La orden (Gabriel Allon)

Gabriel Allon #20

by Daniel Silva

From Daniel Silva, author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers The New Girl and The Other Woman, comes a stunning new action-packed thriller of high stakes international intrigue featuring the enigmatic art restorer and master spy Gabriel Allon.

Master of the spy thriller Silva has entertained readers with twenty-two thoughtful and gripping suspense novels featuring a diverse cast of compelling characters and ingenious plots that have taken them around the globe and back—from the United States to Europe, Russia to the Middle East.

He returns with another blockbuster—a powerhouse novel that showcases his outstanding skill and brilliant imagination, destined to be a must read for both his multitudes of fans and growing legions of converts.

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

403 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 14, 2020

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

[David Putnam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yikes. I came late to Silva and really loved his last five books (that’s where I started). I looked forward to this one and bought the hardcover the day it came out. Those five earlier books were spy thrillers where the conflict was set very quickly with an inciting event that had international repercussions/implications. Great stuff. The conflict in The Order isn’t set for a hundred pages and even then, it’s a soft one. This book reads more like a locked-room murder mystery which had I been expecting one I might’ve enjoyed it more. The Pope dies in his room that has a guard outside the door. The first hundred pages is deciding if he’d been murdered. That’s a locked-room mystery if you ask me and not the spy thriller I’d been expecting. Even in a locked-room murder, the body hits the floor pretty early to set the stage. I have found books work best for me are the ones where the conflict is set right up front, a contract with the reader that says, “this is what I’m going to show you, come take this ride with me.” I will definitely buy his next book and hopefully Mr. Silva will go back to form.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not sure of the point of this story, but I am sure I don't care for it. 0 of 10 stars

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

A political diatribe masquerading as thriller fiction. Coulnd't finish it. The other 19 Gabriel Allon stories were all excellent.

[Stacey B · Rating 3 out of 5]

And so.....
It began with my pre-order.
July came..and like clockwork Daniel Silva's newest book popped up on my kindle.
Reading to the 50 page mark; I knew immediately this would be the first of his 20 novels that was about to disappoint me.
Silva chose to update us on the politics and power of the Vatican -again for the third time.
The book is about the untimely death of the current Pope. The new one to be chosen must share the same Nazi ideals of the corrupt Cardinals and Bishops that will be sequestered to vote him in.
So why the upset...
The repeat subject of the Vatican might not have bothered me as much if I hadn't recognized a change in Silva's expected by me standards.
All his books open with major drama page turners. This particular opening was less than gripping and the amount of action coupled with his astute detail in timing were cut down. I love to second guess myself but this drama was weak.
Silva has been seesawing a bit in showing his plan for Gabriel Allon's future .
I believe it began in Book 18 where he begins to hold Allon back. Allon directs his team executing the end game, but he is not a player.
Allon stands on the sideline; whereas he always, always, vehemently insists he take responsibility as the main foot on the ground regardless of his title.
We know it won't be long before he ages out, as Allon references this himself numerous times in the book.
And finally-
All 19 of Silva's books were stand alone novels.
Most of Silva's fans assumed this book would be the sequel to the cliffhanger he left us with in "The New Girl". The expected disappointment by his fans happened.
If in fact "The New Girl"was not meant as a cliffhanger, it certainly is first time that Silva's books didn't have a sound ending written by him.
Being a creature of habit, I don't enjoy reading books where the author leaves the ending up to his readers to draw their own conclusions. I want them to do it for me.
Should this be a marketing tool for 2020 and a sequel comes out, I will say "clever move".
Except, Silva is a smart guy.
He knows exactly what he's doing, knows his audience, and knew a sequel was expected.
Ok, a disappointed camper I am, but still fair.
This is the first time I rated any of his books lower than a 4.5*
But because Daniel Silva has entertained me for so many years, I'm giving him a "pass" on this one. 3.0* for disappointment.
///
Update 7-19 2022
No more passes and unfortunately no more Silva books.
I tried, hoping he would go back to his original formula.

