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All the Old Knives
From Olen Steinhauer, the author of New York Timesbestseller The Tourist, comes his intimate, most cerebral, and most shocking novel to date, All the Old Knives—Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture Starring Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton.
Six years ago in Vienna, terrorists took over a hundred hostages, and the rescue attempt went terribly wrong. The CIA's Vienna station was witness to this tragedy, gathering intel from its sources during those tense hours, assimilating facts from the ground and from an agent on the inside. So when it all went wrong, the question had to be asked: Had their agent been compromised, and how?
Two of the CIA's case officers in Vienna, Henry Pelham and Celia Harrison, were lovers at the time, and on the night of the hostage crisis Celia decided she'd had enough. She left the agency, married and had children, and is now living an ordinary life in the idyllic town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Henry is still a case officer in Vienna, and has traveled to California to see her one more time, to relive the past, maybe, or to put it behind him once and for all.
But neither of them can forget that long-ago question: Had their agent been compromised? If so, how? Each also wonders what role tonight's dinner companion might have played in the way the tragedy unfolded six years ago.
Six years ago in Vienna, terrorists took over a hundred hostages, and the rescue attempt went terribly wrong. The CIA's Vienna station was witness to this tragedy, gathering intel from its sources during those tense hours, assimilating facts from the ground and from an agent on the inside. So when it all went wrong, the question had to be asked: Had their agent been compromised, and how?
Two of the CIA's case officers in Vienna, Henry Pelham and Celia Harrison, were lovers at the time, and on the night of the hostage crisis Celia decided she'd had enough. She left the agency, married and had children, and is now living an ordinary life in the idyllic town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Henry is still a case officer in Vienna, and has traveled to California to see her one more time, to relive the past, maybe, or to put it behind him once and for all.
But neither of them can forget that long-ago question: Had their agent been compromised? If so, how? Each also wonders what role tonight's dinner companion might have played in the way the tragedy unfolded six years ago.
320 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2015
565 people are currently reading
9077 people want to read
About the author
Olen Steinhauer
32 books1,240 followersOlen Steinhauer grew up in Virginia, and has since lived in Georgia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Texas, California, Massachusetts, and New York. Outside the US, he's lived in Croatia (when it was called Yugoslavia), the Czech Republic and Italy. He also spent a year in Romania on a Fulbright grant, an experience that helped inspire his first five books. He now lives in Hungary with his wife and daughter.
He has published stories and poetry in various literary journals over the years. His first novel, The Bridge of Sighs (2003), the start of a five-book sequence chronicling Cold War Eastern Europe, one book per decade, was nominated for five awards.
The second book of the series, The Confession, garnered significant critical acclaim, and 36 Yalta Boulevard (The Vienna Assignment in the UK), made three year-end best-of lists. Liberation Movements (The Istanbul Variations in the UK), was listed for four best-of lists and was nominated for an Edgar Award for best novel of the year. The final novel in the series, Victory Square, published in 2007, was a New York Times editor's choice.
With The Tourist, he has left the Cold War behind, beginning a trilogy of spy tales focused on international deception in the post 9/11 world. Happily, George Clooney's Smoke House Films has picked up the rights, with Mr. Clooney scheduled to star.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/olenst...
He has published stories and poetry in various literary journals over the years. His first novel, The Bridge of Sighs (2003), the start of a five-book sequence chronicling Cold War Eastern Europe, one book per decade, was nominated for five awards.
The second book of the series, The Confession, garnered significant critical acclaim, and 36 Yalta Boulevard (The Vienna Assignment in the UK), made three year-end best-of lists. Liberation Movements (The Istanbul Variations in the UK), was listed for four best-of lists and was nominated for an Edgar Award for best novel of the year. The final novel in the series, Victory Square, published in 2007, was a New York Times editor's choice.
With The Tourist, he has left the Cold War behind, beginning a trilogy of spy tales focused on international deception in the post 9/11 world. Happily, George Clooney's Smoke House Films has picked up the rights, with Mr. Clooney scheduled to star.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/olenst...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 908 reviews
January 22, 2016
“Perhaps it’s only those who don’t know us at all who are able to see us most clearly.”
― Olen Steinhauer, All the Old Knives
First a disclosure. I'm a Steinhauer completist. I love Olen Steinhauer. For many reasons. First, he is one of the few, modern spy novelists that seems interested in writing quality espionage fiction, during a period when spy fiction is evolving as the business of espionage shifts. Second, Steinhauer is pushing, incrementally, towards the long shadow of le Carré. With some novels Steinhauer seems almost a breath away from le Carré. He isn't there yet, but he is close with 'All the Old Knives', and he is far closer than most of his peers.
Spy fiction if it is unserious deals with violence, mystery, sex and an almost pornographic, hyper-nationalism. Great spy fiction deals with history, memory, loss, ambiguity, mistakes, regret, and deception. Steinhauer has written what can best be explained as a locked room spy mystery. It is at heart an interrogation that is highlighted with various forms of flashback. It is the intersection of two lives, two loves, and one dark, shared past, finally unlocked in a Carmel-by-the-Sea restaurant.
This is a short book, but one that moves with a measured precision. This isn't a beach read. It is a book to read while you are waiting in a hospital to see if the lump is benign. A book to read while you wait for your spouse to return from a dangerous drive. It is a book that makes no easy heroes and leaves the final curtain cracked just a bit.
― Olen Steinhauer, All the Old Knives
First a disclosure. I'm a Steinhauer completist. I love Olen Steinhauer. For many reasons. First, he is one of the few, modern spy novelists that seems interested in writing quality espionage fiction, during a period when spy fiction is evolving as the business of espionage shifts. Second, Steinhauer is pushing, incrementally, towards the long shadow of le Carré. With some novels Steinhauer seems almost a breath away from le Carré. He isn't there yet, but he is close with 'All the Old Knives', and he is far closer than most of his peers.
Spy fiction if it is unserious deals with violence, mystery, sex and an almost pornographic, hyper-nationalism. Great spy fiction deals with history, memory, loss, ambiguity, mistakes, regret, and deception. Steinhauer has written what can best be explained as a locked room spy mystery. It is at heart an interrogation that is highlighted with various forms of flashback. It is the intersection of two lives, two loves, and one dark, shared past, finally unlocked in a Carmel-by-the-Sea restaurant.
This is a short book, but one that moves with a measured precision. This isn't a beach read. It is a book to read while you are waiting in a hospital to see if the lump is benign. A book to read while you wait for your spouse to return from a dangerous drive. It is a book that makes no easy heroes and leaves the final curtain cracked just a bit.
March 13, 2025
Update, March 2025. After re-reading this short book again today in advance of a discussion of “favorite US spy fiction”, I’m pleased to report that it has lost none of its appeal for me. Although he doesn’t play a major role in the story, Putin as depicted here is just as much of an SOB as he is today. Sadly.
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I've had this book on my shelf for a couple of years, picked up from a sale table somewhere. Last week I came across a glowing GR review from someone whose tastes in spy fiction I trust and decided it didn't need to wait any longer.
