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Gabriel Allon #10
The Rembrandt Affair
Two families, one terrible secret, and a painting to die for ...
Determined to sever his ties with the Office, Gabriel Allon has retreated to the windswept cliffs of Cornwall with his beautiful Venetian-born wife Chiara. But once again his seclusion is interrupted by a visitor from his tangled past: the endearingly eccentric London art dealer, Julian Isherwood. As usual, Isherwood has a problem. And it is one only Gabriel can solve.
In the ancient English city of Glastonbury, an art restorer has been brutally murdered and a long-lost portrait by Rembrandt mysteriously stolen. Despite his reluctance, Gabriel is persuaded to use his unique skills to search for the painting and those responsible for the crime. But as he painstakingly follows a trail of clues leading from Amsterdam to Buenos Aires and, finally, to a villa on the graceful shores of Lake Geneva, Gabriel discovers there are deadly secrets connected to the painting. And evil men behind them.
Before he is done, Gabriel will once again be drawn into a world he thought he had left behind forever, and will come face to face with a remarkable cast of characters: a glamorous London journalist who is determined to undo the worst mistake of her career, an elusive master art thief who is burdened by a conscience, and a powerful Swiss billionaire who is known for his good deeds but may just be behind one of the greatest threats facing the world.
Determined to sever his ties with the Office, Gabriel Allon has retreated to the windswept cliffs of Cornwall with his beautiful Venetian-born wife Chiara. But once again his seclusion is interrupted by a visitor from his tangled past: the endearingly eccentric London art dealer, Julian Isherwood. As usual, Isherwood has a problem. And it is one only Gabriel can solve.
In the ancient English city of Glastonbury, an art restorer has been brutally murdered and a long-lost portrait by Rembrandt mysteriously stolen. Despite his reluctance, Gabriel is persuaded to use his unique skills to search for the painting and those responsible for the crime. But as he painstakingly follows a trail of clues leading from Amsterdam to Buenos Aires and, finally, to a villa on the graceful shores of Lake Geneva, Gabriel discovers there are deadly secrets connected to the painting. And evil men behind them.
Before he is done, Gabriel will once again be drawn into a world he thought he had left behind forever, and will come face to face with a remarkable cast of characters: a glamorous London journalist who is determined to undo the worst mistake of her career, an elusive master art thief who is burdened by a conscience, and a powerful Swiss billionaire who is known for his good deeds but may just be behind one of the greatest threats facing the world.
Paperback
First published July 20, 2010
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About the author
Daniel Silva
192 books9,532 followersDaniel Silva was born in Michigan in 1960 and raised in California where he received his BA from Fresno State. Silva began his writing career as a journalist for United Press International (UPI), traveling in the Middle East and covering the Iran-Iraq war, terrorism and political conflicts. From UPI he moved to CNN, where he eventually became executive producer of its Washington-based public policy programming. In 1994 he began work on his first novel, The Unlikely Spy, a surprise best seller that won critical acclaim. He turned to writing full time in 1997 and all of his books have been New York Times/national best sellers, translated into 25 languages and published across Europe and the world. He lives in Washington, D.C.
Series:
* Michael Osbourne
* Gabriel Allon
Series:
* Michael Osbourne
* Gabriel Allon
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,702 reviews
December 13, 2019
“Time was his most implacable foe.” (3.5 stars)
There is nothing spectacular about “The Rembrandt Affair” but I enjoyed it a bit more than the last couple of books I have read in Mr. Silva’s Gabriel Allon series. Taking this novel for what it is, and getting past a few eye-rolling moments and some bits of lazy writing, this is one of the better efforts of the last 4 novels in Mr. Silva’s Allon series. The plot is slightly less serious and I guess I was just in the right mood for this kind of tale.
This novel takes place during the Obama presidency and Mr. Silva takes more than a few swipes at that administration’s foreign policy. Frankly, they proved to be accurate criticisms. He is especially unrelenting on their Iran policy, which plays into the text’s plot.
The final chapters of this book give the reader a glimpse into Gabriel’s world if he was purely an artist. A focus on gallery openings and some of the more public aspects of the art world, which we rarely see the series’ protagonist engage in.
I also enjoyed the novel’s ending; a positive imagining into what I hope is one day the real world conclusion to the Iranian regime’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“The Rembrandt Affair” blends a little action, a little history, a little bit of real world politics and some good characters into a nice mix that makes for an enjoyable read.
A note, I would not read this series out of order, as the texts do build on each other.
On to the next in the adventures of Gabriel Allon!
There is nothing spectacular about “The Rembrandt Affair” but I enjoyed it a bit more than the last couple of books I have read in Mr. Silva’s Gabriel Allon series. Taking this novel for what it is, and getting past a few eye-rolling moments and some bits of lazy writing, this is one of the better efforts of the last 4 novels in Mr. Silva’s Allon series. The plot is slightly less serious and I guess I was just in the right mood for this kind of tale.
This novel takes place during the Obama presidency and Mr. Silva takes more than a few swipes at that administration’s foreign policy. Frankly, they proved to be accurate criticisms. He is especially unrelenting on their Iran policy, which plays into the text’s plot.
The final chapters of this book give the reader a glimpse into Gabriel’s world if he was purely an artist. A focus on gallery openings and some of the more public aspects of the art world, which we rarely see the series’ protagonist engage in.
I also enjoyed the novel’s ending; a positive imagining into what I hope is one day the real world conclusion to the Iranian regime’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“The Rembrandt Affair” blends a little action, a little history, a little bit of real world politics and some good characters into a nice mix that makes for an enjoyable read.
A note, I would not read this series out of order, as the texts do build on each other.
On to the next in the adventures of Gabriel Allon!
July 23, 2010
I've read every single Gabriel Allon book and The Rembrandt Affair (or as I call it "Gabriel Runs an Errand") is no exception. I read the entire book in the store and I'm now elated I didn't bother buying it. The plot moves along steadily enough and like most Allon books, this one WILL have you turning pages to the end. However, this book felt WAYh more formulaic than the previous ones and I feel that Silva has lost interest in these characters and just popping them out for profit.
