of a moral center (e.g. torture is bad) than most in the genre. Read by the author and that works.
July 11, 2025
Halfway through Barry Eisler's INSIDE OUT, a political thriller published in 2010 about how the Bush/Cheney administration managed the fallout from the torture scandles at Abu Ghraib, I picked up Alan Hollinghurst’s THE LINE OF BEAUTY. I was enjoying INSIDE OUT’s fast pace and recognizable politics but it was not at my bedside and I did not feel like going downstairs to locate my copy of INSIDE OUT. I had picked up THE LINE OF BEAUTY a few times prior and found the long sentences and florid writing style a little difficult to hold my attention, but on this particular occasion I found the change of pace attractive. In fact I could not put it down.
Curiously, THE LINE OF BEAUTY opens in 1983 London where our protagonist walks by a bookstore window featuring a new book about the landslide victory of Margaret Thatcher just two months earlier. A book assembled so quickly it reads “hack” to our protagonist, who admits there are writers who can quickly assemble a narrative of current events to exploit a newly primed readership. Was Barry Eisler’s novel an example of a story created to exploit current events? It was published in 2010 and the events described therein peaked around 2007 and 2008. It actually cites materials published at that time to shore up the credibility of the fictional “political thriller.” It may not be a hack job, but it does follow a familiar formula. It certainly lacks the literary value of THE LINE OF BEAUTY.
THE LINE OF BEAUTY is not as explicitly “political” as the Eisler’s thriller, but our protagonist, Nick Guest, was renting a room in a house occupied by a conservative MP ushered into office in the Thatcherist wave. Nick earned this privilege by being friends with the MP’s son while at Oxford, but now seeks an advanced degree in London where he will study the works of Henry James. Thus our protagonist is well positioned to make sly and witty observations regarding conservative thought, culture and values, though he never explicitly sides with the opposition. Only Nick is gay, so does this not automatically put him in the realm of the opposition? He also comes from a working class background and this fact provides another lens with which to view the proclivities of the upper classes who inhabit posh neighborhoods and rub elbows with the politically powerful.
Nick has a gay friend from Oxford named Paul but called Polly for reasons likely having to do with his ability to seduce otherwise straight men whom he targets just for the fun of it. He is remarkably successful given that he does not contain many attractive attributes. He is an aspiring conservative politician who is discovered to have taken a wife on the eve of his election to Parliament. What would be his politics in 1980's Great Britain? He may illustrate going along to get along back in the day.
Here is where Nick might find himself personally challenged. When gay celebrities start dying from AIDS, the prevalent opinion among conservative politicians is that the dead brought this end upon themselves due to their unacceptable and scandalous behavior. But later when some of these same politicians face career ending sex scandals due to their own indiscretions, they take no responsibility for what happens to them as a consequence. Instead they blame members of the media who are only too eager to exploit these stories which the politicians believe should remain a private matter.
Being gay in 1980’s London was not easy for Nick, who postponed his coming out until after graduation. His carefully modulated coming out finds him having relations in the nearby private park as he dared not bring his boyfriends home. Later parts of the book jump from 1983 to 1986 when Nick graduates to a relationship with a heartthrob he had once known as an undergraduate. The heartthrob is a very wealthy boy who, for cultural and family reasons, prefers to remain closeted. So this relationship is secret. This does not stop them from engaging in three ways with rent boys and consuming copious amounts of cocaine. It is after all the 80’s, remember. But these acts are not celebrated in public.
Despite, or maybe because of the sharp differences between the emerging gay culture of London and the Thatcherite domination of political culture at that time, Nick does not soapbox about politics, personal or otherwise. He instead is characterized as an aesthete whose role in his lover’s business is to adapt a little known Henry James novel into a screenplay. In a particularly funny scene the screenplay is being shopped to a pair of gay American producers who never read the original text but wish it contained a bit more sexual passion, not known to be a characteristic of the work of Henry James. The Americans are almost cartoonishly superficial and self absorbed, so here we have an example of how the writer’s caustic wit can cut different directions at the same time.
As an aesthete Nick is allowed to make several observations on the nature of beauty, introduced earlier in the book as that suggestive curve made by well defined buttocks below a backside just barely revealed by a pair of unbelted blue jeans. Nick is an ass man, obviously, but one who can distinguish between an ogee and a straight line of coke. The book's style lends itself to these florid sentences that makes the reader quietly ponder the significance of beauty in one’s life, and how, ultimately this may be our redemption.