This truly is a small jewel of a book, the length just long enough to contain all the elements of a tense thriller - where nothing much happens in real time. A meeting in Carmel recounting events in Vienna 5 years before. An examination of love and betrayal set within the world of espionage that had me on the edge of my seat, reading straight through to an ending that could not have been improved.
Another great end-of-year read.
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I've had this book on my shelf for a couple of years, picked up from a sale table somewhere. Last week I came across a glowing GR review from someone whose tastes in spy fiction I trust and decided it didn't need to wait any longer.
This truly is a small jewel of a book, the length just long enough to contain all the elements of a tense thriller - where nothing much happens in real time. A meeting in Carmel recounting events in Vienna 5 years before. An examination of love and betrayal set within the world of espionage that had me on the edge of my seat, reading straight through to an ending that could not have been improved.
Another great end-of-year read.
May 24, 2024
*** read this again ... and even though I knew the overview of the story, the remarkable plot twists and unusual method of presentation made it a great second read ... maybe I can use one of Steinhauer's methods in the novel I am currently writing
This is a terrific spy story told from a very unusual perspective ... a man and a woman are having dinner ... both were with the CIA in Vienna 5 years before (the man is still CIA, the woman is not, maybe) when a horrendous terrorist incident took place ... their dinner is no accident, nor is it a social event, although the two were lovers in Vienna ... each one suspects the other of being the source to the terrorists and uses the conversation to try to confirm or deny that belief ... Steinhauer does an outstanding job of sustaining the tension throughout the unusual way he has cast his story ... the reader can't be sure
This is a terrific spy story told from a very unusual perspective ... a man and a woman are having dinner ... both were with the CIA in Vienna 5 years before (the man is still CIA, the woman is not, maybe) when a horrendous terrorist incident took place ... their dinner is no accident, nor is it a social event, although the two were lovers in Vienna ... each one suspects the other of being the source to the terrorists and uses the conversation to try to confirm or deny that belief ... Steinhauer does an outstanding job of sustaining the tension throughout the unusual way he has cast his story ... the reader can't be sure
July 12, 2024
“History is full of inconsistencies.”
ALL THE OLD KNIVES is my first novel by Olen Steinhauer, and it's surprisingly good! It is a taut, fast-paced novel, and it takes place entirely around a dinner table with some flashbacks thrown in. I was very impressed by the depth of characterization in such a tightly plotted novel. The book comes in at less than 260 pages, but it doesn't need any more length in order to tell a complete and detailed story.
Plotwise, we have two ex-lovers, both CIA employees who were stationed in Vienna together. At the time there was a terrible terrorist attack at the Vienna Airport. Now, six years after the event and their relationship, they reconnect to have dinner at a restaurant, ostensibly to talk about the events of the past. And that's all I'll say about the plot.
In an unexpected twist I feel like this thriller has a lot to say about what it means to be a parent, and how that changes you. In fact, I would argue that examining how parenthood changes a person is one of the bigger themes of the novel. Another theme that comes into play is the idea of not moving on from the past. There were more than a few moments in this text where I felt a twinge of guilt because I was reminded of past lovers or relationships. Things that perhaps I haven't appropriately put on the shelf and left there. Who expects feelings like that when reading an espionage novel?
Quotes:
• “I don’t have a heart to break.”
• “In gorgeous landscapes loneliness is more acute-it’s something I’ve noticed.”
• “For once I was satisfied, which is really all anyone can ask for.”
• “And without failure you’re not really human. You’re just skating on the surface of life.”
• “Things happen. The only thing that matters is how we deal with the now.”
As I mentioned, this was my first Steinhauer novel, so I was not prepared for how good a writer he is. The quality of the writing in ALL THE OLD KNIVES is excellent!
There will be more books of Steinhauer’s in my future. I can promise you that.
ALL THE OLD KNIVES is my first novel by Olen Steinhauer, and it's surprisingly good! It is a taut, fast-paced novel, and it takes place entirely around a dinner table with some flashbacks thrown in. I was very impressed by the depth of characterization in such a tightly plotted novel. The book comes in at less than 260 pages, but it doesn't need any more length in order to tell a complete and detailed story.
Plotwise, we have two ex-lovers, both CIA employees who were stationed in Vienna together. At the time there was a terrible terrorist attack at the Vienna Airport. Now, six years after the event and their relationship, they reconnect to have dinner at a restaurant, ostensibly to talk about the events of the past. And that's all I'll say about the plot.
In an unexpected twist I feel like this thriller has a lot to say about what it means to be a parent, and how that changes you. In fact, I would argue that examining how parenthood changes a person is one of the bigger themes of the novel. Another theme that comes into play is the idea of not moving on from the past. There were more than a few moments in this text where I felt a twinge of guilt because I was reminded of past lovers or relationships. Things that perhaps I haven't appropriately put on the shelf and left there. Who expects feelings like that when reading an espionage novel?
Quotes:
• “I don’t have a heart to break.”
• “In gorgeous landscapes loneliness is more acute-it’s something I’ve noticed.”
• “For once I was satisfied, which is really all anyone can ask for.”
• “And without failure you’re not really human. You’re just skating on the surface of life.”
• “Things happen. The only thing that matters is how we deal with the now.”
As I mentioned, this was my first Steinhauer novel, so I was not prepared for how good a writer he is. The quality of the writing in ALL THE OLD KNIVES is excellent!
There will be more books of Steinhauer’s in my future. I can promise you that.
May 24, 2018
More novella than novel, Steinhauer's All the Old Knives is one of those miniature offerings that barely fits in the palm of your hand. In keeping with its toy-like presentation, the author admits this project was somewhat of a lark - a story that came to him upon encountering a Masterpiece Theater production starring Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson in which all the action took place at a restaurant table. Could he produce an espionage novel employing the same restriction? This is his attempt.
Henry Pelham and Celia Harrison were CIA case officers in Vienna some years back when a hostage situation developed at the airport. Things went south fast and resolved horrifically, with subtle and undeniable hints of agency collusion. Henry has taken it upon himself to investigate this long-ago incident and has saved Celia's interview for last. Traveling to Carmel-By-The-Sea, where she has retired into marriage and motherhood, he arranges to meet her for dinner at a local restaurant. Will the love he still feels for her carry the day, or will it fall to the wayside in his mission to uncover the truth?
Each character takes a turn at the narrative and, though it's a bit of a cheat to his aim, Steinhauer provides a wealth of flashbacks that serve to flesh out the seedy twists and turns of the incident in question. Henry's secrets are, by and large, easily deduced. Celia's are much trickier and it is she who held the story through to the end for me. While messy at certain stages, I must say it was awfully nice to find a woman's strength used to such advantage in an espionage tale.
This was a quick read, and pleasantly diverting.