[Edgarr Alien Pooh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The order is the 20th volume of Daniel Silva's with Gabriel Allon as the main character. Allon is a spy and art restorer, a Jew he is at the top of the Israeli spy network. This is my first read of Silva's (won't be my last) so I am not privy to Allon's earlier work except for the small mentions in this book.

The Order takes place in the days before the conclave to decide the new Pope after the sudden death of Pope Paul VII. As priests from around the world gather in the Vatican City to prepare to cast votes, Allon is supposed to be holidaying with his family in Venice. Before long he is dragged into a saga by old friends when it becomes apparent that things are not all as they seem within the headquarters of the Catholic Church.

In a story that leads back to Nazi Germany's days with modern reflections of Hitler's regime, The Order is a page-turner without having to really concentrate. I, not being a religious soul, found the hardest thing to get my head around was the different titles held by the characters and where they actually fit into the Catholic hierarchy. As I find with a lot of these sorts of books, it was a fun and light-hearted read and always to be remembered as FICTIONAL.

If you love Dan Brown's work, particularly The Da Vinci Code then I absolutely recommend this book to you. Another title to look out for is Robert Harris's Conclave, which is quite similar to this one although I have read all three and there is enough difference to enjoy them all.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

In this 20th book in the 'Gabriel Allon' series, the Israeli intelligence chief investigates the death of a pope. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

SPOILER ALERT / SPOILER ALERT / SPOILER ALERT

Gabriel Allon is an art restorer, assassin, and espionage agent who's now head of Israel's intelligence agency, called 'The Office.'



Thinking her husband needs a break from his taxing job, Gabriel's beautiful wife Chiara.....



.....arranges for a vacation in Venice, where the couple and their young twins can absorb the culture, eat delicious food, and spend time together as a family.



The Allons have just begun their getaway when a tragedy upsets their plans. Gabriel's friend Pope Paul VII - who's been working to forge a reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people - dies suddenly.



The pontiff was an elderly man with heart problems, and his death is attributed to natural causes. However the Pope's private secretary. Archbishop Luigi Donati, thinks his master was murdered.



Donati asks Gabriel to investigate the Pope's death, which Allon does with the assistance of his team at The Office, who can hack anything.



It turns out Pope Paul VII was murdered by members of a right-wing group called 'The Order of Saint Helena' - a xenophobic, anti-Semitic, neofascist organization that wants to undo Church reforms and expel immigrants from Europe.



To do this, The Order - which has its tentacles in the Vatican as well as the police, judiciary, banking industry, business world, etc. - plans to install a puppet pope. The illegitimate pontiff will take the Church in a sharply conservative direction, in collaboration with fascistic leaders across Europe.

The Order was going to wait for frail Pope Paul VII to die of old age, but their agenda was escalated when the Pope acquired a previously unknown gospel called 'The Gospel According to Pontius Pilate.'



This gospel puts the blame for Christ's death on the Romans rather than the Jews, whom the Church has been condemning for thousands of years. Numerous scholars believe the Church's execration of the Jews caused widespread anti-Semitism, and was an underlying cause of the Holocaust. Thus The Order doesn't want the Pontius Pilate book - which contradicts their teachings - to become known to the general public.

The Order learned Pope Paul VII was going to give the Pontius Pilate gospel to Allon, so its leaders had him killed. There may have been a witess to this crime, a Swiss Guard stationed outside the pontiff's apartment who's now missing.



Gabriel has to work fast to expose the Pope's murderers and stop their scheme for a puppet Pope, because the College of Cardinals - many of whom have been paid off by The Order - is about to elect a new pontiff. Thus Allon has to hurry to Rome, infiltrate the secret archives of the Vatican, search for the missing Swiss Guard, visit Switzerland, make a hop to Germany, get assistance from honest members of the clergy, etc.





The novel, which is full of corrupt and venomous clergy, and refers to Church scandals over the ages, may offend some Catholic readers. In his author's note at the end of the book, Silva emphasizes that this is a work of fiction and there's no Gospel According to Pontius Pilate. Nevertheless, Silva expands on the view that the Church is responsible for most Christian anti-Semitism, which the Church promoted on purpose and with ignominious intentions (in his view).

