From the publisher: "Gabriel Allon, the art restorer, spy, and assassin described as the most compelling fictional creation 'since Ian Fleming put down his martini and invented James Bond' (Rocky Mountain News), is poised to become the chief of Israel's secret intelligence service. But on the eve of his promotion, events conspire to lure him into the field for one final operation. ISIS has detonated a massive bomb in the Marais district of Paris, and a desperate French government wants Gabriel to eliminate the man responsible before he can strike again."

In today's Quick Lit post, I share how I recently read my first Daniel Silva novel, the 16th book in this series. The books stand alone, but I enjoyed it so much that I’m inspired to go back and start here, at the beginning of the series, where Silva first introduces his readers to Israeli intelligence operative Gabriel Allon.

This is my second-ever Daniel Silva book. I love a good spy thriller—they're perfect poolside reading—and this one has much to recommend itself: tight pacing, an intriguing setting (in the international art world), even characters exchanging F. Scott Fitzgerald lines over dinner. I particularly appreciated how Silva took his inspiration from all-too-real international events: this time, the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the involvement of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In this book, Silva asks <em>what if?</em>, imagining how events might play out in the Middle East, while throwing in a heavy dose of espionage, because this is, after all, a a Silva novel. Don't miss the author's note at the end.

I had a good idea of what to expect from this Gabriel Allon story: a fast-moving spy novel with a smart sense of humor. Allon recruits the titular cellist—a savvy banker by day—to go undercover to bust a corrupt Russian billionaire. Silva often weaves current events into his stories: the coronavirus is ever-present in these pages, and in his Author's Note Silva explains he wrote an entirely new ending after the January 6 Capitol siege. It felt a little long in places, but I still enjoyed this story of revenge, money, and power; I especially admired the recurring motif of improvisation.

From the publisher: "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."

When Gabriel Allon’s art dealer friend is suspected of murder, he’s driven to clear his name. To do so, he’ll have to find a mysterious art collector and a painting that’s been missing for 50 years: Caravaggio’s Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence. As he travels Europe searching for clues and staging his own heist, the investigation turns into an intelligence operation, with unexpected consequences. This can be read as a standalone.