The Paris Diversion

1.
 
Paris. 8:44 a.m.
 
A siren wails, far away.

Kate Moore is lingering in front of school, her daily dose of sidewalk-swimming in a sea of expat moms, gossip and chitchat and a dizzying ping-pong of cheek kisses, usually planted on both sides of the face but sometimes three pecks, or for some lunatics four separate kisses.

It s an international school. All the parents are transplants from dozens of different countries, with different ideas about what constitutes the proper sequence. It s an etiquette minefield, is what it is. And etiquette has never been Kate s forte.

She cocks her head, trying to discern if the siren is approaching or receding, an instinctual habit a professional obligation of assessing potential levels of danger. Here in Paris, at this hour, sirens are unusual. This city is less noisy than other global capitals, London or New York, Mumbai or Hong Kong. And much less than where Kate lived before here: Luxembourg, perhaps the least noisy capital in the world; and Washington, which doesn t even make the cut of the twenty most populous US cities.

But Kate has traveled plenty. For her job, dispatching her to far-flung destinations in Latin America and Europe. And for the past few years for adventure, driving around the Continent in their aging station wagon, with their EU driver s licenses and bilingual kids.

Other metropoli have all seemed like more aggressive aural assaults than Paris, with more insistent car horns honked more frequently, more idling trucks and unmufflered motorcycles, jackhammers and pile drivers and bass-heavy music blaring from souped-up sound systems, fire trucks and ambulances and police cars in hot pursuit, the unmistakable urban sounds of urgency, emergency.

It s in the mornings when Paris feels especially hushed, and in particular this slice of the septième, sleepy cafés on the quiet corners of narrow streets, well-dressed women depositing well-groomed kids at the towering

Chris Pavone is the New York Times bestselling author of The Expats, winner of the Edgar and Anthony awards for best first novel, The Accident, The Travelers, and most recently The Paris Diversion. He was a book editor for nearly two decades, and lives in New York City with his family.

Chris Pavone's The Paris Diversion is the best espionage novel I've read this year.  Smart, sophisticated and suspenseful, this is Pavone's finest novel to date and that's saying something. Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fool Me Once

I nominate Kate Moore, the protagonist of Chris Pavone s sizzling new thriller The Paris Diversion, for patron saint of working wives and mothers everywhere. Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

I tore through The Paris Diversion, completely caught up in the thrilling story of one remarkable day in Paris. With its twisting, high-stakes plot, all-too-human characters, and unrelenting tension, I couldn t read it fast enough! I absolutely loved it highly recommended! Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

A fast-paced and heartfelt thriller set in the world of espionage and terrorism that echoes the best of John le Carré. Associated Press
 
Pavone s timely new thriller spins through 12 hours and multiple voices to a startling conclusion. BBC Culture 

Thriller writing at its absolute best. With echoes of Graham Greene and John le Carré, Pavone s novel accomplishes that rare feat of being both a nonstop adventure ride and a smart, stylish and compelling meditation on family, courage, responsibilities, and the relationships we create, for good and bad, throughout our lives. The Paris Diversion does far more than divert; it grips us from the very beginning and doesn t let go. Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author of The Cutting Edge

[A] fast-paced thriller . . . shelve alongside le Carré, Forsyth, and other masters of foreign intrigue. Kirkus Reviews

As full of fast-paced twists and turns as a great car chase, you will race through Chris Pavone s new book. This is a thrilling story of international