The Fallen Angel

Gabriel Allon #12

by Daniel Silva

After narrowly surviving his last operation, Gabriel Allon, the wayward son of Israeli intelligence, has taken refuge behind the walls of the Vatican, where he is restoring one of Caravaggio's greatest masterpieces. But early one morning he is summoned to St. Peter's Basilica by Monsignor Luigi Donati, the all-powerful private secretary to his Holiness Pope Paul VII; the body of a beautiful woman lies broken beneath Michelangelo's magnificent dome. The Vatican police suspect suicide, though Gabriel believes otherwise. So, it seems, does Donati. But the monsignor is fearful that a public inquiry might inflict another scandal on the Church, and so he calls upon Gabriel to quietly pursue the truth—with one caveat.

"Rule number one at the Vatican," Donati said. "Don't ask too many questions."

Gabriel learns that the dead woman had uncovered a dangerous secret—a secret that threatens a global criminal enterprise that is looting timeless treasures of antiquity and selling them to the highest bidder. But there is more to this network than just greed. A mysterious operative is plotting an act of sabotage that will plunge the world into a conflict of apocalyptic proportions . . .

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Espionage, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Suspense

416 pages, ebook

First published July 17, 2012

About the author

Daniel 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

Reviews

[Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent read. The author incorporated a lot of interesting historical detail which only added more enjoyment. The first chapter starts off with attention grabbing writing and it just keeps going throughout the entire book. I have read a few of Daniel Silva’s books and believe this is one of his best.

[Jim A · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no such thing as a bad Daniel Silva Gabriel Allon thriller. Some are just better than others.

It's hard for me to describe the book. All of the usual characters are here, almost like old home week. When I finished the book I had the feeling that I had read the last Allon book by Silva. Using the time markers that Silva has put in the 12 or so Allon novels, Gabriel would be somewhere in his early 60's. In The Fallen Angel, Allon is kinder, more gentle than in previous novels. He doesn't seem to have the same fire he had demonstrated in earlier books. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I firmly believe that an author should 'retire' a character before the readers start doing if for him.

Maybe there is a crisis in Israel's future that will require Allon to come out of retirement and once again do his magic for The Office.

As I didn't read the other reviews of this novel, it is entirely possible that someone else has mentioned the same feelings. With 147 reviews as of this writing, chances are someone else has the same feelings I do about the end of the series.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

“We are tempted to think that we have reached the end of history, that it can never happen again.”
(3.5 stars)

A possible suicide in the Vatican begins the novel, and it ends at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. “The Fallen Angel” gets from point A to B in a very engaging manner. The plot/set up for this 12th book in the Gabriel Allon series is cleverly and intricately done. The parts fit together to create a satisfying whole.
In this series Daniel Silva has gotten unflinching in his disgust for Palestinian refusal to make peace with Israel. There are some vile characters in “The Fallen Angel”, and in his Afterward he is biting in his commentary.
In this series, Silva has created a Pope, Pope Paul VII, that I wish existed in reality. He is what the Catholic Church and the world needs. But alas, he is fiction. His character is featured in this text, and I just love him. Silva gives him a spectacular moment in this book, and lines like “The soil of this sacred city is filled with the remnants of empires that miscalculated. Jerusalem is the city of God. But it is also a gravestone to the folly of man.”
Note, the ending of this book is a little weak, but not enough to irritate.
On to number 13 soon.

[Terence M [on a brief semi-hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook - 10:26 Hours - Narrator: George Guidall
4.5 Stars, rounded up - "It was excellent"

I have listened to all the Gabriel Allon novels up to "The Black Widow, #16" except for "The Fallen Angel, #12", which I just finished. Without a doubt it was "Excellent" and well-deserving of its high rating! I may make further comments, but they are probably not necessary. This was about as good as Daniel Silva has written, in my opinion, although that might be a touch 'blushy' given that I just finished it last night and I am still a little in awe of such a great story, so well-written.

[Karyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My weekend reading; can't wait! I've loved every Gabriel Allon book since the series started. Just came across an on-target review by Hugh Hewitt, parts of which I thought I'd share with anyone unfamiliar with the series:

"Silva's books are wonderful entertainment and Silva is widely regarded as at the very top of the thriller writers working today, but the far deeper value of the books is in the education they provide on the precarious situation of Israel in the world today. The nature of that situation first became very obvious to millions of Americans in my generation when terrorists attacked the Israeli Olympic team in Munich in 1972, ecventually killing 11 Israeli athletes and coaches on September 6, 1972. Most American 50 and older can tell you exactly where they were when this atrocity unfolded, and as the 40th anniversary looms, we can only hope the organizers of the London Games are not only committed to remembering that awful massacre but also to remembering its details correctly and without concern for the political winds blowing once again against Israel all across Europe.

The Fallen Angel takes the reader not only to Vienna and Rome in another superb combination off pacing and plot, but also to Jerusalem and into the heart of the "Temple Denial" phenomenon, the all-to-real effort by the fanatical opponents of Israel's history to claim that the First and second Temples of Ancient Israel never existed. This appalling assault on truth obliges its proponents to condemn themselves as unthinking fanatics, but the world doesn't have to accomodate their extremism any more than it does the nuttiness of Holocaust deniers. Silva's thriller does a great deal to call attention to the phenomenon, and to the physical threats to Israel as well, especially those coming from Hezbollah.

...This kind of dual purpose in a novel is rare, and not to be missed, by ordinary beach-going vacationers or presidential candidates. "

[kartik narayanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is there any Gabriel Allon book that is bad? Even if the story is recycled and you know pretty much what is going to happen, this series has never ceased to be fun to read.

This time Allon goes against the Mafia which is linked to terrorism of course. Yada yada yada. Who cares? Allon and his team kicking ass are why we are here and this book delivers it in spades.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gabriel Allon is one of my favorite characters...I love his professionalism (both professions, assassin and art restorer), I love Chairi, his wife. I love his friends Eli and Ari. I love the fact Gabriel -- OK, really Daniel Silva, informs me about the Middle East and its complications. I can always plan to LEARN something reading about Gabriel...and this book does not disappoint. For this book, we learn about the connections between Iran and Hezbollah, described by a US federal agent as "the Gambinos on steroids." We see how connection to connection to connection ties Hezbollah to the Vatican Bank, and ultimately Luigi Donati, the secretary to the Pope, and Gabriel's friend from other stories.

A suicide jump to the floor of St. Peter's Basilica? Murder? Accident? Donati hopes Gabriel will be able to investigate quietly. But when has Gabriel done anything quietly? As with other books, we travel all over Europe and the Middle East. This time, we see Old Jerusalem up close, including the convoluted system that denies Jews access to their own ancient Temple Mount.

Gun battles, terrorists, kidnapping...the pace is breathtaking. Along the way, Gabriel continues to suffer from his last mission and continues to try to find a balance in his life, so he can HAVE a life.

I've been thinking a lot about Common Core's insistence that students must read nonfiction...argumentative nonfiction. I learned so much from this book, this novel, this well-researched novel. I cannot believe I would have learned half so much reading the original nonfiction pieces Silva did for his book...

It's the narrative, the characters, the conflict, that bring the Middle East to life in Silva's books. He teaches me through his fiction...

[David Rubenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a number of the Gabriel Allon series of novels by Daniel Silva. They are all excellent, riveting, entertaining, and a little bit of education thrown in. Gabriel Allon is an art restorer, trying to retire from a career with the Israeli Intelligence service. In the beginning of the story, he is restoring a famous painting at the Vatican. A woman who works as an art historian is found having fallen from the upper level at St. Peter's Basilica. So, Allon is called in to investigate the death--is it a suicide, or is it a murder?

The plot quickly thickens, and becomes a challenge to break up a couple of terrorist plots before mass carnage is instigated. Allon is troubled by his past, especially by his rarely conscious wife who was seriously hurt in a terrorist event in Europe, from years ago. He feels very guilty for the terrible outcome.

While this book stands on its own, I would certainly recommend reading it after some of the earlier books, so that you can more fully appreciate the relations between the main characters. There is a lot of "history" here.

I didn't read this book--I listened to the audiobook, narrated by George Guidall. He is an excellent reader; I have listened to many other audiobooks that he has read, and he is one of the best.

