A significant part of the emotional tension in The Expats revolves around Kate Moore’s retirement from a career in espionage. When the novel begins, Kate is in her late thirties and is presented with the chance to retire early after her husband, Dexter, is offered a lucrative new job in Luxembourg. Dexter pitches the opportunity as one that will enable them to live in comfort and luxury while traveling across Europe. This aligns with Kate’s desire to pivot more of her focus away from work to her family, which began after a failed Mexican politician named Eduardo Torres threatened Kate and her newborn son, Jake. Even though Kate killed Torres and his wife in response to the threat, she comes to realize that as long as she works in espionage, she cannot guarantee the absolute safety of her family.

Settling into her early retirement in Luxembourg, Kate is no more satisfied with her life than she was at work. Her days are often spent away from Dexter, who devotes most of his time to his extremely secretive job. There is also nothing compelling about the time she spends looking after her children: She takes them to school, waits until school is over, and then picks them up.