THE CELLIST

5 stars out of 5

Every time I finish a book in this series - this is the 21st, and I don't think I've missed a single one - I'm in awe of the writing. How in the world can an author concoct such an intricate plot to begin with, let alone flesh it out in such a way that readers hang on every word? I've got no answer, so all I can say is that he's done it again.

The story begins with the death of exiled Russian Viktor Orlov, who's been hanging out in luxury in London while he rags against the current powers-that-be in his home country. The death catches the eye of Gabriel Allon, top-notch Israeli spy (now director general of the agency), who's also an art restoration expert. The Russian, you see, once saved the life of Gabriel and his wife, Chiara - so he's understandably interested in bringing the killer to justice (one way or another). When it's learned that one of Viktor's employees, a woman also known to Gabriel, is the one who delivered papers covered with a deadly nerve agent to Viktor and has since disappeared, the assumption all around is that she's responsible. Not, so, Gabriel argues - and he sets out to prove it.

What follows is carrying out a complicated plan to bring down an international "dirty" bank that's known for laundering Russian money, specifically that of the all-powerful Russian president and his also all-powerful childhood friend who's actually in control of an obscene amount of the president's personal stash. It brings together most of Gabriel's team - characters familiar to readers of the series - who must rise to what appears to be a nearly impossible challenge. While I won't provide details, I will say it also involves a woman who's quite an accomplished cellist (hence, I assume, the reason for the book's title) and another who used to be, shall I say, rather close to Gabriel.

I will caution, though, that while names aren't named, readers who are among those who continue to insist that the previous U.S. Presidential election was rigged and the wrong guy "won" may want to take a pass on this book. Also, Chiara and twins Irene and Raphael really aren't players in this scenario (more's the pity), but indications are that this might change in the next installment for a variety of reasons. Loved this one (no surprise here since I've loved them all), so I'll be waiting!

The Cellist by Daniel Silva (Harper, July 2021); 477 pp.

THE ORDER

5 stars out of 5

As a frequent reviewer of soon-to-be released books,

mostly from authors I've never heard of before, I'm always amazed at how good they are. It's rare, in fact, for me to give less than four stars out of the maximum five. Here and there, though, I try to work in something from a favorite author, usually one from a favorite series - like this one.

And it is then that I realized the difference between good and, well, as  perfect as a book can get. The writing is superb as always, and it doesn't hurt that it features Israeli spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon, who's held the No. 1 spot on my all-time book "hero" list ever since he was written into existence.

It starts off with a shocker: The Pope, a good friend of Gabriel, is found dead. The official line is that he died of natural causes, but another of Gabriel's long-time friends, an archbishop and personal secretary to the Pope, thinks otherwise and asks Gabriel to meet him in Rome to discuss the matter. Among the topics is a not-so-secret organization called the Order of St. Helena, which is comprised of ultra-conservative Catholics, including some who live and work as Vatican higher-ups. Also on the agenda is the presumed existence of a priceless historical book - one that could hold the power to bring the Catholic church to its knees. Needless to say, Gabriel is intrigued; despite his beautiful and talented wife Chiara's misgivings about his giving up hard-earned vacation time, he agrees to at least look into things.

Of course, nothing is ever as easy as it seems. Before long, Gabriel is up to his unusually green eyes in a dangerous endeavor, for which he asks for help from the crew from his Israeli agency (always happy to see their appearance together with more-than-usual involvement from Chiara). The action part seems a little slower and, to a degree, less physically dangerous than usual, but then let's face it: after 19 other books, Gabriel isn't exactly a spring chicken anymore and has the good sense to avoid potentially life-threatening confrontations when possible. 

Be advised, too, that the story has a political bent; if you believe the current U.S. leadership represents the Second Coming, or believe every word in the Bible is sacred truth that must be interpreted literally, you may take issue with parts of this book. Neither is an issue for me - and few topics intrigue me more than the history of Judaism and Christianity. Only hunger (my husband's, not mine) that forced me into the kitchen kept me from polishing off this one off nonstop.

The ending brings a bit of a surprise, plus a few hints about what the future might hold for Gabriel, Chiara and their young twins. I'm already chomping at the bit for the next one so I can find out how all that plays out. 

The Order by Daniel Silva (HarperCollins, July 2020); 455 pp.

THE NEW GIRL

5 stars out of 5

In the interest of full disclosure, this series (more specifically, art restorer and accomplished Israeli spy Gabriel Allon) has held the No. 1 spot on my Top 10 "heroes" list for quite a few years now. This is his 19th book; and I assure you he's in no danger of losing that lofty perch. The story is intricately woven with enough suspense to make me hold my breath here and there and the writing is, as always, exemplary. Add in the appearance of several familiar characters from previous books and the result is, well, another winner in my book.

Despite the singular title, there are two characters here who are bestowed with that moniker; the first is a young lady who has been enrolled in a fancy private school in Switzerland (you'll have to read the book to learn the identity of the other one). It is this young lady, though, who kicks off the story with an unhappy event: She's been kidnapped. Conventional wisdom says it's by enemies of her father Khalid bin Mohammed, the soon-to-be king of Saudi Arabia. When he takes the throne, it's believed he will lead dramatic reforms that would bring his country and its residents into the 21st Century - not a place many of those residents want to be. Other outsiders are less inclined to believe his motives are genuine - after all, he's thought to be behind the recent murder of a dissident journalist (hmmm, now where have we heard something like that before)?

