Copyright 2016 by Daniel Silva. Published by HarperCollins.
This is my first Daniel Silva novel. Unlike most of my reading material (mysteries), this is a novel of international intrigue and suspense. The protagonist is Gabriel Allon, an Israeli spy and assassin who is slated to become the next head of Israeli intelligence. But first he has one last operation to run in the field: insertion of an Israeli spy into the heart of ISIS.
Is becomes apparent in the first 50 pages, that this is one of a series of novels featuring Gabriel Allon. As I learned after finishing the book, it is one of a long series of novels featuring him: this is the 16th book in the series.
I was impressed with Silva’s skill as an author. He kept me interested, both with his characters and his plot. In part because so much came before, the oblique references to his history were somewhat lost on me. If I read more of this series I will start at #1.
The plot in this case was realistic: an ISIS plot to attack Washington DC and kill as many Americans as possible. The insertion of the spy – a female Israeli doctor of Palestinian heritage – into the heart of ISIS – was intended to discover plans for the next terrorist attack being planned by a shadowy ISIS leader named Saladin. The spy was successful in infiltrating ISIS but was not successful in preventing an attack. The result was harrowing. And sobering.
It wasn’t a fun book to read, probably because it was all too real and too possible. But I guess that is a tribute to Silva’s skill.
7.5 out of 10.