In INSIDE OUT, by contrast, there are no lingering sentences deconstructing beauty. Not to give anything away but there is also no redemption. The book is much more terse, quickly paced, fueled by a mixture of testosterone and anxiety verging on paranoia - a kind of brutal and masculine realism. It concerns who really holds the levers of power in D.C. during the Bush/Cheney administration, though curiously the focus is on administrative underlings and lobbyists and never mentions either Bush or Cheney by name. This is especially curious when we consider that the current day concerns over excessive executive privilege pale in comparison to the variety of executive privilege exercised when the war on terror was the prevailing excuse. Those who imagine the abuse of executive power as only a Trumpian phenomenon do not know their history. For a reminder please watch the Adam McKay movie VICE about the most power hungry vice president the U.S. has ever seen. Without naming the villains at the top, INSIDE OUT is still way more explicit in its political perspective.
Of course the book has a familiar formula, yet this reader sometimes found surprises within the formula. Bad guys turn out to be not all bad, and the good guys have some serious & major faults. Had I read this book in 2010 I might have concluded that the message of the book was exceptionally cynical. In light of current events the book actually sounds prescient, or spot on. Ostensibly the plot concerns an ex operative who has commandeered a series of videotapes detailing torture at secret black ops sites around the world and who threatens to release these tapes if he is not paid five million in uncut diamonds. Initially I thought, well since torture is not a exactly a secret any longer the stakes do not appear high enough to justify blackmail. But in this novel, as it turns out, the tapes reveal material that is far more damaging than simple torture of detainees (it would be a spoiler if I told you why but it is much worse than you imagine).
There is a bit of nostalgia at play in reading this book in 2025. Remember the good old days when the sitting administration was embarrassed by tales of torture? Shame and embarrassment were clearly understood to be associated with a political price, though it was largely low level recruits who had to pay the price for decisions that clearly went higher up the chain of command. So unlike today when the current administration is eager to highlight its cruelty and suspension of the rule of law. Today we not only have outsourced our torture to countries like El Salvador, we conduct these actions in broad daylight and even send administration officials on site to pose for photo ops. No shame, no embarrassment. The expected guard rails have disappeared.
Published in 2010, INSIDE OUT presages the Sanders/AOC Anti-Oligarchy Tour by presenting ‘oligarchy” as the operative term back in the early oughts, before it had the political resonance it might have today. When the concept of oligarchy is challenged with a mention of the power of congress, a character responds: “Congress? You know what the turnover rate in congressional elections is? In the neighborhood of two percent. Even the North Korean Politburo has a higher turnover rate than that. So who are we beholden to? Not the people. In a democracy, voters choose their leaders. In America, leaders choose their voters.” The same character earlier in the text underscored this point when explaining why the US gives nearly three billion dollars a year to Israel. In a line that is remarkably prescient it is explained: “It is just a way of funneling a subsidy to U.S. arms manufacturers, which is where Israel, by quiet understanding, turns around and spends the money. But no one would support it if we called it “Raytheon aid.’ ‘Foreign aid’ just sounds so much more aboveboard.” Sentiments like these make the book sound a little ahead of its time.
These observations make INSIDE OUT much more explicitly political than THE LINE OF BEAUTY, though both eventually come to similar, cynical, ends. Which is more effective? Which is more truthful? It is easy to say which one is clearly more literary, but perhaps it is difficult for me to admit that both were satisfying in their own ways. I rate the Mann-Booker winner five stars because I will someday re-read it. I give INSIDE OUT four stars because having read it, there is no need to read it again. It is still an open question though which will have a more lasting impact upon me. I would be interested to hear what you think if any dare to read both of these books and are curious about the kind of questions I raised here.
Curiously, THE LINE OF BEAUTY opens in 1983 London where our protagonist walks by a bookstore window featuring a new book about the landslide victory of Margaret Thatcher just two months earlier. A book assembled so quickly it reads “hack” to our protagonist, who admits there are writers who can quickly assemble a narrative of current events to exploit a newly primed readership. Was Barry Eisler’s novel an example of a story created to exploit current events? It was published in 2010 and the events described therein peaked around 2007 and 2008. It actually cites materials published at that time to shore up the credibility of the fictional “political thriller.” It may not be a hack job, but it does follow a familiar formula. It certainly lacks the literary value of THE LINE OF BEAUTY.
