The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer (unabridged) was produced by Blackstone Audio and comes with what is perhaps the best audiobook app available (see below for features list).

“There are tourists from all over the world. Most of them want to kill you.”
—The Black Book of Tourism

In the vein of John le Carré and Graham Greene, this contemporary international thriller follows Milo Weaver as he is drawn into a conspiracy that links riots in the Sudan, an assassin committing suicide, and an old friend who’s been accused of selling secrets to the Chinese. Once the CIA and Homeland Security are after him, the only way for him to survive is to return, headfirst, into “Tourism.”

Self-contained, this audiobook app is perfect for your commute, on a trip, or while relaxing. Based on a library-quality recording, this app was built especially for your iPhone and iPod Touch. No unreadable text, no endless scrolling. The audio is of higher-than-normal quality, making for a great listening experience that will not tire your ears or grate on your nerves.

NOTICE: This app includes the same 5-star recording that is available through other retailers at higher prices. It is unabridged and professionally recorded at Blackstone Audio by Simon Vance, who is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie® Award in 2006. You are not buying yet another amateur or volunteer narration. No clicks, background noises, throat clearing, mispronunciations, tinny voices or monotones will be found here.

“Narrator Tom Weiner gives Milo the gravitas of a man disillusioned by an amoral world. Milo faces danger, deception, and death at every turn, and Weiner makes it plausible….As well as handling Steinhauer's mind-boggling pacing and serpentine plotting, Weiner turns secondary characters into individuals….A super spy thriller.” —AudioFile


• EXPERIENCE. About 12 hours of narration. Created as a Folium enhancedAudio™ edition, this book includes extra functions and features not found on lesser players.

• PLAYER CONTROLS. Includes listen (play), pause, multi-speed fast forward/reverse, jump ahead/back, chapter skip, volume control, one-touch chapter- and bookmark browser. There is also a “scrub” bar that finds any point inside the chapter with just a tap.

• SLEEP TIMER. Have you ever fallen asleep watching TV or listening to a book? If so, you'll love this feature. Once set, the book will stop, place a bookmark, and allow you to jump back to where you probably began dozing.

• CLEAR & ELEGANT DESIGN. Simple, clean, intuitive, and smarter than average.

• CHAPTER TIMINGS. Always know how much time it will take to finish a chapter. Plus, the progress bar at the top of the screen shows how far into the book you’ve come.

• OFFLINE LISTENING. You are airplane-ready! Once downloaded, listen uninterrupted without threat from a lost network connection. Downloads are usually just 5-10 minutes, but depend upon your network speed.

• AUTO-BOOKMARKING. The player remembers where you stopped listening and returns to that exact spot when you open the book again.


RATING: 9+ For action, suspense, and some violence.