Helpful Score: 7
A nice introduction to Silva's series of Gabriel Allon books. It gives a good perspective of the intelligence world and Israel's security concerns from the non-British, non-U.S. perspective, which provides a change of pace from most spy novels. Well written, with a good sense of pace and well-developed characters.
Helpful Score: 2
Typical espionage/thriller novel. Interesting slant given the Israeli - Palestinian component. The book moves fairly fast and kept my attention which is what I would expect from books of this genre.
Helpful Score: 1
Interesting read with believable characters. The story was up to date and accurate.
It is a read-alone story and not dependent on the series having been read.
It is a read-alone story and not dependent on the series having been read.
Helpful Score: 1
Fans of Daniel Silva's well-received earlier novels, especially The Marching Season, will welcome his newest novel of espionage, revenge, and Middle Eastern politics. Gabriel Allon is an art restorer who's persuaded out of retirement by Ari Shamron, the crafty Israeli spymaster bent on a deadly mission: killing a Palestinian agent named Tariq before he can carry out his plan to assassinate an old comrade-in-arms, the treacherous peacemaker Yasir Arafat.
Tariq's role in the murder of Gabriel's wife and son draws both Gabriel and Sarah Halevy, the beautiful French model whose affair with Gabriel led to the assassination of his family. Still in love with Gabriel, Sarah allows herself to be set up with a cover and infiltrated into Tariq's inner circle. But before Gabriel can rescue her and fulfill his mission, Tariq turns the tables to get his old adversary as well as Arafat in his own sights. A particularly resonant scene in which Tariq and Arafat confront each other and discuss their former friendship, as well as the change in tactics that has brought Tariq to the ultimate betrayal, reveals Silva's deep comprehension of Palestinian rivalries. He puts a clever little fillip on the ending that adds to the brio of this strongly paced thriller. Silva creates complex, fascinating characters in Gabe, Ari, and Tariq, and more than fulfills the promise of his earlier books.
AMAZON.COM REVIEW
Tariq's role in the murder of Gabriel's wife and son draws both Gabriel and Sarah Halevy, the beautiful French model whose affair with Gabriel led to the assassination of his family. Still in love with Gabriel, Sarah allows herself to be set up with a cover and infiltrated into Tariq's inner circle. But before Gabriel can rescue her and fulfill his mission, Tariq turns the tables to get his old adversary as well as Arafat in his own sights. A particularly resonant scene in which Tariq and Arafat confront each other and discuss their former friendship, as well as the change in tactics that has brought Tariq to the ultimate betrayal, reveals Silva's deep comprehension of Palestinian rivalries. He puts a clever little fillip on the ending that adds to the brio of this strongly paced thriller. Silva creates complex, fascinating characters in Gabe, Ari, and Tariq, and more than fulfills the promise of his earlier books.
AMAZON.COM REVIEW
Helpful Score: 1
I liked this book. The writing was well done and it was certainly suspenseful. If you like spy fiction, I recommend this author.
Kind of a quick and easy read. Some good intrigue.
The tragedy of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and despair of its resolution provide the backdrop for Silva's (The Unlikely Spy) heart-stopping, complex yarn of international terrorism and intrigue. Israeli master spy Ari Shamron sets an intricate plot in motion to lure deadly Palestinian assassin Tariq al-Hourani into his net. Art restorer Gabriel Allon, a former Israeli agent whose family was killed by Tariq, is lured back into the fray by Shamron and teamed with Jacqueline Delacroix, a French supermodel/Israeli secret agent whose grandparents died in the Holocaust. Gabriel sets up in London to monitor Yusef, Tariq's fellow terrorist and confidant. Jacqueline is assigned to seduce him in hopes of intercepting Tariq, who is devising a plan to kill Israel's prime minister during peace talks with Arafat in New YorkDand he has similar plans for Gabriel. The tortuous plot leading the various parties to the showdown in Manhattan is a thrilling roller-coaster ride, keeping readers guessing until the mind-bending conclusion. Sensitive to both sides of the conflict, the narrative manages to walk a political tightrope while examining the motivations of Palestinians and Israelis alike. The duplicity and secret financial juggling to keep government hands clean is personified in publishing mogul Benjamin Stone, who backs the Israeli efforts. He is just one of many larger-than-life characters (both real and invented) thrown into the mixDArafat himself has a tense encounter with Tariq that underscores the volatility of terrorist loyalty. An array of global locales adds to the complexity and authenticity of the dizzying, cinematic plot.
good book
Excellent book! A fast and wonderful read that thrills at every turn.
