Monday, August 10, 2015

Book Review: The English Spy by Daniel Silva


A bomb explodes. Unfortunately it kills a very famous woman. British intelligence must turn to Gabriel Allon – legendary spy and assassin – to find Eamon Quinn. He’s a mercenary bomb maker and elusive lead to a higher power. Fortunately, Gabriel has the help of Christopher Keller, a British commando turned assassin. There’s a lot of killing ahead. Exotic locations. Elite spies. Only author Daniel Silva can thread the needle, pulling together a scattered set of clues, to tighten the noose. In The English Spy, he succeeds in looking to the past to find reasons for today’s incidents that help predict the future.  

As per the cover blurb: And though he does not realize it, Gabriel Allon is stalking an old enemy – a cabal of evil that wants nothing more than to see him dead. Gabriel will find it necessary to oblige them, for when a man is out for vengeance, death has its distinct advantages.  

And to heighten the tension timetable, Gabriel’s beloved wife, Chiara, is expecting twins. 

Twists and turns abound. I thought the book started a tad slow, but it soon ratcheted to a new level and I was enthralled. Silva knows how to spin a tale and make the pages turn. The English Spy is not one of his bests, but it’s worthy of a read. In these politically fraught days, Silva has his pulse on the world and has developed a very fine hero to save the day.

 

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review. Although this is not a genre I read a lot of, I read a spy book every once in a while.

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  2. If you decide to read Daniel Silva, find his first Gabriel Allon book. You'll meet the cast of characters and I think you'll be hooked. Then you can help us decide who should play Gabriel in a movie - I picture Clive Owen (except he's taller than the description).

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  3. It sounds like a real page-turner once it gets going!

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  4. I always enjoy your reviews, Joanne. I almost want to read fiction because of them. This sounds exciting.

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