THE LINE OF BEAUTY is not as explicitly “political” as the Eisler’s thriller, but our protagonist, Nick Guest, was renting a room in a house occupied by a conservative MP ushered into office in the Thatcherist wave. Nick earned this privilege by being friends with the MP’s son while at Oxford, but now seeks an advanced degree in London where he will study the works of Henry James. Thus our protagonist is well positioned to make sly and witty observations regarding conservative thought, culture and values, though he never explicitly sides with the opposition. Only Nick is gay, so does this not automatically put him in the realm of the opposition? He also comes from a working class background and this fact provides another lens with which to view the proclivities of the upper classes who inhabit posh neighborhoods and rub elbows with the politically powerful.
Nick has a gay friend from Oxford named Paul but called Polly for reasons likely having to do with his ability to seduce otherwise straight men whom he targets just for the fun of it. He is remarkably successful given that he does not contain many attractive attributes. He is an aspiring conservative politician who is discovered to have taken a wife on the eve of his election to Parliament. What would be his politics in 1980's Great Britain? He may illustrate going along to get along back in the day.
Here is where Nick might find himself personally challenged. When gay celebrities start dying from AIDS, the prevalent opinion among conservative politicians is that the dead brought this end upon themselves due to their unacceptable and scandalous behavior. But later when some of these same politicians face career ending sex scandals due to their own indiscretions, they take no responsibility for what happens to them as a consequence. Instead they blame members of the media who are only too eager to exploit these stories which the politicians believe should remain a private matter.
Being gay in 1980’s London was not easy for Nick, who postponed his coming out until after graduation. His carefully modulated coming out finds him having relations in the nearby private park as he dared not bring his boyfriends home. Later parts of the book jump from 1983 to 1986 when Nick graduates to a relationship with a heartthrob he had once known as an undergraduate. The heartthrob is a very wealthy boy who, for cultural and family reasons, prefers to remain closeted. So this relationship is secret. This does not stop them from engaging in three ways with rent boys and consuming copious amounts of cocaine. It is after all the 80’s, remember. But these acts are not celebrated in public.
Despite, or maybe because of the sharp differences between the emerging gay culture of London and the Thatcherite domination of political culture at that time, Nick does not soapbox about politics, personal or otherwise. He instead is characterized as an aesthete whose role in his lover’s business is to adapt a little known Henry James novel into a screenplay. In a particularly funny scene the screenplay is being shopped to a pair of gay American producers who never read the original text but wish it contained a bit more sexual passion, not known to be a characteristic of the work of Henry James. The Americans are almost cartoonishly superficial and self absorbed, so here we have an example of how the writer’s caustic wit can cut different directions at the same time.
As an aesthete Nick is allowed to make several observations on the nature of beauty, introduced earlier in the book as that suggestive curve made by well defined buttocks below a backside just barely revealed by a pair of unbelted blue jeans. Nick is an ass man, obviously, but one who can distinguish between an ogee and a straight line of coke. The book's style lends itself to these florid sentences that makes the reader quietly ponder the significance of beauty in one’s life, and how, ultimately this may be our redemption.
In INSIDE OUT, by contrast, there are no lingering sentences deconstructing beauty. Not to give anything away but there is also no redemption. The book is much more terse, quickly paced, fueled by a mixture of testosterone and anxiety verging on paranoia - a kind of brutal and masculine realism. It concerns who really holds the levers of power in D.C. during the Bush/Cheney administration, though curiously the focus is on administrative underlings and lobbyists and never mentions either Bush or Cheney by name. This is especially curious when we consider that the current day concerns over excessive executive privilege pale in comparison to the variety of executive privilege exercised when the war on terror was the prevailing excuse. Those who imagine the abuse of executive power as only a Trumpian phenomenon do not know their history. For a reminder please watch the Adam McKay movie VICE about the most power hungry vice president the U.S. has ever seen. Without naming the villains at the top, INSIDE OUT is still way more explicit in its political perspective.
Of course the book has a familiar formula, yet this reader sometimes found surprises within the formula. Bad guys turn out to be not all bad, and the good guys have some serious & major faults. Had I read this book in 2010 I might have concluded that the message of the book was exceptionally cynical. In light of current events the book actually sounds prescient, or spot on. Ostensibly the plot concerns an ex operative who has commandeered a series of videotapes detailing torture at secret black ops sites around the world and who threatens to release these tapes if he is not paid five million in uncut diamonds. Initially I thought, well since torture is not a exactly a secret any longer the stakes do not appear high enough to justify blackmail. But in this novel, as it turns out, the tapes reveal material that is far more damaging than simple torture of detainees (it would be a spoiler if I told you why but it is much worse than you imagine).
