Play Book Tag discussion

The Collector takes place against the background of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Gabriel Allon has retired from Israeli intelligence and working for his wife as an art restorer. He is asked by Italian authorities to look into the theft of a painting which turns out to be Vermeer’s “The Concert”, one of thirteen works of art that were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston back in March 1990.

In this novel we meet one of my favorite new characters, Ingrid Johansen. She's a freelance cybersecurity expert by day and a renowned thief and brilliant computer hacker by night. Allon realizes that Ingrid is harboring her own secrets and the two characters begin to connect the dots, revealing a much larger conspiracy.

This case requires him to reconnect with his old team at Israeli Intelligence and fans will be excited that several familiar characters make cameo appearances. I was afraid that the newly retired Allon would be boring but Silva excels at bringing fresh characters and fresh ideas to the series, currently at 24 books.

In his Author's Note he explains many examples in the novel that are factual and others that are fiction. As always, the story is filled with timely details, reflecting current world events.

I thought "The Collector" was filled with Silva's signature heart pounding twists and turns. With timely themes, dynamic characters, and intricate plotting, the author continues his evolution as a storyteller. He proves he can still surprise and captivate readers with fresh and innovative narratives.