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Review
Praise for ‘The Vienna Assignment’:
‘Fascinating…clever… a beautifully written spy thriller.’ Guardian
‘Well researched…Steinhauer vividly captures the atmospher and mood of the time with credible characters and impressive detail.’ Sunday Telegraph
‘Highly recommended.’ Irish Times
‘Steinhauer shows himself to be a master of plotting…he doesn’t put a foot wrong…exquisitely written, full of well-drawn characters.’ Irish Examiner
Praise for Olen Steinhauer:
'A powerful, thought-provoking literary thriller in the mould of Philip Kerr's Berlin Noir trilogy.' Daily Telegraph
‘Steinhauer is a welcome addition to the wartime ground mapped out by Philip Kerr and Alan Furst.’ Guardian
‘Stunning and unique.’ LA Times
‘Grips from beginning to end.’ Sunday Telegraph
‘Steinhauer takes his familiar material and brilliantly infuses it with noirish twists and dark psychology… utterly compelling.’ Time Out
‘Think of the suspenseful erudition of Alan Furst's thrillers, especially the earlier ones such as ‘The Polish Officer’ and Philip Kerr's eye-opening 'Berlin Noir' trilogy… Steinhauer's debut – the start of a promised series – is right up there on those stellar heights, casting new light on relatively recent history we thought we already knew everything about.’ Chicago Tribune
Sunday Telegraph
'Well-researched Cold War thriller... vividly captures the atmosphere and the mood of the time, with credible characters and impressive detail’
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A great read - I think Steinhauer is upping his game immensely. I enjoyed 'Bridge of Sighs' (and would still like more of Emil Brod and the immediate postwar backdrop!), wasn't fully taken by 'The Confession', but his latest shows a thriller master in the making. I'm sure writers hate comparisons, but Steinhauer's spare, cool writing reminds me of Alan Furst, although with an enjoyably bleaker mood - suiting the unnamed 1960s Soviet Bloc setting.
I do like a crime or thriller with a 'new' surrounding, and Steinhauer is mining a rich seam with his take on espionage-flavoured crime behind - or across - the Iron Curtain, like a Soviet mirror image Len Deighton or early Le Carre. (Or should that be 'wilderness of mirrors' image?) And you don't at any time feel any mis-steps: the handling of the characters is very assured, as is the building of tension, the plot twists - although some you might see rather than later - and the grubby atmosphere of compromised loyalties, justifiable paranoia, and empty slogans. I look forward to the next one from Steinhauer.
I do like a crime or thriller with a 'new' surrounding, and Steinhauer is mining a rich seam with his take on espionage-flavoured crime behind - or across - the Iron Curtain, like a Soviet mirror image Len Deighton or early Le Carre. (Or should that be 'wilderness of mirrors' image?) And you don't at any time feel any mis-steps: the handling of the characters is very assured, as is the building of tension, the plot twists - although some you might see rather than later - and the grubby atmosphere of compromised loyalties, justifiable paranoia, and empty slogans. I look forward to the next one from Steinhauer.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
My reading habits have been along the lines of Philip Kerr - Alan Furst - David Downing - Marek Krajewski - Olen Steinhauer.
I've only docked this book a point because I have an issue with the lack of a real country setting rather than the generic Eastern Bloc state Mr Steinhauer has created. The gripping and rich narrative however is not compromised by this unique take on story telling and to be quite honest it has started to grow on me as I now embark on my 4th book of his which started with 'Bridge of Sighs'. I look forward to reading his entire catalogue!
I've only docked this book a point because I have an issue with the lack of a real country setting rather than the generic Eastern Bloc state Mr Steinhauer has created. The gripping and rich narrative however is not compromised by this unique take on story telling and to be quite honest it has started to grow on me as I now embark on my 4th book of his which started with 'Bridge of Sighs'. I look forward to reading his entire catalogue!
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I wasn't around for the Cold War, but I do like to read about it. This was a time when spies often knew who each other where, but lived within a set of unwritten rules. The Western spy network is well covered in fiction, but the East still remains more of a mystery to me. Olen Steinhauer tackles this in `The Vienna Assignment' which focuses on an Eastern agent and his entanglement in loyalty, betrayal and murder. The harsh reality of life in the East during the 60s are shown well and suggests that Steinhauer researched the period. I liked the way that an agent could be captured and tortured only for them to come out and forgive the torturer as it was part of the job.
As a spy novel `Vienna' hits all the right notes. Steinhauer paints a provocative picture of post war Europe; lead Brano Sev is a good character as he is moody and grim, but also loyal and determined. The fact that the book flings him from place to place never allowing Sev to trust anyone makes it classic noir. However, like with a lot of noir the book gets confused by its own twists and turns. The entire plot needs to be explained by a character towards the end as it is so confusing, I much prefer to understand the plot whilst reading it. Steinhauer's portrayal of the post Stalinist spy network is enough to make the book worth reading; it is a shame that it becomes too complex towards the end.
As a spy novel `Vienna' hits all the right notes. Steinhauer paints a provocative picture of post war Europe; lead Brano Sev is a good character as he is moody and grim, but also loyal and determined. The fact that the book flings him from place to place never allowing Sev to trust anyone makes it classic noir. However, like with a lot of noir the book gets confused by its own twists and turns. The entire plot needs to be explained by a character towards the end as it is so confusing, I much prefer to understand the plot whilst reading it. Steinhauer's portrayal of the post Stalinist spy network is enough to make the book worth reading; it is a shame that it becomes too complex towards the end.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
well constructed set of mind games
One ingredient of a good spy thriller is a sense of mystery, with the reader and the main protagonist not really sure quite what is happening. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Rob Kitchin
Overly murky - 3+
I'm a fan of Olen Steinhauer but this isn't my favorite of his books. It's certainly got an intricate and original plot which laid out from the perspective of a circa-1966 East... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Blue in Washington
An interesting and atmospheric Cold War thriller
I liked this book and - albeit with some reservations - would recommend it to anyone who wants to steep themselves in the treacherous world of Cold War espionage and... Read more
Published 6 months ago by R. Brewer
A beautifully written spy thriller
For my money, The Viennna Assignment (or 36 Yalta Boulevard in the US) has got to be up there with Graham Greene, Eric Ambler or John Le Carre. I really think it is that good. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Tim62
Solid Steinhauer effort
A solid Steinhauer book, not his best, by a long stretch, but an interesting read. Fabulous characterisation of the character Dijana here; would love to see a screen rendition,... Read more
Published on 22 April 2010 by J. Byrne
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