Here is the formula for the last 5 books:
1) Gabriel is in hiding after the horrors of his last novel (this time because his wife and him were almost murdered by a Russian psychopath)
2) Something happens in the real world that relates to Gabriel in the most subtle of ways
3) Gabriel doesn't want to go back... but is helped by Shamron.
4) The team (Rimona, Dina, Mikhail, etc) gets together, surveils, and goes in for the kill but OMG they're captured.
5) They barely get out thanks to some last minute heroics by Israel's finest.
*) Uzi Navot complaining that Gabriel is one of the cool kids but he aint. (Insert anywhere)
Don't get me wrong, this is a great formula and has kept me up late on many nights. But this time, I could care less about steps 4 and 5 because the danger felt so contrived.
One of the guilty pleasures of these books is that Villains always get their comeuppance via Gabrielle's skill with a handgun in the last chapters of the book. However, this time the villain is forced to become an intelligence asset.
Daniel Silva has chops as a writer of page-turners but this was seriously wanting. The "Man-behind-the-Man" trope was done with Iran's nuclear program instead of the traditional Nazi or Palestinian. I sincerely hope that Silva can recapture the original magic of the Israeli spy/art restorer, but I wont hold my breath.
Here is the formula for the last 5 books:
1) Gabriel is in hiding after the horrors of his last novel (this time because his wife and him were almost murdered by a Russian psychopath)
2) Something happens in the real world that relates to Gabriel in the most subtle of ways
3) Gabriel doesn't want to go back... but is helped by Shamron.
4) The team (Rimona, Dina, Mikhail, etc) gets together, surveils, and goes in for the kill but OMG they're captured.
5) They barely get out thanks to some last minute heroics by Israel's finest.
*) Uzi Navot complaining that Gabriel is one of the cool kids but he aint. (Insert anywhere)
Don't get me wrong, this is a great formula and has kept me up late on many nights. But this time, I could care less about steps 4 and 5 because the danger felt so contrived.
One of the guilty pleasures of these books is that Villains always get their comeuppance via Gabrielle's skill with a handgun in the last chapters of the book. However, this time the villain is forced to become an intelligence asset.
Daniel Silva has chops as a writer of page-turners but this was seriously wanting. The "Man-behind-the-Man" trope was done with Iran's nuclear program instead of the traditional Nazi or Palestinian. I sincerely hope that Silva can recapture the original magic of the Israeli spy/art restorer, but I wont hold my breath.
August 28, 2012
I really, really enjoyed reading this book. Gabriel Allon's character gets better with each book in the series and of course it is always fun to read about his lovely wife Chiara (who "ate in the same manner in which she made love, slowly and by the flickering glow of candles" - best line ever! hilarious). But actually the thing I do love about Daniel Silva's books is that in addition to being entertaining, fast-paced spy-ish books (which I so love to read at the end of a long day) - they are really well researched and full of interesting nuggets of real information. In this case it was fascinating to read about art looted from holocaust victims and their families by the Nazis and the bankers who enabled such things. I loved the tender descriptions of the beautiful (in real life non-existent) Rembrandt painting which the story centers around. And I love how Silva writes about how art has the power to heal people. Yes, at a few points I even found myself shedding some tears (not during the fight scenes, fyi).
All in all, highly entertaining and satisfying book (and series!)
All in all, highly entertaining and satisfying book (and series!)
May 10, 2019
The Rembrandt Affair is another entertaining entry in the Gabriel Allon series. It follows the same formula as the previous books but there a few beats that are different. The most notable ones beingThe place where Gabriel starts from and where he ends up at, the effects of the incidents from the previous book on the characters as well as the ending - which was surprisingly pragmatic.
July 4, 2010
This was my first Daniel Silva novel and I have totally been missing out! In case you are also in this boat, don't feel like you have to catch up--I followed the action in this book very well.
Gabriel Allon is an art restorer/expert assassin. He's retired (from killing), though, and looks forward to a peaceful retirement with his wife.
Of course, things don't go according to plan. He's recruited to help find a stolen Rembrandt painting, and all hell breaks loose.
At first I thought this might be a fun, Thomas Crown-style book, but it really isn't. It's got international intrigue and politics and really scary people (there's a big Holocaust subplot). It's a thick book (476 pages, not counting the author's note) but it reads like a beach novel.
Definitely recommended.
Gabriel Allon is an art restorer/expert assassin. He's retired (from killing), though, and looks forward to a peaceful retirement with his wife.
Of course, things don't go according to plan. He's recruited to help find a stolen Rembrandt painting, and all hell breaks loose.
At first I thought this might be a fun, Thomas Crown-style book, but it really isn't. It's got international intrigue and politics and really scary people (there's a big Holocaust subplot). It's a thick book (476 pages, not counting the author's note) but it reads like a beach novel.
Definitely recommended.
September 5, 2016
This is the first book of the Gabriel Allon series that I have read--and it was quite a ride. It starts out a bit slow. Gabriel Allon is a first-class art restorer, and he is asked to help find a stolen painting. Allon says that in order to find where a piece of stolen art is going, it is usually worthwhile to find where it has been. So, he looks into the history of the painting, and finds out that it was stolen by the Nazis during World War II.
As it turns out, Gabriel Allon is not only an art restorer. He is also a retired secret agent and assassin for the Israeli secret service. He tries to get some of his pals in the secret service to help him recover the painting. Initially, this is difficult, but--the painting is more important, much more important than it would seem at first glance.
The plot twists and turns many times. The ending--I won't reveal any spoilers here--is quite unpredictable. I enjoy novels that are unpredictable, and this one certainly fits the bill. I enjoyed the book from beginning to end.
As it turns out, Gabriel Allon is not only an art restorer. He is also a retired secret agent and assassin for the Israeli secret service. He tries to get some of his pals in the secret service to help him recover the painting. Initially, this is difficult, but--the painting is more important, much more important than it would seem at first glance.
The plot twists and turns many times. The ending--I won't reveal any spoilers here--is quite unpredictable. I enjoy novels that are unpredictable, and this one certainly fits the bill. I enjoyed the book from beginning to end.
December 14, 2019
‘The only thing more secretive than a Swiss bank is a Swiss art gallery.’
