The cellist A novel

Viktor Orlov is a wealthy Russian in exile in London, where he fights against corruption in the Russian government. Despite extraordinary security precautions, Orlov is found dead in his mansion, the documents in front of him contaminated with a deadly nerve agent. Police believe that a woman who worked for Orlov was, in fact, an assassin working for the Kremlin. Gabriel Allon believes otherwise and sets out to find the truth. This fast-paced thriller moves among Zurich, Tel Aviv, Paris, Amsterdam, and London, with a multitude of characters involved in the espionage. Adding significance to this narrative is the timetable for this adventure: it takes place during the worldwide COVID-19 shutdown. Narrator Edoardo Ballerini skillfully performs a variety of accents, speaking at a fast pace that requires full attention from listeners. VERDICT Although this is the 21st of Silva's spy novels featuring the assassin/art restorer Gabriel Allon (after The Order), the story can stand alone. Established fans will enjoy recognizing characters from previous mysteries, but the plot and characters are amply developed to satisfy those just starting out with the series.--Ann Weber, Bellarmine Coll. Prep., San Jose, CA

Gabriel Allon goes after the deadliest weapon at the Russian president's disposal--his money. When CIA agent--turned--art dealer Sarah Bancroft finds the dead body of Viktor Orlov, a wealthy newspaper publisher and Russian dissident, the grim discovery leads Gabriel Allon, the head of Israel's intelligence service, to a treasure trove of documents detailing massive financial crimes. Once he tracks down the woman who leaked these documents, Gabriel may finally have the tools he needs to take down the autocrat in the Kremlin. "A nuclear bomb can only be dropped once. But money can be wielded every day with no fallout and no threat of mutually assured destruction." This bit of wisdom comes from a Russian operative Gabriel captured in The Other Woman (2018), and Silva makes a persuasive case that the best way to neutralize the threat of troll farms and disinformation campaigns is to starve these operations of cash. But this is a thriller, not an essay in Foreign Policy. It turns out that money laundering isn't inherently exciting, and Silva does little to make it so. Identifying the shadowy figure who manages the Russian president's fortune is easy, as is infiltrating his world. All the characters in this universe are types, but most of them are crafted with verisimilitude sufficient to keep the reader engaged. The titular cellist, Isabel Brenner, is a beautiful blond blank. It's not at all clear why she makes the transition from functionary at a dirty bank to amateur spy willing to risk her life to ruin oligarchs. In previous novels, Silva wove in chapters written from the points of view of the bad guys. This technique creates dramatic irony, and it has given us some truly terrific villains--horrifying sadists and gleeful monsters of corruption who make excellent foils for the nearly superhuman Gabriel. Past installments have also given Gabriel's team more to do, and it's impossible not to miss them and their spycraft. As attuned as always to current geopolitical concerns, but substantially less compelling than Silva's previous novels. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.