Henry Pelham and Celia Harrison were CIA case officers in Vienna some years back when a hostage situation developed at the airport. Things went south fast and resolved horrifically, with subtle and undeniable hints of agency collusion. Henry has taken it upon himself to investigate this long-ago incident and has saved Celia's interview for last. Traveling to Carmel-By-The-Sea, where she has retired into marriage and motherhood, he arranges to meet her for dinner at a local restaurant. Will the love he still feels for her carry the day, or will it fall to the wayside in his mission to uncover the truth?
Each character takes a turn at the narrative and, though it's a bit of a cheat to his aim, Steinhauer provides a wealth of flashbacks that serve to flesh out the seedy twists and turns of the incident in question. Henry's secrets are, by and large, easily deduced. Celia's are much trickier and it is she who held the story through to the end for me. While messy at certain stages, I must say it was awfully nice to find a woman's strength used to such advantage in an espionage tale.
This was a quick read, and pleasantly diverting.
August 13, 2015
All The Old Knives – An Interesting Spy Story
Olen Steinhauer is often compared to John Le Carre with his writing, and he is certainly a master of writing Spy Thrillers and has a prodigious output which is not comparable to many writers. All The Old Knives is a small but punchy spy thriller that is an engagingly well written book without any padding.
All The Old Knives Olen Steinhauer has a come up with a plot and a setting in which is unusual in that all the action takes place around a dining table in a restaurant in Carmel, California which is quite ingenious. Henry has flown out to visit his former lover Celia who also happened to be a colleague in the Austrian CIA Station. Henry is still working in the paranoid world of the CIA; Celia has escaped and is married with two children and settled in to a quiet life.
Henry wants to talk to Celia about an event in 2006 that had rocked the CIA station when an Airplane hijack at Vienna Airport went wrong and it looks like the hijackers had some help from within the American Embassy. This event had haunted the Station and the CIA operatives since then.
We see the story of those events slowly revealed from both Celia and Henry’s perspective of their time in Vienna as lovers and colleagues. This is a truly mesmerising plot that is slowly revealed from both perspectives and able to see the contradictions as the truth is slowly revealed. Even throughout the meeting you are not sure who really was the person giving information to the hijackers in the end.
Olen Steinhauer has written a truly mesmerising Spy Thriller that will keep you gripped as you work your way through to the truth. One feels all the true paranoia of someone who operates in the Intelligence Community and at the end feel the relief of when the traitor is revealed. A fantastic short spy thriller, really enjoyable that will draw you in and join them at the dinner table.
Olen Steinhauer is often compared to John Le Carre with his writing, and he is certainly a master of writing Spy Thrillers and has a prodigious output which is not comparable to many writers. All The Old Knives is a small but punchy spy thriller that is an engagingly well written book without any padding.
All The Old Knives Olen Steinhauer has a come up with a plot and a setting in which is unusual in that all the action takes place around a dining table in a restaurant in Carmel, California which is quite ingenious. Henry has flown out to visit his former lover Celia who also happened to be a colleague in the Austrian CIA Station. Henry is still working in the paranoid world of the CIA; Celia has escaped and is married with two children and settled in to a quiet life.
Henry wants to talk to Celia about an event in 2006 that had rocked the CIA station when an Airplane hijack at Vienna Airport went wrong and it looks like the hijackers had some help from within the American Embassy. This event had haunted the Station and the CIA operatives since then.
We see the story of those events slowly revealed from both Celia and Henry’s perspective of their time in Vienna as lovers and colleagues. This is a truly mesmerising plot that is slowly revealed from both perspectives and able to see the contradictions as the truth is slowly revealed. Even throughout the meeting you are not sure who really was the person giving information to the hijackers in the end.
Olen Steinhauer has written a truly mesmerising Spy Thriller that will keep you gripped as you work your way through to the truth. One feels all the true paranoia of someone who operates in the Intelligence Community and at the end feel the relief of when the traitor is revealed. A fantastic short spy thriller, really enjoyable that will draw you in and join them at the dinner table.
December 14, 2021
I am a great fan of spy stories, but hadn't read anything by this author before, so was intrigued to give him a try. It begins with Henry, re-visiting his old lover, Celia. Some years before, the two worked together in Vienna. Now Celia has relocated to California, married and had two children.
Henry has an ulterior motive for travelling to meet Celia. A plane was hi-jacked at the airport while the two were in Vienna and everyone on board was killed. Rumours of a betrayal by an agent, leading to the tragedy, have reverberated around those involved since that event and now Henry is in search of the truth. Of course, though, spies always have secrets and most of this book revolves around a meeting that Henry and Celia have in a restaurant.
As the two duel, the readers learns of their past life, and their relationship, which is believable and sensitively done. I really enjoyed this novel and will certainly be exploring more books by this author in future.
Henry has an ulterior motive for travelling to meet Celia. A plane was hi-jacked at the airport while the two were in Vienna and everyone on board was killed. Rumours of a betrayal by an agent, leading to the tragedy, have reverberated around those involved since that event and now Henry is in search of the truth. Of course, though, spies always have secrets and most of this book revolves around a meeting that Henry and Celia have in a restaurant.
As the two duel, the readers learns of their past life, and their relationship, which is believable and sensitively done. I really enjoyed this novel and will certainly be exploring more books by this author in future.
March 13, 2015
Olen Steinhauer signals what he's up to at the very beginning of his clever All the Old Knives (St. Martins/Minotaur Books, paperback ARC) when CIA agent Henry Pelham discusses the state of contemporary spy fiction with a fellow airline passenger. She's reading an old Len Deighton. "They just don't make stories like this anymore. ... You knew who the bad guys were back then.''
Actually, they do still write traditional spy novels -- see Joseph Kanon, above -- and Steinhauer's new book isn't as different as one might suppose, despite its up-to-the-minute terrorist-flavored plot and its unconventional framework. Almost all of it takes place over dinner at a quiet restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., where Henry is meeting former lover and agent Celia Favreau for the first time in five years. Both were stationed in Vienna during the catastrophic takeover of a passenger plane by a radical Islamic group. Celia left within months after the debacle to marry an older man and start a family. Ostensibly, Henry just happens to be in her neck of the woods and Celia is catching him up on her two small children, but much more is revealed in their conversation and in flashbacks. Henry's involved in an inquiry about the hijacking -- there's lingering suspicion that a mole tipped off the terrorists -- and he wants Celia's version of events. Of course, it's all in the official report. Or is it?
Halfway through the book, Steinhauer switches perspectives from Henry to Celia, and while her memories overlap his, they also differ on crucial points. So, who are you going to believe? Both are well-trained liars and unreliable witnesses. The narrative switches back and forth as dinner progresses. Wine flows. Delicious food consumed. The veal hardly needs a knife, but the talk becomes more pointed. In the end, a good spy tales turns on deceit and betrayal. All the Old Knives is very good indeed.
from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever
Actually, they do still write traditional spy novels -- see Joseph Kanon, above -- and Steinhauer's new book isn't as different as one might suppose, despite its up-to-the-minute terrorist-flavored plot and its unconventional framework. Almost all of it takes place over dinner at a quiet restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., where Henry is meeting former lover and agent Celia Favreau for the first time in five years. Both were stationed in Vienna during the catastrophic takeover of a passenger plane by a radical Islamic group. Celia left within months after the debacle to marry an older man and start a family. Ostensibly, Henry just happens to be in her neck of the woods and Celia is catching him up on her two small children, but much more is revealed in their conversation and in flashbacks. Henry's involved in an inquiry about the hijacking -- there's lingering suspicion that a mole tipped off the terrorists -- and he wants Celia's version of events. Of course, it's all in the official report. Or is it?
