Ransom

Gabriel Allon #26

by Daniel Silva

#1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva delivers another action-packed tale of high stakes international intrigue.

Master novelist Daniel Silva has thrilled readers with twenty-five thoughtful and gripping spy novels featuring the “much-loved Gabriel Allon” (Booklist) and ingenious plots that have taken him around the globe and back—from the United States to Europe, Russia to the Middle East.

Now, Silva returns with another blockbuster thriller, a powerhouse novel showcasing his superb skill and brilliant imagination that is a must read for both his multitudes of fans and growing legions of converts.

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

414 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 14, 2026

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

[Teres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long before Cal Hooper, there was Gabriel Allon.

In fact, Gabriel — legendary field operative and later chief of Israel's secret intelligence service — may very well be my first official book boyfriend.

Now retired, he splits his time between Venice and Cornwall, working as an acclaimed art restorer specializing in Old Masters.

"Gabriel believes that the craft of restoration is a bit like making love, that it is best done slowly and with painstaking attention to detail, with occasional breaks for rest and refreshment."

Mmmmm.

Rest assured, there's always something brewing that inevitably lures my man out of retirement and into some spycraft hijinks.

"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."

Oh wait. Different boyfriend.

Anywho...

Ransom is the 26th thriller novel in the Gabriel Allon series by bestselling author Daniel Silva.

This time, art takes a backseat.

The story starts out as a kidnapping and morphs into cyber espionage and a shadow war with familiar Russian villains.

Fast-paced, high-energy fun!

Predictable? Heck, yeah.

But, really, who cares? It's Gabriel Allon.

Looking for deep literary fiction? Look elsewhere.

[Melanie Briscoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8 stars! As always Daniel Silva is my most anticipated thriller read of the year. His iconic character Gabriel Allon is my all time favorite literary thriller character. He is a an Israeli intelligence officer who is also a world class art restorer! His spy espionage thrillers have wonderful characters and usually a ton of art history woven throughout for an outstanding read everytime. This book felt very light on the art history element this time so it is no where near my favorite. Honestly it felt a little “rinse and repeat” ish as the plot felt similar to some others. It is still an excellent read that I recommend! However -if you are new to the series, I would suggest you start much early in the series as this one is not his best work.

[Stacey B]

I can give only the "story plot" a 4*.
But
Not yet ready to write a review. Many variables I need to consider in order to be fair.

[Jonathan K (Max Outlier) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Webster defines finesse as: refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture. Having read nearly every installment of the Allon series, the word 'finesse' comes to mind when summarizing Silva's storytelling. This being his 28th novel, he's in an elite group of best selling authors, though he stands apart from most in the genre. The author engages the reader through plot, premise and characters and for the most part steers clear of gore, darkness and horror. Instead the reader trots the globe alongside Gabriel Allon, former director of Israeli intelligence and art restoration expert; his wife Chiara and children always in his thoughts.

His novels are akin to a tour of both hemispheres; use of street names, landmarks and architecture give the reader the sense of 'being there'. For those who have indulged in previous installments, you'll be delighted to know he brings back characters; among them Sarah Bancroft, Christopher Keller, Julian Isherwood, Ingrid Johansson, Graham Seymour, DI Timothy Peel and others.

The use of 'missing person/kidnap' plots isn't unusual for the genre, but none involve the legendary Allon who's expertise, 'take no prisoners' attitude and 'ops' ability is unrivaled. When Alice Winter, the socialite wife of billionaire Edward Knight goes missing during a vacation with college girlfriends, Edward summons Gabriel for assistance. As with all installments, what appears ordinary at first turns out to be anything but.

Rather than spoil reader experience with plot points, twists and operation details, suffice it to say that Ms Winter is 'smarter than the average bear', but no match for Russian intelligence and/or oligarchs. Silva's concise dialog and cliff hanger chapter endings is likened to a swinging pendulum; use of acerbic humor, icing on the cake. As the plot plays out, momentum builds and when nearing the conclusion, explodes.

Unlike some authors of mystery, Daniel Silva hasn't lost his grip, aka mojo and continues to pen unique plots and outcomes. Highly recommended for those who enjoy mystery, global travel and intrigue.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another year and another Gabriel Allon novel sees the daylight. Once the boss of the Israeli intelligence service now retired and a director in an art restoration company based in Venice. Gabriel now does what hé prefers art, wife and children.
While enjoying their Kids summer holidays in their house in Cornwall Gabriel does the art world a pleasure by being part of a benefit that is meant to finance an artshow that would otherwise not happen.
It is there that he meets the man who is about to be responsible for taking Gabriel away from wife and children.
Edward Knight his wife has dissapeared and he want the former spymaster to actively take part in her return. When Gabriel Allon does so he finds she is abducted and will be returned for a steep RANSOM. So Gabriel gets caught up in the negotiations.
And from then we get caught in a traditional spy story with peace at stake in the European mainland.

