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Gabriel Allon #2
The English Assassin
The Unlikely Spy, Daniel Silva's extraordinary debut novel, was applauded by critics as it rocketed onto national bestseller lists. Now Silva has outdone himself, with a taut, lightning-paced thriller rooted assuredly in fact: Switzerland's shameful WWII record of profiteering and collaboration with Nazi Germany.
When art restorer and occasional Israeli agent Gabriel Allon is sent to Zurich, Switzerland, to restore the painting of a reclusive millionaire banker, he arrives to find his would-be employer murdered at the foot of his Raphael. A secret collection of priceless, illicitly gained Impressionist masterpieces is missing. Gabriel's handlers step out of the shadows to admit the truth-the collector had been silenced-and Gabriel is put back in the high-stakes spy game, battling wits with the rogue assassin he helped to train.
Tense, taut, expertly crafted, and brimming with unexpected reversals, The English Assassin is Daniel Silva at his storytelling best
When art restorer and occasional Israeli agent Gabriel Allon is sent to Zurich, Switzerland, to restore the painting of a reclusive millionaire banker, he arrives to find his would-be employer murdered at the foot of his Raphael. A secret collection of priceless, illicitly gained Impressionist masterpieces is missing. Gabriel's handlers step out of the shadows to admit the truth-the collector had been silenced-and Gabriel is put back in the high-stakes spy game, battling wits with the rogue assassin he helped to train.
Tense, taut, expertly crafted, and brimming with unexpected reversals, The English Assassin is Daniel Silva at his storytelling best
437 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 4, 2002
2890 people are currently reading
8994 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Silva
185 books9,475 followersDaniel Silva was born in Michigan in 1960 and raised in California where he received his BA from Fresno State. Silva began his writing career as a journalist for United Press International (UPI), traveling in the Middle East and covering the Iran-Iraq war, terrorism and political conflicts. From UPI he moved to CNN, where he eventually became executive producer of its Washington-based public policy programming. In 1994 he began work on his first novel, The Unlikely Spy, a surprise best seller that won critical acclaim. He turned to writing full time in 1997 and all of his books have been New York Times/national best sellers, translated into 25 languages and published across Europe and the world. He lives in Washington, D.C.
Series:
* Michael Osbourne
* Gabriel Allon
Series:
* Michael Osbourne
* Gabriel Allon
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,835 reviews
December 28, 2017
"Since when is it a crime in Switzerland to talk?"
“The English Assassin” is the second novel in the series by Daniel Silva that follows the adventures of ex Israeli agent (and art restorer) Gabriel Allon. This text has given me no reason to stop reading the series.
I am sure the series is a bit formulaic, it is becoming obvious even in book # 2 (there are 17 books in this series as of today) but that is to be expected with the genre. And I could do without the hero having a fling with the femme fatale of the piece, but the stories are intriguing and Silva is a good storyteller and writer, unlike many who write in this genre.
This book focuses on the Swiss looting of art treasures and collaboration with the Nazis during WW II. This is not speculative, it happened. Mr. Silva interweaves this historical travesty within an interesting caper that also gives the reader a lot of details about music, especially classical violin pieces and mid twentieth century art and its place in the World War. You actually learn some things in this text.
I was impressed with how skillfully and convincingly Silva gets in the mind of a great musician while they are playing. It is some of the best writing in the book when he puts us in the head of a virtuoso violinist as she wrestles with the music in private practice sessions. He has also created an interesting character (the assassin of the title) who is a secondary character in the book but an intriguing one. I hope we see more of him in the series.
I see book # 3 in my near future.
“The English Assassin” is the second novel in the series by Daniel Silva that follows the adventures of ex Israeli agent (and art restorer) Gabriel Allon. This text has given me no reason to stop reading the series.
I am sure the series is a bit formulaic, it is becoming obvious even in book # 2 (there are 17 books in this series as of today) but that is to be expected with the genre. And I could do without the hero having a fling with the femme fatale of the piece, but the stories are intriguing and Silva is a good storyteller and writer, unlike many who write in this genre.
This book focuses on the Swiss looting of art treasures and collaboration with the Nazis during WW II. This is not speculative, it happened. Mr. Silva interweaves this historical travesty within an interesting caper that also gives the reader a lot of details about music, especially classical violin pieces and mid twentieth century art and its place in the World War. You actually learn some things in this text.
I was impressed with how skillfully and convincingly Silva gets in the mind of a great musician while they are playing. It is some of the best writing in the book when he puts us in the head of a virtuoso violinist as she wrestles with the music in private practice sessions. He has also created an interesting character (the assassin of the title) who is a secondary character in the book but an intriguing one. I hope we see more of him in the series.
I see book # 3 in my near future.
May 20, 2015
A Wonderful Surprise - 5 Stars
My expectations were low going into this novel. I read the first in the series in 2013 and honestly I have completely forgotten the plot. The first story felt tired and average. Quite unexpectedly, the second book in the series blew me away and kept me interested from the start.
Plot
The world's most deadly art restorer is called into action when the Israeli government is contacted by Swiss banker who has some information he wishes to share. Sensing that there something sensitive afoot, Gabriel is sent to Zurich to meet with the gentleman. Upon arrival, it appears as if Gabriel is being set up to take the fall for a crime and a mystery begins to unfold. Gabriel delves into the secretive world of Swiss banking, the dirty dealings of the Swiss during World War II and the Nazi plundering of the Jews during the war all of which leaves Gabriel's life hanging in the balance.
No Lack of Excitement
There is much to please a variety of readers. On one level, the book deals with the serious and painful history of Jewish art during WWII. I have read of this subject before but the involvement of Switzerland was unknown to me. Under the guise of questionable legislation, art plundered from Jews could be sold and traded in Switzerland without fear of loss of profit or the forced return to the rightful owner. I found the exploration of the secretive world of Swiss banking and in fact, the secretive culture of Switzerland to be fascinating. In my opinion, this was the best element of the story.
If the more cerebral aspects of the story don't appeal to you, there is plenty of action to keep the thriller fans happy. As the name of the book suggests, a large part of the story revolves around an English Assassin who has a past with Gabriel and who is tasked with seeing him killed. You can expect a fair share of kidnappings, beatings, stabbings, shootings, drugging and some minor torture. In my view, the author quite skillfully fuses the art, intellect and brute force. On the whole it makes for a compelling novel.
Final Thoughts
If you were like me and were put off by the first book, don't let that keep you from giving the series a second chance. While I found the first book felt dated, the second book still felt to be fresh and relevant. I am glad to find another series that is both intelligent and exciting. I am looking forward to reading the next one.
My expectations were low going into this novel. I read the first in the series in 2013 and honestly I have completely forgotten the plot. The first story felt tired and average. Quite unexpectedly, the second book in the series blew me away and kept me interested from the start.
Plot
The world's most deadly art restorer is called into action when the Israeli government is contacted by Swiss banker who has some information he wishes to share. Sensing that there something sensitive afoot, Gabriel is sent to Zurich to meet with the gentleman. Upon arrival, it appears as if Gabriel is being set up to take the fall for a crime and a mystery begins to unfold. Gabriel delves into the secretive world of Swiss banking, the dirty dealings of the Swiss during World War II and the Nazi plundering of the Jews during the war all of which leaves Gabriel's life hanging in the balance.
No Lack of Excitement
There is much to please a variety of readers. On one level, the book deals with the serious and painful history of Jewish art during WWII. I have read of this subject before but the involvement of Switzerland was unknown to me. Under the guise of questionable legislation, art plundered from Jews could be sold and traded in Switzerland without fear of loss of profit or the forced return to the rightful owner. I found the exploration of the secretive world of Swiss banking and in fact, the secretive culture of Switzerland to be fascinating. In my opinion, this was the best element of the story.
If the more cerebral aspects of the story don't appeal to you, there is plenty of action to keep the thriller fans happy. As the name of the book suggests, a large part of the story revolves around an English Assassin who has a past with Gabriel and who is tasked with seeing him killed. You can expect a fair share of kidnappings, beatings, stabbings, shootings, drugging and some minor torture. In my view, the author quite skillfully fuses the art, intellect and brute force. On the whole it makes for a compelling novel.
Final Thoughts
If you were like me and were put off by the first book, don't let that keep you from giving the series a second chance. While I found the first book felt dated, the second book still felt to be fresh and relevant. I am glad to find another series that is both intelligent and exciting. I am looking forward to reading the next one.
October 17, 2025
Intriguing spy thriller that inspired me to look into the history of stolen art and shady banking during wartime.