Halfway through the book, Steinhauer switches perspectives from Henry to Celia, and while her memories overlap his, they also differ on crucial points. So, who are you going to believe? Both are well-trained liars and unreliable witnesses. The narrative switches back and forth as dinner progresses. Wine flows. Delicious food consumed. The veal hardly needs a knife, but the talk becomes more pointed. In the end, a good spy tales turns on deceit and betrayal. All the Old Knives is very good indeed.
from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever
April 6, 2017
Just try to dream up a story linking a terrorist hijacking in Vienna and the CIA with two former lovers at dinner in a gourmet restaurant in Carmel, California. Give up? Well, it’s been done.
This curious little book — a novella, really — emerged from the author’s long-standing desire to write a book centered on two people at dinner. I don’t know about you, but I’m always suspicious (and often disdainful) about fiction that’s meant to execute someone’s idea about writing style or structure. This sort of thing is usually referred to as “literature,” and as far as I’m concerned, it often sucks. However, Olen Steinhauer, a consummately talented writer of espionage novels, has managed to avoid the sinkhole of “literature” and produce an example of heart-pounding suspense. He’s done it many times before, and I’m certain he’ll do it again.
It turns out that that dinner for two, while the centerpiece of the story and the scene of the story’s climax, takes a back seat to the many flashbacks that explore the years of events leading up to the dinner. And those events — the central one of which is a terrorist hijacking of a civilian aircraft — lend the story its heft.
All the Old Knives unwinds in alternating sections that represent the recollections of the two principal characters, Henry Pelham and Celia Harrison. At the time of the terrorist hijacking in Vienna, both were officers of the CIA there. They were also lovers. Now, years later, Celia has long been retired to a life of luxury in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, one of the wealthiest and most idyllic communities anywhere. Then Henry calls her from Vienna to suggest they get together for dinner during a trip he’ll be making to a conference in a nearby town. Celia can’t imagine why Henry would propose this, other than that he might still be smitten with her, but we learn from Henry that he’s been assigned to follow up the long-unsolved mystery of what happened that fateful night in Vienna, when a CIA agent was one of 120 passengers murdered on the plane. Had their agent been betrayed by someone inside the station? Was one of them involved?
From beginning to end, All the Old Knives is full of suspense. It’s surprising to the last drop.
Olen Steinhauer is sometimes hailed as a worthy successor to John Le Carre, Graham Greene, and Eric Ambler. I agree. All the Old Knives is his tenth novel. I’ve read and loved all the rest, most of them reviewed on this blog.
This curious little book — a novella, really — emerged from the author’s long-standing desire to write a book centered on two people at dinner. I don’t know about you, but I’m always suspicious (and often disdainful) about fiction that’s meant to execute someone’s idea about writing style or structure. This sort of thing is usually referred to as “literature,” and as far as I’m concerned, it often sucks. However, Olen Steinhauer, a consummately talented writer of espionage novels, has managed to avoid the sinkhole of “literature” and produce an example of heart-pounding suspense. He’s done it many times before, and I’m certain he’ll do it again.
It turns out that that dinner for two, while the centerpiece of the story and the scene of the story’s climax, takes a back seat to the many flashbacks that explore the years of events leading up to the dinner. And those events — the central one of which is a terrorist hijacking of a civilian aircraft — lend the story its heft.
All the Old Knives unwinds in alternating sections that represent the recollections of the two principal characters, Henry Pelham and Celia Harrison. At the time of the terrorist hijacking in Vienna, both were officers of the CIA there. They were also lovers. Now, years later, Celia has long been retired to a life of luxury in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, one of the wealthiest and most idyllic communities anywhere. Then Henry calls her from Vienna to suggest they get together for dinner during a trip he’ll be making to a conference in a nearby town. Celia can’t imagine why Henry would propose this, other than that he might still be smitten with her, but we learn from Henry that he’s been assigned to follow up the long-unsolved mystery of what happened that fateful night in Vienna, when a CIA agent was one of 120 passengers murdered on the plane. Had their agent been betrayed by someone inside the station? Was one of them involved?
From beginning to end, All the Old Knives is full of suspense. It’s surprising to the last drop.
Olen Steinhauer is sometimes hailed as a worthy successor to John Le Carre, Graham Greene, and Eric Ambler. I agree. All the Old Knives is his tenth novel. I’ve read and loved all the rest, most of them reviewed on this blog.
March 30, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up. Six years ago, a team of CIA agents in Vienna, Austria were involved in gathering intel on the terrorists who had highjacked a plane filled with 120 passengers, when the situation goes horribly wrong. Was one of their informants compromised?
Six years later, one of those case officers, Henry Pelham, is charged with finding out the truth of what happened that night and he's narrowed the suspects down to his former lover and ex-CIA agent, Celia Harrison, now a happily married wife and mother living the dream life in Carmel-By-the-Sea, CA. Can he get her to admit what really happened that night over drinks and dinner? Just why did she walk away from the CIA in the aftermath...and him?
This tense psychological spy drama will be released as an Amazon Prime Movie on April 8, 2022. I was thrilled to be able to snag an arc of the book from the publisher via NetGalley in time to read the novel and review it before watching the film. Many thanks for the opportunity.
Six years later, one of those case officers, Henry Pelham, is charged with finding out the truth of what happened that night and he's narrowed the suspects down to his former lover and ex-CIA agent, Celia Harrison, now a happily married wife and mother living the dream life in Carmel-By-the-Sea, CA. Can he get her to admit what really happened that night over drinks and dinner? Just why did she walk away from the CIA in the aftermath...and him?
This tense psychological spy drama will be released as an Amazon Prime Movie on April 8, 2022. I was thrilled to be able to snag an arc of the book from the publisher via NetGalley in time to read the novel and review it before watching the film. Many thanks for the opportunity.
February 20, 2015
For a novel that only took a couple of hours to read it certainly delivered a punch. I'm not a fan of espionage books so in the beginning I wasn't sure this was going to be for me, but about a 1/4 of the way in I was hooked. Really enjoyed.
April 2, 2016
As we were heading off on vacation, my husband asked me to "pick" an audiobook to listen to. I decided to find a spy novel since some of the television we will both watch has to do with spies. I knew of Olen Steinhauer after my book club read The Cairo Affair, and so I picked the shortest of his novels that hadn't been already turned into a film.
This takes place almost entirely in a restaurant during a conversation two former lovers are having about a 2006 terrorist situation in the Vienna airport, with generous amounts of flashbacks to fill in parts of the story. Some elements kept us guessing while some were given away by the author from the beginning (I would almost say don't read the little prelude as it ruined one of the plot points for us.)
