The Secret Servant (Gabriel Allon) - Silva, Daniel Review & Synopsis

Synopsis In London, a young woman vanishes...She is the daughter of the American Ambassador - and goddaughter of the President of the United States - and the kidnappers' demands are at once horrifically clear and clearly impossible to meet. The President turns to Gabriel Allon, spy turned art-restorer, a man whose abilities he has depended on before...Meanwhile, Allon had been in Amsterdam, hunting down those responsible for the brutal murder of a leading terrorism analyst. The dead man had gotten too close to uncovering the plans of a major terrorist operation - a new threat which no-one could have predicted. Allon soon finds himself in a desperate search for the missing woman, and those responsible - but the truth, when he finds it, is not what he expects. In fact, it is one that will shake him, and many others, to the core. Review Product Description A terrorist plot in London leads Israeli spy Gabriel Allon on a desperate search for a kidnapped woman, in a race against time that will compromise Allon's own conscience-and life... Amazon Exclusive Essay: Daniel Silva on Gabriel Allon and the "Accidental Series" Writers tend to be solitary creatures. We toil alone for months on end, then, once a year, we emerge from our dens to publish a book. It can be a daunting experience, especially for someone like me, who is not gregarious and outgoing by nature. But there is one aspect of promotion I truly love: meeting my readers and answering their questions. During each stop on my book tour, I reserve the bulk of my time for a lively conversation with the audience. I learn much from these encounters-indeed, some of the comments are so insightful they take my breath away. There is one question I am asked each night without fail, and it remains my favorite: "How in the world did you ever think of Gabriel Allon?" The answer is complicated. In one sense, he was the result of a long, character-construction process. In another, he was a bolt from the blue. I'll try to explain. In 1999, after publishing The Marching Season, the second book in the Michael Osbourne series, I decided it was time for a change. We were nearing the end of the Clinton administration, and the president was about to embark on a last-ditch effort to bring peace to the Middle East. I had the broad outlines of a story in mind: a retired Israeli assassin is summoned from retirement to track down a Palestinian terrorist bent on destroying the Oslo peace process. I thought long and hard before giving the Israeli a name. I wanted it to be biblical, like my own, and to be heavy with symbolism. I finally decided to name him after the archangel Gabriel. As for his family name, I chose something short and simple: Allon, which means "oak tree" in Hebrew. I liked the image it conveyed. Gabriel Allon: God's angel of vengeance, solid as an oak. Gabriel's professional r�sum�-the operations he had carried out-came quickly. But what about his other side? What did he like to do in his spare time? What was his cover? I knew I wanted something distinct. Something memorable. Something that would, in many respects, be the dominant attribute of his character. I spent many frustrating days mulling over and rejecting possibilities. Then, while walking along one of Georgetown's famous redbrick sidewalks, my wife, Jamie, reminded me that we had a dinner date that evening at the home of David Bull, a man regarded as one of the finest art restorers in the world. I stopped dead in my tracks and raised my hands toward the heavens. Gabriel Allon was complete. He was going to be an art restorer, and a very good one at that. Over my objections, the book was entitled The Kill Artist and it would go on to become a New York Times bestseller. It was not, however, supposed to be the first book in a long-running series. But once again, fate intervened. In 2000, after moving to G.P. Putnam & Sons, my new publishers asked me what I was working on. When I mumbled something about having whittled it down to two or three options, they offered their first piece of advice. They really didn't care what it was about, they just wanted one thing: Gabriel Allon. I then spent the next several minutes listing all the reasons why Gabriel, now regarded as one of the most compelling and successful continuing characters in the mystery-thriller genre, should never appear in a second book. I had conceived him as a "one off" character, meaning he would be featured in one story and then ride into the sunset. I also thought he was too melancholy and withdrawn to build a series around, and, at nearly fifty years of age, perhaps a bit too old as well. My biggest concern, however, had to do with his nationality and religion. I thought there was far too much opposition to Israel in the world-and far too much raw anti-Semitism-for an Israeli continuing character ever to be successful in the long term. My new publishers thought otherwise, and told me so. Because Gabriel lived in Europe and could pass as German or Italian, they believed he came across as more "international" than Israeli. But what they really liked