Over the last couple of years, I’ve become a fan of Chris Pavone. I’ve worked backward through his catalog, starting with his most recent work, The Travelers and moving on to The Accident. I’ve noticed his ability to imbue drama, suspense, and tension in small, personal moments that keep you engrossed in a story. His fourth novel, The Paris Diversion is due out next May, and since it’s a direct sequel to his debut work, I decided it was time to give The Expats a go.

The story follows Kate Moore and her very safe husband, Dexter, as they move their kids and happy home life to Luxembourg. Dexter lucked into a lucrative position in financial cybersecurity, and Kate relishes the opportunity to leave her life as a CIA operative—and all the secrets that come with it—behind, and finally escape the specter of a mission gone wrong. As their first year in Luxembourg progresses, the meet and befriend another expat couple, Bill and Julia McLean. But when a drunken night out has Julia flirting with Dexter and Bill skillfully disarming a would-be mugger, Kate is positive there is more to this couple—and her husband—that meets the eye, and wonders if maybe her own secrets have followed her across the pond.

The Expats is an impressive debut, full of twists and turns and lots of suspense. The story is compelling, especially considering that there isn’t as much action as his two follow-ups. It forces you to examine every character’s actions and challenges you to figure out what’s going on before the end. Pavone cranks up the tension gradually, especially in the smaller and more intimate moments when Kate is distrustful of her husband. And when you add this tension to the secondary narrative of a retired professional suddenly tasked with stay-home parenting and feeling unfulfilled (which, based on the commentary I hear from friends in that situation, can be accurate), you have a deep and surprisingly relatable story featuring a central character who wants things to go back to the way they were before. However, the story falls apart for me in the last 35-40 pages. Due to the story’s structure, which tells most of the story in flashback and weaves in present-day, present tense narrative (and does so very well, I might add), the final act is mostly exposition—literally four characters at dinner talking about what happened and why. It’s not a critical error, and it doesn’t sink the entire experience, but it is a touch anti-climactic

Pavone’s debut novel was a tightly plotted and well-written thriller, and while a large swath of expositional conversation was problematic, it’s still a solid, fun story, and I’m genuinely excited for the next story in this saga.

Pros: Well plotted, strong narrative, memorable characters, fun story.

Cons: Heavy expositional conversation on the back end of the story

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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