What Steinhauer does so well in all his books is visible here - the major event in the novel isn't real, but many of the other situations mentioned as well as people are real, so it feels like a very realistic storyline.
This was the first time I listened to an audiobook with another person and I was itching to turn it up a bit (in speed) but I survived!
This takes place almost entirely in a restaurant during a conversation two former lovers are having about a 2006 terrorist situation in the Vienna airport, with generous amounts of flashbacks to fill in parts of the story. Some elements kept us guessing while some were given away by the author from the beginning (I would almost say don't read the little prelude as it ruined one of the plot points for us.)
What Steinhauer does so well in all his books is visible here - the major event in the novel isn't real, but many of the other situations mentioned as well as people are real, so it feels like a very realistic storyline.
This was the first time I listened to an audiobook with another person and I was itching to turn it up a bit (in speed) but I survived!
October 3, 2015
I definitely had a problem getting through this book even though it is less than 300 pages. The plot line just did not work for me.
Two former spies, once romantically involved, meet over dinner in Carmel, California. Both are still bothered by a terrorist attack several years previously. One of them wants to finally know the truth about the tragedy on which terrorists took over a commercial airliner and used the children onboard as pawns.
The book is slow paced and takes place over only one evening at dinner. However there are numerous flashbacks to the night of the tragedy. The sections bounce around being told from Henry's viewpoint at times and then from Celia's viewpoint. I often had difficulty determining which character's viewpoint I was reading. Even with that distraction, the book is well written. However, I found the story generally pretty dull. There was just that one small thread in the storyline that kept me reading. But by the end I did not feel the story was worth the time invested.
If you are really into spy novels you may enjoy it. It does have a hint of conspiracies and several twists.
Two former spies, once romantically involved, meet over dinner in Carmel, California. Both are still bothered by a terrorist attack several years previously. One of them wants to finally know the truth about the tragedy on which terrorists took over a commercial airliner and used the children onboard as pawns.
The book is slow paced and takes place over only one evening at dinner. However there are numerous flashbacks to the night of the tragedy. The sections bounce around being told from Henry's viewpoint at times and then from Celia's viewpoint. I often had difficulty determining which character's viewpoint I was reading. Even with that distraction, the book is well written. However, I found the story generally pretty dull. There was just that one small thread in the storyline that kept me reading. But by the end I did not feel the story was worth the time invested.
If you are really into spy novels you may enjoy it. It does have a hint of conspiracies and several twists.
May 12, 2015
Steinhauer is a capable author and is not to be blamed, I do not think, for the fact that midway through this cynical story about retired spies closing a case once and for all that I just got really sick of hearing, thinking, caring about spies and their circuitous world. I have begun to think, ever since reading Kai Bird's The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames, that we should close the spy agencies and be done with the whole ridiculous deal of trying to find out secrets through a government agency. It makes me a little sick to think we are funding these folks. But I'm not running the world.
Steinhauer does so well in capturing the lifestyle, personality types, even speech patterns of American spies in Europe that it is hard to believe he is not a spy himself. Perhaps he got a little too real: I wanted to be as far from these folks as it is possible to be.
Steinhauer does so well in capturing the lifestyle, personality types, even speech patterns of American spies in Europe that it is hard to believe he is not a spy himself. Perhaps he got a little too real: I wanted to be as far from these folks as it is possible to be.
April 19, 2015
Henry Pelham and Celia Harrison once worked in Vienna, Austria in 2006. They are CIA. They were lovers.
Then, Ilyas Shishani, a Chechen radical who had become an Islamic terrorist, directed the hijacking of an Viennese airplane, although he was not onboard. The terrorists threatened to kill passengers if what they wanted didn't happen. They expected the immediate release of some of their friends in German prisons.
Children are on board the airplane, along with at least 120 people. The tension is unbearable. Then, the CIA receives text messages from inside the jet Then nothing is right.
It is a few years later. Henry wants to interview Celia about the Vienna Airport disaster. Shishani, captured in Afghanistan, has been interrogated in Gitmo and he revealed he had been "aided by a source within the U.S. embassy." Henry wants the assignment, primarily because he still loves Celia, now Celia Favreau, who retired after the fiasco, and she is now living with her husband and children in Carmel-by-the-Sea, in California. He wants to see her. He also has to confront her with the evidence she must be the traitor. He takes a flight to San Francisco.
Celia meets him at a local restaurant. And Henry feels things may not go right again.....
This is a short, spare novella, disguised as a spy novel. I read it in a couple of hours. Not a word is wasted. It is an interesting little tale of betrayal between spies, but the primary enjoyment comes from the author's style. Olen Steinhauer may be a writer of few words, but his observations about people are razor sharp.
A very enjoyable read.
Then, Ilyas Shishani, a Chechen radical who had become an Islamic terrorist, directed the hijacking of an Viennese airplane, although he was not onboard. The terrorists threatened to kill passengers if what they wanted didn't happen. They expected the immediate release of some of their friends in German prisons.
Children are on board the airplane, along with at least 120 people. The tension is unbearable. Then, the CIA receives text messages from inside the jet Then nothing is right.
It is a few years later. Henry wants to interview Celia about the Vienna Airport disaster. Shishani, captured in Afghanistan, has been interrogated in Gitmo and he revealed he had been "aided by a source within the U.S. embassy." Henry wants the assignment, primarily because he still loves Celia, now Celia Favreau, who retired after the fiasco, and she is now living with her husband and children in Carmel-by-the-Sea, in California. He wants to see her. He also has to confront her with the evidence she must be the traitor. He takes a flight to San Francisco.
Celia meets him at a local restaurant. And Henry feels things may not go right again.....
This is a short, spare novella, disguised as a spy novel. I read it in a couple of hours. Not a word is wasted. It is an interesting little tale of betrayal between spies, but the primary enjoyment comes from the author's style. Olen Steinhauer may be a writer of few words, but his observations about people are razor sharp.
A very enjoyable read.
May 11, 2020
A single interrogation scene stretched into the length of a short novel... that sums up my overall feelings on 'All The Old Knives'. Sure, it had flashbacks to flesh things out, but in a better book, written by a better writer, this would merely be part of a much bigger and more intriguing story.
Olen has been hailed by too many people as “the next John Le Carre”. This is not true, or even remotely accurate. The pace of the novel never moves faster than a brisk walk, and so much of it boils down to a "he said, she said" state of affairs before enough layers can be peeled back to reveal who the bigger liar is. Pockets of narrative "insight" was pushed as deep thinking, yet proved ultimately shallow and often cliche. Dialogue was fair enough when it didn't fall flat. Some of the cat-and-mouse plot was satisfying. But a writer who uses as many eye-roll worthy adverbs and spends pages describing a restaurant washroom for no apparent reason should not be placed in the same ballpark as the great Le Carre. As I've said before in other reviews, this exemplifies the increasing problem of the publishing business hailing mediocrity as magnificence in order to increase sales. It also serves as a fine example of how wary we should all be when reading endorsements on book covers.