[Lewis Weinstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great exciting Gabriel Allon story (I've read them all). Silva creates electricity, sometimes with very few words. There was the touching scene with Leah, the always acerbic yet moving interactions with Shamron, the amazing Dina, and the sometimes implausible action that is nevertheless gripping. And also, there is the constant reminder of what Israel means to the Jewish people and how perilous its existence still is.

Silva states in his Author's Note at the end of the book that there could have been a Palestinian state, and peace, had Yasir Arafat "found the courage" to say "Yes" to Bill Clinton's proposal. This is a powerful reminder that, whatever the past fury, and neither side has been perfect, the only way out is for both sides to agree to ignore the past and go forward. In today's climate, the Israeli settlers are as much to blame for not doing that as are the Palestinian refugees.

[Alex Cantone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The gun was a .45 calibre Beretta, larger than the 9mm he generally preferred but necessary for a quick and decisive kill. The ammunition was hollow-point, which would help to alleviate the threat of collateral casualties due to over-penetration. Gabriel loaded ten rounds into the magazine and inserted it into the butt. Then he screwed the suppressor to the end of the barrel and, extending his arm, checked the weapon for balance.
“What do you think normal people do when they come to Vienna?” Chiarra asked.

12th in the Gabriel Allon series finds the former Israeli spymaster, assassin and art restorer working in the Vatican lab on Caravaggio’s The Deposition when he is called upon by his friend, Monsignor Luigi Donati, private secretary to His Holiness Pope Paul VII, to discretely investigate the death of a female curator of the Vatican art archives, her body found on the floor of the Sistine Chapel. Publicly a verdict of suicide is announced, in the inimitable Vatican way. Murdered, in Gabriel’s opinion, she had discovered “irregularities” and was on her way to meet the Monsignor.

The search for answers leads Gabriel and Chiarra to the Etruscan tombs at Cerveteri, and an introduction from the head of the Carabinieri art squad General Cesare Ferrari (a regular in the Allon thrillers) to Dr Veronica Marchese, founder of the repository of Etruscan Art & Antiquities, who was a close friend of the dead woman and a former friend-with-benefits of the Monsignor, her husband involved with the Vatican Bank.

The Marcheses lived on a quiet street off the Via Veneto where the ceaseless march of time seemed to have stopped, however briefly, in an age of grace. This was the Rome that travellers dreamed of but rarely saw, the Rome of poets and painters and the fabulously rich…

Other clues point to a middle-east born art specialist David Girard, with a studio in St Moritz - funds raised through antiquities sales siphoned off to Hezbollah. Gabriel prevails upon former Parisian art thief, Maurice Durand, (another regular) to “acquire” a Cezanne and Etruscan antiquity. Add in stalwart assassin of “The Office” Mikhail Abramov, an explosion and yet another regular, Christoph Bittel, head of Swiss counter-terrorism.

Much of the book follows a well-trodden theme: rumours of the Iranian enrichment program, whispers of a terrorist attack, “the Office” kidnapping a senior official from an Iranian Embassy, interrogation and thwarting of would-be suicide bombers, and just when all seems to be going well, Gabriel joins the security contingent against a terrorist attack, as the Pope travels to the Holy Land, to celebrate Mass at Easter.

Jerusalem appeared before them, floating, as though held aloft by the hand of God. The pope peered intently out of the window as they crossed the city from west to east, new to old. As they passed over the Temple Mount, the golden Dome of the Rock sparkled in the midday sun. Gabriel showed the pope the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Church of the Dormition, and the Garden of Gethsemane.

This was the eleventh book in the Gabriel Allon series I have read (in no particular order) and once again I was drawn in by the research, the details of the locations, the art works, and fiction wrapped around history. Not a biblical scholar but, at risk of being labelled a numbers geek, I was struck by the symmetry of numbers: roughly 600 BCE – the height of the Etruscan empire in North-west Italy, and the destruction in 526 BCE of the 1st Temple of Jerusalem, built by Solomon, son of David, by Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar II, whose empire included Syria and Palestine. Fast forward to CE, Christ condemned by Pontius Pilate to death by crucifixion marked by the solemn march along the Via Dolorosa - and the siege of the 2nd Temple of Jerusalem by Titus. Then in 636-637 CE, the rise of Islam, holding siege to Jerusalem through to the First Crusade 1099. Then a final leap to the 1800’s and British archaeologist Charles Wilson, followed by engineer Sir Charles Warren (later Commissioner of Police), who explored and documented the ruins and tunnels under the Temple Mount.