There is a bit of nostalgia at play in reading this book in 2025. Remember the good old days when the sitting administration was embarrassed by tales of torture? Shame and embarrassment were clearly understood to be associated with a political price, though it was largely low level recruits who had to pay the price for decisions that clearly went higher up the chain of command. So unlike today when the current administration is eager to highlight its cruelty and suspension of the rule of law. Today we not only have outsourced our torture to countries like El Salvador, we conduct these actions in broad daylight and even send administration officials on site to pose for photo ops. No shame, no embarrassment. The expected guard rails have disappeared.
Published in 2010, INSIDE OUT presages the Sanders/AOC Anti-Oligarchy Tour by presenting ‘oligarchy” as the operative term back in the early oughts, before it had the political resonance it might have today. When the concept of oligarchy is challenged with a mention of the power of congress, a character responds: “Congress? You know what the turnover rate in congressional elections is? In the neighborhood of two percent. Even the North Korean Politburo has a higher turnover rate than that. So who are we beholden to? Not the people. In a democracy, voters choose their leaders. In America, leaders choose their voters.” The same character earlier in the text underscored this point when explaining why the US gives nearly three billion dollars a year to Israel. In a line that is remarkably prescient it is explained: “It is just a way of funneling a subsidy to U.S. arms manufacturers, which is where Israel, by quiet understanding, turns around and spends the money. But no one would support it if we called it “Raytheon aid.’ ‘Foreign aid’ just sounds so much more aboveboard.” Sentiments like these make the book sound a little ahead of its time.
These observations make INSIDE OUT much more explicitly political than THE LINE OF BEAUTY, though both eventually come to similar, cynical, ends. Which is more effective? Which is more truthful? It is easy to say which one is clearly more literary, but perhaps it is difficult for me to admit that both were satisfying in their own ways. I rate the Mann-Booker winner five stars because I will someday re-read it. I give INSIDE OUT four stars because having read it, there is no need to read it again. It is still an open question though which will have a more lasting impact upon me. I would be interested to hear what you think if any dare to read both of these books and are curious about the kind of questions I raised here.
October 30, 2010
Do you remember the 'missing' CIA torture tapes? No? Well, have a look at the appendix to 'Inside Out' and you will find a documentary chronology of the news reports about that incident. In this, the second in the new Ben Traven series of novels, Barry Eisler uses the missing torture tapes as a first step in an examination of media spin, the oligarchy, and torture.
By now, many of us have become skeptical about anything the US government has to say about its behavior, and with good reason. The 'smoking gun / mushroom cloud' that turned into a tragic farce - G. W. Bush looking here, looking there, looking everywhere while hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died. 'We must work in the dark' turning into 'we do not torture', turning into 'it is not torture if we do it', turning into 'we had to torture and we are proud of it'. The NSA surveillance of US citizens on US soil - the initial denials, the eventual partial admissions, and the use of 'state secrets' to prevent any redress. All these and more tell us, as if we didn't know before, that when the US government speaks to its people we can expect only lies and propaganda.
So one of the themes of 'Inside Out' is the masterful way in which the US government manages the media. Missing torture tapes? 92 of them? Tell the media on a Friday evening that the CIA has 'discovered' that there are 2 tapes missing from the archives. Say nothing more until the mild ensuing controversy has died down and the media has managed to focus attention away from torture and onto the latest about Lindsey Lohan. Then announce that 'further investigation' has 'revealed' that it was actually 92 tapes missing, not just 2. Oops, our bad. By the time the second announcement is made, any questions about the significance of missing tapes have already been asked and ignored, and the risk of actual accountability is slight.
Another thread running through the novel is the oligarchy: the 'power elite' who sit at the top of the political and economic food chain. The loose confederation of corporate executives, wealthy stockholders, and high government officials who operate largely above the law with little or no accountability for their actions. Those for whom we are instructed to 'look forward, not backward' when they are found to have committed egregious crimes.
Mainly, though, this is a thriller. Near super-hero good guy engaged in a fight to the death with a worthy opponent, both of them pawns in a larger game. And it works well as a thriller, with enough plot twists to prevent it being predictable, and enough interesting characters to keep the reader engaged. It is also a much better written novel than its predecessor, 'Fault Lines'. The political themes are present but don't interfere with the plot - in fact, the politics actually advances the plot, especially the Dick Cheney-like character.
