On The Lisbon Disaster

In a thrilling e-exclusive short story, New York Times bestselling espionage master Olen Steinhauer introduces the enigmatic John Calhoun, an international security contractor who plays a prominent role in Steinhauer's latest novel, The Cairo Affair.



Before his assignment to the CIA's Cairo office, John worked in Lisbon, Portugal, where he took part in an extraordinary rendition - the apprehension of a wanted individual for interrogation. But from the beginning of the operation nothing goes as planned, and for John, it soon becomes much more than a career-defining moment; how he handles this crisis will define who he is as a person.



Olen Steinhauer was born in America and has lived in Croatia, the Czech Republic and Italy. He has now settled in Hungary with his wife and daughter. His first book, The Bridge of Sighs, was nominated for five major thriller awards.



The kind of thing le Carré might have written if he knew then what we know now



The best spy novel I've read that wasn't written by John le Carré



Steinhauer does for Chino-American espionage exactly what John le Carré did for the Cold War, which gives his thriller a unique insight into this treacherous half-lit world in the 21st century



Stunning... Steinhauer is at the top of his game - but when isn't he?