BASIC INFORMATION
Title: The Paris Diversion (Kate Moore series #2)
Author: Chris Pavone
Genre: Thriller
Publication Date: May 2019
ISBN: 1524761508
Number of Pages: 384
Geographical Setting: Paris, France
Time Period: Present (12 hr. timeframe)
SUMMARY:
The Paris Diversion is the second book in a series that follow ex-CIA Agent Kate Moore and her husband, Dexter through their lives as expats. In this book, they are living a seemingly normal life in Paris: taking their children to school, meeting for breakfast, and planning a fancy dinner party. However, both Kate and Dexter are hiding secrets from one another. Kate is running an off-the-grid intelligence substation in Paris that even the heads of the CIA are unaware of and Dexter is making secret investments with a company called 4Sytes, following insider trading information from colleagues.
Their secrets collide when a man enters the courtyard of the Louvre with a suicide vest and a metal suitcase radiating nuclear particles, bomb threats are called in around the world, and the owner/CEO of 4Sytes is missing. When evidence points to Dexter as the mastermind behind the chaos, Kate must investigate to find out who is really behind the madness. But when those responsible turn out to be enemies from the past, Kate must work to clear Dexter's name and stop them from continuing with their plans. All while deciding if she wants to continue the way she lives her life, or if different choices could redeem the lives lost and save those in the future.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THRILLERS:
Intricate Plot: A defining characteristic of thrillers is the use of an intricate plot with many twists and turns. The Paris Diversion definitely had unexpected and perilous events, and an ending twist that the reader will not see coming. It also includes political elements and hot topic issues.
Characterization: Wyatt & Saricks (2019) write that in thrillers "protagonists are usually strong, sympathetic characters whether heroes or antiheroes (p. 13)." Kate Moore is a complex character with conflicting motivations and desires. Her internal struggle allows readers to sympathize with her actions and makes her more believable. She is also an expert in her field, which increases the authenticity of her character.
Tone: The tone is menacing, dark, and violent because it provokes a sense of dread and fear, which is consistent within the thriller genre.
READ-ALIKES:
Fiction:
* Conviction- Denise Mina
* Black Fridays- Michael Sears
* A Foreign Country- Charles Cumming
Nonfiction:
* Broker, Trader, Lawyer, Spy- Eamon Javers
* Fair Game- Valerie Plame Wilson
* Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy- Karen Abbott
BLOGGER REVIEW:
To be honest, when I checked out this book on my local library's OverDrive acount, it did not indicate that this was the second book in the series. However, I didn't feel like I needed to read the first to keep up with the plot of the story. The author does a great job of filling in the blanks on information from the first novel. It did take me a while to get into this book, but about halfway through, I couldn't put it down! The author alternates point of view on each chapter, showing the days events from the perspective of different characters so the reader can see all sides of the events. This is why it made the main character, Kate, so complex. Since I had an understanding of all the emotions/experiences involved, it made it hard at times to root for Kate to succeed. Overall, I felt that this book was eventually compelling, fast-paced, and intriguing, once you get past the first part. I think it would be a hard novel for thriller first timers to enjoy, but experienced thriller fans would really like it!
RESOURCES:
Wyatt, N. & Saricks, J. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.
Publication Date: May 2019
ISBN: 1524761508
Number of Pages: 384
Geographical Setting: Paris, France
Time Period: Present (12 hr. timeframe)
SUMMARY:
The Paris Diversion is the second book in a series that follow ex-CIA Agent Kate Moore and her husband, Dexter through their lives as expats. In this book, they are living a seemingly normal life in Paris: taking their children to school, meeting for breakfast, and planning a fancy dinner party. However, both Kate and Dexter are hiding secrets from one another. Kate is running an off-the-grid intelligence substation in Paris that even the heads of the CIA are unaware of and Dexter is making secret investments with a company called 4Sytes, following insider trading information from colleagues.
Their secrets collide when a man enters the courtyard of the Louvre with a suicide vest and a metal suitcase radiating nuclear particles, bomb threats are called in around the world, and the owner/CEO of 4Sytes is missing. When evidence points to Dexter as the mastermind behind the chaos, Kate must investigate to find out who is really behind the madness. But when those responsible turn out to be enemies from the past, Kate must work to clear Dexter's name and stop them from continuing with their plans. All while deciding if she wants to continue the way she lives her life, or if different choices could redeem the lives lost and save those in the future.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THRILLERS:
Intricate Plot: A defining characteristic of thrillers is the use of an intricate plot with many twists and turns. The Paris Diversion definitely had unexpected and perilous events, and an ending twist that the reader will not see coming. It also includes political elements and hot topic issues.
