Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Cairo Affair | 2014 | Olen Steinhauer | Buy |
| 2 | All the Old Knives | 2015 | Olen Steinhauer | Buy |
Olen Steinhauer’s standalone novels include two of his most acclaimed works. The Cairo Affair (2014) is set against the backdrop of the Arab Spring and follows an American diplomat’s wife whose life unravels after her husband is murdered. All the Old Knives (2015) takes place over a single dinner between two former CIA operatives who may have been responsible for a catastrophic intelligence failure.
Both novels display Steinhauer’s gift for building suspense through conversation, shifting perspectives, and moral ambiguity. All the Old Knives was adapted into a 2022 film, introducing Steinhauer’s work to a wider audience.