Reviews

The English Assassin by Daniel Silva

tygaribay's review

5.0

This is the 2nd book in a series about an Israeli assassin, Gabriel Allon, with a tortured past and a talent for painting. i enjoyed this one as much as the first. the main character is very well written and the story develops slowly but surely into a tense climax. lots of great descriptions of beautiful European locations and neat bits of spycraft. i will continue to read about Gabriel.

bionicjulia's review

4.0

Loved the underlying story. Didn’t love the plot twists that ultimately led to the hero escaping.

mudder17's review against another edition

3.0

It wasn't bad, but it just didn't hold my interest as much as other similar books. Whether it was the narrator or the book, I just wasn't drawn into it as much as I had hoped. I am willing to give it another try with a later book being read by George Guidall (who I usually like) because it was interesting enough for that and I do like the main character. I definitely found the historical material to me interesting as I had no idea of the role the Swiss played in the moving of confiscated/stolen Jewish art during the war.

mpop's review against another edition

3.25

This is the second book I’ve read in this series, and the formula felt very similar to the first one—

Gabriel gets sucked into something he doesn’t really want to get involved with, has some sexual tension with a woman he won’t actually get involved with, and a villain has a surprising change of heart at a crucial moment

. It’s not a bad formula, but I’m curious to see how it goes as the series progresses. 

gregzimmerman's review

3.0

Gabriel Allon vs. dirty Swiss bankers. Pretty straightforward plot. Not terrible - good for what it is: a time-passer on a plane.

rubina_g_gomes's review

4.0

I loved reading this novel. It kept me hanging from the edge of the cliff all by my fingertips. Every chapter had something happened and taking the plot forward. I didn’t find any dull moment in the novel.

The thing I liked the most about the novel is the research done by the author. Second World War, Switzerland, famous paintings which were stolen or which disappeared, Israel and Germany, Violin and its music, and the rest of the stories. The author had to search and research about all this in order to produce his work. And he did a good job.
If the author had not put in so much hard work, I wouldn’t have been able to read and enjoy such a good novel.

I loved every bit of this novel. The English Assassin is a must read and I look forward to read more of Daniel Silva’s works.

mmasondcroz's review

4.0

Really a 3.5 but I’m rounding up. The story was well-paced, intriguing and action-packed. However, at times the anti-Semitic stances/comments by the bad guys was over the top and seemed unnecessary. Still, I enjoyed it and understand why this series is popular and has so many books.

Update on reading #2: Yup.

rachel0922's review

4.0

This second book is way better than the first for me!! It gives you mystery, history and a little bit of treasure hunting thrown in.

tiff123_reads's review against another edition

informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

mestes5's review

4.0

I am such a fan of this writer and the Gabriel Allon character. Another good, quick read. I also want to read more on the Swiss involvement in WWII. I have never given it much thought before reading this novel. I was not a fan of the Anna Rolfe character. I found her the weakest link in this novel. I did, however, like Eli Lavon. I hope to see him again.