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THE ENGLISH SPY
by Daniel Silva
Harper, June 2015
484 pages
$27.99
ISBN: 0062320130


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Daniel Silva's THE ENGLISH SPY, the 15th thriller in his Gabriel Allon series, opens with the bombing and sinking of a luxury yacht carrying a troubled and troubling ex-British princess reminiscent of Princess Diana. The crime seems to be the work of a master bomb maker, Eamon Quinn, whom Gabriel- charismatic Israeli spy/assassin/art restorer - has yet to capture. Gabriel is pulled back into the dangerous work that he had been planning to give up because he feels that he must pursue this mercenary of death. He teams up with an international assassin, Christopher Keller, an ex-British commando whom we have met in previous books. For both Gabriel and Keller, targeting Quinn is personal, about revenge more than, perhaps, justice.

With Keller and his Israeli team, Gabriel stakes out what he believes to be Quinn's apartment. A woman who seems to be involved leaves abruptly for London with Gabriel follows in pursuit. But the whole situation is not what it had appears to be and soon another horrific bombing takes place in London. Gabriel devises an ingenious plan to make his enemies stop looking for him and allowing him to figure out whom from his past is now trying to destroy him.

THE ENGLISH SPY was published in July 2015. The next book in the series, THE BLACK WIDOW, will be published in July 2016. Silva has stated that he strives to add one book to this series each summer and avid readers are looking forward to the next installment in Gabriel's life and adventures. Meeting Gabriel at any point in this series is an extraordinary experience for the reader, but being introduced to him in the first book, THE KILL ARTIST, and following his exploits and growth throughout the books, is even more fascinating. He is surrounded by a cast of recurring characters that is important to him personally, professionally, and to the unfolding events. Whatever disguise he may be wearing, we recognize his graying temples and his piercing green eyes. Women in the books fall in love with him and many a reader has a crush on this fictional character.

In an interview, Silva stated that Gabriel has become grayer, wiser and funnier as he has progressed through his adventures. Allon will not necessarily age as time passes in the books, although his exact age is a secret. When he was first created, he was the correct age for a spy, but that was a while ago. Gabriel's back-story is quite specific and has the ring of authenticity. He had been a talented art student when he was tapped to be a part of a group of Israeli assassins called Wrath of God. This clandestine organization was tasked with destroying the leaders of Black September, the terrorists who massacred Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Prime Minister Golda Meir herself sanctioned Wrath of God, according to the myth of this series. The experience of taking part in this revenge changed Gabriel forever. His temples turned gray and he became a killer in the name of justice. He also lost his ability to create his own paintings, and instead used his immense artistic abilities to study restoration, becoming one of the world's top art-restorers. The job of art restoration became both his passion and his cover.

Silva is unique amongst writers of his genre for several reasons. His books are intensely researched and reflect a deep understanding of world conflicts. He was a journalist before devoting himself to fiction and his insights into international events add layers of reality to his writing. Each novel provides the reader with actual historical as well as current information. As Allon is Israeli, the complex position of Israel and the Middle East in general are illuminated in these books. From Islamic terrorist networks to the ruthless Russian oligarchs and leaders, Silva gives us modern villains that seem all too plausible.

Besides the information on politics and history, the art world is an important focus. The reader becomes caught up in the unique universe of buying, selling and stealing art and antiquities. We also get to watch as Gabriel works on his restorations. In his acknowledgements, Silva thanks people in the art world who have guided him through this field. In addition, Silva uses his endnotes to supply additional background and insights into some of the events, people and places appearing in the novel. The inclusion of journalistic information here adds greatly to the readers' understanding and appreciation of the book.

A number of the novels are set in Rome or have important events take place there. Gabriel restores artwork in Italy and Rome is where he meets Chiara, who becomes his second wife. Gabriel is close friends with the Pope and with the Pope's private secretary, and the reader is provided with glimpses of the inside workings of the Vatican as well as details of what it looks like in the areas generally hidden from the public.

As the books go on, certain background information about Gabriel is important to know. How he became who he is, the tragedy that shaped his adult life, the Holocaust history of his family, as well as the ongoing relationships he has with many characters are all essential for the reader to be told. However, Silva finds new and different ways to explain all this in each of the books. For the dedicated reader, the exposition is never boring, as it is told slightly differently each time. We learn new aspects of a known tale, or we are shown it from a different angle that sheds new light on what we thought we knew. Last, but not least, a feature that sets Daniel Silva apart is that his books are well written. Suspenseful plots, unique scenes and clever character development may intrigue us in other thrillers, but here we have it all.

§ Anne Corey is a writer, poet, teacher and botanical artist in New York's Hudson Valley.

Reviewed by Anne Corey, April 2016

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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