I won’t be drawn into comparing books in the series as they are all good, but this one will remain a favourite of mine.

[Dana Moison · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say about this book that I haven’t already mentioned in regards to Daniel Silva’s other terrific novels? The immortal and powerful character of Gabriel Allon, the legendary Mossad agent, is starring in an exciting plot, which begins in Vatican City in Rome and slowly advances towards the Holly city of Jerusalem in Israel. This book entails some of the dark secrets lying in the Vatican, and their possible connection to world worldwide terrorism. In his skilled and unique writing, Silvia manages to lead the plot in mysterious and cursive ways to unexpected places, which made me devour this book! I felt that in the current book, Silva expressed himself more in terms of his political views and his impressive and insightful reading of the political map in the middle east. I believe that his books do a great service to Israel, and that’s why I’m always intruigued to read what his worldwide fans read. On top of that, his books are a fast-paced, thrilling pleasure!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another well written thriller from Daniel Silva, this time moving from restoring art in the Vatican, dealing with antiquities throughout Europe and finally accompanying the Pope on a visit to Israel. As always there is good and evil and those who are good are somewhat compromised, like Gabriel Allon. There is also the continuing age-old battle of the Middle East which is front and center in most suspense writing now. Allon has been part of this struggle since just after the Munich Olympics. How much longer before he can retire?

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do remember reading the early books of Silva also containing the first three Gabriel Allon novels which I kinda liked a lot. But due to availability I lost contact with the series. I found some hardcover copies of the later Allon movies and I picked up the series.

I am a great Fleming fan mainly due to his prose and his depiction of his hero James Bond, and all later writers never quite got the tone right and leaned way to much towards the EON version of James Bond. Another great Spy writer is Le Carre but while the man does know his spy stuff some of his books resemble watching paint dry even if the plots are fairly well written.

The difference is that Silva's books are well grounded in todays politics with Allon being a former Mossad assassin and am established art restorer. Which means we'll never get a movie, because it being an Israeli hero would offend to many people, which is fine a generally the movies will water down the intensity and scary plots. [why has 007 not done his bit in the war against terrorism, because it would be economical a bad move, hence the return of SPECTRE which is politically a safe opponent] Not so with Allon who this time minds his own thing while being retired and restoring a priceless piece of art for the Vatican. When an art historian falls to her death he is asked by the pope himself to look into the matter as the dead is somewhat suspicious due to the victims investigation into stolen art en historical artifacts.
This turns into a major investigation that involves the moneymaking by terrorist organisations through priceless artifacts and an attack on Israel of a level that would anger the whole Muslim world and would undoubtedly would be the end of Israel.
At the end a fallen Angel did trigger a great story and a sadly based upon true facts of financing crime and terror due to sheer greed.

Another great and exciting story in a series that will be undoubtedly be revisited in the future.

Well advised.

[Janebbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a ferocious reader of mysteries/thrillers, I never thought I would find the perfect novel to satisfy my love of art and mystery combined. I considered the hunt for novels or books or articles especially regarding the Baroque painter Caravaggio would be everlasting! The bad boy of the art world* has inspired some fascinating narratives. This novel, THE FALLEN ANGEL by Daniel Silva, is reading after only a few chapters....as the epitome of such novels. (Many an Amazon customer reviewer has decried..."oh, no...not another Caravaggio plot" but one more may not be enough for this reader! Since I viewed the Caravaggio in the Vatican collection...ENTOMBMENT (1602)...at the MMOA in New York in 1984, my fascination has only increased.)

Daniel Silva has been called "his generation's finest writer of international intrigue and one of the greatest American spy novelists ever. Compelling, passionate, haunting, brilliant: these are the words that have been used to describe" him. "Silva burst onto the scene in 1997 with his electrifying bestselling debut, The Unlikely Spy, a novel of love and deception set around the Allied invasion of France in World War II. His second and third novels, The Mark of the Assassin and The Marching Season, were also instant New York Times bestsellers and starred two of Silva's most memorable characters: CIA officer Michael Osbourne and international hit man Jean-Paul Delaroche. But it was Silva's fourth novel, The Kill Artist, which would alter the course of his career. The novel featured a character described as one of the most memorable and compelling in contemporary fiction, the art restorer and sometime Israeli secret agent Gabriel Allon, and though Silva did not realize it at the time, Gabriel's adventures had only just begun. Gabriel Allon appears in Silva's next nine novels, each one more successful than the last: The English Assassin, The Confessor, A Death in Vienna, and Prince of Fire, The Messenger, The Secret Servant, Moscow Rules, and The Defector."