April 29, 2020
3.5 stars
A nice way to pass the time. It wasn't great but I enjoyed it.
A nice way to pass the time. It wasn't great but I enjoyed it.
November 23, 2023
A new and interesting hero in the thriller genre!
As most international spy vs spy intrigue type thrillers are wont to do, Daniel Silva's thriller, THE ENGLISH ASSASSIN, moves from locale to locale across Europe with rather dizzying speed.
Silva's underlying premise to the story is the fact that Switzerland, while claiming neutrality during WW II, was actually considerably less than a mere sideline observer to the proceedings of the war. Indeed, it appears that not only were they willing participants in Nazi Germany's veritable raping and pillaging of galleries, personal collections, museums, churches and public buildings of the priceless art treasures they contained, but they were also private bankers and money laundering agents for the senior members of the Nazi elite. The aristocratic families of the Swiss banking oligarchy, having become unimaginably wealthy through this illicit relationship, will now do almost anything to prevent a modern world from exposing their sordid history and forcing the return of the ill-gotten art treasures and the related wealth to their rightful owners.
Gabriel Allon, one of the world's foremost art restorers (and, coincidentally, a member of the Israeli Secret Service) has been commissioned to restore a Raphael painting belonging to Swiss banker, Augustus Rolfe. When he arrives at Rolfe's home, he is shocked to discover that Rolfe has been brutally murdered and that he is the number one suspect in the crime. The Swiss police are unable to make the charges stick and when Allon is released with orders to leave the country and never return, he vows to investigate to discover who was responsible for such an obvious set-up and (you'll pardon the pun) frame job!
He returns undercover to Switzerland seeking to question Rolfe's daughter, Anna, a world famous violinist, and, as Sherlock Holmes put it so very often, the game was afoot! Allon and Rolfe are now the targets of a shadowy assassin hired by a secretive Swiss cabal of bankers who intend to ensure that the secrets of WW II remain locked in Swiss vaults and safe from prying outside eyes!
In Gabriel Allon, Daniel Silva has created a memorable hero with significant colour and depth that fans will want to follow further. In this particular story, the clever pairing of a reclusive art restorer with a moody, temperamental, world class concert violinist allows for an extremely interesting exploration of the arts world in Europe, from both historical and current points of view. While not quite at the level of travelogue, Silva's attention to detail in placing his action in various European cities provides an extra dose of reality and interest to a plot that is already quite satisfying.
THE ENGLISH ASSASSIN is certainly more than workmanlike and, while I enjoyed it, I thought it less than spectacular. The genre of intrigue thrillers is a crowded one, indeed, and while it benefits from Silva's addition, THE ENGLISH ASSASSIN is not a standout such as Ken Follett's EYE OF THE NEEDLE or Jack Higgin's THE EAGLE HAS LANDED.
Recommended.
Paul Weiss
As most international spy vs spy intrigue type thrillers are wont to do, Daniel Silva's thriller, THE ENGLISH ASSASSIN, moves from locale to locale across Europe with rather dizzying speed.
Silva's underlying premise to the story is the fact that Switzerland, while claiming neutrality during WW II, was actually considerably less than a mere sideline observer to the proceedings of the war. Indeed, it appears that not only were they willing participants in Nazi Germany's veritable raping and pillaging of galleries, personal collections, museums, churches and public buildings of the priceless art treasures they contained, but they were also private bankers and money laundering agents for the senior members of the Nazi elite. The aristocratic families of the Swiss banking oligarchy, having become unimaginably wealthy through this illicit relationship, will now do almost anything to prevent a modern world from exposing their sordid history and forcing the return of the ill-gotten art treasures and the related wealth to their rightful owners.
Gabriel Allon, one of the world's foremost art restorers (and, coincidentally, a member of the Israeli Secret Service) has been commissioned to restore a Raphael painting belonging to Swiss banker, Augustus Rolfe. When he arrives at Rolfe's home, he is shocked to discover that Rolfe has been brutally murdered and that he is the number one suspect in the crime. The Swiss police are unable to make the charges stick and when Allon is released with orders to leave the country and never return, he vows to investigate to discover who was responsible for such an obvious set-up and (you'll pardon the pun) frame job!
He returns undercover to Switzerland seeking to question Rolfe's daughter, Anna, a world famous violinist, and, as Sherlock Holmes put it so very often, the game was afoot! Allon and Rolfe are now the targets of a shadowy assassin hired by a secretive Swiss cabal of bankers who intend to ensure that the secrets of WW II remain locked in Swiss vaults and safe from prying outside eyes!
In Gabriel Allon, Daniel Silva has created a memorable hero with significant colour and depth that fans will want to follow further. In this particular story, the clever pairing of a reclusive art restorer with a moody, temperamental, world class concert violinist allows for an extremely interesting exploration of the arts world in Europe, from both historical and current points of view. While not quite at the level of travelogue, Silva's attention to detail in placing his action in various European cities provides an extra dose of reality and interest to a plot that is already quite satisfying.
THE ENGLISH ASSASSIN is certainly more than workmanlike and, while I enjoyed it, I thought it less than spectacular. The genre of intrigue thrillers is a crowded one, indeed, and while it benefits from Silva's addition, THE ENGLISH ASSASSIN is not a standout such as Ken Follett's EYE OF THE NEEDLE or Jack Higgin's THE EAGLE HAS LANDED.
Recommended.
Paul Weiss
July 31, 2018
#2 in the Gabriel Allon series.
This time round Gabriel Allon has the Gnomes of Zurich in his sights.
During the 2nd World War a lot of the world’s great painting masterpieces were stolen by the Nazis and given to the bankers of Zurich for safe keeping. Many of these painting were owned by the then persecuted Jews. Under Swiss law “if an item is unclaimed after 5 years that item then becomes the property of the person who currently is in possession of it”.
The Israel’s want the painting returned to there rightful owners.
But the Swiss Bankers are not about to give billions of dollars in artwork away to the Israel’s and are quite prepared to kill to keep possession of the masterpieces.
Gabriel Allon is tasked with the recovery of the paintings. This proves to be no easy task. If this task is to be successful Allon will have to put his life on the line.
Allon is, as always, the reluctant operative but when duty calls he can’t refuse.
It’s not perfect but for all that it’s a well crafted book that is easy to read.
Recommended for spy thriller lovers
This time round Gabriel Allon has the Gnomes of Zurich in his sights.
During the 2nd World War a lot of the world’s great painting masterpieces were stolen by the Nazis and given to the bankers of Zurich for safe keeping. Many of these painting were owned by the then persecuted Jews. Under Swiss law “if an item is unclaimed after 5 years that item then becomes the property of the person who currently is in possession of it”.
The Israel’s want the painting returned to there rightful owners.
But the Swiss Bankers are not about to give billions of dollars in artwork away to the Israel’s and are quite prepared to kill to keep possession of the masterpieces.
Gabriel Allon is tasked with the recovery of the paintings. This proves to be no easy task. If this task is to be successful Allon will have to put his life on the line.
Allon is, as always, the reluctant operative but when duty calls he can’t refuse.
It’s not perfect but for all that it’s a well crafted book that is easy to read.
Recommended for spy thriller lovers
November 12, 2016
I much enjoyed this second Gabriel Allon novel and note the beginnings of his ascension into a top notch defender of Isreal against murdering Nazi thieves and their allies. 10 of 10 stars
May 8, 2017
Again being the forever optimist I started reading the English "assassin" by Daniel Silva as a follow-up to his first book in the series about 'Israeli secret agent' Gabriel Allon. Mr. Silva's writing style is very ingenuous and descriptive and despite several lackluster plot scenes in the first book I wanted to give the series another shot.
Not good!
What followed in this book is Gabriel attempting to unravel some of Switzerland's most influential high-power political elite which had Nazi-affiliations and were responsible for the theft of multiple masterpiece paintings during World War II.
As you can see from my description the book is very muddled with implausible details and many dots that fortunately do not connect by book's conclusion.
At the heart of the book's problem is that I did not find the main protagonist Gabriel engaging and thought-provoking. 'Gabriel' is agent who's well past middle age, over 50 years old, post retirement and Silva constantly reminds us that Gabriel wants no part in any covert secret operation.
And boy does it show! What follows is a barrage of unnecessary and lackluster events that turned his book into a real snooze fest!
Sure, there's the obligatory blonde violinist who falls in love with Gabriel...or perhaps the actual assassin which happens to be an Englishman (duh), and may be the saving grace of this book. The real jewel in this book occurs every time the assassin perform his duties and kills somebody! Those scenes are thoughtfully crafted and add lot of suspense of the novel.