was Gabriel's other job: art restoration. They found the two opposing sides of his character-destroyer and healer-fascinating. What's more, they believed he would stand alone on the literary landscape. There were lots of CIA officers running around saving the world, they argued, but no former Israeli assassins who spent their spare time restoring Bellini altarpieces. The more they talked, the more I could see their point. I told them I had an idea for a story involving Nazi art looting during the Second World War and the scandalous activities of Swiss banks. "Write it with Gabriel Allon," they said, "and we promise it will be your biggest-selling book yet." Eventually, the book would be called The English Assassin, and, just as Putnam predicted, it sold twice as many copies as its predecessor. Oddly enough, when it came time to write the next book, I still wasn't convinced it should be another Gabriel novel. Though it seems difficult to imagine now, I actually conceived the plot of The Confessor without him in mind. Fortunately, my editor, Neil Nyren, saved me from myself. The book landed at #5 on the New York Times bestseller list and received some of the warmest reviews of my career. After that, a series was truly born. I am often asked whether it is necessary to read the novels in sequence. The answer is no, but it probably doesn't hurt, either. For the record, the order of publication is The Kill Artist, The English Assassin, The Confessor, A Death in Vienna, Prince of Fire, The Messenger, The Secret Servant, and Moscow Rules, my first #1 New York Times bestseller. The Defector pits Gabriel in a final, dramatic confrontation with the Russian oligarch and arms dealer Ivan Kharkov, and I have been told it far surpasses anything that has come before it in the series. And to think that, if I'd had my way, only one Gabriel Allon book would have been written. I remain convinced, however, that had I set out in the beginning to create him as a continuing character, I would surely have failed. I have always believed in the power of serendipity. Art, like life, rarely goes according to plan. Gabriel Allon is proof of that. A terrorist plot in London leads Israeli spy Gabriel Allon on a desperate search for a kidnapped woman in this thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva. While in Amsterdam, Israeli intelligence officer and master art restorer Gabriel Allon discovers a plot that is about to explode in the middle of London. The daughter of the American ambassador is to be brutally kidnapped. But Gabriel arrives too late to save her. And when he reveals his face to the plot's masterminds, his fate is sealed as well. Drawn once more into the service of American intelligence, Gabriel desperately searches for the missing woman as the clock ticks steadily toward the hour of her execution. The search will thrust him into an unlikely alliance with a man who has lost everything because of his devotion to Islam. It will cause him to question the morality of the tactics of his trade. And it might very well cost him his life... A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year The Secret Servant In the aftermath of an Amsterdam-based terrorism analyst's murder by a Muslim immigrant, Gabriel Allon investigates clues pertaining to the victim, in a case with ties to a secret terrorist organization and the abduction of an ambassador's daughter. In the aftermath of an Amsterdam-based terrorism analyst's murder by a Muslim immigrant, Gabriel Allon investigates clues pertaining to the victim, in a case with ties to a secret terrorist organization and the abduction of an ambassador's ..." The Messenger The Messenger is a fictional, spiritual story about a little boy who appears around the world after what is believed to be the 'End of Days', resulting from the greatest apocalyptic-like event since the biblical great flood. The boy, named Noah, shares his message of hope, unity and love, while insightfully revealing our purpose here on earth, what happens when we die, and the evolution of humanity both spiritually and physically as those left behind move forward from this disaster that eliminated over half the world's population. The Messenger is a fictional, spiritual story about a little boy who appears around the world after what is believed to be the 'End of Days', resulting from the greatest apocalyptic-like event since the biblical great flood." Daniel Silva Gabriel Allon Novels 5-8 Novels five through eight of the Gabriel Allon series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva. Prince of Fire Gabriel Allon is back in Venice, when a terrible explosion in Rome leads to a disturbing personal revelation: the existence of a dossier in terrorist hands that strips away his secrets and lays bare his history… The Messenger Gabriel Allon is about to face the greatest challenge of his life. An al-Qaeda suspect is killed in London, and photographs are found on his computer—photographs that lead Israeli intelligence to suspect that al-Qaeda is planning an attack aimed straight at the heart of the Vatican. The Secret Servant A terrorist plot in London leads Israeli spy Gabriel Allon on a desperate search for a kidnapped woman, in a race against time that will compromise Allon’s own conscience—and life... Moscow Rules The death of a journalist leads Israeli spy Gabriel Allon to Russia, where he finds that, in terms of spycraft, even he has something to learn if he wants to prevent a former KGB colonel from delivering Russia's most sophisticated weapons to al-Qaeda. Praise for the #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva and the Gabriel Allon series “Those in the know are calling him the new John Le Carré. Those who are reading him can't put him down."