Always good to catch up with a Gabriel Allon, Israeli masterspy / art restorer thriller, and this one revolves around an “unknown” painting of Rembrandt of his mistress (Hendrickje Stoffels), to round off my trifecta of Dutch art of the golden age (Girl With A Pearl Earring, The Last Painting of Sara de Vos).
Gabriel and Chiarra are (allegedly) retired and living in Cornwall when he learns thorough London art dealer Julian Isherwood, of the murder of another restorer, Christopher Liddell, at Glastonbury, and the disappearance of the Rembrandt. Armed with only a few photographs and notes from the art restorer Gabriel sets out on a journey starting in Amsterdam to trace the painting through its provenance: sold to cover the artist’s debts, acquired by a diamond merchant, seized by the Nazi’s and placed in safe keeping. It is a painting that has held its secrets and led to several deaths before that of the unfortunate restorer, as the man charged with acquiring it for a wealthy businessman is about to find out.
It was the south that produced the finest wines in France and, in Durand’s estimation, its best thieves as well. Nowhere was that more true than the ancient port of Marseilles…
When the trail shifts to Argentina a shadowy organization moves in, with Gabriel and Chiarra narrowly escaping with their lives, and in need of extraction. The full crew from the “Office” is here, with their customary allies in intelligence, working out of a base in London to set up a high-tech surveillance operation, an “insider” recruited and trained, the proceedings watched over as ever by the aging Ari Shamron.
He had begun his career in a building with few amenities other than electricity and running water. The grandness of Britain’s intelligence monuments always amused him. Money spent on pretty buildings and nice furniture, Shamron always said, was money that couldn’t be spent on stealing secrets…
Top marks for an engaging story, excellent characterisations, an underlying wit balancing the tragic victims of the Nazi holocaust, with another deadly regime rising to take its place.
Always good to catch up with a Gabriel Allon, Israeli masterspy / art restorer thriller, and this one revolves around an “unknown” painting of Rembrandt of his mistress (Hendrickje Stoffels), to round off my trifecta of Dutch art of the golden age (Girl With A Pearl Earring, The Last Painting of Sara de Vos).
Gabriel and Chiarra are (allegedly) retired and living in Cornwall when he learns thorough London art dealer Julian Isherwood, of the murder of another restorer, Christopher Liddell, at Glastonbury, and the disappearance of the Rembrandt. Armed with only a few photographs and notes from the art restorer Gabriel sets out on a journey starting in Amsterdam to trace the painting through its provenance: sold to cover the artist’s debts, acquired by a diamond merchant, seized by the Nazi’s and placed in safe keeping. It is a painting that has held its secrets and led to several deaths before that of the unfortunate restorer, as the man charged with acquiring it for a wealthy businessman is about to find out.
It was the south that produced the finest wines in France and, in Durand’s estimation, its best thieves as well. Nowhere was that more true than the ancient port of Marseilles…
When the trail shifts to Argentina a shadowy organization moves in, with Gabriel and Chiarra narrowly escaping with their lives, and in need of extraction. The full crew from the “Office” is here, with their customary allies in intelligence, working out of a base in London to set up a high-tech surveillance operation, an “insider” recruited and trained, the proceedings watched over as ever by the aging Ari Shamron.
He had begun his career in a building with few amenities other than electricity and running water. The grandness of Britain’s intelligence monuments always amused him. Money spent on pretty buildings and nice furniture, Shamron always said, was money that couldn’t be spent on stealing secrets…
Top marks for an engaging story, excellent characterisations, an underlying wit balancing the tragic victims of the Nazi holocaust, with another deadly regime rising to take its place.
July 29, 2010
I have had a nice run of finding really good novels to read and post on this summer. The Rembrandt Affair is like holding 480 pages of energy in your hand. It was an awesome read for many reasons. Daniel Silva has crafted another fine piece of work, but as many of his fans have commented on already, you were waiting impatiently for this novel and expected nothing less to be delivered. I was surprised by the size of the novel but he used every page and every word to the reader’s advantage.
The Rembrandt Affair starts out simply and then picks up the pace as we think we can see how the plotline is unfolding. Guess again. Silva shifts gears and directions in a way that makes it very hard to put this novel down. My best advice, don’t have much to do when you crack this open. This is a piece from the jacket that will give you a little flav of what is contained in pages of the novel: ” Before he is done, Gabriel will once again be drawn into a world he thought he had left behind forever, and will come face-to-face with a remarkable cast of characters: a glamorous London journalist who is determined to undo the worst mistake of her career, an elusive master art thief who is burdened by a conscience, and a powerful Swiss billionaire who is known for his good deeds but may just be behind one of the greatest threats facing the world. It is a timely reminder that there are men in the world who will do anything for money.”
I think women will do anything for money also, but that may be just my opinion, but I digress. Daniel Silva hits another home run with The Rembrandt Affair. The novel is heavy at 480 pages of fun, but don’t take it lightly, this hits the mark and then some .Gabriel is back in the saddle doing what he does best. Silva presents us with another novel that has been crafted with all the right elements and does not feel that he just followed a recipe. Instead this read is fresh, unnerving, and original. Does anybody expect any less from a writer of this caliber? What is your favorite Daniel Silva Novel?
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Facebook. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Book Blogs, and also look for our posts on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and the Bucks County Library System. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; we will see you tomorrow. Have a great day.
The Rembrandt Affair starts out simply and then picks up the pace as we think we can see how the plotline is unfolding. Guess again. Silva shifts gears and directions in a way that makes it very hard to put this novel down. My best advice, don’t have much to do when you crack this open. This is a piece from the jacket that will give you a little flav of what is contained in pages of the novel: ” Before he is done, Gabriel will once again be drawn into a world he thought he had left behind forever, and will come face-to-face with a remarkable cast of characters: a glamorous London journalist who is determined to undo the worst mistake of her career, an elusive master art thief who is burdened by a conscience, and a powerful Swiss billionaire who is known for his good deeds but may just be behind one of the greatest threats facing the world. It is a timely reminder that there are men in the world who will do anything for money.”