Silva's books are always exciting, and this is no exception. There's plenty of action, shooting, scheming, surveilling, conniving.....and even a touch of magical realism.

Recommended to readers who enjoy thrillers, especially fans of Gabriel Allon.

You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/

[Ryan Steck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel Silva once again reminds readers why he’s one of the most gifted novelists of our time with his latest must-read thriller, The Order.

It was supposed to be a vacation. A badly needed, week-long trip to relax and recharge. And after years of dedicated service that has no doubt taken a major toll on him and his family, nobody needed it more than Gabriel Allon, the master art restorer turned Israeli assassin who’s now halfway into his first term as chief of the Office.

However, just one day into his holiday—a covert trip to Venice with his family, arranged by his wife, Chiara—an old friend urgently requests Gabriel’s help.

Pope Paul VII has died. News reports suggest the leader of the Catholic church passed away from a massive heart attack that occurred while he was praying in his favorite chapel. But Archbishop Luigi Donati, the Holy Father’s loyal private secretary, suspects there might just be more to the story than anyone else is letting on, and in order to find out for sure, he sends for Gabriel Allon.

Though it turns out that Pope Paul VII did indeed suffer from heart disease, making a fatal heart attack possible (if not probable), Donati offers Gabriel several other tidbits that were not reported by the media. For starters, Donati explains that the Holy Father passed away on the one night that he was absent from the Pope’s side each week. Likewise, other oddities arise too: like a missing member of the Swiss Guard who had stood post outside the papal apartments that night, and a letter that Pope Paul VII had been writing just before his death, intended for Gabriel himself, which has since gone missing.

But the real mystery, however, surrounds the Holy Father’s reasons for visiting . . .

Continue reading this review here: https://therealbookspy.com/2020/07/05...

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read every Gabriel Allon book. Most are fun and usually relevant. International spy thrillers are my escape from reality. This book, unfortunately, was just short of boring. I'm not sure why Silva went away from the typical high-stakes and unpredictable drama that has characterized the series to date, perhaps to appease a public tired of the same villains, but it does not work. In fact, the story was so predictable that I was certain I was missing a huge plot twist. Nope. You can skip this one and not miss a beat as nothing substantive really changes about the underlying story or characters. Another 2020 disappointment!
A caveat: If you are unaware of the Church’s long history of anti-semitism, the political ascendancy of nationalism and resurgence of violent anti-semitism in Europe, or the many scandals of the Catholic Church, you will learn something from the book. Just be certain to read the Afterword to sort fact from fiction.

[Foxglove · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daniel Silva is one of my favorite writers, but this book wasn't his best. It felt like a retread of the Confessor, and the supernatural element wasn't really helpful in a series that is normally so grounded in reality. Of course, Gabriel being 69 and head of Mossad and running around without bodyguards, getting into gun battles, is stretching reality.
The plot moves quickly, especially as compared to The Other Woman and the New Girl which were longer and more in-depth. It's a good plot, with twists and turns, although I did find it predictable.
One thing that bothered me was this is his third major murderous Catholic secret conspiracy cabal, which is really offensive and hurtful to Catholics (I'm agnostic Jewish). I have no problem talking about people like Bishop Alois Hudal, which is a historical fact.
However connecting it to a church today that is painted to be seen as being filled with right-wing fascist sympathizers who are willing to murder to achieve power once is unfair, and casts an unfair mark on 1 billion people. As much as Silva defends the church and says Gabriel wouldn't want to live in a world without it, and has people like Luchassi and Donati, the fact remains this is the third secret society that goes around killing people, trying to achieve power and kill Jews, and it feels too close to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion for Catholics. The conspiracy theories and cabals don't create specific villains as much make all Catholics seem violent, hypocritical, power-hungry and dangerous, which is unfair.
I hope Silva will drop this trope, because his writing is as good as ever. I just want him to break fresh ground.