Fantastic, non-stop, spy thriller. Even though this book has been out for a while, I still absolutely enjoyed it. Gabriel is brought back into the spy game to bring down his mortal enemy, but who is playing whom? Grabbed me from chapter one. Can't wait to read the next Gabriel tale.
will be looking for more by this author..
Gabriel Allon has tragically lost his wife and his only child to a terrorist's car bomb. He had been a master spy for the Israeli government and had assassinated the car bomb terrorist's older brother. The killing of Gabriel's wife and child had been retribution by the younger brother, Tariq. Emotionally damaged because he thought his wife and child had been killed only because he was an Israeli spy, Gabriel leaves the spy business and devotes his time restoring works of art and sailboats in need of restoration.
Gabriel's old cunning and curmudgeonly trainer/boss from Israel's spy center--the Office--persuades him to return to work for Israel. He needs Gabriel to return so that the reputation of the Office can be restored to its previous impressive reputation and widely held respect. Once Gabriel learns that his assignment would be to assassinate his dying old nemesis, Tariq, he reluctantly agrees to come aboard as a hired gun, not an employee. He became disillusioned with much of what he saw and did as an employee of the Office and no longer wanted that relationship. This was to be a one-time assignment.
The story line takes us to such places as London, Holland, Paris, Montreal, New York, and, of course, many places in Israel. We meet high priced models, powerful media owners, other Israel spies, CIA operatives, and many run-of-the mill people. The undercurrent to all of this are lies, diversions, and manipulation. Everyone seems to be doing it to each other and to us.
The characters are realistic and we learn to care about all of them, even the terrorists. They all have a story to tell. They all believe they have more than enough justification for doing what they did and are now doing. So exactly who are the good guys and who are the bad?
Gabriel's old cunning and curmudgeonly trainer/boss from Israel's spy center--the Office--persuades him to return to work for Israel. He needs Gabriel to return so that the reputation of the Office can be restored to its previous impressive reputation and widely held respect. Once Gabriel learns that his assignment would be to assassinate his dying old nemesis, Tariq, he reluctantly agrees to come aboard as a hired gun, not an employee. He became disillusioned with much of what he saw and did as an employee of the Office and no longer wanted that relationship. This was to be a one-time assignment.
The story line takes us to such places as London, Holland, Paris, Montreal, New York, and, of course, many places in Israel. We meet high priced models, powerful media owners, other Israel spies, CIA operatives, and many run-of-the mill people. The undercurrent to all of this are lies, diversions, and manipulation. Everyone seems to be doing it to each other and to us.
The characters are realistic and we learn to care about all of them, even the terrorists. They all have a story to tell. They all believe they have more than enough justification for doing what they did and are now doing. So exactly who are the good guys and who are the bad?
Disappointing after what I had read about Silva's talent. The bad guy gets the best of everyone and there's no satisfying conclusion. First and last for me from this author.
Immersed in the quiet, meticulouls life of an art restorer, former Israeli intelligence operative Gabriel Allon keeps his past well behind him. But now he is being called back into the game and teamed with an agent who hides behind her own mask...as a beautiful fashion model.
Their target: a cunning terrorist on one last killing spree, a Palestinian zealot who played a dark part in Gabriel's past. And what begins as a manhunt turns into a globe-spanning duel fueled by both political intrigue and deep personal passions...
Their target: a cunning terrorist on one last killing spree, a Palestinian zealot who played a dark part in Gabriel's past. And what begins as a manhunt turns into a globe-spanning duel fueled by both political intrigue and deep personal passions...
THE KILL ARTIST by Daniel Silva Tariq is the only man the Israelis truly fear. Gabriel Allon is the only man the Israelis feel can take down Tariq. Allon is retired, working as an art restorer, since the murder of his family. Can he be persuaded to come out of retirement? At what price? And what about the beautiful and alluring Sarah Halevy, whose affair with Gabriel played a key role in his familys death. The first book in a multi-book series. Complex characters following a convoluted plot, which bodes well for the entire series.
A Israeli art restorer and a French fashion model search for
a Palestinian zealot. Great espionage thriller--the first Gabriel Allon.
a Palestinian zealot. Great espionage thriller--the first Gabriel Allon.