—Chicago Sun-Times "The enigmatic Gabriel Allon remains one of the most intriguing heroes of any thriller series."—The Philadelphia Inquirer "A writer who brings new life to the international thriller."—Newsday "Allon is Israel’s Jack Bauer…Thrill factor:*****."—USA Today "Nobody handles this kind of intrigue as well Silva. He gives Gabriel and the rest of his team the kind of depth seen only in spy novels by Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy."—Richmond Times Dispatch "A terrific thriller…one of the best-drawn fictional assassins since The Day of the Jackal."—The San Francisco Examiner “Silva builds tension with breathtaking double and triple turns of plot.”—People Novels five through eight of the Gabriel Allon series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva." Daniel Silva GABRIEL ALLON Novels 1-4 The first four Gabriel Allon novels from #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva. The Kill Artist Former Israeli intelligence operative Gabriel Allon is called back into action and teamed with an agent as beautiful as she is deadly. Their target: a cunning Palestinian terrorist who played a dark part in Gabriel’s past… The English Assassin Gabriel Allon arrives in Zurich to restore the work of an Old Master for a millionaire banker—and finds himself standing in blood and framed for the man’s murder. While trying to clear his name, Allon is swept into a spiraling chain of events involving Nazi art theft, a decades-old suicide, and a dark and bloody trail of killings—some of them his own… The Confessor In Munich, a Jewish scholar is assassinated—and Gabriel Allon must get to the bottom of a plot that reveals the truth about the Catholic church’s response to the Holocaust. Now, as Allon follows a trail of secrets and unthinkable deeds, the lives of millions will be changed forever—and one man will become expendable… A Death in Vienna Gabriel Allon is sent to Vienna to discover the truth behind a bombing that killed an old friend, but while there he encounters something that turns his world upside down. It is a face—a face that feels hauntingly familiar, a face that chills him to the bone. Praise for the #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva and the Gabriel Allon series “Those in the know are calling him the new John Le Carré. Those who are reading him can't put him down."—Chicago Sun-Times "The enigmatic Gabriel Allon remains one of the most intriguing heroes of any thriller series."—The Philadelphia Inquirer "A writer who brings new life to the international thriller."—Newsday "Allon is Israel’s Jack Bauer…Thrill factor:*****."—USA Today "Nobody handles this kind of intrigue as well Silva. He gives Gabriel and the rest of his team the kind of depth seen only in spy novels by Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy."—Richmond Times Dispatch "A terrific thriller…one of the best-drawn fictional assassins since The Day of the Jackal."—The San Francisco Examiner “Silva builds tension with breathtaking double and triple turns of plot.”—People Their target: a cunning Palestinian terrorist who played a dark part in Gabriel’s past… The English Assassin Gabriel Allon arrives in Zurich to restore the work of an Old Master for a millionaire banker—and finds himself standing in ..." The Defector In Moscow Rules Gabriel Allon went up against the sadisitc Ivan Kharkov. Now he must outsmart him once and for all in this #1 New York Times bestseller from Daniel Silva. Grigori Bulganov once saved Gabriel Allon's life in Moscow—and Allon always repays his debts. So when the former Russian intelligence officer vanishes, Allon gathers his team of operatives to go after those responsible. But, in a running battle that rages across the globe, Allon soon realizes that his enemy may already hold the key to victory. And that if he continues, it will cost him more than he can bear... In Moscow Rules Gabriel Allon went up against the sadisitc Ivan Kharkov. Now he must outsmart him once and for all in this #1 New York Times bestseller from Daniel Silva." The Kill Artist From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Other Woman comes the first novel in the thrilling series featuring legendary assassin Gabriel Allon. Immersed in the quiet, meticulous life of an art restorer, former Israeli intelligence operative Gabriel Allon keeps his past well behind him. But now he is being called back into the game—and teamed with an agent who hides behind her own mask...as a beautiful fashion model. Their target: a cunning terrorist on one last