Gabriel's reputation for fighting terrorists (and killing more than a few) are legendary, and Khalid wants him to find his daughter. To bring Gabriel into the fold, he turns to common acquaintance, art expert (and former CIA agent) Sarah Bancroft, with whom Khalid has a professional relationship. Gabriel isn't exactly a fan, but for the sake of the argument, he's willing to believe Khalid's claim that he'll turn his country away from radical Islam. Only one thing is certain: Both Gabriel and Khalid have a lot to lose should something go wrong (not the least of which is their lives).

And go wrong it does, fairly early on with an unexpected and devastating event that changes the playing field and course of the story now focused on a Middle East power struggle. Along the way, Gabriel enlists help from colleagues old and new to work every angle he can to bring down political enemies old and new. The text is sprinkled with the author's political perspectives (I'm very interested with what's happening in that part of the world so that's fine with me, BTW). But I will carp a bit because Gabriel's beautiful wife Ciara and their young twins don't get enough mention to suit me.

Everything comes to a head at the end with a cliff-hanger that may well open the door for the next book. For that, I'm ready already: Bring it on!

The New Girl by Daniel Silva (Harper, July 2019); 497 pp.

HOUSE OF SPIES

5 stars out of 5

Can it really be true that this the 17th book featuring Israeli secret agent Gabriel Allon? Pretty much from the beginning he has held the No. 1 spot on my list of favorite mystery/thriller "heroes." Every spring I start salivating in anticipation of a new installment, so of course I was delighted to get my hands on this one. 

That many books over the years also brings anticipation of a different sort: How much longer can Gabriel - now chief of Israel's hush-hush intelligence agency, replacing the crusty Uzi Navot (who still holds court in an office across the hall from Gabriel) - keep going? Rumors of his in-print "death," in fact, have been swirling online ever since MGM Television announced adaptation rights to the series (with author Daniel Silva and his wife, CNN special correspondent Jamie Gangel, as executive producers). Everything appears to be a go at this point and who will play the role of Gabriel is at the discussion stage. For the record, after cringing at the choice for the lead in Lee Child's Jack Reacher TV series, I'm trying my damndest to remain optimistic (yet relieved to know Tom Cruise is already taken).

But the fact is, despite being the late-in-life father of twins with his beautiful and much younger wife, Chiara, Gabriel's getting a bit long in the tooth. And as chief, he's really not supposed to be running around in a field that has become ever more dangerous with the onslaught of ISIS. But difficult times call for difficult decisions; and it is recent, devastating ISIS "suicide warrior" attacks in London's West End, instigated by one of Gabriel's arch-enemies, that pulls him away from his desk and onto dusty roads of countries like Morocco (where they stay in a safe house dubbed the "House of Spies"). Gabriel has a personal score to settle with the man, known only as Saladin - and despite advice (make that warnings) to oversee the chase to find him from a safe room on King Saul Boulevard in Tel Aviv, Gabriel vows that Book of Romans notwithstanding, vengeance will be his alone.

Still, Gabriel isn't quite as physically active as usual; and much to my disappointment, Chiara doesn't play much of a role here. Other women from Gabriel's past do feature prominently, though including the doctor who nursed Saladin back to near-perfect health in the previous book. Also front and center here is Olivia Watson, a former fashion model and live-in lover of uber-wealthy Jean-Luc Martel, whose money is derived mostly from the drug market. Once it is determined he and his JLM empire are linked to Saladin, Gabriel - together with corresponding agencies in France, Great Britain and the United States join forces (headed up, after heated debate, by the Israelis) to turn the businessman and his lover against the man behind it all. Also recruited to the team because of his tracking and assassination skills is Gabriel's friend from past adventures Christopher Keller, who, as usual, excels at his trade and is quite an interesting character in and of himself.

Needless to say, it's a complex plot that takes a weary Gabriel practically all over the world and back, putting his life is in danger more than once. From start to finish, everything is described in Silva's matter-of-fact, almost understated fashion, but make no mistake - there's plenty of action here. There's also an abundance of history, which is another of the reasons I love this series. Much of those insights come from the author's extensive research which, together with his talent for creating intricate, intriguing stories, makes an unbeatable combination. 

House of Spies by Daniel Silva (Harper, July 2017); 549 pp.

THE BLACK WIDOW

5 stars out of 5

It's hard to believe this is the 16th book in the series featuring Gabriel Allon, perhaps my all-time favorite "hero." He's a sought-after restorer of priceless paintings, a spy, soon-to-be chief of Israel's secret intelligence service (albeit reluctantly) and, with his beautiful wife Chiara, the recent father of twins Raphael and Irene. So much do I love the books that I didn't even break a sweat at the thought of 544 pages - much longer than most books I read these days - and once I started, I admit to getting testy when something or someone interrupted my progress. By the end of the first few chapters, I knew this would be a 5-star-plus read for me.