I think women will do anything for money also, but that may be just my opinion, but I digress. Daniel Silva hits another home run with The Rembrandt Affair. The novel is heavy at 480 pages of fun, but don’t take it lightly, this hits the mark and then some .Gabriel is back in the saddle doing what he does best. Silva presents us with another novel that has been crafted with all the right elements and does not feel that he just followed a recipe. Instead this read is fresh, unnerving, and original. Does anybody expect any less from a writer of this caliber? What is your favorite Daniel Silva Novel?
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Facebook. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Book Blogs, and also look for our posts on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and the Bucks County Library System. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; we will see you tomorrow. Have a great day.
November 9, 2018
Enter a Rembrandt painting that is being restored and its restorer gets killed when the painting gets taken.
Gabriel Allon and his gorgeous wife Chiara are staying in England somewhere under the radar living their lives outside of the Intelligence world. However Gabriel being a talented restorer himself the person responsible for the Rembrandt painting asks Gabriel to look into the theft.
We find that once Gabriel starts hi investigation that the sins of our forefathers will feature majorly in the story. The seed of this story lays within the art theft of the Nazis in Europe during the second World-war, the thefts of the property of the persecution of the Jews during WWII will be the spark that lights the story. The role of the Swiss banks and their enrichment after the war when the thieves never came back for the spoils is another feeding ground for events that do take place in our times.
Another well written story in the Allon series that rightfully shines a light upon a dark chapter in the history of WWII the organised robbery and murder of the Jewish people under the Nazi government. Which to this day is an issue that still is not resolved and an actual problem. Which certain people would gladly see going away because it is old history anyway. It should not be so because this dark chapter should never be forgotten of closed as a chapter in a book.
A great book that takes an interesting and dark subject and uses it in a well written spy novel and gives it the attention it does deserve.
Well worth you time and you might look into the robbery of art by the Nazis as it is an fascinating subject with some brilliant books written about it and prepare to be flabbergasted at what you will read and you will find out what greed and stupidity can lead to. And how so much has been lost to the whole of humanity.
Gabriel Allon and his gorgeous wife Chiara are staying in England somewhere under the radar living their lives outside of the Intelligence world. However Gabriel being a talented restorer himself the person responsible for the Rembrandt painting asks Gabriel to look into the theft.
We find that once Gabriel starts hi investigation that the sins of our forefathers will feature majorly in the story. The seed of this story lays within the art theft of the Nazis in Europe during the second World-war, the thefts of the property of the persecution of the Jews during WWII will be the spark that lights the story. The role of the Swiss banks and their enrichment after the war when the thieves never came back for the spoils is another feeding ground for events that do take place in our times.
Another well written story in the Allon series that rightfully shines a light upon a dark chapter in the history of WWII the organised robbery and murder of the Jewish people under the Nazi government. Which to this day is an issue that still is not resolved and an actual problem. Which certain people would gladly see going away because it is old history anyway. It should not be so because this dark chapter should never be forgotten of closed as a chapter in a book.
A great book that takes an interesting and dark subject and uses it in a well written spy novel and gives it the attention it does deserve.
Well worth you time and you might look into the robbery of art by the Nazis as it is an fascinating subject with some brilliant books written about it and prepare to be flabbergasted at what you will read and you will find out what greed and stupidity can lead to. And how so much has been lost to the whole of humanity.
September 11, 2018
Installment number 10 - this one - sat well with me, fully meeting my needs for entertaining (and not terribly taxing) airplane-train-and-hotel reading (particularly when jet lagged). To the extent I've made it through number 10 in the series - oooh, as of right now, am I really more than halfway to being caught up? (to the extent that Silva and his protagonist Gabriel Allon are only up to number 18 in the series) - I guess that means I'm still enjoying Silva's output....
While this book/installment seems the most out of character in the series - our hero gets dragged into action from a far less conventional direction than we're used to - it's nice to see that, basically, the whole gang is back (including the home team (Team Barak/Lightning), Allon's ever expanding domestic circle, as well as Allon's not-so-rag-tag international friends and family plan).
Bonus points (for blind luck or kismet) in that much of the late action (and a sprinkling of early scenes) takes place in Geneva and, well, it just so happens I'm working in Geneva this week ... so I've passed through the airport and walked (and even biked) past some of the landmarks (real or invented, although, of course, it's much harder to spot the fictional landmarks that ... um ... well ... aren't really there)....
For my money and (particularly) travel time, the series is a winner, and I plan to keep reading.
While this book/installment seems the most out of character in the series - our hero gets dragged into action from a far less conventional direction than we're used to - it's nice to see that, basically, the whole gang is back (including the home team (Team Barak/Lightning), Allon's ever expanding domestic circle, as well as Allon's not-so-rag-tag international friends and family plan).
Bonus points (for blind luck or kismet) in that much of the late action (and a sprinkling of early scenes) takes place in Geneva and, well, it just so happens I'm working in Geneva this week ... so I've passed through the airport and walked (and even biked) past some of the landmarks (real or invented, although, of course, it's much harder to spot the fictional landmarks that ... um ... well ... aren't really there)....
For my money and (particularly) travel time, the series is a winner, and I plan to keep reading.
October 25, 2025
4 Stars. An international chase and it's a good one. It opens with an art restorer working on a masterpiece which we later learn is Rembrandt's portrait of his mistress. The restorer, a leader in the field, is murdered and the painting stolen. His client, London art dealer Julian Isherwood is panic stricken. Who can get it back? Gabriel Allon of course. Gabriel and his new wife Chiara have retired to the beautiful and very quiet Cornwall coast. He no longer wants to be involved in the spy business as an agent for Israel or anyone else! But Isherwood knows what buttons to push and we're off to the races - The Netherlands, Argentina, Israel, and Switzerland. Gabriel has a rule when it comes to trying to find a lost painting - follow its provenance. Who owned it and how did it change hands? That's what he does. As a reader, I find learning moments in every good novel; this time it was the quote by Honore de Balzac: "Behind every great fortune there is a crime." Think about that. It's also about the holocaust, six million murders of Jews and others by the Nazis, and art stolen from Jewish families still being sought decades after the original thefts. (Oc2018/Oc2025)
August 5, 2010
After reading The Defector, I didn't think Silva could get any better, but I think he did just that with The Rembrandt Affair. It's so smooth! He keeps things popping and exciting, and shares a wealth of research. I envy all the globetrotting he did to prepare himself to write this story.