‘All The Old Knives’ definitely had its moments here and there, but they didn’t add up to anything more more than a mediocre espionage novel that plods along and largely fails to excite or interest. If you want to read a great spy novel, pick up an actual John Le Carre offering.
Olen has been hailed by too many people as “the next John Le Carre”. This is not true, or even remotely accurate. The pace of the novel never moves faster than a brisk walk, and so much of it boils down to a "he said, she said" state of affairs before enough layers can be peeled back to reveal who the bigger liar is. Pockets of narrative "insight" was pushed as deep thinking, yet proved ultimately shallow and often cliche. Dialogue was fair enough when it didn't fall flat. Some of the cat-and-mouse plot was satisfying. But a writer who uses as many eye-roll worthy adverbs and spends pages describing a restaurant washroom for no apparent reason should not be placed in the same ballpark as the great Le Carre. As I've said before in other reviews, this exemplifies the increasing problem of the publishing business hailing mediocrity as magnificence in order to increase sales. It also serves as a fine example of how wary we should all be when reading endorsements on book covers.
‘All The Old Knives’ definitely had its moments here and there, but they didn’t add up to anything more more than a mediocre espionage novel that plods along and largely fails to excite or interest. If you want to read a great spy novel, pick up an actual John Le Carre offering.
November 1, 2022
Boring as shit
January 20, 2017
When I read Steinhauer's first book, 'The Tourist,' I wrote: "Inside this book is a smaller, better book struggling to get out."
'All the Old Knives' is that shorter, better book. And it's something to behold.
There's all sorts of things going on in this book, but what I'm left with is a masterful description of the struggle that any romantically-involved couple faces, along with the struggles of memory vs. current reality, desire vs. practicality and a few others. I'm so glad I read this before being exposed to the film that was based on it -- this is a gripping read.
The ending was short, intense and perfect, in my view.
'All the Old Knives' is that shorter, better book. And it's something to behold.
There's all sorts of things going on in this book, but what I'm left with is a masterful description of the struggle that any romantically-involved couple faces, along with the struggles of memory vs. current reality, desire vs. practicality and a few others. I'm so glad I read this before being exposed to the film that was based on it -- this is a gripping read.
The ending was short, intense and perfect, in my view.
March 8, 2024
He’s getting close to LeCarre-level quality.
August 19, 2023
An entertaining spy thriller with betrayal, violence--all of it implied--and characters brimming with real-world complexity.
July 11, 2017
Allora lettori, la copertina di questo libro non mi piace proprio. Se la donna dell’immagine dovrebbe essere Celia, beh che delusione! Dalla descrizione sembra una gran bella donna ma la persona qui raffigurata non mi sembra adatta alla descrizione della protagonista femminile del libro. Il titolo invece è perfetto per il libro, per la storia narrata così come mi sembra appropriata la trama che non svela troppo. Veniamo al racconto. Henry e Celia erano due agenti della CIA, colleghi ma anche amanti, finché un terribile attacco terroristico all’aeroporto di Vienna mise fine alle loro carriere e al loro amore turbolento. Per Henry è la cena della resa dei conti: la cena in cui strapperà a Celia una confessione su cosa successe realmente quella tragica notte e in cui finalmente capirà perché, subito dopo, Celia lo lasciò, distruggendogli il cuore. Per Celia è la cena dei ricordi che vorrebbe evitare, dimenticare, rinchiudere a chiave in un antro della propria mente per non rivangarli essendo per lei troppo dolorosi. Ma nulla è come sembra durante questa lunga e sorprendente cena di ex amanti, ex colleghi, ex spie. Si tratta di un libro a mio parere ben scritto, molto scorrevole per lo stile ma lento. Sono rimasta con il fiato sospeso solo nell’ultima parte del romanzo. Di sicuro ero curiosa di scoprire cosa fosse realmente successo quella tragica notte ma non tanto quanto mi aspettavo leggendo la trama. A favore posso comunque dire che ad un certo punto la mia bocca è rimasta aperta fino alla fine, con un colpo di scena dietro l’altro e questo ha alzato la mia valutazione. Il finale aperto non è tra le caratteristiche che preferisco di un libro, a meno che non ci sia un sequel, cosa però che non penso ci possa essere per questo racconto; si tratta di un gusto soggettivo, sicuramente ci saranno dei lettori tra voi che potrebbero apprezzare un finale così! Il libro è scritto, a mio parere, in modo interessante in quanto la narrazione procede seguendo il punto di vista di entrambi i personaggi del racconto ed è una caratteristica che mi piace molto di un libro. Il romanzo inizia con il pensiero di Henry che fin da subito prende e porta il lettore a schierarsi dalla sua parte. Questo schieramento si intensifica, almeno questo è quello che è successo a me, non appena iniziamo a leggere la narrazione di Celia. La cosa che più ho mal digerito di Celia è stata la sua capacità di sminuire il rapporto che ha avuto con Henry. In particolare, leggerete di un episodio, narrato da entrambi, e vedrete come Celia criticherà quello che Henry in quell’evento ha fatto per lei e vi arrabbierete, credetemi; è facile sminuire un rapporto concluso da tempo, criticare tutto del tuo ex, dimenticandosi di tutti i bei momenti trascorsi assieme, non credete? Celia si lascia trasportare da questa facilità. Ma poi, cari lettori, Celia la potrete comprendere meglio, tutto diventa più chiaro. Niente è come sembra e quando ve ne renderete conto rimarrete con la bocca aperta proprio come me, con un po’ d’ansia, presi dalla smania di leggere ancora una pagina. Il finale vi potrà lasciare l’amaro in bocca in quanto finale aperto, anche se tutto sommato penso che il lettore si possa fare un’idea di come andrà a finire realmente. Nonostante la mia valutazione non sia altissima (credetemi, ero dell’idea di darne una ancora più bassa fino a metà libro almeno) vi consiglio di leggerlo, soprattutto se siete alla ricerca di un po’ di suspence e di colpi di scena!
April 28, 2022
What a great read! Looking forward to seeing the movie on Amazon Prime.
#AllTheOldKnives
#PrimeVideo
#SpyvsSpy
#AllTheOldKnives
#PrimeVideo
#SpyvsSpy
December 20, 2014
This book was psychological thriller from the get go. Two agents stationed in Austria deal with the high jacking of an airliner with over 100 innocents on board. The terrorists threaten to kill all on board if their demands are not met. Being CIA agents, both Henry & Ceila, work their sources to try and find an life saving solution. Little do they know that there is a traitor in their mist and the conclusion of this terrorist act haunts all involved for years to come.
Henry loves Ceila and she thought she loved him until this event shattered their relationship and sent Ceila running off to the states to put her old life behind her and begin over with a new husband and children. But someone wants to know who the traitor was that exposed their agent on the plane and led to all the deaths.
Henry suspects Ceila and she suspects him. One of them has the proof that will destroy the other, or will they destroy each other?
This plot has twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. And what an ending it is. Enjoy!