But overall I'm afraid the 'The English Assassin' fell way short of his mark.
3 stars
😐😟☹️
Not good!
What followed in this book is Gabriel attempting to unravel some of Switzerland's most influential high-power political elite which had Nazi-affiliations and were responsible for the theft of multiple masterpiece paintings during World War II.
As you can see from my description the book is very muddled with implausible details and many dots that fortunately do not connect by book's conclusion.
At the heart of the book's problem is that I did not find the main protagonist Gabriel engaging and thought-provoking. 'Gabriel' is agent who's well past middle age, over 50 years old, post retirement and Silva constantly reminds us that Gabriel wants no part in any covert secret operation.
And boy does it show! What follows is a barrage of unnecessary and lackluster events that turned his book into a real snooze fest!
Sure, there's the obligatory blonde violinist who falls in love with Gabriel...or perhaps the actual assassin which happens to be an Englishman (duh), and may be the saving grace of this book. The real jewel in this book occurs every time the assassin perform his duties and kills somebody! Those scenes are thoughtfully crafted and add lot of suspense of the novel.
But overall I'm afraid the 'The English Assassin' fell way short of his mark.
3 stars
😐😟☹️
May 12, 2019
Gabriel goes to Switzerland and has a blast (*pun*).
No really, this book is an excellent follow-up to The Kill Artist. Gabriel goes full Bond in this story especially the ending.
And yeah, the Swiss suck.
No really, this book is an excellent follow-up to The Kill Artist. Gabriel goes full Bond in this story especially the ending.
And yeah, the Swiss suck.
September 20, 2018
‘Switzerland is not a real country. It’s a business, and it’s run like a business. It’s a business that is constantly in a defensive posture. It’s been that way for seven hundred years.’
First published in 2002, The English Assassin is the second in the series in which Gabriel Allon, art restorer and occasional “fixer” for the Israeli government, is commissioned to restore a Raphael for a Swiss banker, Auguste Rolfe. He arrives at the house in Zurich to find the banker dead from a bullet wound to the head. As he tries to leave the country he is taken into questioning by the head of Swiss security, Gerhardt Peterson. The back story here is that the banker, who was dying, has a secret he wishes to reveal to the Israeli government to redress his past, and there are forces at work to ensure that does not happen.
This draws in The English Assassin of the title, former SAS officer, Christopher Keller, domiciled in Corsica where he works for the Orsati family. He met Gabriel years earlier, and in a familiar trope in fiction, the paths of the two men - contemporaries rather than advisories - are destined to cross time and again. (This reminded me of the C J Box pairing of Joe Pickett and Nate Romanowski).
Gabriel travels to Portugal to talk to the banker’s daughter, the fiery violin virtuoso, Anna, to find out more of her father’s business dealings. He lost his young son in a terrorist car bomb, which left his wife scarred and a virtual vegetable, and finds himself attracted to Anna.
He watched the muscles of her legs flexing with each stride, and thought of Leah. A hike on an autumn day like this, twenty-five years earlier – only then the hillside had been in Golan and the ruins were Crusader...
The historic aspect is also reflected by Gerhardt Peterson, who muses on the pact made by the Forest Cantons in a high alpine meadow in 1291, to protect people and property from the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold.
The strengths in Daniel Silva’s writing is his ability to depict people by their bare minimum: cigarette brand, clothing, nationality, posture – investing instead in places: the art centres of London and Paris, the banking sector in Zurich, Vienna and the canals and piazzas of Venice, where Anna is due to perform while Gabriel and his group try to shield her from Keller.
As always, there is the art. In Venice, as Keller collects his weapons and ticket to the performance from his contact, the jeweller informs him:
‘In 1564 Tintoretto was commissioned to decorate the walls and ceilings of the (Scuola Grande di San Rocco). It took him twenty-three years to complete his task.’ He paused for a moment to consider this fact, then added: ‘Can you imagine a man of such patience?...’
‘Where will the concert be? In the ground floor hall or the upper hall?’
‘The upper hall, of course. It’s reached by a wide marble staircase designed and built by Scarpagnino. The walls are decorated with paintings of the Black Death. It’s quite moving...’
No spoilers here, but this was an easy, enjoyable read, and prompted me to listen to “The Devil’s Trill” by Tartini, performed solo by Anna.
First published in 2002, The English Assassin is the second in the series in which Gabriel Allon, art restorer and occasional “fixer” for the Israeli government, is commissioned to restore a Raphael for a Swiss banker, Auguste Rolfe. He arrives at the house in Zurich to find the banker dead from a bullet wound to the head. As he tries to leave the country he is taken into questioning by the head of Swiss security, Gerhardt Peterson. The back story here is that the banker, who was dying, has a secret he wishes to reveal to the Israeli government to redress his past, and there are forces at work to ensure that does not happen.
This draws in The English Assassin of the title, former SAS officer, Christopher Keller, domiciled in Corsica where he works for the Orsati family. He met Gabriel years earlier, and in a familiar trope in fiction, the paths of the two men - contemporaries rather than advisories - are destined to cross time and again. (This reminded me of the C J Box pairing of Joe Pickett and Nate Romanowski).
Gabriel travels to Portugal to talk to the banker’s daughter, the fiery violin virtuoso, Anna, to find out more of her father’s business dealings. He lost his young son in a terrorist car bomb, which left his wife scarred and a virtual vegetable, and finds himself attracted to Anna.
He watched the muscles of her legs flexing with each stride, and thought of Leah. A hike on an autumn day like this, twenty-five years earlier – only then the hillside had been in Golan and the ruins were Crusader...
The historic aspect is also reflected by Gerhardt Peterson, who muses on the pact made by the Forest Cantons in a high alpine meadow in 1291, to protect people and property from the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold.
The strengths in Daniel Silva’s writing is his ability to depict people by their bare minimum: cigarette brand, clothing, nationality, posture – investing instead in places: the art centres of London and Paris, the banking sector in Zurich, Vienna and the canals and piazzas of Venice, where Anna is due to perform while Gabriel and his group try to shield her from Keller.
As always, there is the art. In Venice, as Keller collects his weapons and ticket to the performance from his contact, the jeweller informs him:
‘In 1564 Tintoretto was commissioned to decorate the walls and ceilings of the (Scuola Grande di San Rocco). It took him twenty-three years to complete his task.’ He paused for a moment to consider this fact, then added: ‘Can you imagine a man of such patience?...’
‘Where will the concert be? In the ground floor hall or the upper hall?’
‘The upper hall, of course. It’s reached by a wide marble staircase designed and built by Scarpagnino. The walls are decorated with paintings of the Black Death. It’s quite moving...’
No spoilers here, but this was an easy, enjoyable read, and prompted me to listen to “The Devil’s Trill” by Tartini, performed solo by Anna.
July 25, 2020
3.5 stars
While this is number two in the series, somehow I read it after #3. That didn’t seem to matter. The plot and rhythms, and even the characters, worked better for me than the other two, but not so much that I’m inspired to round to 4, and not so much that I can leave this series on my active list.
I’ll step aside now and stop working so hard to make it fit. But if I was going to start this series, I would start here.
While this is number two in the series, somehow I read it after #3. That didn’t seem to matter. The plot and rhythms, and even the characters, worked better for me than the other two, but not so much that I’m inspired to round to 4, and not so much that I can leave this series on my active list.
I’ll step aside now and stop working so hard to make it fit. But if I was going to start this series, I would start here.
May 17, 2023
Far too mechanical. I didn't like the characters, as it seems like the author is not interested in this aspect. And, as we know, average characters quite rarely do good books. Some facts are too obvious, others, including coincidences, are hard to be believed, so two stars are more than enough.
April 16, 2023
Ruthless as a political assassin should be.
Artistic as a world-class art restorer must be.
Gabriel Allon proves himself to be highly resourceful, triumphant and always -- to this reader at least -- so very likeable.
Artistic as a world-class art restorer must be.
Gabriel Allon proves himself to be highly resourceful, triumphant and always -- to this reader at least -- so very likeable.
May 25, 2010
In this second installment of the Gabriel Allon series we find our sensitive and scarred spy taking on the Swiss bankers who helped the Nazis during WWII and are still hiding old Jewish money and treasure under the boardwalks of Zurich.
As in the first novel, "The Kill Artist (Gabriel Allon)", the reluctant Israeli spy Gabriel Allon is joined by a world famous woman, this time though she is a violinist named Anna Rolfe, on his adventures. As in his previous novels, Mr. Silva brings back characters he created in the "Silva Universe" which are always a pleasure to reacquaint with. The novel is a mystery within a mystery - after recovering some missing paintings Allon goes after the Swiss banking cartel that has been hiding them. In the midst of the all the globetrotting, Allon has to avoid assassination attempts from a worthy adversary, an English assassin, however the least said the better in order to avoid spoiling the story.