It's been a while since I read a thriller that got my heart racing so hard that I was afraid to continue and see what would happen next. This book did that to me several times. Gabriel Allon is getting a little gray and wrinkly. Still, I can't wait to read about his next assignment.
It's been a while since I read a thriller that got my heart racing so hard that I was afraid to continue and see what would happen next. This book did that to me several times. Gabriel Allon is getting a little gray and wrinkly. Still, I can't wait to read about his next assignment.
July 23, 2015
Second half MUCH BETTER than the first. Author Silva gets too wrapped up in the holocaust that adds little to the intelligence thriller and in fact distracts from the main plot. 7 of 10 stars
October 6, 2017
"Though the stranger did not know it, two disparate series of events were by that night already conspiring to lure him back onto the field of battle. One was being played out behind the locked doors of the world’s secret intelligence services while the other was the subject of a global media frenzy."
Of course the 'stranger' is Gabriel Allon - Art Restorer and sometimes an Israeli Spy and Assassin. He is coaxed out of retirement to find a stolen Rembrandt. A painting that has cost so much blood.
And the rest? I can't say without spoilers to either of the novel's two plots.
I will say - hang on to to your seats because Silva takes the readers on a fast paced roller-coaster ride full of twists and turns as he builds suspense.
Of course the 'stranger' is Gabriel Allon - Art Restorer and sometimes an Israeli Spy and Assassin. He is coaxed out of retirement to find a stolen Rembrandt. A painting that has cost so much blood.
And the rest? I can't say without spoilers to either of the novel's two plots.
I will say - hang on to to your seats because Silva takes the readers on a fast paced roller-coaster ride full of twists and turns as he builds suspense.
January 19, 2011
Daniel Silva is an experienced best-selling author. He deserves his place on the NY Times list. His latest novel is a fascinating blend of lust, international espionage, art theft and sale, and murder. It is well-written, well-paced and almost insidiously compelling. It’s also long.
Silva has peopled his thriller with a remarkable cast of characters, including a towering Swiss philanthropist, a raffish cast of thieves and murderers who are on the side of the angels, a master logician who is also a stone killer, an art restorer of great skill and several others of questionable yet important morals. Over all hangs the image of one of the greatest of European artists, Dutch painter Rembrandt von Rijin. He lived and prospered during the golden era of Dutch painting and died in 1669. His paintings are worth millions.
When a small portrait of a young woman mysteriously appears in the art world, knowing viewers immediately recognize it as the work of the great Dutch Master. But knowing and proving are quite different things. In the art world, provenance is everything. Where has this painting been for perhaps hundreds of years?
Answering that all-important question brings together a London art dealer and master restorer and art expert, and master spy, Gabriel Allon. That connection sets off a wild chase though high and low social levels of Britain and Europe in a taut novel fraught with unexpected turns, unusual characters and sometimes off-the-wall events.
It all adds up to a dandy novel that will satisfy the most discriminating thriller readers.
Silva has peopled his thriller with a remarkable cast of characters, including a towering Swiss philanthropist, a raffish cast of thieves and murderers who are on the side of the angels, a master logician who is also a stone killer, an art restorer of great skill and several others of questionable yet important morals. Over all hangs the image of one of the greatest of European artists, Dutch painter Rembrandt von Rijin. He lived and prospered during the golden era of Dutch painting and died in 1669. His paintings are worth millions.
When a small portrait of a young woman mysteriously appears in the art world, knowing viewers immediately recognize it as the work of the great Dutch Master. But knowing and proving are quite different things. In the art world, provenance is everything. Where has this painting been for perhaps hundreds of years?
Answering that all-important question brings together a London art dealer and master restorer and art expert, and master spy, Gabriel Allon. That connection sets off a wild chase though high and low social levels of Britain and Europe in a taut novel fraught with unexpected turns, unusual characters and sometimes off-the-wall events.
It all adds up to a dandy novel that will satisfy the most discriminating thriller readers.
January 26, 2015
3 Stars for my first Silva, The Rembrandt Affair kept me interested but it wasn't all that exciting. Connecting a painting seized in the Holocaust to the Iranian nuclear program was a bit of a stretch. I may need to go back to the first Gabriel Allon books to get a better feel for the characters. Not bad.
October 28, 2011
I have read all Gabriel Allon's books and have enjoyed them...but The Rembrandt Affair I struggled to finish it.
Slow, very little dialogue.
I think that the writer has become bored with this character.
I missed the sparkle in the previous books
Slow, very little dialogue.
I think that the writer has become bored with this character.
I missed the sparkle in the previous books
March 20, 2019
The stranger has returned.
An art restorer has been murdered, and painting is missing. Gabriel Allon and his team must find the lost painting whose previous owners were holocaust victims and Nazi war criminal. The first part of the book was exciting to read when Gabriel Allon and Chiara investigate the lost painting. The second part story on billionaire man named Martin Landesmann who is an art collector, also interested in the missing painting and sells a nuclear component to Iran, was a bit formulaic as Silva use the same formula on most of his book; recruit an agent or in this, a journalist to infiltrate and spy on him. When everything goes wrong in the operation, at the ends Gabriel Allon saves the day. I enjoyed reading it even though it was formulaic.
I hope Silva takes some different approach and comes with a unique story in his next book.
An art restorer has been murdered, and painting is missing. Gabriel Allon and his team must find the lost painting whose previous owners were holocaust victims and Nazi war criminal. The first part of the book was exciting to read when Gabriel Allon and Chiara investigate the lost painting. The second part story on billionaire man named Martin Landesmann who is an art collector, also interested in the missing painting and sells a nuclear component to Iran, was a bit formulaic as Silva use the same formula on most of his book; recruit an agent or in this, a journalist to infiltrate and spy on him. When everything goes wrong in the operation, at the ends Gabriel Allon saves the day. I enjoyed reading it even though it was formulaic.
I hope Silva takes some different approach and comes with a unique story in his next book.