Henry loves Ceila and she thought she loved him until this event shattered their relationship and sent Ceila running off to the states to put her old life behind her and begin over with a new husband and children. But someone wants to know who the traitor was that exposed their agent on the plane and led to all the deaths.
Henry suspects Ceila and she suspects him. One of them has the proof that will destroy the other, or will they destroy each other?
This plot has twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. And what an ending it is. Enjoy!
April 16, 2015
Clever, clever, clever - a very quiet buildup and a huge wallop of a punch at the end - to the point that I had to go back and 're-listen' (audiobook) to glean clues I must have missed first time around. An Amazon 'best book of the month, March 2015'. A short novel, masquerading as a quiet 'what's the point' book at the beginning, and then you have to wake up and pay attention. The story is about two CIA operatives in Vienna in 2006 (one now retired) - however the total scene takes place in one setting, a seemingly innocent dinner rendezvous between two past lovers in Carmel, California. A very interesting glimmer into the functioning of spy organizations such as the CIA and perhaps the expendability of their operatives. Amazing in how the author was able to incorporate so many seemingly 'by-the-way' clues into a one-scene setting. Recommend.
May 9, 2022
I won this novel in a goodreads drawing.
An experimental work where the author makes an attempt to write an entire spy thriller set at a table in a restaurant. There are really only two characters in the whole novel.
I found it rather dull, as I figured out the twist in the first couple of pages, and without the surprise, it all comes to naught. I tend to prefer spy novels with shootouts, judo chops, and allusions to "the great game."
Still, a gallant try. I always encourage authors to try new things, even if they don't really work out.
An experimental work where the author makes an attempt to write an entire spy thriller set at a table in a restaurant. There are really only two characters in the whole novel.
I found it rather dull, as I figured out the twist in the first couple of pages, and without the surprise, it all comes to naught. I tend to prefer spy novels with shootouts, judo chops, and allusions to "the great game."
Still, a gallant try. I always encourage authors to try new things, even if they don't really work out.
September 28, 2015
Henry works for the CIA from the embassy in Vienna. Celia used to work with him, sharing an office and his bed. Now they're meeting again after five years of not being in touch to go over who's to blame for the deaths of innocents in a terrorist attack. This was great, surprisingly engaging with a fantastic twist at the end.
February 6, 2025
Bel libro, scorre bene, finale che sorprende.
April 8, 2015
I confess I was not familiar with Olen Steinhauer's work, but it seems he has authored a number of novels of international intrigue that have been highly acclaimed. From what I have learned of his writing, he specializes in elaborate, very intricate plots which keep the reader guessing right up until the end. All the Old Knives continues that tradition.
This is the story of two old C.I.A. colleagues and lovers, Henry Pelham and Celia Harrison (now Favreau). They were working together in Vienna in 2006 when something so catastrophic happened that it marked the lives of everyone involved forever. There was a hostage incident at the Vienna airport in which terrorists took over an airplane with 120 souls aboard. They demanded the release of several prisoners or else they would kill everyone on board.
Negotiations proceeded but it developed that the terrorists knew what the authorities' response would be. They had inside knowledge. Someone was feeding them information. Was it a C.I.A. officer?
It turned out that there was a C.I.A. asset on board the plane and he was managing to get information out to the agency, but he was betrayed by the informant and the terrorists killed him. In the end, they killed everyone on the plane. It was a nightmare scenario.
The night that all those people were killed was also the night that Henry's and Celia's affair ended. Celia decided she'd had enough and walked out. Months later, she married an older man from California and went to live in idyllic Carmel-by-the-sea. Six years and two kids later, she is contacted by Henry. He is still with the C.I.A. in Vienna and is allegedly investigating the airplane incident to try to discover who was the traitor who passed information to the terrorists. He wants to talk with Celia about it.
They arrange to meet for dinner in Carmel at a restaurant aptly named Rendez-vous and this is where the main action of the book takes place. We learn about everything else - Vienna, their affair, relations with other C.I.A. agents in Vienna - through flashbacks as they dine.
It is soon evident to the reader that there is much more to this dinner than appears on the surface. Both of these characters are haunted by the past. And perhaps by their guilt?
We learn of the Vienna incident through the eyes and the words of both Henry and Celia and we find that they see the past very differently. They each remember every detail of their last time together but their perceptions of the the event could not be more different.
As these differences are revealed, the reader becomes aware that there has been a betrayal of more than just the C.I.A. asset on the plane. Indeed, one of the diners may know quite a lot about who was responsible for the deaths of the passengers on the plane and may have insider knowledge of just how it happened. This isn't just a meal; it is a confrontation. These two are playing a deadly game for the highest of stakes. Which one will be the winner? Or, possibly, will they both be losers? It becomes pretty clear that the evening is not going to end happily.
Steinhauer maintains the suspense right up until the devastating showdown at the end. His plotting is impeccable and his narrative style keeps the reader guessing and off-balance.
Why haven't I read any of his books before? I plan to remedy that situation as soon as possible.
This is the story of two old C.I.A. colleagues and lovers, Henry Pelham and Celia Harrison (now Favreau). They were working together in Vienna in 2006 when something so catastrophic happened that it marked the lives of everyone involved forever. There was a hostage incident at the Vienna airport in which terrorists took over an airplane with 120 souls aboard. They demanded the release of several prisoners or else they would kill everyone on board.
Negotiations proceeded but it developed that the terrorists knew what the authorities' response would be. They had inside knowledge. Someone was feeding them information. Was it a C.I.A. officer?
It turned out that there was a C.I.A. asset on board the plane and he was managing to get information out to the agency, but he was betrayed by the informant and the terrorists killed him. In the end, they killed everyone on the plane. It was a nightmare scenario.
The night that all those people were killed was also the night that Henry's and Celia's affair ended. Celia decided she'd had enough and walked out. Months later, she married an older man from California and went to live in idyllic Carmel-by-the-sea. Six years and two kids later, she is contacted by Henry. He is still with the C.I.A. in Vienna and is allegedly investigating the airplane incident to try to discover who was the traitor who passed information to the terrorists. He wants to talk with Celia about it.
They arrange to meet for dinner in Carmel at a restaurant aptly named Rendez-vous and this is where the main action of the book takes place. We learn about everything else - Vienna, their affair, relations with other C.I.A. agents in Vienna - through flashbacks as they dine.
It is soon evident to the reader that there is much more to this dinner than appears on the surface. Both of these characters are haunted by the past. And perhaps by their guilt?
We learn of the Vienna incident through the eyes and the words of both Henry and Celia and we find that they see the past very differently. They each remember every detail of their last time together but their perceptions of the the event could not be more different.
As these differences are revealed, the reader becomes aware that there has been a betrayal of more than just the C.I.A. asset on the plane. Indeed, one of the diners may know quite a lot about who was responsible for the deaths of the passengers on the plane and may have insider knowledge of just how it happened. This isn't just a meal; it is a confrontation. These two are playing a deadly game for the highest of stakes. Which one will be the winner? Or, possibly, will they both be losers? It becomes pretty clear that the evening is not going to end happily.