Silva's narrative is fast paced and uncluttered. The book's descriptions are detailed but not over bearing and the action sequences are brutal and effective. The characters do not get lost within the book's descriptive prose; they are all individuals, rich and well rounded. The incredible historical research is pouring out of the book, the insight into the world of art restoring is distinct and refreshing, but still manages to be engrossing as well as entertaining.
I felt that the first half of the book was much better than the second half which seemed, to me, to be stretched. However, this is a delightful read and as in the previous Silva books keeps the characters full of shades of gray - it's difficult to say who is the good guy or the bad guy because Silva makes a wonderful, even though not too convincing case, for each (except the Nazis of course).
As in the first novel, "The Kill Artist (Gabriel Allon)", the reluctant Israeli spy Gabriel Allon is joined by a world famous woman, this time though she is a violinist named Anna Rolfe, on his adventures. As in his previous novels, Mr. Silva brings back characters he created in the "Silva Universe" which are always a pleasure to reacquaint with. The novel is a mystery within a mystery - after recovering some missing paintings Allon goes after the Swiss banking cartel that has been hiding them. In the midst of the all the globetrotting, Allon has to avoid assassination attempts from a worthy adversary, an English assassin, however the least said the better in order to avoid spoiling the story.
Silva's narrative is fast paced and uncluttered. The book's descriptions are detailed but not over bearing and the action sequences are brutal and effective. The characters do not get lost within the book's descriptive prose; they are all individuals, rich and well rounded. The incredible historical research is pouring out of the book, the insight into the world of art restoring is distinct and refreshing, but still manages to be engrossing as well as entertaining.
I felt that the first half of the book was much better than the second half which seemed, to me, to be stretched. However, this is a delightful read and as in the previous Silva books keeps the characters full of shades of gray - it's difficult to say who is the good guy or the bad guy because Silva makes a wonderful, even though not too convincing case, for each (except the Nazis of course).
March 20, 2021
Gabriel Allon, the reluctant Israeli intelligence officer and art restorer is back in the second installment of Daniel Silva's series. Framed for murder, he is drawn into a world of Nazi art theft, corrupt Swiss bankers and a trail of murder that leads to secrets that a deadly assassin will try to silence.
Silva is a fine storyteller. The journalist in him once again weaves fact with fiction to create a fast-paced, intelligent thriller with plenty of action, colored with cultural and historical references that entertains as well as enlightens. I really enjoyed it and wholeheartedly recommend it. Looking forward to continuing the series.
Silva is a fine storyteller. The journalist in him once again weaves fact with fiction to create a fast-paced, intelligent thriller with plenty of action, colored with cultural and historical references that entertains as well as enlightens. I really enjoyed it and wholeheartedly recommend it. Looking forward to continuing the series.
December 11, 2014
Enorme salto de Daniel Silva
Resumindo: segundo livro da saga dos serviços secretos israelitas e alteração completa de ritmo e temáticas relativamente à obra original.
Daniel Silva doseou os tópicos abrangidos, centrou-se em um e ganhou com isso mais consistência. Se no primeiro livro abarcou um sem número de ideias que acabou por não conseguir concretizar na plenitude (conflito israelo-palestiniano, serviços secretos, passado de Allon, arte, religião), nesta sequela investiu menos na vertente política e mais no marcar da personalidade do seu agente fetiche. Apontou para a arte (pintura e música), para a Suiça enquanto país neutro na Segunda-Guerra Mundial e ganhou uma personagem: Gabriel Allon.
Cantinho à beira-mar plantado
À laia de nota, confessemos que são no mínimo interessantes todas as partes passadas na costa portuguesa. Mesmo sem abundar no detalhe, Daniel Silva passeia-se pelo nosso país com algum conhecimento de causa e, sem querer, torna a sua personagem, para nós portugueses, ainda mais mundana.
“(…)gostava de estar em Lisboa. (…) Por aquela altura, as coisas andavam calmas em Lisboa, e isso estava muito bem para Motzkin. A ocasional missão de vigilância, um pouco de trabalho a servir de elo de ligação. Apenas o suficiente para o impedir de dar em louco. Tinha tempo para os seus livros e selos e para longas sestas com a sua rapariga em Alfama.”
Nota: 4.0/5.0
Resumindo: segundo livro da saga dos serviços secretos israelitas e alteração completa de ritmo e temáticas relativamente à obra original.
Daniel Silva doseou os tópicos abrangidos, centrou-se em um e ganhou com isso mais consistência. Se no primeiro livro abarcou um sem número de ideias que acabou por não conseguir concretizar na plenitude (conflito israelo-palestiniano, serviços secretos, passado de Allon, arte, religião), nesta sequela investiu menos na vertente política e mais no marcar da personalidade do seu agente fetiche. Apontou para a arte (pintura e música), para a Suiça enquanto país neutro na Segunda-Guerra Mundial e ganhou uma personagem: Gabriel Allon.
Cantinho à beira-mar plantado
À laia de nota, confessemos que são no mínimo interessantes todas as partes passadas na costa portuguesa. Mesmo sem abundar no detalhe, Daniel Silva passeia-se pelo nosso país com algum conhecimento de causa e, sem querer, torna a sua personagem, para nós portugueses, ainda mais mundana.
“(…)gostava de estar em Lisboa. (…) Por aquela altura, as coisas andavam calmas em Lisboa, e isso estava muito bem para Motzkin. A ocasional missão de vigilância, um pouco de trabalho a servir de elo de ligação. Apenas o suficiente para o impedir de dar em louco. Tinha tempo para os seus livros e selos e para longas sestas com a sua rapariga em Alfama.”
Nota: 4.0/5.0
August 24, 2025
As mentioned in status updates, I've found these earlier installments unique, engaging and illuminating rather than the formulaic approach used in later ones. And for those who hadn't read early ones like myself, learning of early character back stories shows how they evolved over time.
This being the second episode in a series of over 20, these are the days when Ari Shamron, aka 'the old man', is Director of Israeli intelligence. Allon is an operative and assassin who's recently lost his son in a terrorist attack, the impact sending his wife Leah to a psychiatric ward.
Julian Isherwood, owner of Isherwood Fine Arts of London met with Gabriel for lunch along with Oliver Dimbleby, the well known yet questionable authority on the Great Masters. During the lunch, Julian told Allon of a millionaire collector who sought his expertise to restore a Raphael he'd purchased, the fee more than twice his usual. Gabriel receives was given the millionaire's address and security codes to enter the villa in Zurich. When gets inside, Allon finds Augustus Rolfe murdered moments before his arrival and the massive art collection vault emptied. Soon after the police show and take him to HQ for questioning.
When Allon contacts the Office to inform them of the murder, Shamron insists he investigate since Rolfe's history with the Nazi's is well known by the Israeli's. Gabriel reaches out to his daughter, Anna Rolfe, a famous concert violinist posing as a German. During their meeting she reads him like a book and resists sharing details of her father's history. This becomes a battle of wits during which time, Don Orsati, the Corsican mob boss gets a contract to remove them both and sends 'The Englishman' aka Christopher Keller, to London for the task.
Allon and Anna not only quell their differences, they develop a mutual respect and affection. The B plot adds depth with the addition of Swiss characters who seek to block those who might expose the truth of Hitler's greed, deception and inhumanity. The story puts an unexpected light on Switzerland law that not only protects Nazi assets, but makes it illegal for outsiders to move them.
We witness unsavory relationships Allon has with Shamron, Uzi Navot and others that show up in later installments demonstrating how differences were eventually overcome. Having recently read #3, which takes place a few years after this one, we get the sense that Allon and Shamron make peace and develop a father/son bond
While murder is common in spy stories, Silva's research, detail and pacing raise the bar. His characters and plot twists enhancing it. Now that I've read these first stories, I plan to read several more and those who enjoy mystery might add them as well.
This being the second episode in a series of over 20, these are the days when Ari Shamron, aka 'the old man', is Director of Israeli intelligence. Allon is an operative and assassin who's recently lost his son in a terrorist attack, the impact sending his wife Leah to a psychiatric ward.