By now, many of us have become skeptical about anything the US government has to say about its behavior, and with good reason. The 'smoking gun / mushroom cloud' that turned into a tragic farce - G. W. Bush looking here, looking there, looking everywhere while hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died. 'We must work in the dark' turning into 'we do not torture', turning into 'it is not torture if we do it', turning into 'we had to torture and we are proud of it'. The NSA surveillance of US citizens on US soil - the initial denials, the eventual partial admissions, and the use of 'state secrets' to prevent any redress. All these and more tell us, as if we didn't know before, that when the US government speaks to its people we can expect only lies and propaganda.
So one of the themes of 'Inside Out' is the masterful way in which the US government manages the media. Missing torture tapes? 92 of them? Tell the media on a Friday evening that the CIA has 'discovered' that there are 2 tapes missing from the archives. Say nothing more until the mild ensuing controversy has died down and the media has managed to focus attention away from torture and onto the latest about Lindsey Lohan. Then announce that 'further investigation' has 'revealed' that it was actually 92 tapes missing, not just 2. Oops, our bad. By the time the second announcement is made, any questions about the significance of missing tapes have already been asked and ignored, and the risk of actual accountability is slight.
Another thread running through the novel is the oligarchy: the 'power elite' who sit at the top of the political and economic food chain. The loose confederation of corporate executives, wealthy stockholders, and high government officials who operate largely above the law with little or no accountability for their actions. Those for whom we are instructed to 'look forward, not backward' when they are found to have committed egregious crimes.
Mainly, though, this is a thriller. Near super-hero good guy engaged in a fight to the death with a worthy opponent, both of them pawns in a larger game. And it works well as a thriller, with enough plot twists to prevent it being predictable, and enough interesting characters to keep the reader engaged. It is also a much better written novel than its predecessor, 'Fault Lines'. The political themes are present but don't interfere with the plot - in fact, the politics actually advances the plot, especially the Dick Cheney-like character.
December 4, 2010
Conspiracy-theory buffs are in for a treat. Inside Out features the return of Ben Treven—an American Black-Ops soldier. In this sequel to Fault Line, Treven isn’t on the run, but doing the hunting instead. A rogue Black-Ops soldier, Daniel Larison, has stolen ninety-two CIA interrogation tapes and has blackmailed the US Government . Treven—who was imprisoned after a bar fight he was in resulted in the death of one of his attackers—is released from jail with the aid of his former commander, Colonel Scott Horton. Treven’s release comes at a price: He must track down and eliminate Larison. Along the way, he is joined by Paula Lanier—a sexy FBI agent with an attitude—who is not only an annoyance to Treven, but later becomes an ally. What complicates matters further for Treven is that other hit squads have been dispatched to hunt for Larison, leaving Treven to suspect that he may be a pawn in a bigger picture.
Inside Out contains some well-paced action, martial arts, and a believable conspiracy that will leave the reader wondering if all of it is really fiction. FBI agent Lanier brings about an excellent balance to complement Treven’s character. This is illustrated by her naivety in handling certain situations that risk exposing them. At times, I had a chuckle picturing how pissed off Treven must have been every time she made a gaff. What I also enjoyed was that Eisler allowed readers to enter into the minds of both Treven and his target, Larison, illustrating his first-hand knowledge of surveillance and reconnaissance techniques. The fight scenes were very believable, and the hand-on-hand combat scenes were meticulously well done.
In addition, readers will learn why it’s not a good idea to read important documents—electronic or hard copy—or have a private conversation while you’re traveling in first class. Conspiracy fiction fans will love the subject matter of the CIA’s interrogation tapes that was top news several months ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if discussions about this have been given a boost, due to Eisler’s interpretation of what could’ve really happened to the CIA interrogation tapes.
Oh yeah, if you’ve ever wondered whatever became of Japanese-American assassin, John Rain, from Eisler’s previous novels, you’re in for a treat.
3 1/2 Stars.
Inside Out contains some well-paced action, martial arts, and a believable conspiracy that will leave the reader wondering if all of it is really fiction. FBI agent Lanier brings about an excellent balance to complement Treven’s character. This is illustrated by her naivety in handling certain situations that risk exposing them. At times, I had a chuckle picturing how pissed off Treven must have been every time she made a gaff. What I also enjoyed was that Eisler allowed readers to enter into the minds of both Treven and his target, Larison, illustrating his first-hand knowledge of surveillance and reconnaissance techniques. The fight scenes were very believable, and the hand-on-hand combat scenes were meticulously well done.
In addition, readers will learn why it’s not a good idea to read important documents—electronic or hard copy—or have a private conversation while you’re traveling in first class. Conspiracy fiction fans will love the subject matter of the CIA’s interrogation tapes that was top news several months ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if discussions about this have been given a boost, due to Eisler’s interpretation of what could’ve really happened to the CIA interrogation tapes.
