Two Nights In Lisbon

Author: Chris Pavone
Genre: Psychological Thriller
436 pages
Publisher: MCD, 2022

Synopsis
Tautly wound and expertly crafted, Two Nights in Lisbon is a riveting thriller about a woman under pressure, and how far she will go when everything is on the line.

You think you know a person . . .

Ariel Pryce wakes up in Lisbon, alone. Her husband is gone―no warning, no note, not answering his phone. Something is wrong.

She starts with hotel security, then the police, then the American embassy, at each confronting questions she can’t fully answer: What exactly is John doing in Lisbon? Why would he drag her along on his business trip? Who would want to harm him? And why does Ariel know so little about her new―much younger―husband?

The clock is ticking. Ariel is increasingly frustrated and desperate, running out of time, and the one person in the world who can help is the one person she least wants to ask.

With sparkling prose and razor-sharp insights, bestselling author Chris Pavone delivers a stunning and sophisticated international thriller that will linger long after the surprising final page.

My review
Two Nights In Lisbon by Chris Pavone is a smart, rollercoaster ride of a thriller that held my attention from start to finish. Pavone excels in character development, and while I had my suspicions about the direction of the story, a few twists near the end genuinely surprised me. The Lisbon setting initially drew me in, but it was Pavone’s creative storytelling, revealing the narrative piece by piece, that kept me excited to uncover what would happen next.

Pavone skillfully uses his main protagonist, Ariel Pryce, to build a palpable sense of tension and unease throughout the narrative. Pryce’s mistrust and suspicion become driving forces, not only in the plot but also in shaping the mood of the story, and I questioned everyone and everything she encountered.

While Two Nights In Lisbon is undeniably a well-written and engaging thriller, it is not without its flaws. At times, the narrative veers into territory that feels more like a lecture than storytelling. Pavone occasionally interrupts the flow with extended soapbox moments, where he dives into weighty topics such as the insidious nature of media and technology, rape culture, systemic abuses of power, and societal inequities. While these themes are relevant and important, at times the presentation felt heavy-handed, and I felt as though I was being taught a lesson rather than swept up in the suspenseful twists and turns of the plot.

Despite the flaws, Two Nights In Lisbon is a solid and thoroughly intriguing thriller and absolutely worth reading. The short scenes and chapters create a fast-paced rhythm, and Pavone’s skill in sustaining tension and momentum keeps the story engaging from start to finish. I’m eager to dive into more of his work!

My recommendation: read it!