[Karl Jorgenson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silva, whom I used to really like, is phoning it in. From the GR rating, I can see I'm the only one who thinks so.
Here, Allon is vacationing in Venice when the Vatican calls for his assistance again. The current Pope has died from his third heart attack in six months; obviously that's suspicious. Naturally, they call the head of Israeli Intelligence to investigate. That's the job of Israeli Intelligence, to investigate, pro bono, unlikely crimes that have nothing to do with Israel, right?
But wait: it does have something to do with Israel. Turns out the Pope died right after finding a [Roman] document from the time of Christ, Pontius Pilate's confession. Yay! This will expose anti-Semitism as the product of a Vatican/Roman spin campaign--they blamed the Jews, and really, it was always the Romans who killed Christ. This is the interesting point in the book--does all anti-Semitism grow from the Christian notion that Jewish leaders induced the Romans to kill Christ? Perhaps it does. But a 2,000 year-old revelation isn't going to change that.
So the Allon investigation goes in the usual, invented-by-a-six-year-old way. They look for a conspiracy, and immediately find it. The hack the phone of a conspirator, and know everything: who's in on it, how much money they were paid, where it comes from, what the goals are. A twenty-seven-year-old hacker, living in her parent's basement, could defeat the forces of evil if it were this easy.
The conspirators have bought the votes of a bunch of cardinals to fix the election of the next Pope. Now that Allon knows all, he can destroy the conspiracy. Come on, Silva, really. The bad guys went from Cardinal to Cardinal and said, "Pssst. Wanna make some major cash? Here's who you vote for, next time there's a conclave." Let's say that would work a few times. Let's say, with unlimited funds, you could buy a bunch of cardinals. Did they have a 100% success rate? Because if they asked just one cardinal who refused, just one cardinal who was not willing to betray the church, his faith, his God, and his principles, then he blows the whistle and the scheme collapses. Which brings me to my joke headline from a month ago, when the real Pope was visiting Baghdad: 'Pope takes opportunity in Baghdad to issue fatwa against U.S. plaintiff's bar.'
The book is plodding, uninspiring, unworthy. Even the prose is lazy: lots and lots of telling, where Allon and others allegedly feel emotions, but we don't see them. And his dialogue might as well all be from the same character: it's all in the same style. Silva's style of dialogue: 'I finished it." "Finished what?" "The book." "How was it?" "It had its moments." "Such as?" "I liked the ending."
And so on. EVERY CHARACTER speaks evasively, as though the author had paid him to avoid revealing any information as long as possible. This is not tension-building; this is lame.

[Ed · Rating 1 out of 5]

I understand novelists enjoy "literary license" but the Anti-Catholic premise here is grotesque!

[Lewis Weinstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

another excellent Gabriel Allon story ... in this one, Silva portrays the Catholic Church's horrible 2000 year history of Jew hatred and persecution, without which it is doubtful there would ever have been a Holocaust ... a hatred, by the way, based on utter nonsense incorporated into the Christian Gospels and later the Catholic liturgy, and perpetuated to support the political goals of the church and its leaders ... Vatican II (1965) changed the liturgy but the Gospels remain as evil as ever in their hatred of Jews

I have dealt with the same themes in my novels, particularly The Heretic, and am doing so again in my new in-process novel.

[Jonathan K (Max Outlier) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of the 8 books I've read in the series, this was the least favorite. It tells the story of Allon being called in my a member of the Vatican when the Pope suddenly passes. As the plot plays out we learn the Order of St. Helena, an extremely wealthy right wing group, whose leader is ruthless and controlling was 'connected' with the sudden passing as well as the disappearance of is an ancient book earmarked for Allon by His Holiness.

Due to the story's religious nature, I found the amount of Catholic history slowed the momentum significantly. In addition, it highlights the deep dissension of Judaic and Muslim religion by conservative Catholics. Unlike the others, we don't see the Director of Israeli intelligence leading a masterful scheme that solves the puzzle.

I felt it paled in comparison to others in the Allon series. Regardless, Daniel Silva remains a favorite in this genre!