Oh yeah, if you’ve ever wondered whatever became of Japanese-American assassin, John Rain, from Eisler’s previous novels, you’re in for a treat.
3 1/2 Stars.
July 20, 2010
I was introduced to Barry Eisler's books when I received a copy of Fault Line through Library Thing's Early Reviewers Program. My husband and his family have known about Eisler for awhile since he lives in the same town as them and have also read all the his John Rain books. Anyway, I enjoyed Fault Line and was thrilled to get a copy of Inside Out for review.
Inside Out begins not too long after the end of the events in Fault Line. Ben Treven is a bit down and out and has found himself in a Manilla jail. The man who tried to have him killed in the last book is back but this time to ask for his help.
Another agent, thought to be dead, has tapes that document the US governments use of torture during the War on Terror and is holding them for ransom. It is Ben's job to try and get the tapes before they can be released to the public as other agencies try to get their hands on the tapes as well.
The plot is complex, the action is non stop and it is relevant to what is going on in the world today. Scary, but true. What is needed to keep the American public safe? Do we need to know the truth about what the government is doing or should we just be happy in the fact that we are "safe"? All questions that come up in the book and fuel an interesting ending.
I enjoyed the book, just not as much as Fault Line. I think what I enjoyed most about that one was the sibling interactions and that was definitely missing from this book with Alex barely getting mentioned. I am hoping that he will make another appearance in later stories. He is my favorite of the two brothers.
Inside Out did get me thinking, though, and definitely kept me entertained. It has also got me excited to see what happens in the next book if two of Eisler's characters come together. Treven and Rain. That will make for quite an exciting read.
Inside Out begins not too long after the end of the events in Fault Line. Ben Treven is a bit down and out and has found himself in a Manilla jail. The man who tried to have him killed in the last book is back but this time to ask for his help.
Another agent, thought to be dead, has tapes that document the US governments use of torture during the War on Terror and is holding them for ransom. It is Ben's job to try and get the tapes before they can be released to the public as other agencies try to get their hands on the tapes as well.
The plot is complex, the action is non stop and it is relevant to what is going on in the world today. Scary, but true. What is needed to keep the American public safe? Do we need to know the truth about what the government is doing or should we just be happy in the fact that we are "safe"? All questions that come up in the book and fuel an interesting ending.
I enjoyed the book, just not as much as Fault Line. I think what I enjoyed most about that one was the sibling interactions and that was definitely missing from this book with Alex barely getting mentioned. I am hoping that he will make another appearance in later stories. He is my favorite of the two brothers.
Inside Out did get me thinking, though, and definitely kept me entertained. It has also got me excited to see what happens in the next book if two of Eisler's characters come together. Treven and Rain. That will make for quite an exciting read.
June 15, 2023
Review from 21 January 2015: I've been a fan of Barry Eisler ever since I first read A Clean Kill in Tokyo over a decade ago and have enjoyed all his books to date immensely. This one just might be one of his best.
Fast-paced, engaging, non-stop action and political controversies abound in the second novel about black ops soldier Ben Treven which pits him against Daniel Larison, a former member of Ben's unit who has gone rogue, stolen a bunch of torture tapes from the CIA, faked his own death and is now blackmailing the government for an immense sum of money. A thrilling read from start to finish, the intense, suspenseful story of Inside Out is enhanced by letting us get into both their heads through shifting viewpoints. As I had hoped after Fault Line, Ben is growing on me somewhat and Larison is a fascinating character I'd already been looking forward to reading more about after I first encountered him in the John Rain thriller The Detachment (which everyone who enjoyed this novel should check out, regardless of whether they've read the previous John Rain books, and which I just might have to re-read now.) Another great novel from an author who never disappoints.
Fast-paced, engaging, non-stop action and political controversies abound in the second novel about black ops soldier Ben Treven which pits him against Daniel Larison, a former member of Ben's unit who has gone rogue, stolen a bunch of torture tapes from the CIA, faked his own death and is now blackmailing the government for an immense sum of money. A thrilling read from start to finish, the intense, suspenseful story of Inside Out is enhanced by letting us get into both their heads through shifting viewpoints. As I had hoped after Fault Line, Ben is growing on me somewhat and Larison is a fascinating character I'd already been looking forward to reading more about after I first encountered him in the John Rain thriller The Detachment (which everyone who enjoyed this novel should check out, regardless of whether they've read the previous John Rain books, and which I just might have to re-read now.) Another great novel from an author who never disappoints.