Julian Isherwood, owner of Isherwood Fine Arts of London met with Gabriel for lunch along with Oliver Dimbleby, the well known yet questionable authority on the Great Masters. During the lunch, Julian told Allon of a millionaire collector who sought his expertise to restore a Raphael he'd purchased, the fee more than twice his usual. Gabriel receives was given the millionaire's address and security codes to enter the villa in Zurich. When gets inside, Allon finds Augustus Rolfe murdered moments before his arrival and the massive art collection vault emptied. Soon after the police show and take him to HQ for questioning.
When Allon contacts the Office to inform them of the murder, Shamron insists he investigate since Rolfe's history with the Nazi's is well known by the Israeli's. Gabriel reaches out to his daughter, Anna Rolfe, a famous concert violinist posing as a German. During their meeting she reads him like a book and resists sharing details of her father's history. This becomes a battle of wits during which time, Don Orsati, the Corsican mob boss gets a contract to remove them both and sends 'The Englishman' aka Christopher Keller, to London for the task.
Allon and Anna not only quell their differences, they develop a mutual respect and affection. The B plot adds depth with the addition of Swiss characters who seek to block those who might expose the truth of Hitler's greed, deception and inhumanity. The story puts an unexpected light on Switzerland law that not only protects Nazi assets, but makes it illegal for outsiders to move them.
We witness unsavory relationships Allon has with Shamron, Uzi Navot and others that show up in later installments demonstrating how differences were eventually overcome. Having recently read #3, which takes place a few years after this one, we get the sense that Allon and Shamron make peace and develop a father/son bond
While murder is common in spy stories, Silva's research, detail and pacing raise the bar. His characters and plot twists enhancing it. Now that I've read these first stories, I plan to read several more and those who enjoy mystery might add them as well.
August 12, 2012
Just when the good guy is really in deep trouble, gun shots firing everywhere, my husband's lawn mower backfired giving me quite a start. That must be the mark of a good book, no?
June 28, 2020
3,5 stars
February 10, 2017
Não deverás ser apanhado! Deverás derramar sangue inocente, se necessário!"
Tal como no "O Artista do Morte" também a acção de o "O Assassino Inglês" se desenrola no meio da Arte. O que não me surpreende, afinal Gabriel Allon é mais do que um espião, é um restaurador que não vive sem o seu oficio. E quem melhor para se juntar à lenda viva nesta história do que uma mulher que toca violino?
Em 1975, na Suíça, uma mulher cava a sua própria sepultura e suicida-se sem motivo aparente. A sua filha, com apenas 13 anos, descobre o corpo sem vida. Mas é o marido que encontra e esconde o bilhete por ela deixado. O seu conteúdo é mantido em segredo até aos dias de hoje. Vinte e cinco anos após a morte da mulher, o banqueiro suíço é assassinado aos 89 anos. A par da sua morte, também a sua colecção de quadros valiosos desaparece. É esta tragédia que une os destinos de Gabriel Gallon e Anna Rolfe. A criança prodígio, agora sem pais, tem 37 anos.
Conhecida por Nossa Senhora da Encosta, na Costa de Prata, em Portugal, a violinista mundialmente famosa Anna Rolfe é uma mulher de uma beleza extraordinária, que se revela imprevisível e volátil. Uma personalidade ideal para o Gabriel restaurar. A filha do banqueiro assassinado não acredita que a sua familia esteja amaldiçoada. Apesar das mortes não naturais e do acidente quase fatal que por pouco não a impedia de voltar a tocar violino, Anna acredita que nada acontece por acaso e que tudo tem um razão de ser.
Com a presença desta bonita mulher e com frequentes viagens ao seu passado misterioso, distante e doloroso, Gabriel Allon vê-se novamente envolvido numa missão chefiada por Shamron.
"Não há Deus. Só há Shamron. O Shamron decide quem deve morrer e quem deve viver. E envia rapazes com Gabriel Allon para infligir a sua vingança terrível."
Daniel Silva evoca imagens arrepiantes desde as suásticas às estrelas de David. Com "O Assassino Inglês" aprendi mais sobre os terrores da Segunda Guerra Mundial, os implicados, as vítimas e os desejos obscuros pessoais de Hitler ligados ao mundo da Arte. A ganância e o abuso de poder, como é sabido, são direccionados para os mais diversos alvos, sejam eles pessoas, lugares, objectos ou mesmo pensamentos.
Neste livro contamos com personagens já conhecidas como Julian Isherwood, um negociante de arte que gosta mais de possuir e admirar quadros do que propriamente vendê-los e Aris Shamron, também chamado pelo seu discípulo como O Velho, continua a chefiar os serviços secretos israelitas, no seu gabinete na Avenida Rei Saul, em Telavive.
No que diz respeito às novas caras é de destacar Gerhardt Peterson. Este é alvo tanto de inveja como admiração, um homem dotado de um olhar terrivelmente frio. É ele que supervisiona os responsavéis e conduz as operações da segurança nacional na Suíça. Os seus serviços abrangem a contra-espionagem e a investigação de suspeitos de traição nacionais. Vitima da ganância colabora com uma organização secreta da Suíça, cujo líder nunca viu. As suas funções são as de um criado, que pouco ou nada sabe daqueles que lhe pagam.
O Inglês, que dá o nome ao livro, é um assassino que trabalha para a família Orsati. Um dos muitos assassinos contratos que fazem o trabalho sujo de pessoas influentes e poderosas. Habitante da aldeia da Córsega acredita em feitiçaria e recorre com frequência a uma velha viúva que afugenta os seus espíritos malignos com azeite mágico.
Entre as personagens mais secundárias, mas igualmente pertinentes incluem-se um historiador e professor perspicaz; um arqueólogo curioso; uma maquilhadora e cabeleireira vistosa; um médico rabugento; um joalheiro veneziano de serviços dispendiosos e até mesmo um bode!
A Suíça, o país que tem como tradição abafar o seu passado, é um dos palcos principais da acção. Até onde são capazes de ir os seus cidadãos para esconder os segredos obscuros da sua nação? Mantê-los nas trevas da escuridão do desconhecido parece ser a única opção para os suiços.
Em "O Assassino Inglês" Gabriel Allon volta a perseguir pessoas de especial interesse para a sua investigação actual. Para tal tarefa recorre às suas múltiplas personalidades (entre elas, um escritor alemão mal-educado que passa os dias fechado no quarto a escrever), avanços tecnológicos (como são exemplo as escutas colocadas no telefone) e a auxilio de outras pessoas, empenhadas em servir os interesses do seu povo. Por outro lado, também ele é alvo de perseguição. Afinal de contas, não é apenas o governo de Israel que possui espiões profissionais. Daniel Silva proporciona ao leitor, de uma forma prespicaz e fenomenal, duas visões: a do herói e a do inimigo, num enredo repleto de acção onde a moral não representa um obstáculo para atingir os fins.
A dor, a culpa e o arrependimento são, como não podia deixar de ser, temáticas centrais. Se na vida não houvesse sofrimento, nunca seria dado valor ao que verdadeiramente importa. O ser humano é incapaz de não pecar, mas segue-se sempre a busca pelo perdão e pela absolvição. Nem que seja às portas da morte.
Comparativamente ao primeiro livro, tenho de admitir que o impacto foi um pouco menor e o tema central não me cativou da mesma forma.Contudo, o desfecho aguçou a minha curiosidade com uma pequena promessa de romance. Com este segundo livro da série do espião Gabriel Allon, Daniel Silva mantém a qualidade tanto na escrita, como no enredo e a visível evolução das personagens é um incentivo à próxima leitura.
"Vais-te embora ou confias nos teus instintos?" O guardião do seu povo veio para ficar.
Tal como no "O Artista do Morte" também a acção de o "O Assassino Inglês" se desenrola no meio da Arte. O que não me surpreende, afinal Gabriel Allon é mais do que um espião, é um restaurador que não vive sem o seu oficio. E quem melhor para se juntar à lenda viva nesta história do que uma mulher que toca violino?
Em 1975, na Suíça, uma mulher cava a sua própria sepultura e suicida-se sem motivo aparente. A sua filha, com apenas 13 anos, descobre o corpo sem vida. Mas é o marido que encontra e esconde o bilhete por ela deixado. O seu conteúdo é mantido em segredo até aos dias de hoje. Vinte e cinco anos após a morte da mulher, o banqueiro suíço é assassinado aos 89 anos. A par da sua morte, também a sua colecção de quadros valiosos desaparece. É esta tragédia que une os destinos de Gabriel Gallon e Anna Rolfe. A criança prodígio, agora sem pais, tem 37 anos.