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silva has art restorer and head of Israeli Intelligence, Gabriel Allon, being asked by Archbishop Luigi Donati, the personal assistant to the Pope, to investigate the death of the Pope Pietro Lucchesi. And then Silva leaps to conspiracy theories and secret societies that rival author Dan Brown’s novels. Here, Silva has the neo-Nazi organization, known to its members as the Order of St. Helena, being deeply involved in a plot to seize the papacy. Enjoy!

[Germaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very political but very tame even boring in parts too much religion. Bring back Allon of old. MR Silva seems to he resting on his past books knowing we will buy. Very disappointing and disappointed with this book.

[K.J. McGillick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another outstanding piece of literature

I am a huge fan of Daniel Silva and The Order was another masterpiece. I found it suspenseful, historically accurate where it should be and a wonderful touch of fiction also where necessary to move the plot forward. I felt it a timely piece to address the issues no one wants to talk about in public. Read it, enjoy it, treasure the talented man who penned this.

[Maureen Carden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back on Track

Silva seems to have rediscovered his mojo after last year's disgraceful whitewash of a horrific crime.
This is a more thoughtful book than his usual thrillers which might not appeal to those who prefer more action packed books. There is action, there is his usual gang, but boy, does this book make you think. Or it should. Nine words responsible for centuries of horrific blood shed. I might even say this is an important book.

[Kay]

This is my second Gabriel Allon book and I don't find it interesting. I know I liked The Black Widow (#16), but this one felt different and slow. Returning this book.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pope has died.

While he was indeed ailing his private secretary, Gabriel’s longtime friend, Archbishop Luigi Donati, suspects the Pope did not die of natural causes and contacts Gabriel for assistance in finding the truth.

As clues unfold it becomes urgent that the truth be uncovered and exposed before the next Conclave begins to select a new Pope.

Now, I could probably tell you more, but that would be sharing spoilers, and that is not my thing…so if you are ready for another tantalizing page-turner, maybe this one is for you.

Each novel can be read as a stand-alone but it is so much more entertaining if the reader has read previous Allon books.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

4 star read til the last 10% & then it ended with a whimper, not a bang. This is still one of my favourite series & it was great to catch up with Gabriel & his crew. Always an intelligent & intricate plot full of compelling characters.

[Joe Lucia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I plowed through this in less than 24 hours (as I typically do with all of Silva's new releases), and I have to say...I'm somewhat disappointed. All of the ingredients for success are here - Gabriel Allon, religious intrigue, a shadowy cabal. But the elements really just don't mesh well together. The shadowy cabal is essentially dealt with at the end of the second act, though a character that has been spoken of somewhat often (but hasn't been fleshed out) pops up in act three. The election of the new pope seems very Angels and Demons-esque to me, and he isn't much of a factor in the book's brief fourth act.

As for the book's religious intrigue, it peters out somewhat quickly, given that the gospel in question wasn't actually retrieved until the very end of the story. We also never really got a good (or any?) explanation of the mysterious priest who provides information about the gospel to various characters (and given that this series has never really taken a dive into mysticism or anything along those lines, that sure would be a cop out).

Perhaps most disappointing at all, Gabriel's Israeli intelligence dream team is barely featured! They show up in the second act, and once that's taken care of, they don't return. Given how central a role they've played in many of the other books in the series, I was quite dismayed at their usage in this one.