That doesn't mean, however, that a few things weren't a bit bothersome - the first of which is that the emphasis is far more on politics and history than on the characters. Chiara barely plays a role, and even Gabriel doesn't seem to be at the forefront as much as in previous books. There is almost tedious detail about the relationships (pro and con) among various countries like Israel, France and Syria, and the author makes it abundantly clear what side of the political fence he's on. That's not all bad, mind you; even though I've crabbed about other authors' crossing the line of putting their personal political agendas ahead of the story - and this one comes close to doing just that - Silva manages to write around it all in such an interesting, totally engaging way that in the end it didn't matter a whit to me (the historical parts, in fact, I thoroughly enjoyed).

As the book begins, Gabriel hasn't yet assumed the mantle of intelligence chief; in fact, he's officially dead (not really, of course, but for all intents and purposes beyond the Israeli agency, he was killed off a while back). Just as he's about to be resurrected to take on his new responsibilities, ISIS sets off a bomb in Paris. With so many dead and wounded and the entire country in shock, the French government seeks help from Gabriel and his agency in finding out who was behind the dirty deed.

It's an offer Gabriel can't refuse, and he sets off on what could be his final mission before "retiring" behind a desk (assuming he survives, of course). Early on, he recruits and trains a multi-national Jewish female doctor named Natalie who will infiltrate the ranks of ISIS in the hope of getting close enough to the caliphate to learn what the next target(s) will be. In fact, the book is more her story than Gabriel's; she is to be transformed into a Muslim "Black Widow," - a woman who lost a husband at the hands of non-Muslim terrorism and wants nothing more than revenge (and the glory that will come when she dies as a martyr).

The story follows all that happens to her as well as the interaction among the government agencies that are involved. In between are chases that lead to blind alleys, shady characters doing their thing and horrific strikes, and threats of even more strikes, by ISIS terrorists. Can Gabriel and his team (with the help of the good doctor) bring whoever is running the ISIS show to his knees in time to prevent an even more horrendous disaster? I know the answer, and if you read this terrific book, so will you.

The Black Widow by Daniel Silva (Harper, July 2016); 544 pp.

THE ENGLISH SPY

4.5 stars out of 5

First impression: Damn, the man sure knows how to write a dynamite first chapter!

Last impression: Another outstanding book featuring my all-time favorite character, Israel's not-so-secret agent Gabriel Allon (the 15th in the series, I believe) - but it falls a wee bit short of 5 stars.

That said, Daniel Silva may be the only writer on the planet who can make me want to read stories involving Hezbollah, al-Qaeda or the IRA. This book takes off where the previous one ended, with Gabriel planning to take over as chief of "The Office" - a role that presumably with put the brakes on in-the-field action. He's also preparing for fatherhood once again; his younger, beautiful wife Chiara is close to delivering twins (Gabriel's young son from his first marriage was killed in a terrorist explosion).

But as one might expect in the world of espionage, nothing is a sure thing. An English princess (loosely based on the late Princess Diana, the author says) is killed while on a yacht by an assassin linked to the IRA. Against his will - Gabriel wants to finish restoration of a major painting and spend the final weeks with his wife before the twins arrive - he's coerced into joining forces with Christopher Keller, an Englishman who is being recruited as a spy for M16. 

The trail leads to Eamon Quinn, who excels at making highly destructive bombs that kill lots of innocent people; apparently, he was hired to blow up that yacht, so the two men set out to learn who put up the money for the hit. The chase takes them to a variety of settings, most of which have appeared in previous books, where they go gun-to-knife with a variety of characters (ditto). The whole thing seems to be a wrap-up of everything that's happened before in a neat and tidy (well, sometimes, messy) bow, thus freeing up Gabriel to take over a desk job and, perhaps, paving the way for future books with new M16 agent Chris Keller in the lead role. That being the case, you bet I'll be reading them - but make no mistake: He'll never top Gabriel as my favorite character.

And that, I suppose, is why I couldn't quite muster up 5 stars; there were just too many characters and too much description of past situations (although, I admit, they were necessary to the tidying up process). Then too, the almost total absence of the Chiara was noticeable - I think I may have missed her even more than Gabriel does. I'll also note that there seems to be a bit more emphasis on politics than usual - on U.S.-Israel relations, for instance (for a while, I suspected Silva was channeling another of my favorite writers, Brad Thor). But clearly, Silva has done extensive research on the subject, and for the most part, the political insights enhanced the story (and goodness knows, tensions between the US. of A and Israel have been strained of late).

On the plus side, Silva's writing goes way beyond excellent (as usual), and I enjoyed the occasional touches of spy humor:

Chris to Gabriel as they abduct an errant bad guy: "I hope he'll fit in the trunk."

Gabriel: "We'll slam the lid on him a few times if we have to."

In the end, Silva has put forth yet another excellent work. Now I can't wait to see how Gabriel transitions to his new roles of team leader and dad to twins (SPOILER ALERT!!) Irene and Raphael.

The English Spy by Daniel Silva (Harper, June 2015); 496 pp.