September 7, 2020
At times Silva forgets that his readers have memory. There are so many times he "defines" the same character by his profession or reputation that it just seems sloppy or patronizing (reader's choice)
November 15, 2022
Audiobook. 5 stars book and narration by Phil Gigante.
One of my two favorites in this series.
One of my two favorites in this series.
February 15, 2023
My first Daniel Silva / Gabriel Allon book. It was so good I went back to the beginning and have read them all and looking forward to the latest to be released in July 2023.
August 1, 2010
The best writer of international intrigue has done it again. "The Rembrandt Affair" is a masterful redirection of a character and story line following the wonderful tandem offering of "Moscow Rules" and "The Defector." Daniel Silva has spun a completely different web of a story by going back to Gabriel Allon, his central character's, essence -- artist and Holocaust avenger.
After the powerful "Moscow Rules" and "The Defector," I passed Silva the mantel of modern-day Robert Ludlum, I am now prepared to add John Le Carre and Graham Greene as worthy progenitors, as well.
Gabriel Allon's cover for the Israelis Covert Intelligence Office has been that of art restorer. "The Rembrandt Affair" sees Gabriel as "art restorer" on both the physical and psychological level. The search for a medieval masterpiece brings him to the center of the flywheel of today's global threat: religious terrorism leavened with capitalist greed.
After reading the book, please reflect on the Author's Note at the end. Have we brought our world to the point where the real is fiction and the fiction is all too real. Fact: Against international sanctions, Germany, who brought us the last Holocaust is the major provider of nuclear capability to Iran, who is set on bringing us the next.
Powerful read.
After the powerful "Moscow Rules" and "The Defector," I passed Silva the mantel of modern-day Robert Ludlum, I am now prepared to add John Le Carre and Graham Greene as worthy progenitors, as well.
Gabriel Allon's cover for the Israelis Covert Intelligence Office has been that of art restorer. "The Rembrandt Affair" sees Gabriel as "art restorer" on both the physical and psychological level. The search for a medieval masterpiece brings him to the center of the flywheel of today's global threat: religious terrorism leavened with capitalist greed.
After reading the book, please reflect on the Author's Note at the end. Have we brought our world to the point where the real is fiction and the fiction is all too real. Fact: Against international sanctions, Germany, who brought us the last Holocaust is the major provider of nuclear capability to Iran, who is set on bringing us the next.
Powerful read.
December 30, 2010
The good news is that Silva's plot and style are both smooth and entrancing. The bad news is that his handedness is very uneven, blatantly labeling Israelis as heroic and Americans, British and other Europeans as either complicit or bumbling. Unfortunate as well is his characterization of Iran as a pocket of evil that will probably have to be expunged to save the heroic and eternally persecuted Israelis.
It's ironic that the idea that "the enterprise of the State of Israel" as a sanctuary for and by members of one mythology, never held to account for its actions, was a bad idea from the get-go, never occurred to me until Silva's not-so-subtle idealization of Israel got stuck in my throat.
I also can't help but feel some empathy for Iran in its alleged pursuit of nuclear weapon capability; they are surrounded now by the world's most powerful military force (as occupiers of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq), and nuclear Israel on the remaining section. Silva refers often to Iran's sabre-rattling rhetoric regarding Israel, but never to Israel's constant promises to bomb Iran's alleged nuclear labs and military installations to smithereens.
The bottom line? If one is educated about the actual Middle East situation and thus armed against Silva's obvious political agenda, this can be an enjoyable book.
It's ironic that the idea that "the enterprise of the State of Israel" as a sanctuary for and by members of one mythology, never held to account for its actions, was a bad idea from the get-go, never occurred to me until Silva's not-so-subtle idealization of Israel got stuck in my throat.
I also can't help but feel some empathy for Iran in its alleged pursuit of nuclear weapon capability; they are surrounded now by the world's most powerful military force (as occupiers of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq), and nuclear Israel on the remaining section. Silva refers often to Iran's sabre-rattling rhetoric regarding Israel, but never to Israel's constant promises to bomb Iran's alleged nuclear labs and military installations to smithereens.
The bottom line? If one is educated about the actual Middle East situation and thus armed against Silva's obvious political agenda, this can be an enjoyable book.
December 14, 2011
Mais uma vez Daniel Silva brinda-nos com um excelente romance policial tendo como protagonista Daniel Allon, o restaurador de arte que, apesar de querer afastar-se do departamento é sempre chamado para investigar o caso. Penso que aí, Daniel Silva peca pela repetição do início de cada livro seu, o que pode começar a deixar os seus leitores da saga Allon aborrecidos com a óbvio início de cada aventura.
Refugiado nos penhascos da Cornualha com a sua bela mulher e a chorar o ter perdido o filho que Chiara carregava no ventre fruto da sua última investigação, Gabriel quer tudo menos ser chamado para uma nova investigação. Mas “O retrato de uma jovem” de Rembrandt há muito dado como desaparecido é misteriosamente roubado de casa de uma crítico de arte, que é barbaramente assassinado convence o restaurador de arte a investigar o crime e a voltar a trabalhar para o departamento.
Quando a investigação se aprofunda, Allon descobre o desaparecimento do quadro esteve relacionado com os crimes da 2.ª Guerra Mundial, envolvendo uma família judia e um nazi que se apoderou dele, contas na Suíça, e o abastecimento de armamento nuclear no Irão.
Com muita acção à mistura, os amantes de policiais e do autor não ficarão desiludidos com mais este volume, como eu também não fiquei. Venha o próximo.
Excerto:
“Às vezes, a melhor maneira de encontrar um quadro é descobrir onde é que ele esteve.”
Refugiado nos penhascos da Cornualha com a sua bela mulher e a chorar o ter perdido o filho que Chiara carregava no ventre fruto da sua última investigação, Gabriel quer tudo menos ser chamado para uma nova investigação. Mas “O retrato de uma jovem” de Rembrandt há muito dado como desaparecido é misteriosamente roubado de casa de uma crítico de arte, que é barbaramente assassinado convence o restaurador de arte a investigar o crime e a voltar a trabalhar para o departamento.