However, none of this is to say this is a *bad* book, it's merely disappointing by the quite high standards Silva has set. If this was written by a different author, in a different series, my overall score would probably be higher and my criticisms wouldn't be as sharp. I wasn't shocked to see a step back after the ridiculous standards set by The Other Woman and The New Girl, and am hoping that the next book in the series is able to come close to matching that level of tension and storytelling.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED the earlier books in this series. Fantastic reads, engaging action thrillers. This one I really struggled with a 3 star rating. Maybe even leaning towards a 2 the more I think about it. The vicious anti-Catholic bigotry that makes Dan Brown seem sensible in the middle of the book almost had me abandon the entire enterprise. The leftist tropes and obvious hatred of conservatives as the bad guys (even though he isn't mentioned in the book was clearly an anti-Trump screed, that man has broken so many people mentally) was distracting and took away from the story, which otherwise had great action and would have been a fun read. For goodness sake, I want to relax and read a work of fiction, not focus on the current affairs politics of Daniel Silva. He really disappointed me with this book.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bot this was a hard book to give a rating to lol. It kept going around in circles in my head as I read this book lol. I have read all 2o books lol. For starters this is not a typical Allon book. It is light and much leaner than recent books more like a earlier book in the series. I think it is the only book where his former boss is not mentioned thank god lol. His agency and his key support group played a very small part in this book it was mainly him and a friend from other books in the series. I was also glad to see his own personal religous and political views were kept out of the book for the most part-3 or 4 books ago he was getting some severe back lash for that and I was in that group. i was almost ready to give up on the series. Like I said this book is a lot leaner and has a quick pace to it. There is not a lot of your typical intense action that comes with this series-very low key. If this was my first book in the series I might have found it boring. I always say read a series in its proper order. I saw a couple of complaints where the book was bogged down in religion too much.I kind of agree with this-there was a about a 15 page section wow where I did not need lol. I will say it was a nice read and flowed well. The story was pretty good but not a normal story for this series. I gave it 4.0 stars on the dot, it was good enough to get that. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. This book also started the forshadowing in a big way of Allon retiring. I would like to see him have to deal with a bad Jewish/ Israel person or a double agent Jewish / Israel person .I am not sure he as the balls for that lol. I do say go ahead and give this book a big spin you will not be let down especially if you are a fan of the series.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

For almost 2000 years, the Jews have been blamed for the death of Jesus. What if the gospel of Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect that ordered the death of Jesus on the cross, existed? What would it reveal? The gospels are taken at face value by millions of people, yet many scholars and historians question their accuracy. For example, the author wrote that four of the gospels differently described the Sanhedrin trial of Jesus.

Gabriel Allon, head of the Israeli secret intelligence service, is vacationing in Venice with his family. Gabriel is brought in to investigate the death of the pope, the disappearance of a Swiss Guard, and a missing letter and book. Alleged Islamic terrorist attacks are occurring in Berlin during a contested Chancellor election. Anti-Semitism is on the rise. The conclave is convening to pick the new pope.

I have read the entire series and always look forward to the latest addition. Gabriel and his team get the job done no matter the barriers or timetable. An enjoyable read, but I found, without spoiling the details, that some of the scenes were implausible, especially within the Vatican.

What if blaming the Jews for the death of Jesus is the longest lie that was perpetuated by the role of the Catholic Church? Would the awful and hateful Antisemitism that has continued to plague the Jews to this day exist? The author did a lot of research and listed many books and articles in his acknowledgments.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Order by Gabriel Allon takes place in Rome, Italy and the Vatican focusing on the papacy of the fictional Pope Paul VII, born Pietro Lucchesi, the former patriarch of Venice. In this fictional series, Pope Paull VII is the direct successor of Pope John Paul II. Pope Paul VII previously appeared subsequent books of the Gabriel Allon series, The Confessor, The Messenger, and The Fallen Angel. In this narrative, Gabriel Allon had secured two weeks away from the Office for a much needed vacation with his wife, Chiara, and his four-year old twins Raphael and Irene in Venice. It is in this setting that Gabriel Allon is able to return to his beloved art restoration in the church of the Madonna dell'Orto on one of the beautiful pieces of art by Tintoretto. However, he was soon summoned by his close friend, Archbishop Luigi Donati, the Holy Father's closest aide and confidant, to Rome. Archbishop Donati, suspicious of the circumstances of the Holy Father's death, draws Gabriel Allon into the intrigue including the search for a rare missing book. It is during this time that we learn about the legendary Order of St. Helena and its ties to Germany rising between World Wars I and II becoming very political and quasi-military as their ties to Adolf Hitler became known.