killing spree, a Palestinian zealot who played a dark part in Gabriel’s past. And what begins as a manhunt turns into a globe-spanning duel fueled by both political intrigue and deep personal passions... From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Other Woman comes the first novel in the thrilling series featuring legendary assassin Gabriel Allon." The Rembrandt Affair Gabriel Allon must travel the world to track down a painting worth killing for in this #1 New York Times bestseller. Having retreated to the windswept cliffs of Cornwall with his beautiful wife, Gabriel Allon's seclusion is interrupted by an eccentric London art dealer with a problem. An art restorer has been brutally murdered and a portrait by Rembrandt stolen—and only Gabriel can find it. But as he pursues the masterpiece across the globe, Gabriel discovers there are deadly secrets connected to the painting—and even deadlier men who will do anything to keep them. Gabriel Allon must travel the world to track down a painting worth killing for in this #1 New York Times bestseller." The English Assassin Israeli intelligence operative Gabriel Allon ("The Kill Artist") probes a murder in which he is implicated in the ingenious new espionage thriller by the bestselling author of "The Unlikely Spy." Israeli art restorer and occasional secret agent Gabriel Allon has a problem." Moscow Rules The death of a journalist leads Israeli spy Gabriel Allon to Russia, where he finds that, in terms of spycraft, even he has something to learn in this #1 New York Times bestseller. Moscow is no longer the gray, grim city of Soviet times. Now it is awash with oil wealth and choked with bulletproof Bentleys. But in the new Russia, power once again resides behind the walls of the Kremlin. Critics of the ruling class are ruthlessly silenced. And a new generation of Stalinists plots to reclaim an empire—and challenge the United States. One of those men is Ivan Kharkov, ex-KGB, who built a financial empire on the rubble of the Soviet Union. Part of his profit comes from arms dealing. And he is about to deliver Russia’s most sophisticated weapons to the United States’ most dangerous enemy, unless Israeli foreign intelligence agent Gabriel Allon can stop him. Slipping across borders from Vatican City to St. Petersburg, Jerusalem to Washington, DC, Allon is playing for time—and playing by Moscow rules. Slipping across borders from Vatican City to St. Petersburg, Jerusalem to Washington, DC, Allon is playing for time—and playing by Moscow rules." The Fallen Angel Art restorer, assassin, spy—Gabriel Allon returns in The Fallen Angel, another blockbuster espionage thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva. The acclaimed author of Portrait of a Spy, Silva (“a world class practitioner of spy fiction” —Washington Post) is an undisputed master of the genre who has brought “new life to the international thriller” (Newsday). A breathtaking adventure that races around the globe, The Fallen Angel begins in Rome, where Allon is called upon to investigate a murder at the Vatican, one with disastrous repercussions that could plunge the world into a conflict of apocalyptic proportions. If you haven’t yet been drawn into Daniel Silva’s thrilling universe of intrigue, danger, and exceptional spycraft, start here—and see why the Philadelphia Inqurer declares that, “The enigmatic Gabriel Allon remains one of the most intriguing heroes of any thriller series.” Art restorer, assassin, spy—Gabriel Allon returns in The Fallen Angel, another blockbuster espionage thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva." The Confessor From the bestselling author of "The Unlikely Spy" and "The Mark of the Assassin"--who "ranks among the best of the younger American spy novelists" ("The Washington Post")--comes a stunning, complex thriller of ancient and modern betrayal. From the bestselling author of "The Unlikely Spy" and "The Mark of the Assassin"--who "ranks among the best of the younger American spy novelists" ("The Washington Post")--comes a stunning, complex thriller of ancient and modern betrayal." Portrait of a Spy "Suspense writing at its best."—HUFFINGTON POST It was supposed to be the start of a pleasant weekend in London for master art restorer and spy Gabriel Allon and his wife, Chiara. But a deadly pair of bombings in Paris and Copenhagen has already marred this lovely autumn day. Then, before he can stop a man he suspects is about to launch a third attack in Covent Garden, Gabriel is knocked to the pavement—and he can only watch helplessly as the nightmare unfolds. The haunting memory of his failure to stop the massacre of innocents is still fresh when Gabriel is summoned to Washington—and plunged into a deadly confrontation with the new face of global terror. An elusive American-born cleric in Yemen—once a paid CIA asset whom Allah has granted "a beautiful and seductive tongue"—stands at the center of the explosive plague of death and destruction. And the worst is yet to come. . . . "Suspense writing at its best."