Quando a investigação se aprofunda, Allon descobre o desaparecimento do quadro esteve relacionado com os crimes da 2.ª Guerra Mundial, envolvendo uma família judia e um nazi que se apoderou dele, contas na Suíça, e o abastecimento de armamento nuclear no Irão.
Com muita acção à mistura, os amantes de policiais e do autor não ficarão desiludidos com mais este volume, como eu também não fiquei. Venha o próximo.
Excerto:
“Às vezes, a melhor maneira de encontrar um quadro é descobrir onde é que ele esteve.”
June 19, 2012
Like most of Silva's works, this one belongs at the head of the class. Unlike some of his works, however, this one does not suffer from a thin plot. Rather, it has a decent set of layers to the story. And the cast of regulars continues to be a nice blend of competent and capable and flawed and damaged, starting with Gabriel Allon, the art restorer and occasional (and reluctant) Israeli spy and assassin. In this outing, Allon is on the trail of a story dating back to World War II, brought to his attention by a Rembrandt painting that had been out of circulation since it was stolen by a Nazi during the war. And in tracing the history of the painting, a present-day threat is revealed. Silva is another in the minority of thriller writer who avoids the cheesy and over-the-top plotting and the one-dimensional black-and-white characters that are far too common in the genre. His thrillers read more like literature, and this one is no exception. And while I would give it 4.5 stars if I could (since there is no thing as a perfect book), this one, in particular, deserves to be recognized for being a particularly good outing by a particularly good author, and four stars just don't seem fair. It can be read as a standalone or as the latest in the series (as long as you don't mind some spoiler-ish backstory summaries here and there), and I can't recommend it highly enough. Good stuff.
September 30, 2020
I am new to the spy/espionage genre. Again, to my surprise, I was immediately pulled into the story. Ostensibly revolving around the theft of a masterpiece of Rembrandt's the story ultimately involves victims of the Holocaust, nuclear proliferation, Switzerland's and the Catholic Church's documented collaboration with Nazis, and the off-the-books secret cooperation of modern day governments with known bad actors.
I liked the primary characters. They were fleshed out, flawed, and believable. I expect I will pick up another of this author's tomes again. My first experience was very satisfying.
I liked the primary characters. They were fleshed out, flawed, and believable. I expect I will pick up another of this author's tomes again. My first experience was very satisfying.
February 2, 2011
Love Daniel Silva. Great escape reading and this was one of his best.
May 31, 2015
A good entertainment book.
4* A Death in Vienna
3* The Rembrandt Affair
TR The Kill Artist
TR The Marching Season
4* A Death in Vienna
3* The Rembrandt Affair
TR The Kill Artist
TR The Marching Season
July 21, 2025
Rating: 4.25
As a reader who enjoys variety, I've noticed authors of mystery tend to repeat plots with character series. Detective authors use 'missing person', crime uses violent murder/racism. Silva's Allon series, uses stolen art masterpieces connected to billionaires who money launder. Nearly every operation involves recruitment of the billionaire's girlfriend as the 'key' to unlock his deception. As the saying goes, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it', so use of similar plots becomes the mainstay. But in my humble opinion this adds a high level of predictability which takes away from the 'mystery' component.
Its for this reason I choose literary fiction over mystery; but writing is art and individual tastes vary.
This being one of the earlier books in the series, we find Allon has 'retired' from working at Israeli intelligence to focus on art restoration, a skill he mastered years ago and one that pays well. He's living with his wife, Chiara, in a cabin in Cornwall, UK. When he learns an art collector he knows was murdered and a precious Rembrandt was stolen, Graham Seymour, head of MI5 approaches him for help. Allon is loyal to friends and when horrific acts of violence and stolen masterpieces are involved, he will consult with his friend and former Director of 'The Office' and begin to play chess with the mastermind.
Similar to other plots, we learn that there's a link to Martin Landessman, who's father had ties to the Nazi holocaust. As a result, Martin decided to use the inheritance and build a legitimate empire which included creation of an organization to 'right the wrong'. The press coins the nickname 'Saint Martin' when referring to fund raising events and his empire. We then learn of an exclusive interview done by Zoe Reed, a sexy high powered investigative journalist employed by a British newspaper. Suspicious how she got the interview, Allon makes her a target for the 'cheese 'to bait the mouse.
The cast of characters include the notorious art dealer, Julian Isherwood and others in his stolen art network along with Allon's team of crackerjack spies. As the plot plays out, we learn St. Martin's business empire included acquisition of a Chinese company connected to a nuclear material centrifuge manufacturer raising suspicion. In order to identify the depth of Landessman's network, Allon targets Zoe as the mole and leverages knowledge of their relationship to recruit.
Bit by bit, we learn of the tragedy involved with the stolen Rembrandt and how it was connected to Hitler's genocide and theft. Once Zoe learns Saint Martin is the furthest thing from legit, she's eager to undo the billions he's generating from sneaking nuclear components to Iran.
Operation Masterpiece goes into full swing and not long after, Martin's computer and phone are being tracked while Ms. Reed's involvement pays dividends.
There's no getting around Silva's remarkable research and details is immersive as is his mastery of plot and pacing. My only issue is the repetition of the same plot he's used in nearly every one of the books. I plan to read one more, but will no doubt quit 'while I'm ahead'.
For those who enjoy carefully plotted out spy mysteries, dabs of acerbic humor and premise that involved art masterpieces, you'll enjoy this, rest assured
As a reader who enjoys variety, I've noticed authors of mystery tend to repeat plots with character series. Detective authors use 'missing person', crime uses violent murder/racism. Silva's Allon series, uses stolen art masterpieces connected to billionaires who money launder. Nearly every operation involves recruitment of the billionaire's girlfriend as the 'key' to unlock his deception. As the saying goes, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it', so use of similar plots becomes the mainstay. But in my humble opinion this adds a high level of predictability which takes away from the 'mystery' component.
Its for this reason I choose literary fiction over mystery; but writing is art and individual tastes vary.
This being one of the earlier books in the series, we find Allon has 'retired' from working at Israeli intelligence to focus on art restoration, a skill he mastered years ago and one that pays well. He's living with his wife, Chiara, in a cabin in Cornwall, UK. When he learns an art collector he knows was murdered and a precious Rembrandt was stolen, Graham Seymour, head of MI5 approaches him for help. Allon is loyal to friends and when horrific acts of violence and stolen masterpieces are involved, he will consult with his friend and former Director of 'The Office' and begin to play chess with the mastermind.