Steinhauer maintains the suspense right up until the devastating showdown at the end. His plotting is impeccable and his narrative style keeps the reader guessing and off-balance.
Why haven't I read any of his books before? I plan to remedy that situation as soon as possible.
January 9, 2015
A Satisfying Read But Nothing Special!
I have been a fan of Olen Steinhauer since his first book. Having now finished his newest book, All The Old Knives, my overall feeling is that it is a satisfying, entertaining read but not one I'd recommend you rush out to read. This is because while there was nothing I disliked about it, there was also nothing about it that made me feel that it stands out from other books in the spy novel genre. As a matter of fact, although the two principal characters in All The Old Knives are or were spies, there is nothing about this book that I found to be be particularly thrilling, suspenseful or exciting.
Without going into detail about its plot, All The Old Knives is set completely in a restaurant in a restaurant in Carmel, California in which two ex-lovers meet for dinner. One, Celia, was once a CIA spy and now a wife with a family. The other is Henry, who still works in the world of espionage in Vienna. As they relive their memories (often through flashbacks) of a disastrous terrorist hijacking that took place six years ago, the motive behind their meeting remains obscured -- is it to rekindle their lost romance or to reignite a conspiracy.
On the plus side of this plot setting, it enables Steinhauer to once again demonstrate his strong ability to create top-notch fully developed, complex characters who come across as very "real" (albeit not very likable) people. Also, typical of a Steinhauer book, this plot setting allows the author to provide the reader with a very descriptive sense of place, making me feel that I was right there at the dinner table with Celia and Henry.
On the "not so plus" side (let's call it the "neutral" side), the plot setting is also why I, ultimately, felt that while All The Old Knives is a satisfying book, it had nothing special or unique about it for me to recommend it highly to you. This is because everything in All The Old Knives is revealed through the conversation between the two ex-lovers/spies.There are virtually no actions, thrills or surprises that the reader gets to experience first-hand, and even the twist at the end comes about very passively.
I hope this review is helpful in deciding if All The Old Knives is a book you'll want to read.
I have been a fan of Olen Steinhauer since his first book. Having now finished his newest book, All The Old Knives, my overall feeling is that it is a satisfying, entertaining read but not one I'd recommend you rush out to read. This is because while there was nothing I disliked about it, there was also nothing about it that made me feel that it stands out from other books in the spy novel genre. As a matter of fact, although the two principal characters in All The Old Knives are or were spies, there is nothing about this book that I found to be be particularly thrilling, suspenseful or exciting.
Without going into detail about its plot, All The Old Knives is set completely in a restaurant in a restaurant in Carmel, California in which two ex-lovers meet for dinner. One, Celia, was once a CIA spy and now a wife with a family. The other is Henry, who still works in the world of espionage in Vienna. As they relive their memories (often through flashbacks) of a disastrous terrorist hijacking that took place six years ago, the motive behind their meeting remains obscured -- is it to rekindle their lost romance or to reignite a conspiracy.
On the plus side of this plot setting, it enables Steinhauer to once again demonstrate his strong ability to create top-notch fully developed, complex characters who come across as very "real" (albeit not very likable) people. Also, typical of a Steinhauer book, this plot setting allows the author to provide the reader with a very descriptive sense of place, making me feel that I was right there at the dinner table with Celia and Henry.
On the "not so plus" side (let's call it the "neutral" side), the plot setting is also why I, ultimately, felt that while All The Old Knives is a satisfying book, it had nothing special or unique about it for me to recommend it highly to you. This is because everything in All The Old Knives is revealed through the conversation between the two ex-lovers/spies.There are virtually no actions, thrills or surprises that the reader gets to experience first-hand, and even the twist at the end comes about very passively.
I hope this review is helpful in deciding if All The Old Knives is a book you'll want to read.
January 2, 2016
A very enjoyable and focused spy novel that Olen Steinhauer undertook as a challenge to himself following a viewing a dramatization of a poem -- "The Song of Lunch" by Christopher Reid. Could he, Steinhauer wondered, construct a spy novel that shared a setting and a premise? The answer is: sort of.
Instead of a reunion of ex-lovers over lunch, "All the Old Knives" centers on a dinner shared between old paramours, one a former spy and the other still active. And, while their meal at an out-of-season restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea is the center point of the action, there are numerous flashbacks and small bits of side action from both points of view that give context to how and why Henry and Celia are reuniting and reminiscing.
Of course, being a spy novel, no reunion is untainted by duplicity and double-dealing in the past, or the present, so I won't spoil anything by revealing more of the plot than the set-up. If you read this sort of thing you'll catch on pretty quickly, yet it's fun to see an accomplished practitioner of the genre play with his form. His writing and construction are cinematic -- anyone want to bet on how soon this will hit the screen either as a movie or teleplay?
My feeling is though that the book ends up suffering from being forced into the confines of its premise. It reads a bit like an old fashioned locked room mystery -- clever, but lacking in character development. The plot is squarely in the driver's seat here and while Steinhauer does an admirable job of forming his characters within the confines he's established for himself, they never come as fully to life as I would like -- which is why in the end I gave the book three stars instead of four. Don't let that discourage you from picking this one up when it comes out next week. It's solidly crafted and very entertaining. Perfect for a snowy day, a plane ride or any time you feel the need for treachery in the absence of a new (and better) seasons of 'Homeland' or 'House of Cards.'
I've been meaning to read Mr. Steinhauer for a while and this short book, while not a masterpiece of the genre, has bumped his other titles up in my TBR pile.
Instead of a reunion of ex-lovers over lunch, "All the Old Knives" centers on a dinner shared between old paramours, one a former spy and the other still active. And, while their meal at an out-of-season restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea is the center point of the action, there are numerous flashbacks and small bits of side action from both points of view that give context to how and why Henry and Celia are reuniting and reminiscing.
Of course, being a spy novel, no reunion is untainted by duplicity and double-dealing in the past, or the present, so I won't spoil anything by revealing more of the plot than the set-up. If you read this sort of thing you'll catch on pretty quickly, yet it's fun to see an accomplished practitioner of the genre play with his form. His writing and construction are cinematic -- anyone want to bet on how soon this will hit the screen either as a movie or teleplay?
My feeling is though that the book ends up suffering from being forced into the confines of its premise. It reads a bit like an old fashioned locked room mystery -- clever, but lacking in character development. The plot is squarely in the driver's seat here and while Steinhauer does an admirable job of forming his characters within the confines he's established for himself, they never come as fully to life as I would like -- which is why in the end I gave the book three stars instead of four. Don't let that discourage you from picking this one up when it comes out next week. It's solidly crafted and very entertaining. Perfect for a snowy day, a plane ride or any time you feel the need for treachery in the absence of a new (and better) seasons of 'Homeland' or 'House of Cards.'
I've been meaning to read Mr. Steinhauer for a while and this short book, while not a masterpiece of the genre, has bumped his other titles up in my TBR pile.
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