—HUFFINGTON POST It was supposed to be the start of a pleasant weekend in London for master art restorer and spy Gabriel Allon and his wife, Chiara." House of Spies A Kirkus Best Book of the Year #1 NYT Bestseller #1 USA Bestseller #1 WSJ Bestseller From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Black Widow comes the thrilling new summer blockbuster featuring legendary spy, assassin and art restorer Gabriel Allon. A heart-stopping tale of suspense, Daniel Silva’s runaway bestseller, The Black Widow, was one of 2016’s biggest novels. Now, in House of Spies, Gabriel Allon is back and out for revenge – determined to hunt down the world’s most dangerous terrorist, a shadowy ISIS mastermind known only as Saladin. Four months after the deadliest attack on the American homeland since 9/11, terrorists leave a trail of carnage through London’s glittering West End. The attack is a brilliant feat of planning and secrecy, but with one loose thread. The thread leads Gabriel Allon and his team of operatives to the south of France and to the gilded doorstep of Jean-Luc Martel and Olivia Watson. A beautiful former British fashion model, Olivia pretends not to know that the true source of Martel’s enormous wealth is drugs. And Martel, likewise, turns a blind eye to the fact he is doing business with a man whose objective is the very destruction of the West. Together, under Gabriel’s skilled hand, they will become an unlikely pair of heroes in the global war on terror. Written in seductive and elegant prose, the story moves swiftly from the glamour of Saint-Tropez to the grit of Casablanca and, finally, to an electrifying climax that will leave readers breathless long after they turn the final page. But House of Spies is more than just riveting entertainment; it is a dazzling tale of avarice and redemption, set against the backdrop of the great conflict of our times. And it proves once again why Daniel Silva is “quite simply the best” (Kansas City Star). Written in seductive and elegant prose, the story moves swiftly from the glamour of Saint-Tropez to the grit of Casablanca and, finally, to an electrifying climax that will leave readers breathless long after they turn the final page." The Heist NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From Janet Evanovich, #1 bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum novels, and Lee Goldberg, bestselling author and television writer for Monk, comes the first adventure in an electrifying series featuring an FBI agent who always gets her man, and a fearless con artist who lives for the chase. Nicolas Fox is an international con man, famous for running elaborate scams on very rich and powerful people. He knows that the FBI has been hot on his trail for years—particularly FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare. But just when it seems that Fox has been captured for good, he pulls off his greatest con of all: He convinces the FBI to offer him a job, working side by side with O’Hare. Their first assignment takes them to the side streets of Berlin, the California desert, and remote Indonesian islands as they team up to catch Derek Griffin, a corrupt investment banker charged with stealing millions from his clients. Finding Griffin on his private island is going to test O’Hare’s patience and Fox’s skill. High-speed chases, pirates, and Toblerone bars are all in a day’s work . . . if O’Hare and Fox don’t kill each other first. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg's The Chase. Praise for The Heist “The Heist is the perfect title to carry on a trip to the beach. The laugh out loud humor that readers expect from Evanovich is in full force, and Goldberg’s crafty and elaborate writing is prominent. . . . Everyone will be eager for the next book in the series.”—Associated Press “The action is fast-paced and the writing is first-rate, making The Heist an excellent choice for vacation reading.”—Huntington News “A breezy read.”—San Antonio Express-News BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg's The Chase. Praise for The Heist “The Heist is the perfect title to carry on a trip to the beach." The Mark of the Assassin CIA Agent Michael Osbourne stars in this suspenseful series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel Allon novels. When a commercial airliner is blown out of the sky off the east coast, the CIA scrambles to find the perpetrators. A body is discovered near the crash site with three bullets to the face: the calling card of a shadowy international assassin. Only agent Michael Osbourne has seen the markings before—on a woman he once loved. Now, it’s personal for Osbourne. Consumed by his dark obsession with the assassin, he’s willing to risk his family, his career, and his life—to settle a score… A PEOPLE PAGE-TURNER OF THE WEEK CIA Agent Michael Osbourne stars in this suspenseful series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel Allon novels." The Marching Season The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel Allon series presents the second thriller featuring former CIA Agent Michael Osbourne, following The Mark of the Assassin. When the Good Friday peace accords are shattered with three savage acts of terrorism, Northern Ireland is blown back into the