A terrific tale of of intrigue, a Mossad hitman trys to stop a terrorist on a killing spree. What begins as a manhunt turns into a globe spanning duel. I could hardly put the book down.
International spy thriller. Enjoyed it!
I had never heard of this author before, but saw a great review from one of my favorite authors, so thought I'd try it. A bit more slow paced than I'm used to in my thrillers but it was an enjoyable read.
Recording artist receive gold records for showing extraordinary musical talent on a particular record.This records sells millions of copies and qualifies to become a gold album and later in time the singer is presented with his record in gold.I would like to see that done with our writers ass well.In THE KILL ARTIST ,DANIEL SILVA should have won a gold book.This is the book that introduced us all to GABRIEL ALLON, one of the most loved characters in the spy and espionage genres.In this book we were introduced to ARI SHAMRON ,another unforgettable character that we love.We were introduced to a host of lovable characters that we will never forget.Julian Ishawood,monsignor LUIGI DONATI,UZI NAVOT,TIARA,SEYMORE GRAHAM,and so many others.The book was one of the best books i have ever read and was where it all began ,an unforgettable series that 17 books later is still the best and most exciting books you could read.All the books in this remarkable series are 5 stars.I have stood up many nights reading these extraordinary books,but i will say they were worth it.I enjoyed every minute of it.
Fast paced, complex but good characters, twists and turns and just totally awesome!
I've just started reading Daniel Silva and have liked all his books. There's intrigue, murder, mayhem -- everything I look for in a murder mystery. Nothing is overly grisly, though.
Another great Silva book!
A well written spy story that is very enjoyable to read. After reading his first book I went on to read more of his work. I highly recommend his books.
Once a key operative in secret Israeli-intelligence missions, Gabriel Allon is on the run from his past, assuming a quiet life as a meticulous restorer of priceless works of art. But now he is being called back into the game. The agent with whom he is teamed hides behind her own beautiful mask - as a French fashion model. Their target: a cunning terrorist on one last killing spree, a Palestinian zealot named Tariq who played a dark part in Gabriel's past. What begins as a manhunt turns into a globe-spanning duel fueled by political intrigue and deep personal passions. In a world where secrecy and duplicity are absolute, revenge is a luxury no man can afford--and the greatest masterpeice of all.
Outstanding book,great series,one of the best new characters in fiction.
Immersed in the quiet, meticulous life of an art restorer, former Israeli intelligence operative Gabriel Allon keeps his past well behind him. But now he is being called back into the game--and teamed with an agent who hides behind her own mask...as a beautiful fashion model.
Their target: a cunning terrorist on one last killing spree, a Palestinian zealot who played a dark part in Gabriel's past. And what begins as a manhunt turns into a globe-spinning duel fueled by both political intrigue and deep personal passions...
Their target: a cunning terrorist on one last killing spree, a Palestinian zealot who played a dark part in Gabriel's past. And what begins as a manhunt turns into a globe-spinning duel fueled by both political intrigue and deep personal passions...
An international thriller.
From the back cover: "Immersed in the quiet, meticulous life of an art restorer, former Israeli intelligence operative Gabriel Allon keeps his past well behind him. But now he is being called back into the game--and teamed with an agent who hides behind her own mask...as a beautiful fashion model.
Their target: a cunning terrorist on one last killing spree, a Palestinian zealot who played a dark part in Gabriel's past. And what begins as a manhunt turns into a globe-spanning duel fueled by both political intrigue and deep personal passions..."
Slightly predictable in some spots, but a fairly entertaining read.
Their target: a cunning terrorist on one last killing spree, a Palestinian zealot who played a dark part in Gabriel's past. And what begins as a manhunt turns into a globe-spanning duel fueled by both political intrigue and deep personal passions..."
Slightly predictable in some spots, but a fairly entertaining read.
" A heart-stopping, complex yarn of international terrorism and intrigue. A thrilling roller-ceaster ride, keeping readers guessing until the mind-bending conclusion" (Publishers Weekly) [D]
Maryanne M. (frazzledspice) reviewed The Kill Artist (Gabriel Allon, Bk 1) on + 10 more book reviews
Silva is a master of gripping suspense novels. I've read two of his books so far and enjoyed them.
EVEN THOUGH 10 YEARS OLD IT KEPT MY INTEREST AND WAS FAST MOVING.
Autographed copy by the author.
