You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
I skipped the middle part. Well written. Not my kind of genre though.
Here's my review for my synagogue newsletter:
The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva is the first book in a series of thrillers featuring Gabriel Allon, Mossad spy/assassin and art restorer. Gabriel is an assassin with a conscience and a cover job that is his passion. He has tried to leave behind the troubling facts of his life in the Mossad following the car bombing of his wife and child. Art restoration is truly his calling and passion, but he cannot stay off the radar when his old boss comes to him to find a terrorist from his past. Part of the problem for Gabriel is that he is very good at what he does, tracking and assassinating his marks and he is called back into service when a chance opens up to locate one of Israel’s most wanted. Gabriel notes that art restoration and assassination have more in common than one would think, “study the target, become like him, do the job, slip away without a trace.”
Silva keeps the plot moving with enough twists and turns to stave off predictability. The writing is engaging and he takes the time to develop the main characters so that there is interest in what happens to them. Even the terrorists are not one-dimensional. In addition, the tension is kept elevated by a game of “who knows what?” that the reader is privy to but the main characters are not. The twelfth book in the series, The Fallen Angel, was just published in July, giving the reader much more to look forward to.
The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva is the first book in a series of thrillers featuring Gabriel Allon, Mossad spy/assassin and art restorer. Gabriel is an assassin with a conscience and a cover job that is his passion. He has tried to leave behind the troubling facts of his life in the Mossad following the car bombing of his wife and child. Art restoration is truly his calling and passion, but he cannot stay off the radar when his old boss comes to him to find a terrorist from his past. Part of the problem for Gabriel is that he is very good at what he does, tracking and assassinating his marks and he is called back into service when a chance opens up to locate one of Israel’s most wanted. Gabriel notes that art restoration and assassination have more in common than one would think, “study the target, become like him, do the job, slip away without a trace.”
Silva keeps the plot moving with enough twists and turns to stave off predictability. The writing is engaging and he takes the time to develop the main characters so that there is interest in what happens to them. Even the terrorists are not one-dimensional. In addition, the tension is kept elevated by a game of “who knows what?” that the reader is privy to but the main characters are not. The twelfth book in the series, The Fallen Angel, was just published in July, giving the reader much more to look forward to.
So. I listened to this on audiobook and I couldn't finish it. It moved so slowly, I never cared for the main characters, and ended up not finishing the book.
Partly my fault, I wanted a mystery. This is a story about an Israeli assassin tracking down a Palestinian terrorist. I'm tired of this trope. The author does a fairly good job of giving perspective to both sides, however, despite mentioning "violence begets violence" it still plays out that way and I don't have time for it.
Partly my fault, I wanted a mystery. This is a story about an Israeli assassin tracking down a Palestinian terrorist. I'm tired of this trope. The author does a fairly good job of giving perspective to both sides, however, despite mentioning "violence begets violence" it still plays out that way and I don't have time for it.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
First time I've read this best-selling author, and plan to read more. Great spy thriller that moves really fast. Silva made me like several of the characters a lot, especially the protagonist Gabriel, and I worried for them as I read. And if any of this is close to reality, then there is a lot going on in the battle for Israel that we know nothing about. A very good read.
3 stars simply because of guilt. It may be just me, but I had difficulty keeping and interest in the characters, or the story. The second half of this book was like a forced march towards an obvious conclusion that ultimately left me just bored. Too bad, as based on the reviews I was really looking forward to the read.
This is definitely 3.75 to 4 stars for me, and I will read the next in the series. I don't often read spy novels, but a friend really likes this series, so I tried it and liked it! On the longer side (500+ pages), but it read fast.
I started reading this book in its physical format, wasn't in the mood for it at the time, and then put it down. Months later, I picked it up again only this time in the audible format. I don't know if I was finally in the mood for it or if it was better as an audiobook, but I was enthralled in the world of Gabriel Allon.
Daniel Silva is very good at crafting a compelling spy novel and jumping from one character's perspective to another. At first, his writing style was something different and an adjustment, but soon enough, I was accustomed to the fast pace and the many characters narrative voices (it definitely helped that the audible narrator slightly changed his voice/accent for each character). He is also very good at writing twists and turns that fit right into the espionage genre.
Gabriel Allon is a great hero and you easily root for him and are eager to learn more about him. Now, I am ready to dive deep into the enormous backlog of his story (21 books in the series and counting, yikes!), so here I go.
Daniel Silva is very good at crafting a compelling spy novel and jumping from one character's perspective to another. At first, his writing style was something different and an adjustment, but soon enough, I was accustomed to the fast pace and the many characters narrative voices (it definitely helped that the audible narrator slightly changed his voice/accent for each character). He is also very good at writing twists and turns that fit right into the espionage genre.
Gabriel Allon is a great hero and you easily root for him and are eager to learn more about him. Now, I am ready to dive deep into the enormous backlog of his story (21 books in the series and counting, yikes!), so here I go.
I'm not a big spy novel fan but this book is good. I couldn't put it down and the end has a twist which I never anticipated.