depths of conflict. And after his father-in-law is nominated to become the new American ambassador to London, retired CIA agent Michael Osbourne is drawn back into the game. He soon discovers that his father-in-law is marked for execution. And that he himself is once again in the crosshairs of a killer known only as October, one of the most merciless assassins the world has ever known... The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel Allon series presents the second thriller featuring former CIA Agent Michael Osbourne, following The Mark of the Assassin." The Other Woman #1 New York Times Bestseller #1 USA Today Bestseller #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller A Kirkus Best Book of 2018 A Real Book Spy Best Thriller of 2018 From Daniel Silva, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author, comes a modern masterpiece of espionage, love, and betrayal She was his best-kept secret … In an isolated village in the mountains of Andalusia, a mysterious Frenchwoman begins work on a dangerous memoir. It is the story of a man she once loved in the Beirut of old, and a child taken from her in treason’s name. The woman is the keeper of the Kremlin’s most closely guarded secret. Long ago, the KGB inserted a mole into the heart of the West—a mole who stands on the doorstep of ultimate power. Only one man can unravel the conspiracy: Gabriel Allon, the legendary art restorer and assassin who serves as the chief of Israel’s vaunted secret intelligence service. Gabriel has battled the dark forces of the new Russia before, at great personal cost. Now he and the Russians will engage in a final epic showdown, with the fate of the postwar global order hanging in the balance. Gabriel is lured into the hunt for the traitor after his most important asset inside Russian intelligence is brutally assassinated while trying to defect in Vienna. His quest for the truth will lead him backward in time, to the twentieth century’s greatest act of treason, and, finally, to a spellbinding climax along the banks of the Potomac River outside Washington that will leave readers breathless. Fast as a bullet, hauntingly beautiful, and filled with stunning double-crosses and twists of plot, The Other Woman is a tour de force that proves once again that “of all those writing spy novels today, Daniel Silva is quite simply the best” (Kansas City Star). It is the story of a man she once loved in the Beirut of old, and a child taken from her in treason’s name. The woman is the keeper of the Kremlin’s most closely guarded secret." The English Spy ‘Allon is the 21st century Bond’ Daily Mail No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva delivers another stunning thriller in his latest action-packed tale of high stakes international intrigue featuring the inimitable Gabriel Allon. ‘Allon is the 21st century Bond’ Daily Mail No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva delivers another stunning thriller in his latest action-packed tale of high stakes international intrigue featuring the inimitable Gabriel ..." The Order From Daniel Silva, author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers The New Girl and The Other Woman, comes a stunning new action-packed thriller of high stakes international intrigue featuring the enigmatic art restorer and master spy Gabriel Allon. From Daniel Silva, author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers The New Girl and The Other Woman, comes a stunning new action-packed thriller of high stakes international intrigue featuring the enigmatic art restorer and master spy Gabriel ..." Portrait of an Unknown Woman In a spellbinding new masterpiece by #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva, Gabriel Allon undertakes a high-stakes search for the greatest art forger who ever lived Legendary spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon has at long last severed ties with Israeli intelligence and settled quietly in Venice, the only place where he has ever truly known peace. His beautiful wife, Chiara, has taken over the day-to-day management of the Tiepolo Restoration Company, and their two young children are discreetly enrolled in a neighborhood scuola elementare. For his part, Gabriel spends his days wandering the streets and canals of the watery city, bidding farewell to the demons of his tragic, violent past. But when the eccentric London art dealer Julian Isherwood asks Gabriel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the rediscovery and lucrative sale of a centuries-old painting, he is drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse where nothing is as it seems. Gabriel soon discovers that the work in question, a portrait of an unidentified woman attributed to Sir Anthony van Dyck, is almost certainly a fiendishly clever fake. To find the mysterious figure who painted it—and uncover a multibillion-dollar fraud at the pinnacle of the art world—Gabriel conceives one of the most elaborate deceptions of his career. If it is to succeed, he must become the very mirror image of the man he seeks: the greatest art forger the world has ever known. Stylish, sophisticated, and