Yes, Silva has written a bunch of Allon mysteries....but many of the stories have not concentrated on this Israeli spy's talent as an art restorer. If you haven't read Silva...and/or if you love forged, stolen, restored art in your mysteries, this entry is not a hit and miss title. In the first chapters of the book, the reader enters the Basilica in Rome and meets the sampietrini , the head of the official caretakers of the hallowed place, who proceeds to offer a tour of place and its treasures. And we learn that the fictional spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon is restoring within the walls the famed Caravaggio THE DEPOSITION OF CHRIST (1604).

It's going to be a 5 STAR read....and I can highly recommend THE FALLEN ANGEL as your first Silva mystery. ANGEL has the most revealing portrait of Allon to be found in all of the series.....in only a few early paragraphs. And you will have ten or so more Gabriel Allon mysteries for an exciting backlist!

* NOTE: Caravaggio...bad boy of the art world? In an article dated July 5, 2012... "Caravaggio Discovery: to find 100 new works in Italy is simply astonishing," UK Telegraph critic Mark Hudson says if 100 new works are confirmed it could throw fresh light on the artist's reputation. "Quite apart from his reputation as art's ultimate wild man - probable bisexual, almost certain murderer who died on the run from the Papal authorities - Caravaggio is one of art's few truly essential figures: the original dirty realist, who swept away decades of Mannerist frippery, introducing a stark new honesty and intensity."

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

We read this this summer on our cross-country drive. I was in the mood for a good spy thriller, and heard an interview with this author on the Diane Rehm program. It seemed like a spy thriller against a backdrop of art history would be perfect! I went right out and bought one of his novels for our trip because I assumed any author interviewed on Diane Rehm's program would have a lot of literary quality.

I have to say I was disappointed. I see that this author has a lot of fans and many reviews refer to the book as well-written. To me, though, the characters did not speak like real people--especially not real people in tense situation--and the author had a way of referring to his green-eyed hero that was extremely distracting, because it reminded me of "Nancy Drew, the titian-haired sleuth." Plotting was slowed down to backfill with information from previous books. The latter two issues would have been minor, not even worth mentioning, I suppose, if the dialogue had been believable. I am sorry! I gave it a good try.

[Arjun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Time for the yearly Gabriel Allon novel. This one was slightly better than usual because it had Donati and the Pope. Gabriel was less insufferable than usual. I read this one super fast and couldn't put it down, however, as I get older I'm realizing the difference between not being able to put something down and 5 stars. These books are great beach reads, but I try to reserve 5 stars for books that have changed the way I think or even caused me to reconsider something. These books are not that, they are designed to pass time. BUT, that does not make make them any less... less. Romance novels are similar: I'm not reading to get anything out of it, I'm just reading so I can learn more about women. OK, I just came back 5 minutes after writing that last sentence and I know it was tongue in cheek but I was going somewhere with it that I can't remember. Sadly, I've forgotten more witty phrases than anyone I know. 3 Stars, Solid beach read. Eat your heart out George R R Martin.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast Paced

This is about the fifth Gabriel Allon book that I have read and like the others, is a winner

Great characters; fast paced and a superb plot.

[Monnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a wonderful feeling when you know within the first page of a book that reading it will be a pleasure - if only I could put my finger on how to make that happen I'd be writing my little heart out. Daniel Silva has no such problem, though - and he's done it again with a riveting book that's really, really hard to put down.

Gabriel Allon, a larger-than-life art restoration expert and former Israeli intelligence agent, takes on the task of finding the murderer of a young female curator who worked in the Vatican's antiquities division. No stranger to the Holy See, Allon was chosen in the hope of solving the case without involving the church in another scandal. But when it becomes clear she apparently had unearthed some secrets that someone didn't want known, the chase is on -- and it continues to weave in and out of the Vatican to other cities like Berlin, Vienna, and the homeland Allon loves with all his heart and soul, Israel.