This time art does take a backseat to the Europa of today which is trying to stop Russia from taking Ukraine. And taking cyberwar to a whole new level.
Gabriel Allon is once again back into the dark places he wanted to leave and shows a scary place and time in Europa.
A bloody great spy thriller as only Daniel Silva can deliver.
For obvious reasons there is no Israëli involvement whatsoever. That is living up to realistik politics and expectations.

Still an excellent thriller.

[Grandma Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★

Daniel Silva has done it again.

Ransom is one of my favorite books of the year and reminded me why the Gabriel Allon series remains my favorite in the espionage genre.

Gabriel Allon is such a refreshing protagonist. He’s every bit as intelligent and capable as the classic spy heroes, yet he is also compassionate, devoted to his family, and one of the world’s premier restorers of priceless works of art. That unique combination gives the series a depth that sets it apart.

Silva doesn’t rely on constant action. Instead, he gradually builds suspense through believable characters, fascinating international settings, and an intricate plot that kept me completely engaged from beginning to end.

I also highly recommend the audiobook. The narrator delivers an outstanding performance that perfectly captures the sophisticated tone of the novel. I was blessed with an ARC from NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.

When I finished, my first thought was that I wanted to start the entire Gabriel Allon series over from the beginning. That’s about the highest compliment I can give any author.

Highly recommended. Five stars.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who has preordered every Daniel Silva novel for years, this one pains me to write.

Gabriel Allon books are comfort reads for me. When a new one comes out, I usually clear my schedule because I know I’ll devour it in a single day. I’ve reread many of the earlier books a dozen times or more.

Ransom was the first Silva novel that felt like a chore.

The familiar cast is here: Timothy, Julian, Iris, Sarah, Chiara, and the family, but they felt less than the heart of the story. What has always made the Gabriel Allon series so compelling is that the stakes are personal yet universal: art, history, terrorism, intelligence, and, ultimately, the idea that Gabriel is trying to save something larger than himself.

This time, the central plot revolves around searching for a wealthy woman simply because Gabriel was hired to do so. By the second section, I wasn’t turning pages because I couldn’t wait to see what happened, I was turning them because I kept hoping the book would become the Daniel Silva novel I expected.

Every long-running series has books that are stronger than others. For me, this is the weakest Gabriel Allon novel Silva has written. It isn’t poorly written—Silva remains a gifted storyteller—but the emotional core that has always made this series exceptional was missing.

I never thought I’d say this about a Daniel Silva book, but I was relieved when I reached the last page rather than sorry it was over.

2 out of 5 stars.

[David Mathews · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointed

The unnecessary political digs are tiresome. The anti American sentiment thrown in to take shots at the American president ruin this work.

[Zorka Zamfirova · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review of Daniel Silva's Ransom – Disappointment After Years of Enjoyment

For years, I have read Daniel Silva's novels with great pleasure, but Ransom was a true ordeal for me. What was once a sophisticated spy thriller with depth and authenticity has now turned into a confusing and ideologically burdened text.

The biggest issue lies in the transformation of the main character – Gabriel Allon, formerly an Israeli intelligence officer with a clear identity and moral compass, has now been erased and replaced with a "new James Bond." With this move, Silva has sadly discarded everything that made his hero unique: his Jewish identity, his connection to Israeli intelligence, and the inner dilemmas that arose from that background.

Instead of a tense thriller, we get a political pamphlet in which the narrative is sacrificed on the altar of current messages. Personally, I feel let down – as if the writer had to make this shift to keep selling books, but at the cost of the integrity of the world he built.

It's sad to see one of my favorite authors lose what made him authentic. Ransom is not a novel for old fans of Gabriel Allon – it's an attempt to create something entirely different, which unfortunately fails both as a thriller and as social commentary.

[Jane Elam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ridiculous

The only thing I gained from Daniel Silva's latest book is how much he hates the current administration of the United States. I gave it one star because I finished it.

