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Olen Steinhauer

オレン・スタインハウアー

Olen Steinhauer

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1970-06-21 （Baltimore, Maryland, United States）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Born in Baltimore, Maryland; raised in Virginia → Lived in various European countries (Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Italy, etc.) → Resident of Budapest, Hungary (with family)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Writer
Active Years
2003-

Education

Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
Country: United States
University of Texas at Austin
Country: United States
Emerson College (MFA in Creative Writing)
Creative Writing
Degree: MFA
Country: United States
Received an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in creative writing

Awards

Edgar Award — Best Novel (nomination)
Work: Liberation Movements
Organization: Mystery Writers of America
Result: nominated

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Bridge of Sighs

2003 Crime novel / Mystery

Set in a fictional Eastern European country, a police-centered chronicle spanning the communist era to its collapse; the first volume of a five-part series.

Cold Warpower and corruptionmemory and atonement

The Confession

2004 Crime novel / Mystery

Second book in the Eastern European police series, following internal police investigations amid national upheaval.

state vs. individualcorruption

36 Yalta Boulevard

2005 Crime novel / Mystery

Third volume of the Eastern European police series, depicting late-regime and transition chaos.

regime collapsesocial hollowing

Liberation Movements

2006 Crime novel / Historical fiction

Fourth book in the Eastern European series focusing on societal change and individual choices.

democratizationindividual vs state

Victory Square

2007 Crime novel / Historical novel

The concluding volume (2007) of the Eastern European police series, providing a summative ending.

coming to terms with the pasthistorical reckoning

The Tourist

2009 Spy novel / Thriller

A spy novel set against the CIA, following Milo Weaver and exploring the shadows and ethics of modern intelligence; a bestseller.

espionagemoral ambiguityloyalty and betrayal
Adaptations
  • [Film (optioned/planned)] The Tourist (film project)
Translations
  • The Tourist

The Nearest Exit

2010 Spy novel / Thriller

Sequel to The Tourist, continuing the story of Milo Weaver.

consequences of espionagepersonal cost

An American Spy

2012 Spy novel

The third book in the Milo Weaver trilogy, addressing American intelligence operations and the protagonist's fate.

national securityloyalty and betrayal

Bibliography

  • The Bridge of Sighs (2003)
  • The Confession (2004)
  • 36 Yalta Boulevard (2005)
  • Liberation Movements (2006)
  • Victory Square (2007)
  • The Tourist (2009)
  • The Nearest Exit (2010)
  • An American Spy (2012)

Adaptations

  • Film project optioned for The Tourist (Smoke House Films / George Clooney)

Translations of Works

  • Japanese translations of The Bridge of Sighs and The Confession by Hiroki Murakami (Bunshun Bunko), and other translations of his works

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyrical yet unsparing proseblend of spy-thriller tension with psychological depth
Recurring Motifs
post-Cold War paranoiastate vs individualmemory and betrayal

Legacy

A novelist known for an Eastern European police series and later CIA-themed spy novels; recognized for his depiction of modern espionage and post-Cold War worlds.

In Popular Culture

  • The Tourist was optioned for film adaptation, attracting Hollywood interest.

Trivia

  • Received a Fulbright grant and lived in Romania during a period of political change.
  • The Tourist (2009) became a bestseller and was optioned for a film.
  • Has lived in Budapest, Hungary with his wife and daughter.