The book also brings a look at some of the financial, cultural and political connections and agendas among the Palestinians, Israel, Iran and the Vatican. Clearly, Silva has done considerable research in the writing of this book, and he expertly weaves a learning experience in with the nail-biting action. Outstanding!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fallen Angel is the 12th book in the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva. The story opens with a murder in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Dr. Claudia Andreatti, a curator in the Vatican's antiquities division, uncovered a dangerous secret. A global criminal enterprise is looting treasures of antiquity and selling them. Monsignor Luigi Donati, the private secretary to the Pope, decides that there will be two investigations. The first, for public consumption, will determine that Dr. Andreatti committed suicide. The second would be conducted by Gabriel. Dr. Andreatti was conducting her investigation at the behest of Monsignor Donati and he asks Gabriel to find out the truth.

Gabriel's investigation leads him from Carlo Marchese, a criminal mastermind behind the network, to Iran and Hezbollah and a terrorist plot against the West. There is virtual chess match between Gabriel and the terrorists planning the third Intifada. Just when they think they have stopped a major attack they discover it was just a feint. The climatic ending takes place in Jerusalem on Good Friday during a papal visit. There is a real Indiana Jones feel to this as the reader is taken on a journey underground through one of the world's holiest grounds and history.

As with all the books in the series it is non-stop action and a race against time. In the end justice prevails ... as it always does in fiction. But we know Gabriel will not be able to retire and devote himself to restoring masterpieces and his personal losses.

[Margarida · Rating 5 out of 5]

O ANJO CAÍDO – DANIEL SILVA

Já tinha saudades de Gabriel Allon, o meu espião preferido… que depois da última e atribulada aventura só queria reformar-se e viver feliz e tranquilo ao lado da sua Chiara!...
Infelizmente, para ele não há tranquilidade! E está de volta! Felizmente para nós… mais uma história espantosamente bem escrita e emocionante de Daniel Silva…
Mais um grande livro da série Gabriel Allon. Usando a mesma fórmula dos anteriores, Daniel Silva consegue prender-nos da primeira à última página! E embora a série tenha um fio condutor, mesmo quem não a tenha lido por ordem cronológica, não se perde pois Daniel Silva tem o cuidado de em todos os livros da série, nos ir dando breves “flashbacks” do passado e dos acontecimentos de “uma outra vida”, que marcaram Gabriel e que ainda se reflectem no presente e de imediato se nos torna uma figura familiar.
Gabriel é, para quem não sabe e muito resumidamente, um espião/assassino israelita conhecido (e temido) pelos seus penetrantes olhos verdes e têmporas grisalhas, um dos melhores agentes do serviço secreto de Israel. Foi responsável pela execução de seis dos 12 membros do "Setembro Negro", o grupo palestiniano que raptou e matou 11 atletas de Israel nos jogos olímpicos de Munique, em 1972. É também um dos maiores restauradores de arte do mundo (a sua verdadeira paixão). Tem uma relação especial com o Vaticano, sendo um grande amigo de monsenhor Luigi Donati, o secretário particular de Sua Santidade e mesmo do próprio Papa Paulo VII a quem já salvou a vida num atentado.

Opinião completa em
http://www.lerviverler.blogspot.pt/se...

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfectly acceptable airplane (and train and subway and hotel room and hotel breakfast) reading ... and perfectly well suited to the task ... and a comfortable, easy, entertaining and distracting read ... but I can't say this was one of my favorites in the series. Compared to most of the movies offered on the plane, it was an excellent option, but ... unlike with some of the prior installments, I didn't feel compelled to stay up late at night to finish this.

Lots of ... hmmm ... maybe too much travel here (with stops in lots in places, by some quirk, I've been relatively recently - Rome, Jerusalem/Tel Aviv, Geneva, Vienna, Berlin (OK, it's been a while since I've been there) and even Northern Virginia), which I find entertaining, but - other than some inside Vatican nuances - none of that moved me, and I'm not sure why - I think it was just a little too much, too fast (maybe too superficial), and not long enough in any one place....

