Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Promotion to the top job in Israel's secret intelligence service hasn't changed Gabriel Allon's hands-on approach to spying one whit. He led the team that finally ended the run of ISIS mastermind Saladin (House of Spies, 2017), and now he's on the track of a Russian mole high up in British intelligence. His allies in MI6 don't like it, but even they know if anyone can ferret out the mole, it's Allon. Once again Silva follows the familiar structure his readers have come to love gathering the team, setting up the sting, laying on the tradecraft, dealing with the surprises but this time there is an even more elaborately detailed backstory than usual, and it is every bit as compelling as the tension-drenched drama slowly unspooling in the present and leading to a socko finale on the shores of the Potomac River. In a kind of homage to classic Cold War espionage, Silva draws on both history (the most famous spy of the twentieth century plays a role here) and fiction: there are strong elements of le Carré throughout, with the mole story itself echoing Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1974) and Russian mastermind Sasha suggesting a contemporary version of George Smiley's nemesis, Karla. But Silva is never merely imitative; he uses these references and plot elements to add texture and resonance to his story, which puts a chilling, twenty-first century spin on the idea of Russian interference in global politics: Everyone loses, Allon concludes. Everyone except the Russians. Another jewel in the bedazzling crown of a spy-fiction master. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Silva's novels rarely dally on the lower rungs of best-seller lists. Expect this one, too, to leapfrog to the top.--Bill Ott Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The actions of real-life British intelligence agent Kim Philby, who defected to the Soviet Union in 1963, drive bestseller Silva's excellent 18th novel featuring Israeli art restorer and spy Gabriel Allon (after 2017's House of Spies). Israel's intelligence division, known as the Office, is running an operation to save blown Russian agent Konstantin Kirov, one of Israeli's most valuable sources, and bring him to sanctuary in the U.K. When the operation goes bad, Gabriel and his team are drawn into a meticulously planned mission, involving both MI6 and the CIA, to unearth one of the Kremlin's highest-placed moles. Meanwhile, in Andalusia, a French journalist starts writing a memoir called The Other Woman, which contains the key to the mystery that Gabriel must solve. Philby, who died in Moscow three decades earlier in 1988, turns out to be at the bottom of it. In recent years, a number of thriller authors have focused on Philby, but Silva's treatment of him may be the most complex and fascinating yet. Readers will be enthralled by both the history and the up-to-the-minute plot that Silva spins with such finesse. 10-city author tour. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Library Journal Review
In the 18th installment in Silva's "Gabriel Allon" espionage series (House of Spies), Gabriel and his team are, at the request of Graham Seymour, on a secret hunt for a Russian mole inside of MI-6. As head of "The Office," Israel's secretive intelligence agency, Gabriel runs Mikhail Abramov and Christopher Keller in a joint operation, sending them (and his regular supporting team) from Paris to Spain, on to London and Washington, DC, before finally jumping back into action. He must then catch the child of Britain's most notorious defector, Kim Philby, before more secrets are spilled to the Kremlin but not without straining a long-standing friendship with the CIA. While Gabriel is not the main actor here, Abramov and Keller make a strong team and step up to usher a new generation of spies onto the world stage. Verdict While not the best starting point for new readers, this thriller won't disappoint longtime followers of this series.-Terri Lent, Patrick Henry H.S., Ashland, VA © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Gabriel Allon is back in action.For a time, it looked like Israel's most famous spy might actually retreat to a desk job. In The Black Widow (2016) and The House of Spies (2017), it seemed as if Allon's creator was bringing younger, secondary characters to the foreground, but Allon has now taken center stage again. In this way and others, Silva's latest feels like a throwback to some of the earlier books in the series as well as to spy novels of the Cold War era. This is not the product of a lack of creativity on Silva's part but rather a reflection of current events. Russia is the adversary here, and Allon and his team must find the one woman who can reveal the identity of a mole who has reached the highest echelons of Britain's MI6. The search will take Allon deep into the past, into the secret heart of one of the 20th century's greatest intelligence scandals. Silva's work has always had a political edge, and his storytelling has only grown more biting recently. Although he doesn't name the current American leader, he does mention "a presidential tryst with an adult film star" as well as that president's strange fondness for Vladimir Putin. Silva depicts a world in which communist true believers are dying out while far-right populists around the world look to the New Russia as a triumph of hard-line nationalism. The alliances that have sustained Western democracies are fraying, and Europe is preparing for a future in which the United States is no longer a reliable friend, nor a superpower. Silva's work is always riveting, but this summer blockbuster isn't exactly an escapeespecially for readers who stick around for the author's note at the end. Although the Gabriel Allon novels are interrelated, Silva is adept at crafting narratives that can stand alone. This thriller will satisfy the author's fans while it will also appeal to those who appreciate past masters of the genre like John le Carr and Graham Greene.Gripping as always and grimly realistic. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