Conhecida por Nossa Senhora da Encosta, na Costa de Prata, em Portugal, a violinista mundialmente famosa Anna Rolfe é uma mulher de uma beleza extraordinária, que se revela imprevisível e volátil. Uma personalidade ideal para o Gabriel restaurar. A filha do banqueiro assassinado não acredita que a sua familia esteja amaldiçoada. Apesar das mortes não naturais e do acidente quase fatal que por pouco não a impedia de voltar a tocar violino, Anna acredita que nada acontece por acaso e que tudo tem um razão de ser.
Com a presença desta bonita mulher e com frequentes viagens ao seu passado misterioso, distante e doloroso, Gabriel Allon vê-se novamente envolvido numa missão chefiada por Shamron.
"Não há Deus. Só há Shamron. O Shamron decide quem deve morrer e quem deve viver. E envia rapazes com Gabriel Allon para infligir a sua vingança terrível."
Daniel Silva evoca imagens arrepiantes desde as suásticas às estrelas de David. Com "O Assassino Inglês" aprendi mais sobre os terrores da Segunda Guerra Mundial, os implicados, as vítimas e os desejos obscuros pessoais de Hitler ligados ao mundo da Arte. A ganância e o abuso de poder, como é sabido, são direccionados para os mais diversos alvos, sejam eles pessoas, lugares, objectos ou mesmo pensamentos.
Neste livro contamos com personagens já conhecidas como Julian Isherwood, um negociante de arte que gosta mais de possuir e admirar quadros do que propriamente vendê-los e Aris Shamron, também chamado pelo seu discípulo como O Velho, continua a chefiar os serviços secretos israelitas, no seu gabinete na Avenida Rei Saul, em Telavive.
No que diz respeito às novas caras é de destacar Gerhardt Peterson. Este é alvo tanto de inveja como admiração, um homem dotado de um olhar terrivelmente frio. É ele que supervisiona os responsavéis e conduz as operações da segurança nacional na Suíça. Os seus serviços abrangem a contra-espionagem e a investigação de suspeitos de traição nacionais. Vitima da ganância colabora com uma organização secreta da Suíça, cujo líder nunca viu. As suas funções são as de um criado, que pouco ou nada sabe daqueles que lhe pagam.
O Inglês, que dá o nome ao livro, é um assassino que trabalha para a família Orsati. Um dos muitos assassinos contratos que fazem o trabalho sujo de pessoas influentes e poderosas. Habitante da aldeia da Córsega acredita em feitiçaria e recorre com frequência a uma velha viúva que afugenta os seus espíritos malignos com azeite mágico.
Entre as personagens mais secundárias, mas igualmente pertinentes incluem-se um historiador e professor perspicaz; um arqueólogo curioso; uma maquilhadora e cabeleireira vistosa; um médico rabugento; um joalheiro veneziano de serviços dispendiosos e até mesmo um bode!
A Suíça, o país que tem como tradição abafar o seu passado, é um dos palcos principais da acção. Até onde são capazes de ir os seus cidadãos para esconder os segredos obscuros da sua nação? Mantê-los nas trevas da escuridão do desconhecido parece ser a única opção para os suiços.
Em "O Assassino Inglês" Gabriel Allon volta a perseguir pessoas de especial interesse para a sua investigação actual. Para tal tarefa recorre às suas múltiplas personalidades (entre elas, um escritor alemão mal-educado que passa os dias fechado no quarto a escrever), avanços tecnológicos (como são exemplo as escutas colocadas no telefone) e a auxilio de outras pessoas, empenhadas em servir os interesses do seu povo. Por outro lado, também ele é alvo de perseguição. Afinal de contas, não é apenas o governo de Israel que possui espiões profissionais. Daniel Silva proporciona ao leitor, de uma forma prespicaz e fenomenal, duas visões: a do herói e a do inimigo, num enredo repleto de acção onde a moral não representa um obstáculo para atingir os fins.
A dor, a culpa e o arrependimento são, como não podia deixar de ser, temáticas centrais. Se na vida não houvesse sofrimento, nunca seria dado valor ao que verdadeiramente importa. O ser humano é incapaz de não pecar, mas segue-se sempre a busca pelo perdão e pela absolvição. Nem que seja às portas da morte.
Comparativamente ao primeiro livro, tenho de admitir que o impacto foi um pouco menor e o tema central não me cativou da mesma forma.Contudo, o desfecho aguçou a minha curiosidade com uma pequena promessa de romance. Com este segundo livro da série do espião Gabriel Allon, Daniel Silva mantém a qualidade tanto na escrita, como no enredo e a visível evolução das personagens é um incentivo à próxima leitura.
"Vais-te embora ou confias nos teus instintos?" O guardião do seu povo veio para ficar.
August 3, 2014
A very enjoyable fast paced spy thriller. The story centres around the Swiss bankers who colluded with the Nazis to smuggle works of art stolen from Jewish families out of Germany during WWII.
Gabriel Allon is an Israeli spy introduced during an earlier novel, but this book can be read as a stand alone. He is trained as an art restorer and uses this as his cover. He becomes involved in the affair when he is invited to restore a painting for a Swiss banker and walks in to his clients home to find he has been murdered and his hidden vault of very valuable artworks stolen.
Highly recommended if you enjoy spy thrillers in the Le Carre mould and don't mind a few murders and a bit of violence along the way.
Gabriel Allon is an Israeli spy introduced during an earlier novel, but this book can be read as a stand alone. He is trained as an art restorer and uses this as his cover. He becomes involved in the affair when he is invited to restore a painting for a Swiss banker and walks in to his clients home to find he has been murdered and his hidden vault of very valuable artworks stolen.
Highly recommended if you enjoy spy thrillers in the Le Carre mould and don't mind a few murders and a bit of violence along the way.
June 26, 2011
To me there have always been two classes of thrillers :
1. Too much carnage and mayhem : Where the key figures in the plot line go, bodies drop like flies swatted out of the air and things tend to get destroyed. The factor of disinterest that I have in such a genre is that the mind goes numb to all this damage.
2. The silent,subtle kind of a thriller : Not much of a noise & the plot drives the adrenaline rush through the reader's veins. Needless to say it requires the steady hands of a seasoned expert to craft such a thriller. Here, every body that falls is accompanied by me feverishly turning the pages like an adolescent reading his first book on the intricacies of love making.
Well, that was a tad too long digression and has got very few things to do with the review. This thriller in fact falls almost fully to the category one while at times slipping gently into category two as well. Gabriel Allon as a character was one I found to be interesting in my first tryst with this series. The sole reason why I picked up this book in spite of the plain-as-paper description on the back jacket blurb was also this character. It generates mixed feelings to say the least.
Easily the most interesting aspect of this book is about the stance that Switzerland took during WWII and a slight aftermath after a good fifty years. There is quite a lot of detail ( the authenticity of which I might have to read up to comprehend !) on this particular detail all through the tale.
Apart from this and a few slight quirks, the plot is altogether too plain. It gets overtly melodramatic at places and I have conveniently erased all those from my mind so as not to leave an aftertaste. The title was a misleading one to me & I will leave it at that for divulging that would affect the plot as well. Not a bad thriller at all but one that leaves a lot more to be desired for.
1. Too much carnage and mayhem : Where the key figures in the plot line go, bodies drop like flies swatted out of the air and things tend to get destroyed. The factor of disinterest that I have in such a genre is that the mind goes numb to all this damage.
2. The silent,subtle kind of a thriller : Not much of a noise & the plot drives the adrenaline rush through the reader's veins. Needless to say it requires the steady hands of a seasoned expert to craft such a thriller. Here, every body that falls is accompanied by me feverishly turning the pages like an adolescent reading his first book on the intricacies of love making.
Well, that was a tad too long digression and has got very few things to do with the review. This thriller in fact falls almost fully to the category one while at times slipping gently into category two as well. Gabriel Allon as a character was one I found to be interesting in my first tryst with this series. The sole reason why I picked up this book in spite of the plain-as-paper description on the back jacket blurb was also this character. It generates mixed feelings to say the least.
Easily the most interesting aspect of this book is about the stance that Switzerland took during WWII and a slight aftermath after a good fifty years. There is quite a lot of detail ( the authenticity of which I might have to read up to comprehend !) on this particular detail all through the tale.
Apart from this and a few slight quirks, the plot is altogether too plain. It gets overtly melodramatic at places and I have conveniently erased all those from my mind so as not to leave an aftertaste. The title was a misleading one to me & I will leave it at that for divulging that would affect the plot as well. Not a bad thriller at all but one that leaves a lot more to be desired for.