ingeniously plotted, Portrait of an Unknown Woman is a wildly entertaining journey through the dark side of the art world—a place where unscrupulous dealers routinely deceive their customers and deep-pocketed investors treat great paintings as though they were just another asset class to be bought and sold at a profit. From its elegant opening to the shocking twists of its climax, the novel is a tour de force of storytelling and one of the finest pieces of heist fiction ever written. And it is still more proof that, when it comes to international intrigue and suspense, Daniel Silva has no equal. Gabriel soon discovers that the work in question, a portrait of an unidentified woman attributed to Sir Anthony van Dyck, is almost certainly a fiendishly clever fake." The Cellist #1 New York Times Bestseller “The pace of “The Cellist” never slackens as its action volleys from Zurich to Tel Aviv to Paris and beyond. Mr. Silva tells his story with zest, wit and superb timing, and he engineers enough surprises to startle even the most attentive reader.“—Wall Street Journal From Daniel Silva, the internationally acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author, comes a timely and explosive new thriller featuring art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon. Viktor Orlov had a longstanding appointment with death. Once Russia’s richest man, he now resides in splendid exile in London, where he has waged a tireless crusade against the authoritarian kleptocrats who have seized control of the Kremlin. His mansion in Chelsea’s exclusive Cheyne Walk is one of the most heavily protected private dwellings in London. Yet somehow, on a rainy summer evening, in the midst of a global pandemic, Russia’s vengeful president finally manages to cross Orlov’s name off his kill list. Before him was the receiver from his landline telephone, a half-drunk glass of red wine, and a stack of documents.… The documents are contaminated with a deadly nerve agent. The Metropolitan Police determine that they were delivered to Orlov’s home by one of his employees, a prominent investigative reporter from the anti-Kremlin Moskovskaya Gazeta. And when the reporter slips from London hours after the killing, MI6 concludes she is a Moscow Center assassin who has cunningly penetrated Orlov’s formidable defenses. But Gabriel Allon, who owes his very life to Viktor Orlov, believes his friends in British intelligence are dangerously mistaken. His desperate search for the truth will take him from London to Amsterdam and eventually to Geneva, where a private intelligence service controlled by a childhood friend of the Russian president is using KGB-style “active measures” to undermine the West from within. Known as the Haydn Group, the unit is plotting an unspeakable act of violence that will plunge an already divided America into chaos and leave Russia unchallenged. Only Gabriel Allon, with the help of a brilliant young woman employed by the world’s dirtiest bank, can stop it. Elegant and sophisticated, provocative and daring, The Cellist explores one of the preeminent threats facing the West today—the corrupting influence of dirty money wielded by a revanchist and reckless Russia. It is at once a novel of hope and a stark warning about the fragile state of democracy. And it proves once again why Daniel Silva is regarded as his generation’s finest writer of suspense and international intrigue. Elegant and sophisticated, provocative and daring, The Cellist explores one of the preeminent threats facing the West today—the corrupting influence of dirty money wielded by a revanchist and reckless Russia." The International Killer Thriller The International Killer Thriller focuses on the extremely successful novels of Daniel Silva, who has pulled off the daunting task of writing, in short order, a series of novels with the same protagonist—Gabriel Allon, a world-famous assassin whom we are to regard as our hero. Originally hired by Israel on the order of Golda Meir to avenge the assassination of the Jewish athletic team at the Munich Olympics, Gabriel has been called upon subsequently by his government and then by those of Britain, Italy, France, and the United States either to mastermind or to assist in the operations against the assassins or master criminals of other countries. What makes him more interesting than most top guns is his other career—restoring masterpieces of painting from either old age or criminal damage. Taken as a series, the fifteen Allon novels take the reader all over the world, including Putin’s Russia. The series requires us to evaluate the role of violence and especially revenge in the world we and our political leaders are forced to engage in. They all take place in almost real time and are up-to-date or even prescient about the dangers we face. The International Killer Thriller focuses on the extremely successful novels of Daniel Silva, who has pulled off the daunting task of writing, in short order, a series of novels with the same protagonist—Gabriel Allon, a world-famous ..." The Black Widow #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva delivers another stunning