[Barry who enjoys well-written thrillers, mysteries , & espionage & loathes romance, horror & supernat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very strongly biased toward Daniel Silva and his Gabriel Allon series. I love the character and Silva's writing to the extent that I really can't give an objective review. This book was among Silva's best in my view.

A multi-billionaire's gorgeous wife disappears while she and three of her closest friends are vacationing on Ibiza. The billionaire makes an agreement with Gabriel Allon, famed art restorer and one-time head of Israeli intelligence to find the lady in question. Finally, there is contact with the kidnappers and they ask for billions which, after a protracted negotiation comes down to half a billion English pounds, far lower than their original ask but still an extraordinary amount of money.

Allon will make the exchange, as expected. At this point, things get very complicated and absolutely nothing is as it appeared.

Silva has done a masterful job in creating a plot with incredible settings, wonderful characters, superb action, clever maneuvering, unforeseeable twists and typically wonderful dialogue between Allon and other characters. I have read each of the Allon books and I must say that the cleverness of conversation between Allon and others is reason enough to read these books. It is absolutely superb on so many levels and it is what, to my fragment of a mind, separates Silva from other writers.

Shalom

[Mike Reinking · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a miss. The plot was a mess from the start - beginning with a kidnapping “who done it” that evolved into a James Bond level farce. Silva’s continuous display of anti-Trump rhetoric is front and center and his admiration of European countries and their leaders - as they quickly lead their respective countries into existence as third world nations - is misplaced. And so much of the story and action is told through exposition. Here’s an exciting part, now let me just tell you what happened rather than describe it through the characters in the story. Lazy writing.

Have read all the Gabriel Allon books and many of them multiple times. It might be time to let Gabriel retire happily with his family and focus solely on art restoration and the appreciation of life in Venice.

How about a few new stories about Christopher Keller? Or Ingrid? Let Gabriel rest.

[Amy Peck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good but where is Gabriel's passion

So glad to read that Graham's wife's cooking hasn’t improved.
But something in Gabriel's manner just feels off. His passion is missing. It’s hard to put into words but Gabriel has been living in me since he lost his son on that snowy night in Vienna. The writing is as great as ever but Gabriel is not.

Why has Gabriel completely abandoned Israel and his Jewish identity especially now as an another wave antisemitism and ignorance threatens all of our children again?

Thank you.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 25th book in the Gabriel Allon series that Daniel Silva somehow manages to have published around my birthday (7/16). If I didn’t know better I think he writes these exciting thrillers just to make sure I have a great birthday present. LOL!

In this novel, Gabriel is called into help a wealthy businessman, Edward Knight, find his wife, Alice. When a ransom call is made, Gabriel handles it but it looks like they maybe able to stop the ransom transfer things go awry. The plot thickens and twists and it turns out Knight is in deep with the Russians financially so maybe he arranged the kidnapping. It’s hard to write a synopsis without giving too much away so suffice it to say you have to read the book to find out more. You won’t be disappointed.

This was a great romp into international intrigue as only Silva can write. His pithy use of the omniscient narrator interspersed between the action parts and often a segue to tie things together is my favorite parts of his books. Plus he takes you to exotic places which are beautifully described - some of which I’ve been to bringing back great memories for me. But Gabriel’s decency as a character and his love for wife, Chiara, and children, Rafael and Irene, restore my faith in human kind.

The Author’s Note at the end is always the best. There Silva gets to tell you the themes that underlie his book and what if any historical context there may for his book. Don’t forget to read that.

Loved the book. My favorite series.

[Monnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as I know, I’ve read all 25 in this series that preceded this one, though I can’t be positive because I’ve only recorded the 13 most recent in my book blog. That track record does give some idea of how invested I am in the series; still another one is that the main man, now former Israeli intelligence officer and art restoration expert Gabriel Allon, has held the No. 1 spot on my list of Top 10 All-Time Favorite book heroes ever since I started it.

He’s still there for sure, but I do have to say this isn’t close to my favorite book in the series. Somehow, it just feels, well, lackluster; Gabriel just seems to want to be anywhere except in the middle of another mess that’s really not near or dear to his heart (though readers will find he’s still got enough energy to get in the occasional political jab we all know will be in the book somewhere).