This book, The Order, is one of my favorites of the series because we see a more reflective Gabriel Allon as he begins to come to terms with his family's history during the Holocaust as well as the history of the Jewish people. We learn much more about Gabriel Allon's mother and how she was the only one to survive and the personal toll that exacted on her and her son, Gabriel. It also explored the painful process of Jewish-Christian reconciliation:

"The culmination of John XXIII's bid to repair relations between the Catholics and the Jews in the wake of the Holocaust was the milestone declaration of the Second Vatican Council known as the Nostra Aetate. Opposed by many Church conservatives, it declared that Jews were not collectively responsible for the death of Jesus or eternally cursed by God."

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Have you ever noticed that every time you come near the Vatican, something goes wrong?”
― Daniel Silva, The Order

The 20th book in the Gabriel Allon series gets off to a slow start and there isn't a lot of action. It is not the best book in the series. I was looking forward to reading this when it came out. Perhaps my expectations were too high. When there are nineteen other books in the series it is probably not realistic to expect each new book to surpass the previous book. Having said that it was an enjoyable read. Gabriel Allon is a favorite protagonist of mine.

The story opens with Gabriel's wife, Chiara, deciding that her husband needs a vacation from his job as the head of Israel's intelligence agency (a.k.a The Office). Knowing Gabriel would not take the initiative she takes matters into her own hands and plans a family vacation in Venice. The family can enjoy food and culture and maybe Gabriel can find a painting to restore. The vacation has barely started when sad news reaches them. Pope Paul VII has died. The pontiff was elderly and had a history of heart problems which the Vatican had managed to keep hidden. Pope Paul VII's private secretary, Archbishop Luigi Donati, believes that his death may not have been natural and he reaches out to Gabriel for his help.

The pope had been writing a letter to Gabriel the night he died. The letter and the Swiss Guard who had been on duty outside the papal apartments are both missing. The pope had found a book in the Vatican archives … 'The Gospel According to Pontius Pilate". This gospel puts the blame for the death of Jesus on the Romans and not the Jews who history had blamed.

Within the Catholic church there was an organization called "The Order of Saint Helena". This xenophobic group was comprised of neo-Nazi, fascist, anti-Semites who plan to undo church reforms and expel immigrants from Europe. They had planned to wait for the pope to die a natural death but his discovery of 'The Gospel According to Pontius Pilate" and his plan to contact Gabriel altered plans. The Order doesn't want this gospel to become known to the public. So they murdered Pope Paul VII and plan to install a puppet pope of their choosing.

In this story the majority of the College of Cardinals have been paid off. They are corrupt and villainous. The history of the church is filled with scandals. This story will probably offend many Catholics. The author does include at a note at end of the story to remind readers that this is a work of fiction. This book can be read as a standalone.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pope is dead. While he was indeed ailing his private secretary, Gabriel’s longtime friend, Archbishop Luigi Donati, suspects the Pope did not die of natural causes and contacts Gabriel for assistance in finding the truth.

Gabriel and his family are on a long overdue vacation in Venice but because of his long association with Donati and the Vatican he cannot refuse to help, nor does he want to!

As clues unfold it becomes urgent that the truth be uncovered and exposed before the next Conclave begins.

The writing is taunt as per all previous Allon novels. Each novel can be read as a stand-alone but it is so much more entertaining if the reader has read previous Allon books.

Daniel Silva has not written an Allon novel that does not give the reader much to ponder. Always there is a historical factor involved and the author goes to great pains to offer the reader the historical facts in his author’s notes. The reader would be remiss in not reading those Notes.

[Brett T · Rating 1 out of 5]

As with the previous Gabriel Allon book, The New Girl, I'll tag this one for spoilers in order to explain why I didn't like it at all, especially given how much I enjoy the Allon series overall.

In both of his careers -- as an art restorer and as one of the top operatives of Israel's secret service -- Gabriel Allon has frequently crossed paths with the highest levels of Vatican leadership, even winning the friendship of Pope Paul VII and his private secretary, Archbishop Luigi Donati. So when the elderly pope finally passes, he isn't surprised that Donati contacts him. He is quite surprised, however, when his friend wants him to probe the circumstances of His Holiness' passing, because there are a number of things about the death that raise questions. The presence of a secret letter to Gabriel from the pope only adds to the mystery, but soon enough shadowy players in Vatican politics begin to make their moves. Are they linked to radical nationalist movements in several European countries that aim to place a sympathetic candidate on the throne of Peter? And what long-hidden ancient document had the pope found in the most secret Vatican archives, and why did he want Gabriel to have it? Not everyone wants those questions answered, and the silencers seem ready to move with deadly effect.

