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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
When a British princess is killed on a yacht, the English intelligence service brings in Gabriel Allon, an Israeli spy, to find her killer. Turns out Allon and his friend Christopher Keller have some history with the killer. The story winds through Allon's earlier personal life to a Russian and Iranian connection to the Troubles in Ireland. Fascinating story and very well-written. It's #15 in a series but I liked it so much I am going to go back and start at #1.
As always, brilliantly written, well researched and eminently readable. One of my favourite authors.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
At first glance you may think that it's a so-so review, but I need to make clear that I don't really like thrillers, I hate books about spies all over the world, doing amazing stuff, killing criminals, solving mysteries and all what is common on spy thrillers.
But taking that in count I was really surprised by this book
I bought it because it was a special offer on books narrated in Spanish in Audible, and I wanted to try audiobooks in my native language for the first time. This one seemed to be the best one on the list, or at least the not-so-bad from it.
When I started hearing I was about to just delete the book, I knew it was going to be a thriller but I wasn't expecting the common things of a thriller so soon on the book. But I gave it a chance.
After a while I was surprised that I sort of liked the story, while it was still too much of spies and back stories to handle, it was entertaining and well written (I can't say the same of the translation to Spanish), and I was able to finish the book.
I would give it an overall of 3.5/5, but since I can't that's why I'm giving it 3 stars, I'm sure that if I were a spy thrillers fan I would give it a 4 or 5, but that's not my case.
Anyway, the book is good enough to catch someone who's not really interested on the genre but wants a break from his favorite ones.
But taking that in count I was really surprised by this book
I bought it because it was a special offer on books narrated in Spanish in Audible, and I wanted to try audiobooks in my native language for the first time. This one seemed to be the best one on the list, or at least the not-so-bad from it.
When I started hearing I was about to just delete the book, I knew it was going to be a thriller but I wasn't expecting the common things of a thriller so soon on the book. But I gave it a chance.
After a while I was surprised that I sort of liked the story, while it was still too much of spies and back stories to handle, it was entertaining and well written (I can't say the same of the translation to Spanish), and I was able to finish the book.
I would give it an overall of 3.5/5, but since I can't that's why I'm giving it 3 stars, I'm sure that if I were a spy thrillers fan I would give it a 4 or 5, but that's not my case.
Anyway, the book is good enough to catch someone who's not really interested on the genre but wants a break from his favorite ones.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A quick read which was quite fast paced, only dragging slightly in parts
3.5 Stars. I wanted to love this book more, I really did. Silva writes lyrically and is unabashedly supportive of Israel and with an Israeli spymaster as its protagonist, what's not to love? That said, this one just felt mailed in. Drawing on Silva's previous encounters with Ireland, our beloved Allon seems thrown into a plot that feels too small and passionless, lacks our favorite familiar cohorts and does not have the sense of suspense of overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles that his other books had. I hope that Silva will keep writing but with perhaps a renewed sense of purpose and with some new Israeli spies and their toys for Allon to manage, just as Shamron has done for him.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I enjoy the history and art woven into the story. It is a bit much to track the many characters, locales, and stories in what is otherwise a diverting speed read. The violence is authentic and therefore troubling.