Characterization: Wyatt & Saricks (2019) write that in thrillers "protagonists are usually strong, sympathetic characters whether heroes or antiheroes (p. 13)." Kate Moore is a complex character with conflicting motivations and desires. Her internal struggle allows readers to sympathize with her actions and makes her more believable. She is also an expert in her field, which increases the authenticity of her character.
Tone: The tone is menacing, dark, and violent because it provokes a sense of dread and fear, which is consistent within the thriller genre.
READ-ALIKES:
Fiction:
* Conviction- Denise Mina
* Black Fridays- Michael Sears
* A Foreign Country- Charles Cumming
Nonfiction:
* Broker, Trader, Lawyer, Spy- Eamon Javers
* Fair Game- Valerie Plame Wilson
* Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy- Karen Abbott
BLOGGER REVIEW:
To be honest, when I checked out this book on my local library's OverDrive acount, it did not indicate that this was the second book in the series. However, I didn't feel like I needed to read the first to keep up with the plot of the story. The author does a great job of filling in the blanks on information from the first novel. It did take me a while to get into this book, but about halfway through, I couldn't put it down! The author alternates point of view on each chapter, showing the days events from the perspective of different characters so the reader can see all sides of the events. This is why it made the main character, Kate, so complex. Since I had an understanding of all the emotions/experiences involved, it made it hard at times to root for Kate to succeed. Overall, I felt that this book was eventually compelling, fast-paced, and intriguing, once you get past the first part. I think it would be a hard novel for thriller first timers to enjoy, but experienced thriller fans would really like it!
RESOURCES:
Wyatt, N. & Saricks, J. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.
It's so awesome that you added a personal review- that's such a great idea! I think the fact that it's part of a series but can still be read as a standalone might also be a characteristic of a thriller (although it's not unique to thrillers). Your readalikes look really good- I wish we could add other media as a supplement, because your synopsis made it sound like a lot of movies and TV shows too (especially 24).
ReplyDeleteHi Susan,
DeleteTo be honest, I added the personal review because I wanted to have a way to explain why I read the second book in a series instead of the first, but I really liked it so I think I will try to add that in the rest of my annotations!
This a great annotation! It really helped me understand what the book was about. I specifically like that the way you wrote it was thrilling and suspenseful. It really portrays the book well.
ReplyDeleteI also liked that you pointed out you did not know this was the second book in a series. When I first noticed how you put it was #2 I wondered why you picked it. I thought you had read the first and were just going through the series. It is good that even though it was the second book you could get through it without reading the first.
Rachel,
DeleteIt was a complete accident that I read the second book without the first, but I was about 80% of the way through the book before I even realized it, so it really didn't affect me too much.
I have also accidentally checked out books in the wrong order, which is always so annoying! I'm glad that the author did a good job filling in gaps. I wish more authors were that way not because I read series out of order often, but because there is usually a gap in between the books that I read and I don't 100% percent remember what happened in the previous story. This book sounds very interesting, I had not heard of it but I also am not familiar with this genre. Until reading chapter one of our textbook I didn't realize that a characteristic of this genre is a narrow time frame, and that it is common to find specific dates/time as chapter headers. Did this book have that?
ReplyDeleteEmily,
DeleteThis book definitely had a narrow time frame (12 hours total) and each chapter showed the time of the day, which was really helpful because it changed perspectives a lot so I was able to see that this chapter was happening at the same time as the last chapter, but across the city so I was able to get a better overall view of the whole situation.
Shelby, I like that you included nonfiction readalikes as well as fiction. And, I'm glad I'm not the only one who added a personal review at the end of my annotation! I know the point of an annotation is to figure out how to recommend books, not dissuade people from reading books, but I just couldn't resist. I think it's the mark of a good series that allows you to pick up the books out of order and still get a good sense of what's going on in the character's arc. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteFantastic annotation! I had never heard of this book before but you really sold me with your summary! Full points! Great job outlining the characteristics and including your personal review. I loved it!
ReplyDelete