March 14, 2015
Este foi o primeiro best-seller que li de Daniel Silva. Por aquela altura, eu lia o que calhava nas mãos. Neste caso, direi que o livro não faz o meu género, mas deixa-se ler: acção trepidante, situada em vários países mas principalmente centrada na Suíça. Um assassino mercenário, uma organização racista da ultradireita suíça, um agente secreto especializado em arte... Dá para uma leitura rápida e entretida ao longo de dois dias. Ainda li posteriormente um outro livro do americano Daniel Silva, O Criado Secreto, centrado esse numa trama protagonizada por um grupo islamista radical. Também resultou adequado para passar um bom bocado. E ainda tenho, em espanhol, do mesmo autor, El confesor, livro que consegui do “expurgo” de uma biblioteca municipal madrilena: alguém doa livros à biblioteca, os bibliotecários dão uma rápida vista de olhos, seleccionam os que lhes interessa, e deixam à porta, fora dos detectores magnéticos, os que oferecem à borla para quem por lá passar (expurgo, também, é deixar à porta os livros demasiado velhos ou deteriorados, para dar passo às novas adquisições). Mas esse último ainda esperará meses ou anos para ser lido. A minha lista de futuras leituras está demasiado grande: tenho internet, e-reader, bibliotecas municipais, regionais e a Islâmica demasiado perto de casa, vivo numa grande cidade cheia de possibilidades e não preciso de voltar às ágeis histórias de conspirações e espionagem que o Daniel Silva escreve para quem gosta de matar tempo com livros.
July 3, 2020
Some of my friends mentioned Daniel Silva, so I thought I'd give him a shot with The English Assassin. The title had a certain ring to it.
I would say my thoughts on this are mixed. As far as the plot goes, very compelling, but to me, there was a lot going on and so the story seemed to jump around. I am okay with jumping around from place to place, but timeline wise, I got lost and there were several chapters that went by before one chapter that introduced something was resolved, hence the timeline issues I had with it. I am sure it was just me.
Another knock I have about some of these stories is that the characters, despite being fictional, were almost Jedi/Ninja types. These characters float around in novels too readily, and it just seems that some of these writers try to outdo one another on their main characters ability. It's almost Marvel Comic like. "He killed four men within three seconds, and was as calm as the morning lake." Stuff like that.
Finally, the last knock, the story seems a bit long. I thought that many pages could have been taken out. I am not an editor, but I got bogged down sometimes in areas where I wanted the story to just move along.
As always, I give an author two chances, so I will pick up another Silva novel, just not sure which one.
I would say my thoughts on this are mixed. As far as the plot goes, very compelling, but to me, there was a lot going on and so the story seemed to jump around. I am okay with jumping around from place to place, but timeline wise, I got lost and there were several chapters that went by before one chapter that introduced something was resolved, hence the timeline issues I had with it. I am sure it was just me.
Another knock I have about some of these stories is that the characters, despite being fictional, were almost Jedi/Ninja types. These characters float around in novels too readily, and it just seems that some of these writers try to outdo one another on their main characters ability. It's almost Marvel Comic like. "He killed four men within three seconds, and was as calm as the morning lake." Stuff like that.
Finally, the last knock, the story seems a bit long. I thought that many pages could have been taken out. I am not an editor, but I got bogged down sometimes in areas where I wanted the story to just move along.
As always, I give an author two chances, so I will pick up another Silva novel, just not sure which one.
May 24, 2018
Fast paced, action packed, page turning fun! Great read.
June 15, 2018
I have just finished reading the second book in the Gabriel Allon series, The English Assassin by Daniel Silva. One of the things that separates the Gabriel Allon series from other spy thrillers is that Gabriel works for Israeli intelligence. He is often considered such a good spy because he can kill without getting too emotional about it. In fact, critics say he may not have blood in his veins, which, I guess, is a way to say he is too robotic, or workmanlike. In the spy thrillers I have read, the best agents are not necessarily warm, cuddly individuals. Gabriel actually seems, to me, a bit more human than some agents who use a more military model. But he is a loner, and does not ever put together a permanent team. He actually has an adversarial relationship with many of the other members of the Office. Gabriel doesn’t create an ersatz family, unless a bunch of old curmudgeons qualify.
Another thing that separates the Allon series from other thrillers is Allon’s talent as an art restorer. Gabriel always says that he would like to restore art and not be a killer of bad guys. He blames the man who turned him into his protégé in the spy trade – Ari Shamron who runs the Office on King Saul Boulevard in Tel Aviv. Gabriel has some affection and plenty of hostility for Shamron. Shamron changed the path of Gabriel’s life, made him a spy instead of a painter. Gabriel always fools himself into believing that each case is his last. However, his conscience convinces him to take on project after project. But even more often Shamron convinces (bribes) him to take a case. In the case of Augustus Rolfe, Anna Rolfe, and the missing Impressionist paintings, Shamron gets Gabriel to investigate the matter using false pretenses.
We are made aware of the role bankers in Switzerland played in a war where they allegedly remained neutral. Because they were the world’s bankers, with accounts guaranteed as secret, they accepted money, art, jewels, gold, and anything valuable from German leaders who were members of the Nazi government - Jewish valuables stolen from citizens they knew they intended to gas. When the Nazi’s lost the war, the Swiss did not give the valuables back because the transactions were still supposedly protected by privacy laws. But the banks, Silva contends, often came to believe that these spoils of genocide and war were theirs. When one such Swiss banker, Augustus Rolfe, the very one Shamron sent Gabriel to meet, is found dead, Gabriel is arrested and thrown into a cell in Zurich even though logistically he could not be the murderer. Shamron hears of this and gets him out. He sends Gabriel off to meet Anna Rolfe, a famous violinist, whose father is the dead banker. Through Anna, Allon finds out about the large and illegal collection of Impressionist paintings owned by her father. Anna needs to be protected. After all, her father was murdered in his own salon. The paintings must be found. A secret group in Switzerland (the Council of Rütli) exists solely to make sure these paintings are not found.
A second assassin, one who trained under Gabriel for a while, is killing anyone connected with this painting chase. Christopher Keller, who most people think died in the SAS, is very much alive, living on Corsica and killing whoever the Orsati family wants him too. (The Orsatis do believe in justice but this time they are on the wrong side. Keller switches side, and stops killing the good guys.) He decides he wants to kill the same awful men that Gabriel kills. This may explain how Gabriel gets out of the clutches of Otto Gessler alive so he can retire to Cornwall to recover from his injuries and restore works of art until Shamron intervenes once again.
The English Assassin has a fairly convoluted plot with lots of traveling involved. But there is satisfaction in the possibility that the recovered works of art will be returned to the original owners or their offspring, if anyone in the owner’s family is still alive. While this thriller is fictional, art stolen by Germans in WWII really has been found and returned when possible. This amazing story has been told again and again since some of the caches of paintings have been found, and it always feels like justice.
Whether there is really a shadowy group of Swiss bankers whose key goal is to keep the cruelly appropriated wealth stored in the vaults and cellars in their banks, or even in their houses, I do not know. It certainly fits with what we know of human greed.
Another thing that separates the Allon series from other thrillers is Allon’s talent as an art restorer. Gabriel always says that he would like to restore art and not be a killer of bad guys. He blames the man who turned him into his protégé in the spy trade – Ari Shamron who runs the Office on King Saul Boulevard in Tel Aviv. Gabriel has some affection and plenty of hostility for Shamron. Shamron changed the path of Gabriel’s life, made him a spy instead of a painter. Gabriel always fools himself into believing that each case is his last. However, his conscience convinces him to take on project after project. But even more often Shamron convinces (bribes) him to take a case. In the case of Augustus Rolfe, Anna Rolfe, and the missing Impressionist paintings, Shamron gets Gabriel to investigate the matter using false pretenses.
We are made aware of the role bankers in Switzerland played in a war where they allegedly remained neutral. Because they were the world’s bankers, with accounts guaranteed as secret, they accepted money, art, jewels, gold, and anything valuable from German leaders who were members of the Nazi government - Jewish valuables stolen from citizens they knew they intended to gas. When the Nazi’s lost the war, the Swiss did not give the valuables back because the transactions were still supposedly protected by privacy laws. But the banks, Silva contends, often came to believe that these spoils of genocide and war were theirs. When one such Swiss banker, Augustus Rolfe, the very one Shamron sent Gabriel to meet, is found dead, Gabriel is arrested and thrown into a cell in Zurich even though logistically he could not be the murderer. Shamron hears of this and gets him out. He sends Gabriel off to meet Anna Rolfe, a famous violinist, whose father is the dead banker. Through Anna, Allon finds out about the large and illegal collection of Impressionist paintings owned by her father. Anna needs to be protected. After all, her father was murdered in his own salon. The paintings must be found. A secret group in Switzerland (the Council of Rütli) exists solely to make sure these paintings are not found.