In remarks on the 19th Gabriel Allon book, The New Girl, I suggested it was a low point of the series and I eagerly awaited the usually reliable Daniel Silva's follow-up. Had I known that it would be a Dan Brown novel, I would probably have been less eager.

Of course, The Order is head and shoulders above anything Brown's ever published. Silva's characters have depth, he writes better and even his "secret that will shake the foundations of the church" is more plausible. Instead of a secret marriage of Jesus that produces a family tree that coincidentally results in the attractive young woman who's romping around Europe with a middle-aged professor, Silva imagines a written report by Pontius Pilate to the Emperor Tiberias, defending his work as the Governor of Judea. In it, contrary to the assertion of the four canonical gospels, Pilate takes sole responsibility for the death of Jesus. The choice to hide this document and stand on the four gospels of the New Testament, The Order asserts, is the major reason behind the long history of European anti-Semitism and hatred of the Jewish people.

Like Brown, Silva leans on a few selected New Testament scholars to support his claim. They're more mainstream and less outlandish than Brown's sources, but they still seem rather carefully selected to support the idea Silva needs in order to fuel his narrative.

Well, no one reads spy thrillers to learn church history and Christology, so it ordinarily shouldn't matter. Unfortunately, The Order bogs down time and time again so Donati or another church scholar can exposit the necessary church history to let Gabriel himself offer lectures about the horrible impact of the early church's decision to suppress Pilate's report and lay on Jews the guilt for Jesus' execution. The villainous cabal that wants to suppress the Pilate document and put its own man in the papacy is moved by a desire to return the church to a place of power over national governments and by a hatred of immigrants. The national leaders involved are barely-altered versions of actual nationalist movements in European politics today. Silva has Gabriel theorize about how poorly one of those nationalist leaders would respond to a potential pandemic that, gee whillikers, sounds a lot like the COVID-19 crisis actually going on in the world today.

A writer of Silva's caliber could easily be given absolution for reliance on a narrow, slanted theology and the tired trope of his MacGuffin being yet another Suppressed Secret Document That, if Revealed, Would Rock the Foundations of Christianity. But those problems, combined with a sloppy, stop-and-go narrative, unusually lifeless villains and a rather unsurprising fizzle of an ending, make a reader want to see some pretty significant acts of contrition before granting it this time.

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chiara finally convinces Gabriel Allon to take a vacation in Venice. Meanwhile, in Rome, the Pope dies under mysterious circumstances when his personal secretary, Archbishop Donati, is visiting his close female friend. Then, the Swiss Guard watching him that night disappears. Donati asks Gabriel to help, and they get to the Guard just in time to see him shot to death. But, he has smuggled a letter from the Pope, calling into question whether the Jews were responsible for Christ's death, setting off millennia of persecution. As the conclave approaches, Gabriel brings in his usual Mossad team to capture a key figure working for the Order of St. Helena, a secret society with strong ties to far right politicians all over Europe, trying to select a puppet Pope. Honestly, this is one of the weakest books in this long series. Too predictable, too preachy, and perhaps worst of all, the story of Pontius Pilate and Christ was superficial and dull. 2.5 stars, rounded up.

[Jim A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another totally entertaining weekend spent with Daniel Silva's character Gabriel Allon. The usual cast of Allon cohorts play a minor role in this one while Allon's friend Archbishop Donatti plays a major role.

The final chapters are a mix of both, some twists and some predictability.

Twenty thrillers into the Allon series and I'm still not bored with the character. Speaks well for Silva's writing ability. This one is about the search for a religious text, the subject matter going back to the days of Pontius Pilate and the crucifixion of Christ. Silva did a lot of research on this one. Contains both fact and fiction. I spent a lot of time moving between the novel and Google, checking several items of interest. Fact or fiction?