Actually, I don’t blame him a bit; he is retired, after all – living with his beautiful wife Chiara and their twin son and daughter and working for Chiara’s very successful Venice-based art restoration company. And obviously, he’s getting a bit long in the tooth, shall we say, at least when it comes to getting involved with life-threatening activities that used to be his norm. And of course, there are those kids…



This time out, the family is enjoying summer holidays at their home in Cornwall, where Gabriel has just acquired a new sailboat and is about to begin restoring a painting by Bernardo Bellotto. All that is going along swimmingly until he’s asked for help by rich-as-sin businessman Edward Knight, whose wife Alice has gone missing since her recent annual getaway with some female friends on the Ibiza coast of Spain. He begs Gabriel to go to Ibiza, where Alice was last seen with her group of friends.

Reluctantly, Gabriel and Cornwall Police detective Timothy Peel head there to meet with local police, who take them to the place where Alice’s car was found at the bottom of a ravine. It’s a strange scene with no blood, so the suspicion is that she’s been kidnapped, but there’s been no ransom demand – until suddenly there is. Speaking with the kidnappers, Gabriel puts his best negotiating skills to the test, whittling the original amount down to something a low-end billionaire can afford.

And it’s here I’ll stop, except to say of course there’s many a slip – and a twist – between cup and lip. The rest of the book focuses on efforts to determine if Alice is really alive and, if so, get the money to the kidnappers and Alice back to her husband. There’s a bit of intrigue, a bit of suspense and a surprise or two, but I never worried that Gabriel might not make it home to his wife and kids as I’ve done in most of the other books (well, there was that one incident…) Still, it’s well-written and held my attention – it just isn’t at the top of my favorites of the series.

[Karen Chong · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 / 5.0

I managed to read this book in a short sitting but if there’s one thing I have to say, it was like I read two different books. The first half of the book is great, you get a mixture of everything from art restoration, random, kidnapping action etc, but the second half of the book was like a James Bond movie and turned too political for me. Whilst I’d still persevered and read the book to the end, it’s crazy how little art was mentioned in the second half of the book. It’s very limited, it low-key felt like a fast and furious movie when they’re trying to go up to space, it comes changes. Then when the ending tries to revert back to Allon and his normal life it feels weird. Don’t get my wrong this book is great, and taking politics aside I read this series as I enjoy the art conservation and discussions, it’s becoming increasingly less. It does however lean more into current political affairs.

Alice winters is britians most dazzling socialities and has almost the perfect life, married to a wealthy billionaire with the nice homes and millions of followers on social media. She disappeared without a trace on holiday with her three old friends, and her husband Edward Knight turns to Gabriel Allon for help to find her. But soon Allon finds out that winter is not the women she appeared to be, but has a lot of hidden secrets. But her husband Edward has other secrets too, dangerous ones to be specific, which forces Gabriel to return to the life he once vowed to leave behind.

Overall it’s not a bad book, I managed to read 250 pages as the first chunk of the book is decent but once the plot thickens, it completely changes to something different. Interested to see what the next book would install and whether it will have a similar plot line to this book.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 🌟 rounded up. A fun ride for those who enjoy spy novels or international thrillers like those by Dan Brown. This was an entertaining departure from my normal reads, so the novelty was welcome but I wasn’t blown away. Enjoyed as an audiobook 🎧

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolute diehard fan of the bestselling author Daniel Silva! Ransom begins on the Cornish coast of England, where Gabriel hopes to enjoy a quiet summer. He attends a high-society art fundraiser hosted by British billionaire property tycoon Edward Knight. Shortly after, Knight's social media celebrity wife, Alice Winter, vanishes. Looking forward to the next!

[Donna Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another masterful book in the saga of Gabriel Allon, “the world’s finest restorer of Italian Renaissance paintings” and sometimes spy. Daniel Silva has a way of creating every book about current events, without getting into the actual politics.

The story starts out as a kidnapping and morphs into a dangerous plot to kill many of the leaders of the free world (in Europe): England, France, Germany, Denmark, Ukraine. The United States was not invited to this summit partly because Washington “had declared its willingness to use military force to annex Greenland.”

The Russians are deploying both kamikaze and mosquito drones. Truly alarming.

Intense, believable, and delightfully frightening. A wonderful book.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Amy A · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mr. Silva has been losing his touch. Every year I preorder these novels and have been increasingly disappointed. The writing is lazy and his anti American rhetoric is clear in every novel. Odd for a man who lives in Florida and D.C. And despite being Jewish, his anti-Semitism is wild. This novel is no exception, although rates slightly above the worst one - The Cellist. His earlier novels were so fun to read, filled with tension and a good slow build. This one, not at all. The last several chapters do not unfold - he tells us through various characters what has happened behind the scenes, we are not privy to them. Almost as if he, too, just wanted to be finished and move on. I know the feeling, Mr. Silva. I did, too. I think he’s lost his passion for writing and it’s being expressed through changes in Gabriel. He’s tired. This is definitely not a novel I’d place in the “thriller” genre. Just general fiction. And one final note: I also noticed that many of the 4-5 starred reviews came from people who received an advanced copy of the book to review. I trust those as far as I can spit.