Similar to other plots, we learn that there's a link to Martin Landessman, who's father had ties to the Nazi holocaust. As a result, Martin decided to use the inheritance and build a legitimate empire which included creation of an organization to 'right the wrong'. The press coins the nickname 'Saint Martin' when referring to fund raising events and his empire. We then learn of an exclusive interview done by Zoe Reed, a sexy high powered investigative journalist employed by a British newspaper. Suspicious how she got the interview, Allon makes her a target for the 'cheese 'to bait the mouse.
The cast of characters include the notorious art dealer, Julian Isherwood and others in his stolen art network along with Allon's team of crackerjack spies. As the plot plays out, we learn St. Martin's business empire included acquisition of a Chinese company connected to a nuclear material centrifuge manufacturer raising suspicion. In order to identify the depth of Landessman's network, Allon targets Zoe as the mole and leverages knowledge of their relationship to recruit.
Bit by bit, we learn of the tragedy involved with the stolen Rembrandt and how it was connected to Hitler's genocide and theft. Once Zoe learns Saint Martin is the furthest thing from legit, she's eager to undo the billions he's generating from sneaking nuclear components to Iran.
Operation Masterpiece goes into full swing and not long after, Martin's computer and phone are being tracked while Ms. Reed's involvement pays dividends.
There's no getting around Silva's remarkable research and details is immersive as is his mastery of plot and pacing. My only issue is the repetition of the same plot he's used in nearly every one of the books. I plan to read one more, but will no doubt quit 'while I'm ahead'.
For those who enjoy carefully plotted out spy mysteries, dabs of acerbic humor and premise that involved art masterpieces, you'll enjoy this, rest assured
August 15, 2018
Book 10 in the Gabriel Allon Series, The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva, begins with Gabriel back in Cornwall, England by the sea and this time he is with Chiara. They have been released from the Israeli Secret Service, now being run by Uzi Navot from the “Office” on King Saul Boulevard. There is something quite romantic about Cornwall but also simple and rugged that seems appropriate to a man like Gabriel.
The problem with writing a long series of books with basically the same cast of characters is that accommodations must be made for readers who, perhaps, start with Book 10. This means that the author must describe characters that many readers already know, again and again. There are ways to do this but some people who have been with a series from Book 1 begin to find the repetition a bit tedious. However, in writing a series, readers also want the familiar characters to stay basically the same. Silva decides, in this case, to plug in old descriptions, sort of like boiler plates, to make the necessary introductions, or fill-in parts of the backstory. He has used more creative writing solutions to this dilemma in the past.
It took longer than usual to build to the action, but once the ride began, the thrill ride, Gabriel got called back into action, and since the mystery to be solved was about a painting, a Rembrandt, Gabriel and Chiara got sucked right out of Cornwall fast. It was Julien Isherwood’s fault, the Jewish/British art dealer. Where did a new Rembrandt come from? What was its provenance? Does this painting have any connection to the recent rash of art thefts museums are experiencing? Why is a man dead?
The hunt for this Rembrandt painting takes us back to the Nazi’s and the Swiss banks because there was no greater theft of a culture and a people than the possessions and the money stolen from Jewish families before they were railroaded off to concentration camps to be killed. A large part of what the Israeli Secret Service does is related to trying to restore things stolen from Jewish people and bringing those who stole and murdered to justice. This Rembrandt painting (not real, but symbolic of real paintings) has a sad, sad story to tell and conceals a secret that will help catch a greedy man posing as a very generous man.
This post war mishegas becomes entangled with Iran’s nuclear program because we are no longer dealing with the first generation of war criminals. We are now dealing with their children. How does the child of a father who was in the German SS turn out? Is he tainted by the sins of the father, or does he try to atone for the sins of the father?
What starts out slowly, gets very absorbing once it heats up. This time it is not Gabriel who takes a beating, and there is a new girl on Gabriel’s team. Will this be Zoe’s only appearance in a Silva book, or will she crop up again? What scary part of the world will Gabriel take us off to next time. Keep reading.
The problem with writing a long series of books with basically the same cast of characters is that accommodations must be made for readers who, perhaps, start with Book 10. This means that the author must describe characters that many readers already know, again and again. There are ways to do this but some people who have been with a series from Book 1 begin to find the repetition a bit tedious. However, in writing a series, readers also want the familiar characters to stay basically the same. Silva decides, in this case, to plug in old descriptions, sort of like boiler plates, to make the necessary introductions, or fill-in parts of the backstory. He has used more creative writing solutions to this dilemma in the past.
It took longer than usual to build to the action, but once the ride began, the thrill ride, Gabriel got called back into action, and since the mystery to be solved was about a painting, a Rembrandt, Gabriel and Chiara got sucked right out of Cornwall fast. It was Julien Isherwood’s fault, the Jewish/British art dealer. Where did a new Rembrandt come from? What was its provenance? Does this painting have any connection to the recent rash of art thefts museums are experiencing? Why is a man dead?
The hunt for this Rembrandt painting takes us back to the Nazi’s and the Swiss banks because there was no greater theft of a culture and a people than the possessions and the money stolen from Jewish families before they were railroaded off to concentration camps to be killed. A large part of what the Israeli Secret Service does is related to trying to restore things stolen from Jewish people and bringing those who stole and murdered to justice. This Rembrandt painting (not real, but symbolic of real paintings) has a sad, sad story to tell and conceals a secret that will help catch a greedy man posing as a very generous man.
This post war mishegas becomes entangled with Iran’s nuclear program because we are no longer dealing with the first generation of war criminals. We are now dealing with their children. How does the child of a father who was in the German SS turn out? Is he tainted by the sins of the father, or does he try to atone for the sins of the father?
What starts out slowly, gets very absorbing once it heats up. This time it is not Gabriel who takes a beating, and there is a new girl on Gabriel’s team. Will this be Zoe’s only appearance in a Silva book, or will she crop up again? What scary part of the world will Gabriel take us off to next time. Keep reading.
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