September 27, 2010
Although still not as good as the original Rain series, Eisler puts forward another quality story continuing to build around his new protagonist, Ben Treven and the world that he inhabits. This meticulously researched work puts you on the ground in the world of black ops and a soldier slowly beginning to question the status quo, as well as his life's work. This latest adventure provides Treven with what may be an unwanted sneak peak into the higher level machinations that fuel modern day politics and leaves him trying to make sense of his reality.
Although this is a stand alone novel like all of the Rain/Treven books, it is becoming easier to see the universe that Eisler has created. Through the original Rain series, Eisler puts you in the shoes of a veteran assassin and uses character development to drive the story to provide a glimpse into a darker world of covert operations. Conversely, by switching the story from first person to third, the Treven novels focus less on character development and begin to further build out the world in which the likes of Treven and Rain operate. This leaves the story feeling with a grittier, more visceral feel than previous works, but still manages to keep things self contained while building anticipation for the next installment of the series.
Again, this is a solid book I would recommend, however I would urge people to go back to the first Treven book, or if possible start with Eisler's first work, Hard Rain, which will give you a greater appreciation of the story arch that has been skillfully build over the last several years.
Although this is a stand alone novel like all of the Rain/Treven books, it is becoming easier to see the universe that Eisler has created. Through the original Rain series, Eisler puts you in the shoes of a veteran assassin and uses character development to drive the story to provide a glimpse into a darker world of covert operations. Conversely, by switching the story from first person to third, the Treven novels focus less on character development and begin to further build out the world in which the likes of Treven and Rain operate. This leaves the story feeling with a grittier, more visceral feel than previous works, but still manages to keep things self contained while building anticipation for the next installment of the series.
Again, this is a solid book I would recommend, however I would urge people to go back to the first Treven book, or if possible start with Eisler's first work, Hard Rain, which will give you a greater appreciation of the story arch that has been skillfully build over the last several years.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2010
I won this book in a First Reads contest, which is like a free dinner because I would have bought it anyway since I'm a huge Eisler fan. :)
I believe that any good fiction book has to have some roots in truth, and this book is certainly no exception. Add to it the book being penned by an author whose books I love, and you have a great recipe for an enjoyable read.
Barry Eisler does not disappoint. This book rockets along at just the right speed, never too slow to drag, never too fast to lose the reader. Where "Fault Line" focused on both Alex and Ben Treven, this novel greatly expands the back story for Ben giving you a deeper sense of how he became who he is presently and, more importantly, where Eisler will be taking him in the future.
The sheer number of references in the back of the book, which Eisler considered making footnotes throughout the book before deciding it would be too distracting to the reader, show how much of this story has its basis in fact. I learned more researching those references after reading the book than I did when the stories were actually occurring in the media. This makes the story incredibly believable and sucks you right into the plot.
Fans of Eisler's best known creation, John Rain, will be very entertained by the references to Rain in this book. Sorry, you'll just have to read "Inside Out" to find out what those references are.
When this book hits the stores, run, don't walk, to purchase it. Better yet, reserve your copy now. You won't be disappointed.
I believe that any good fiction book has to have some roots in truth, and this book is certainly no exception. Add to it the book being penned by an author whose books I love, and you have a great recipe for an enjoyable read.
Barry Eisler does not disappoint. This book rockets along at just the right speed, never too slow to drag, never too fast to lose the reader. Where "Fault Line" focused on both Alex and Ben Treven, this novel greatly expands the back story for Ben giving you a deeper sense of how he became who he is presently and, more importantly, where Eisler will be taking him in the future.
The sheer number of references in the back of the book, which Eisler considered making footnotes throughout the book before deciding it would be too distracting to the reader, show how much of this story has its basis in fact. I learned more researching those references after reading the book than I did when the stories were actually occurring in the media. This makes the story incredibly believable and sucks you right into the plot.
Fans of Eisler's best known creation, John Rain, will be very entertained by the references to Rain in this book. Sorry, you'll just have to read "Inside Out" to find out what those references are.
When this book hits the stores, run, don't walk, to purchase it. Better yet, reserve your copy now. You won't be disappointed.
February 12, 2017
This was not a "fun"read for me. The author is ex-CIA and you would expect him to be knowledgeable about black ops activities. The plot centers around stolen videos of CIA's extreme interrogation tactics. The perp is threatening to post the videos online unless he receives $100 million in uncut diamonds. A veteran black ops soldier gets the assignment to solve this problem before the videos are released. It suggested, by an author who is an ex-CIA operative, that USA agencies are using interrogation techniques that are not acceptable. This novel suggests that extreme interrogation forms work and should be implemented. I don't know.