Now that I'm a dozen books into the series, I understand the most common criticism of Silva's series is that they do seem a bit formulaic (and somewhat ... but not terribly ... predictable). All of the familiar characters are here, and there are enough of them, that the canned (re)introductions feel like they were copied and pasted into the book. Or, maybe, I shouldn't have broken my own rules ... I think I may have read this one too soon after the last one...

But, yes, I'll keep reading... Who knows? Maybe I'll start the next one on my return journey....

[Michael Rudin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and I respect and like this author. Well written, great attention to detail, as always and sometimes beautiful use of the English language. There was a point in the story where the author hooked the reader; however, the denoument and conclusion felt blase. I experienced less immediacy than within previous Daniel Silva novels. Did it need more literal descriptive detail of action? I'm not sure. Perhaps the Gabriel Allon franchise has become a bit formulaic for me as Allon, the protagonist, feels a bit omnipotent at this time--or it is entirely possible that reading recreationally about so much of what we experience and fear in the news: the threat of militant Islam orchestrated by Iran; perhaps this feels tiresome and the somewhat implausible scenario of elite Israeli intelligence working with the Vatican against same and a seemingly all knowing Allon (elite Israeli agent-is he infallible?) guarding the Holy Father (believed to be infallible) feels like a obvious stretch.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the religious banter, I would have given this 4 stars had the ending not been choppy. How the final escape was made was not well written and left to wonder why not? 6 of 10 stars

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel Silva's latest Gabriel Allon novel still brings the thrills and suspense despite being the 12th volume in this increasing formulaic series.

In this novel, Allon is tasked by the Vatican to look into the death of an employee of the Vatican, who herself was looking into whether the Vatican had any problems with the provenance of its art collection.
This is an actual issue that has come to plague major museums in the world as art that has been on display for the masses is now sought by the original country to be returned to whence it came.

Allon immediately suspects foul play and enlists the help of the "Office", Silva's euphemism for Mossad.

After figuring out that the fallen employee suspected that certain art pieces were missing and that Carlo Marchese, a member of the Vatican Bank and husband of a woman with ties to the Vatican was a smuggler, and was probably involved in some way, Allon starts to look into his background. It turns out that the smuggler may have been involved in financing Hezbollah activities with stolen pottery from the Middle East.

Allon conceives of a sting operation to find the connection between the smuggler and Hezbollah, and wham bang, there are bombings and plotted terrorist attacks, a kidnapping of an Iranian terrorist mastermind, the thwarting of an attack, but is it the real attack or have the Iranians pulled a bait and switch.


Its part whodunit and part thriller and all Silva. Allon is a great hero, cool, collected, and a great shot, but this story relies on a good plot to keep us guessing until the the penultimate scene.

Its a good thriller.

[Jay Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taqiyya. From Sharia law: displaying one intention while harboring another. A feint or a misdirection.

The concept of taqiyya plays a central role in Silva’s most recent, sensational outing for Gabriel Allon, his wayward son of Israeli intelligence. It is a technique mastered by both terrorist and theologian in this gripping thriller.

We travel from the Vatican, where Gabriel is restoring a masterpiece by Caravaggio, to San Moritz to Vienna and on to the Holy Land. (Anyone who has visited the Temple Mount, MUST read this compelling imagining by a writer at his height.) Silva combines Rick Steves’ sense of place and Ludlum’s sense of pace in an emotional counter-point to last year’s gripping “Portrait of a Spy.”

Daniel Silva is the strongest at his art working today. This is the twelfth in the series and, remarkably, might make an excellent starting point for anyone seeking to embrace one of the strongest series in print today.

[Nickitopster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not going to repeat the plot line as others have already done so.

The given is that somehow the story has to end up with Allon and his team saving Israel from yet another potential catastrophe. The trick is how do we get there? And that is what seemed contrived to me: the whole death in the Vatican leading to antique theft to an international smuggling ring to -- oh finally -- they're connected to a terrorist organization that has a bomb ticking under Jerusalem. Almost forgot -- we throw in a Pope visiting at the precise time for good measure.

To me, the story of the antique smuggling was a good one all by itself. The getting it linked to the terrorist group in order to get to the foregone given in his Allon plots -- saving Israel -- just seemed a stretch.

