The Travelers by Chris Pavone

Will Rhodes is an up and coming journalist in a dying business.  He works for Travelers, a travel magazine and globe trots to exotic and luxurious places to absorb the atmosphere -- food, wine, and culture -- to tempt American upscale tourists into a visit.  When traveling abroad, Will is often asked by is boss, Malcolm Sommers to deliver a personal and confidential envelop to the head of their agency branch in the foreign city.  

Will is happily married to another journalist, Chole who had also worked for Travelers but moved on to freelance work to diversify their professional financial exposure, a major concern for the newly married couple.  Will’s frequent travel quickly grows routine and tiresome and is taking a toll on his marriage when he meets a beautiful blond CIA operative, posing as a journalist.  Elle tempts Will with sex and money and ultimately recruits him as a spy against his employer.  Elle asks Will to spy on everyone he trusts in exchange for ten thousand dollars a month and a threat of blackmail.  His life will never be the same.

The more Will learns about Malcolm, his coworkers and his wife, the more confused he becomes.  Is anyone who they say they are?  Are they all working for the CIA, some rogue branch of the CIA, or some other foreign government or private entity?  Who does Elle really work for?  After a couple close calls, Will decides he can no longer live like this.  He must find out who is who and what is what, even if it kills him.

This is my third Chris Pavone novel and by far his most enjoyable.  It’s easy to empathize with the protagonist, Will Rhodes because he didn’t ask to be placed in this precarious situation.  He just happened into a spy ring… wrong place, wrong time.  Now comes the adventure for the reader and the challenge for Will, figuring out the true motives of all the people closest to him and why they picked him to be a part of it.  Pavone is getting better and better and I understand Dream Works agrees as they have acquired the film rights to The Traveler.  Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.