A second assassin, one who trained under Gabriel for a while, is killing anyone connected with this painting chase. Christopher Keller, who most people think died in the SAS, is very much alive, living on Corsica and killing whoever the Orsati family wants him too. (The Orsatis do believe in justice but this time they are on the wrong side. Keller switches side, and stops killing the good guys.) He decides he wants to kill the same awful men that Gabriel kills. This may explain how Gabriel gets out of the clutches of Otto Gessler alive so he can retire to Cornwall to recover from his injuries and restore works of art until Shamron intervenes once again.
The English Assassin has a fairly convoluted plot with lots of traveling involved. But there is satisfaction in the possibility that the recovered works of art will be returned to the original owners or their offspring, if anyone in the owner’s family is still alive. While this thriller is fictional, art stolen by Germans in WWII really has been found and returned when possible. This amazing story has been told again and again since some of the caches of paintings have been found, and it always feels like justice.
Whether there is really a shadowy group of Swiss bankers whose key goal is to keep the cruelly appropriated wealth stored in the vaults and cellars in their banks, or even in their houses, I do not know. It certainly fits with what we know of human greed.
September 10, 2024
A much better ending than the first one, but the rest of the book seemed very mechanical.
I hope that Christopher returns.
I hope that Christopher returns.
February 17, 2021
3.5 ⭐️ I had high expectations but it was just okay
Language- some 5-10 words
Sexuality- 1 scene
Language- some 5-10 words
Sexuality- 1 scene
February 12, 2018
Switzerland’s famous “neutrality” during World War II was, at best, imperfect and, at worst, an outright sham. Historians continue to argue the extent to which the Swiss government aided and abetted Hitler’s Third Reich, but some things are certain: improprieties did, indeed, take place. (http://www.historyisnowmagazine.com/b...)
The banks of Switzerland, to this day, aid and abet criminals by providing safe havens that are immune to foreign government seizure. Everyone from drug cartels to Wall Street CEOs use Swiss bank accounts to hide their monetary sins, so it’s not a stretch to imagine that Hitler and his Nazi goons utilized the safety and security of Swiss banks for their own financial gain.
Daniel Silva, in his novel “The English Assassin”, treats Switzerland’s false neutrality as a given. More specifically, Silva sets the scene with the plausible scenario that many Swiss citizens flourished financially during World War II due to their complicit actions in support of the Fuhrer. As a reward, according to Silva, many Swiss citizens received looted priceless objets d’art that formerly belonged to Jewish families. Billions of dollars worth of artwork were stolen by the Nazis, and tens of thousands of these pieces of art still remain lost.
“The English Assassin” introduces readers to Gabriel Allon, an art restorer extraordinaire and former Israeli spy. (Well, actually, this is the second book to feature Allon, the first book being “The Kill Artist”, which I accidentally skipped over, a mistake that I plan on rectifying soon.)
Allon is hired to restore a painting owned by a Swiss banker. When he arrives at the man’s home, he finds the man dead. Knowing that his presence and subsequent interrogation by the police would raise flags within the Swiss government regarding his past (and secretly current) association with Israeli intelligence, Allon attempts to discreetly extricate himself from the situation.
Unfortunately, Allon finds himself a vital part of the mystery, involving a young violinist who harbors a damaging secret about her father, an assassin who always seems to be one step ahead of Allon, and a Swiss billionaire who will do anything to keep his---and his country’s---sins from ever seeing the light of day.
Silva once again nails it with edge-of-the-seat suspense and brilliant storytelling. This is the third book I have read by him, and it’s official: he’s my new favorite author.
I look forward to reading more of the Gabriel Allon novels, which should take me awhile as there are, I think, about fifteen of them, and they are still coming...
The banks of Switzerland, to this day, aid and abet criminals by providing safe havens that are immune to foreign government seizure. Everyone from drug cartels to Wall Street CEOs use Swiss bank accounts to hide their monetary sins, so it’s not a stretch to imagine that Hitler and his Nazi goons utilized the safety and security of Swiss banks for their own financial gain.
Daniel Silva, in his novel “The English Assassin”, treats Switzerland’s false neutrality as a given. More specifically, Silva sets the scene with the plausible scenario that many Swiss citizens flourished financially during World War II due to their complicit actions in support of the Fuhrer. As a reward, according to Silva, many Swiss citizens received looted priceless objets d’art that formerly belonged to Jewish families. Billions of dollars worth of artwork were stolen by the Nazis, and tens of thousands of these pieces of art still remain lost.
“The English Assassin” introduces readers to Gabriel Allon, an art restorer extraordinaire and former Israeli spy. (Well, actually, this is the second book to feature Allon, the first book being “The Kill Artist”, which I accidentally skipped over, a mistake that I plan on rectifying soon.)
Allon is hired to restore a painting owned by a Swiss banker. When he arrives at the man’s home, he finds the man dead. Knowing that his presence and subsequent interrogation by the police would raise flags within the Swiss government regarding his past (and secretly current) association with Israeli intelligence, Allon attempts to discreetly extricate himself from the situation.
Unfortunately, Allon finds himself a vital part of the mystery, involving a young violinist who harbors a damaging secret about her father, an assassin who always seems to be one step ahead of Allon, and a Swiss billionaire who will do anything to keep his---and his country’s---sins from ever seeing the light of day.
Silva once again nails it with edge-of-the-seat suspense and brilliant storytelling. This is the third book I have read by him, and it’s official: he’s my new favorite author.
I look forward to reading more of the Gabriel Allon novels, which should take me awhile as there are, I think, about fifteen of them, and they are still coming...
June 14, 2011
ENLIGHTENING PAGE TURNER
What I liked most about "The English Assasin" in terms of entertainment was its unrelentless action, chapter after chapter and of course its underlying message.
This very riveting fast paced novel begins when Israeli Mossad agent and art restorer by profession, Gabriel Allon, is assigned to go to Switzerland, to restore a painting of a very rich Swiss art billonaire and found that this man has been murdered at his residence
The dead man holds a secret that will be unveiled later in the ending chapters as Gabriel was not assigned to do that restoring job by sheer coincidence, and that, is the hidden mistery. The Swiss banker collection has a lot to do with the Nazi ransacking of very valuable art works placed in galleries across the Europeans countries occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, most of these art galleries were Jewish owned. After the pillage, The Nazi sold the art works by way of unscrupulous Swiss uppers class bankers having shady deals with them
So, Silva wants to leave a moral message, and that is that Swiss neutrality has nothing to do with politics but greed, an unethical policy that took Switzerland to rank among the countries with the highest material standards of living of the world, then neutrality carries its sinister reasons, It is the country where the great robbers used and use to deposit their booties protected by the laws of bank secrecy, Switzerland is not a country but a Big Bank that will not atone for the sins of the past and will not feel responsible for the consequence of its actions in the future, a country that makes business out of the money embezzled everywhere around the world
With a polished prose, great writing skills, crime fiction elements and international thriller settings, Silva has made worth reading a great enlightening work, showing that he has become a great writer with a great future.
What I liked most about "The English Assasin" in terms of entertainment was its unrelentless action, chapter after chapter and of course its underlying message.
This very riveting fast paced novel begins when Israeli Mossad agent and art restorer by profession, Gabriel Allon, is assigned to go to Switzerland, to restore a painting of a very rich Swiss art billonaire and found that this man has been murdered at his residence
The dead man holds a secret that will be unveiled later in the ending chapters as Gabriel was not assigned to do that restoring job by sheer coincidence, and that, is the hidden mistery. The Swiss banker collection has a lot to do with the Nazi ransacking of very valuable art works placed in galleries across the Europeans countries occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, most of these art galleries were Jewish owned. After the pillage, The Nazi sold the art works by way of unscrupulous Swiss uppers class bankers having shady deals with them
So, Silva wants to leave a moral message, and that is that Swiss neutrality has nothing to do with politics but greed, an unethical policy that took Switzerland to rank among the countries with the highest material standards of living of the world, then neutrality carries its sinister reasons, It is the country where the great robbers used and use to deposit their booties protected by the laws of bank secrecy, Switzerland is not a country but a Big Bank that will not atone for the sins of the past and will not feel responsible for the consequence of its actions in the future, a country that makes business out of the money embezzled everywhere around the world
With a polished prose, great writing skills, crime fiction elements and international thriller settings, Silva has made worth reading a great enlightening work, showing that he has become a great writer with a great future.
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