If you ignore that, then the book is fine. Interesting action and also interesting info about the antique trade. But if you're a purist expecting "great writing" then you will probably want to skip this book.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh 😩 i didn’t feel very entertained by the story. first of all, the main character: a famous good spy..🕵🏻‍♀️ is kind of a contradiction? but besides that, I feel like in every single scene Gabriel is portrayed as SUPER cool, unflawed and unbreakable, we basically know he’s undefeatable which makes the outcome predictable, there are no flaws to exploit! the murder in the beginning is resolved but only in the very last chapters and very simply and in a very predictable way. all of the middle is a bunch of cryptic men discussing politics and acting mysterious for filler. the women are so badly written 🥹🥹 why are they all useless and super conventionally attractive, objectified to the bone marrow? soooo not inclined to pick another one of this series :( ++ forgot to add: the beginning of the book had many scenes in the Vatican with painting descriptions and i really liked that part, googling the paintings to see them for myself and feeling like I was getting to know a bit of Italy!

[Pamela Small · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptionally well researched! Mr. Silva writes intelligent, engrossing stories which enlighten and educate readers on fascinating historical tidbits as well as political events and their global impact. It is a rare treat to be immersed in such a high caliber of writing skill! The characters are well rounded, multi-dimensional, authentic, and likable. The plot is complex and riveting! Totally satisfying denouement! Well deserved five stars!

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must confess, I binge-read this novel, cover to cover in less than 24 hours. The story was captivating, just captivating. Famed Israeli art restorer (and assassin) Gabriel Allon is asked to look into a supposed suicide inside the Vatican. What he finds involves stolen antiquities, money laundering, and a secret the pope doesn't want made public. I won't go into the plot more than that; if you are a follower of the author's series, this book definitely merits your attention.

[N.L. Brisson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fallen Angel by Daniel Silva is Book 12 in the Gabriel Allon series, the fictional, but famous spy for the Israeli Intelligence Service at the Office on King Saul Boulevard in Tel Aviv Israel. Gabriel is an unusual person to be an assassin for justice, world peace, and the survival of Israel. He is an artist who gave up an artist’s life (his own) when recruited by Shamron, the aging hero of Israel, to pursue the terrorists who killed athletes from his beloved homeland at the Olympics in Munich.

Since that op he has trained with a talented art restorer and has become one of the best restorers of classic religious art in Europe. He is a bundle of contradictions but his strong values tie the whole package together. Gabriel’s family was, for the most part, killed in the Holocaust, except his mother who never really recovered from the horrors she experienced. Gabriel lost his first wife and his son to a car bomb, probably targeted towards Gabriel. Terrorists blew his life away right before his eyes. And even though they failed to kill the one the car bomb was designed to kill this became a sorrow he had to carry with him always. It hardened his heart in a more personal way and made him more lethal, more determined to fight evil in the world.

Through the first 11 books there have been plenty of evil actors to stop in their tracks, tracks which always are about either power and world domination or money or both. Eventually Gabriel remarried to the beautiful Chiara, daughter of a Rabbi, who also does intelligence work for the Office. Sometimes she is with him on ops and sometimes she stays home. Putting her at risk brings back old memories for Gabriel. After a while Allon is joined by a team, each person with different strengths and we become concerned about their safety in these rather impossible-seeming, risky, but usually successful operations they undertake. Gabriel is frequently wounded because he cannot let a villain get away. He retires every time he completes a mission as if he has beaten evil once and for all. But he knows this war is endless and he up-ends his life over and over again to do battle when he must. After a while we begin to wish there really was a Gabriel Allon and a Chiara, et al out there in the world, abolishing amorality and immorality.

So in Fallen Angel we have a lovely young woman who agrees to inventory antiquities in the Vatican collection who is found artistically dead after a fall from a balcony in the Sistine Chapel. At first her death is ruled a suicide. But Gabriel is a friend of the Vatican’s top two people, the Pope and his constant companion Father Donati, because he saved the Pope’s life and unraveled one of the plots that live in the competitive Vatican culture. Gabe is restoring a Caravaggio in some basement on the Vatican grounds and Donati has him summoned to tap into his expertise. Gabriel (also a fallen angel) does not believe this is a suicide. But when he pulls a couple of strings he opens a Pandora’s box of illegal trading in antiquities. These thieves never preserve provenance and this represents a huge loss of historical data about ancient sites and people. Once again what begins in Italy leads Gabriel all over the world and eventually home to Israel.