International thriller set in LISBON

24th May 2022

Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone, international thriller set in Lisbon.

Chris Pavone sets a good story in – usually – a strong setting. This time has chosen Lisbon and he captures the vibe of the city well, you can feel you are in this buzzing city in Europe, with flair and atmosphere. This novel is clearly, therefore, a good choice if you want to get in the mood for a visit (either actual or armchair) or are looking for a book to take on your travels to Lisbon.

Ariel Pryce wakes up in her hotel room, first thing on “Day 1” of the narrative and finds her husband seems to be missing. Perhaps he has gone out for a walk (jet lag can really mess with your sleeping habits) but she is soon clear that something is very wrong. She is up and out, trying the local police and even the Embassy to get someone to help and then a burner phone is delivered into her hand.

Ariel is married to a man who is somewhat younger than her and they have not really known each other for any real length of time. So when questions are posed about her knowledge of him, his job, his habits, she is a little hazy. For sure, he is in the city on business, but the exact nature of his undertaking is shrouded. All she knows is that a dinner is due to take place the next evening, on “Day 2” of her ordeal – that seems to be the sum total of her knowledge of this trip.

There are flashbacks to her life that fulfil the need to know more about her as a person. The chapters are fairly short and cracking. The story is divided into sections that presage the next part of the plot.

This substantive novel moves along at a pacy speed as time ticks by and the pressure ramps up. Is anyone who they seem to be? There are twists and turns aplenty. It maybe could have been a little more compact, as there is quite a lot of infill but, if you are looking for a cracking read, set in Lisbon, then this is certainly one for you.

The hardback edition has a pleasingly textured fly leaf.

Tina for the TripFiction Team

Join Team TripFiction on Social Media:

Twitter (@TripFiction), Facebook (@TripFiction.Literarywanderlust), YouTube (TripFiction #Literarywanderlust), Instagram (@TripFiction) and Pinterest (@TripFiction)

Subscribe to future blog posts