[Bri · Rating 2 out of 5]

The retired version of Allon is rather boring and yet another anti Russian plot. I miss the action and depth of the earlier books of the series, this feels like the beginning of the end.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 25th book by Daniel Silvia, featuring Israeli espionage agent Gabriel Allon. Gabriel has retired from the Office and is now fully engaged in art restoration and time with his family. They attend a gala at the home of a wealthy businessman, who is interested in acquiring a painting Gabriel is restoring; however; it is an unusual dinner as the hostess never makes an appearance at the lavish gala. We soon learn that she has been kidnapped and Gabriel is approached to attempt to locate her, pay the ransom, or whatever else might be required. He refuses but relents, reluctantly, to take on this venture. Gabriel is pulled into a web of intrigue, dark secrets, hidden agendas, and other twisty unexpected surprises, as we have come to expect from this author. This book brings back many of the readers favorite characters from both the art world and those from Gabriel’s dark past life. There are also the art related sections that are always fascinating.

The book is unusual, as it is almost two books in one. The second half of the book takes an entirely different direction than expected. Although built from the plot line of the first half, it differs significantly from the original story. The early part of the book is necessary to set the foundation for what is to come but feels somewhat slow. The second half of the book pulls you along as the plot becomes darker, faster paced, and increasing complex.

The setting for this book is the present and there are subtle, and not so subtle, references to the global situation we now find ourselves living with in 2026. After resolving all the mysteries and intrigue of the book, Gabriel finally returns home to the family and the peace that he has been seeking since retiring. . However, this book doesn’t leave the reader with a sense of contentment. This book raises a number of disturbing scenarios, many of which are currently occurring, and others that are possibilities in the near future. It hints at a world that may be headed into a darker and very disturbing direction. Questions about AI and other technologies growing without constraint or oversight, political positions that may be unable to be resolved, and motivations behind current and future actions are all indicators of a turbulent future.

[Frosty61 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this story about the supposed kidnapping of a wealthy woman and Allon's attempt to negotiate her release. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver and goes down a political road where certain countries are wonderful, others not so much. There's some suspense and excitement (weaponized drones!) but that wasn't enough to make up for the political diatribes.

Two things stood out: As other reviewers have said: political agenda seems to be important to this author and for those of us who just want a good story, there's too much of it in this one. Secondly, there's an abundance of name-dropping of luxury brands: cars, watches, boats, etc. along with other extraneous information (tube stops, streets, cities, plane routes). It meant nothing to me other than long paragraphs that actually didn't matter.

Quote:
'The nature of the relationship, Gabriel continued, deepened sometime in 2016, the same year Russia's intelligence services embarked on a sweeping and unprecedented attempt to influence the outcome of the American presidential election.'

[Tana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook narrated by Edoardo Ballerini. Gabriel is supposed to be enjoying summer with his family at their summer home….but there is a missing person and he is hired to find her. Solid addition to the series.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another standard Silva. If you liked him before, you will like him now.

[Taryn Kianofsky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read all 26 books following the main character Gabriel Allon. I looked forward to every July for the next book to come out! But to my disappointment this one will be my last. The author seems to have chosen politics over art. He completely whitewashed away any his old life and partnerships with the Mossad and his being an ex Israeli spy and head of the agency. No mention was made of any of his previous team members that also catapulted the books to greatness. Some of the recurring characters were a lot more interesting when they would interface and collaborate with his old team. Fans of the previous 25 books in the series will most likely be disappointed too and not return.

[Colleen Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gabriel Allon is retired, supposedly. But even though he's supposed to be an acclaimed art restorer, working for his lovely wife, he always seems to find himself in some sort of intrigue. A wealthy man's wife has gone missing, assumed kidnapped for ransom and he has hired Gabriel to find her, no matter what it costs. But the truth is even more interesting. Russians, blackmail, secrets, attack by drones, and many more adventures await.

[MJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice holiday read.

[Lottie · Rating 4 out of 5]

En habil Silva, så fint up to date med det nya säkerhetsläget i världen. Tänker alltid, att det här skulle bli en bra film