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angelahayes's review against another edition
5.0
5 Stars
The Secret Servant is the seventh book in the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva.
Gabriel heads off on what is supposed to be a fairly routine assignment, but things soon get quite complicated. With kidnapping, danger, a terrorist plot, conspiracy, suspense, and a gripping race against time- this certainly made for a thrilling ride.
As I have mentioned before, this is another book/series that has been languishing on my TBR- which I finally got around to dusting the cobwebs off- and jumped right in. I read the series back to back.
The Secret Servant is the seventh book in the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva.
Gabriel heads off on what is supposed to be a fairly routine assignment, but things soon get quite complicated. With kidnapping, danger, a terrorist plot, conspiracy, suspense, and a gripping race against time- this certainly made for a thrilling ride.
As I have mentioned before, this is another book/series that has been languishing on my TBR- which I finally got around to dusting the cobwebs off- and jumped right in. I read the series back to back.
richardwells's review against another edition
3.0
Daniel Silva's series featuring Gabriel Allon, the Mossad assassin with the art restorer cover, is classy junk food. Quick, tasty at the moment, consistent, and not at all nourishing. Silva has the formula down, he's up to date on the war on terror as it pertains to Israel in particular , and Europe and the US in general; his characters are interesting (but static,) and the books are thriller-dillers. The Secret Servant is a quick read, perfect for a weekend or an airplane, and almost instantly forgettable.
mikusa's review against another edition
4.0
Good story. It was nice to have things wrapped up properly. There were a lot of clichés in this though. It makes the dialogue hard to listen to sometimes. Some of the things seem prescient for 2007 - the issues going on in France, England and the Netherlands with Islamic extremism, the overthrow of the Egyptian government. Silva has his finger on the pulse of Europe and the Middle East.
vlcalderon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
katealfrey's review
3.0
I'm constantly amazed at how much I enjoy reading about the exploits of Gabriel Allon despite the fact that my sympathy for Israel is fleeting at best. This one did get fewer stars because of that, because Silva's portrayal of Israeli exceltionalism finally got to be a bit much for me to take. The story, however, was magnificent. I enjoyed it thoroughly, from cover to cover.
shannonmcewen's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this one. Gabriel Allon is such a badass.
lukre's review against another edition
4.0
I love Daniel Silva - such simple writing but so rich in ideas. There are some amazing insights into the world of global politics and power struggles.
And reading it from today's perspective, with all the unrest in the Middle-East and the rise of new militant groups like ISIS, this books is prophetic at times.
In addition to this, it is also so much fun at times. You just want to keep reading and reading. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and at times it even makes you almost vomit with all the raw violence...
I'll definitely keep on reading this series.
“But I’ve come to realize that this continent is dying a slow death. Europe is receding quietly into history. It’s old and tired, and its young are so pessimistic about the prospects of the future they refuse to have enough children to ensure their own survival. They believe in nothing but their thirty-five-hour workweek and their August vacation.”
"A spy's life, he thought. Mind-numbing boredom broken by brief interludes of sheer terror."
And reading it from today's perspective, with all the unrest in the Middle-East and the rise of new militant groups like ISIS, this books is prophetic at times.
In addition to this, it is also so much fun at times. You just want to keep reading and reading. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and at times it even makes you almost vomit with all the raw violence...
I'll definitely keep on reading this series.
“But I’ve come to realize that this continent is dying a slow death. Europe is receding quietly into history. It’s old and tired, and its young are so pessimistic about the prospects of the future they refuse to have enough children to ensure their own survival. They believe in nothing but their thirty-five-hour workweek and their August vacation.”
"A spy's life, he thought. Mind-numbing boredom broken by brief interludes of sheer terror."
maniereads's review against another edition
3.0
After reading five of these novels, I can clearly discern a pattern in the plot lines.
Step A: Huge disaster.
Step B: Call brilliant main character to solver problem.
Step C: Team building montage.
Step D: Someone gets kidnapped/tortured.
Step E: Good guys make a horrible, amateur mistake.
Step F: Good guys win, killing a ton of people.
Step G: A few small vignettes explaining the covert operations tying up loose ends, which can include a wedding, the sale of a famous painting, a sniper hit, or most commonly, blowing something up.
The end.
Step A: Huge disaster.
Step B: Call brilliant main character to solver problem.
Step C: Team building montage.
Step D: Someone gets kidnapped/tortured.
Step E: Good guys make a horrible, amateur mistake.
Step F: Good guys win, killing a ton of people.
Step G: A few small vignettes explaining the covert operations tying up loose ends, which can include a wedding, the sale of a famous painting, a sniper hit, or most commonly, blowing something up.
The end.
skinnypenguin's review against another edition
4.0
Gabriel Allon an Israeli assassin is called back into action when the daughter of the U.S. ambassador to England is kidnapped. He travels to England, Denmark, the Netherlands and other places chasing what he thinks are the kidnappers. He was in Amsterdam investigating the death of an Israeli informant which led him to England and he witnessed the kidnapping and tried to stop it. He involves a man he met in Amsterdam and finds out it is his son who is involved with the kidnappers. The British government and the Americans are assisting.
The kidnappers actually have no intent to release the hostage even though they are making ransom demands. They are terrorists and have already set off several other coordinated attacks causing death and destruction. They want a sheik released from American captivity but know that wont happen. The mastermind is staying far away from the action but they are trying to track him also.
Gabriel's wedding plans have been put on hold while he works this case. His life is in danger as the terrorists want to kill him for interfering during the kidnapping. In the end things work out.
Really like this series. The author brings up lots of good topics such as all the people who live in England and other European countries that are becoming terrorists and how hidden they are. They have become part of the country and it is hard to find them. The plots are always very intricate and lots of research has gone into them.
The kidnappers actually have no intent to release the hostage even though they are making ransom demands. They are terrorists and have already set off several other coordinated attacks causing death and destruction. They want a sheik released from American captivity but know that wont happen. The mastermind is staying far away from the action but they are trying to track him also.
Gabriel's wedding plans have been put on hold while he works this case. His life is in danger as the terrorists want to kill him for interfering during the kidnapping. In the end things work out.
Really like this series. The author brings up lots of good topics such as all the people who live in England and other European countries that are becoming terrorists and how hidden they are. They have become part of the country and it is hard to find them. The plots are always very intricate and lots of research has gone into them.