thriller in his latest action-packed tale of high stakes international intrigue featuring the inimitable Gabriel Allon. From its shocking opening in Paris, The Black Widow reveals itself as Silva’s most timely and powerful novel yet. Master novelist Daniel Silva has thrilled, entertained and educated readers with eighteen thoughtful and gripping spy novels featuring a diverse cast of compelling characters and ingenious plots that have taken them around the globe and back—from the United States to Europe, Russia to the Middle East. His brilliant hero, Gabriel Allon—art restorer, assassin, spy—has joined the pantheon of great fictional secret agents, including George Smiley, Jack Ryan, Jason Bourne, and Simon Templar. Following the success of his smash hit The English Spy, The Black Widow showcases Silva’s consummate skill and brilliant imagination, and is sure to be a must read for both his multitudes of fans and growing legions of converts. Following the success of his smash hit The English Spy, this electrifying thriller showcases Silva’s consummate skill and brilliant imagination, and is sure to be a must read for his multitude of current and future fans." Daniel Silva 2-Book Thriller Collection: Portrait of a Spy, The Fallen Angel ‘Allon is the 21st century Bond.’ Daily Mail From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva comes a two-book collection featuring art restorer and spy, Gabriel Allon – includes PORTRAIT OF A SPY and THE FALLEN ANGEL. ‘Allon is the 21st century Bond.’ Daily Mail From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva comes a two-book collection featuring art restorer and spy, Gabriel Allon – includes PORTRAIT OF A SPY and THE FALLEN ANGEL." Portrait of a Spy LP Gabriel Allon, master art restorer and spy, returns in a spellbinding new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva. For Gabriel and his wife, Chiara, it was supposed to be the start of a pleasant weekend in London—a visit to a gallery in St. James’s to authenticate a newly discovered painting by Titian, followed by a quiet lunch. But a pair of deadly bombings in Paris and Copenhagen has already marred this autumn day. And while walking toward Covent Garden, Gabriel notices a man he believes is about to carry out a third attack. Before Gabriel can draw his weapon, he is knocked to the pavement and can only watch as the nightmare unfolds. Haunted by his failure to stop the massacre, Gabriel returns to his cottage in Cornwall, until a summons brings him to Washington, into a confrontation with the new face of global terror. At the center of the threat is an American-born cleric in Yemen to whom Allah has granted “a beautiful and seductive tongue.” A gifted deceiver, once a paid CIA asset, the mastermind is plotting a new wave of attacks . . . Gabriel Allon, master art restorer and spy, returns in a spellbinding new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva." Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests, 8th Edition Librarians who work with readers will find this well-loved guide to be a treasure trove of information. With descriptive annotations of thousands of genre titles mapped by genre and subgenre, this is the readers' advisor's go-to reference. • Helps librarians answer the challenging question "What should I read next?" • Helps LIS students understand popular genres and better select books for which readers are looking • Serves as a starting point for library patrons looking for their next read Castillo , Linda . Kate Burkholder Series (2009–). The series started with Sworn to Silence (2009) in which Police Chief Kate Burkholder of Painters Mill, Ohio, investigates a serial killer whose modus operandi is shockingly similar to ..." The Fallen Angel LP After narrowly surviving his last operation, Gabriel Allon, the wayward son of Israeli intelligence, has taken refuge behind the walls of the Vatican, where he is restoring one of Caravaggio's greatest masterpieces. But early one morning he is summoned to St. Peter's Basilica by Monsignor Luigi Donati, the all-powerful private secretary to His Holiness Pope Paul VII. The body of a beautiful woman lies broken beneath Michelangelo's magnificent dome. The Vatican police suspect suicide, though Gabriel believes otherwise. So, it seems, does Donati. But the monsignor is fearful that a public inquiry might inflict yet another scandal on the Church, and so he calls upon Gabriel to quietly pursue the truth—with one caveat. "Rule number one at the Vatican," Donati said. "Don't ask too many questions." Gabriel learns that the dead woman had uncovered a dangerous secret—a secret that threatens a global criminal enterprise that is looting timeless treasures of antiquity and selling them to the highest bidder. But there is more to this network than just greed. A mysterious operative is plotting an act of sabotage that will plunge the world into a conflict of apocalyptic proportions . . . After narrowly surviving his last operation, Gabriel Allon, the wayward son of Israeli intelligence, has taken refuge behind the walls of the Vatican, where he is restoring one of Caravaggio's greatest masterpieces."