May 4, 2010
I previously read Barry Eisler's Fault Lines. I had never read any of his books before, but after reading that one I was hooked. I immediatley began to seek out others.
I was thrilled to receive a review copy of Inside Out. It follows Ben Treven, the character introduced in Fault Lines. I read the entire book in about two days because I just couldn't put it down.
Though Ben Treven is a hard man with a harder job, the humanization of his character makes you root for him. His situation at the beginning of this book draws you in slowly. Then the thrill ride begins. The CIA has discovered that videotapes documenting torture and the existance of ghost detainees have gone missing. Treven is tasked with tracking them down. In a plot line that seems to dance frighteningly close to reality the reader discovers that the shots are being called by players that are most concerned with preserving their own power and position.
I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to the next in this
I was thrilled to receive a review copy of Inside Out. It follows Ben Treven, the character introduced in Fault Lines. I read the entire book in about two days because I just couldn't put it down.
Though Ben Treven is a hard man with a harder job, the humanization of his character makes you root for him. His situation at the beginning of this book draws you in slowly. Then the thrill ride begins. The CIA has discovered that videotapes documenting torture and the existance of ghost detainees have gone missing. Treven is tasked with tracking them down. In a plot line that seems to dance frighteningly close to reality the reader discovers that the shots are being called by players that are most concerned with preserving their own power and position.
I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to the next in this
August 30, 2010
I'm a huge fan of Barry Eisler, but I felt this book was only OK. I do look forward to the super mashup that is coming down the pike with John Rain meeting Ben Treven. I like this world that Eisler has carved out.
My problem: I tried reading one of Vince Flynn's books, but was overwhelmed by how Right Wing it was. Flynn was the first time I stopped reading a book intentionally. Eisler's Inside Out came off as the liberal answer: very left wing. Which is what I am! I write a liberal blog in my spare time. And, I know that most of what Eisler asserts in his book is true. Hell, I agree with Eisler and am a follower of him on twitter and on his blog! The problem was that I would have liked this book as a non-fiction work. I like Eisler's books for their realism and action. I like Treven and the journey he takes in this book trying to find his, shall we say, soul. But the facts/reality seemed to get in the way of the characters. I feel like this book was mostly a vehicle for getting more torture facts out there, and that's admirable. But I don't think the book succeeded as an Eisler thriller. Like I said, if it had been non-fiction, with just factual reporting, I would gladly give this book 4-5 stars.
My problem: I tried reading one of Vince Flynn's books, but was overwhelmed by how Right Wing it was. Flynn was the first time I stopped reading a book intentionally. Eisler's Inside Out came off as the liberal answer: very left wing. Which is what I am! I write a liberal blog in my spare time. And, I know that most of what Eisler asserts in his book is true. Hell, I agree with Eisler and am a follower of him on twitter and on his blog! The problem was that I would have liked this book as a non-fiction work. I like Eisler's books for their realism and action. I like Treven and the journey he takes in this book trying to find his, shall we say, soul. But the facts/reality seemed to get in the way of the characters. I feel like this book was mostly a vehicle for getting more torture facts out there, and that's admirable. But I don't think the book succeeded as an Eisler thriller. Like I said, if it had been non-fiction, with just factual reporting, I would gladly give this book 4-5 stars.
July 4, 2014
Fictional novel based on factual situations, could only be written by someone with insider experiences re Black Ops, CIA, Gitmo, etc. Author Barry Eisler delivers... because he can! Storyline reinforces the belief of many Americans that USA is actually an oligarchy-controlled country. The alphabet soup of undercover agencies do not trust each other, nor can the agents within each group; members with targets on their backs, expendable by the whims of the very few possessing the money and dirty files. Enlightening, but no real surprises concerning how our government agencies operate in deadly secrecy.
An aside that left me scratching my head ~ regarding one of the glowing reviews on the jacket by author Walter LaFerber ~ seems he read this lengthy novel of over 300+ pages in one sitting, (impressively loooong sit!) yet he died in 2006, while my hardcover copy states it copyright @ 2010 ..... ??? Whatever, darn good read.
An aside that left me scratching my head ~ regarding one of the glowing reviews on the jacket by author Walter LaFerber ~ seems he read this lengthy novel of over 300+ pages in one sitting, (impressively loooong sit!) yet he died in 2006, while my hardcover copy states it copyright @ 2010 ..... ??? Whatever, darn good read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews