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A review by davidr
House of Spies by Daniel Silva
5.0
This is another edge-of-your-seat thriller by Daniel Silva. It is about the fictitious character Gabriel Allon, the legendary head of an Israeli spy agency. It takes up where Silva's previous book ([b:The Black Widow|27213121|The Black Widow (Gabriel Allon, #16)|Daniel Silva|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460313822s/27213121.jpg|47255119]) leaves off, with the hunt for the elusive terrorist, Saladin. Like the other books in the series, Allon must work in tandem with spy agencies of other countries; in this case, with Great Britain and France. The action focuses on a drug dealing kingpin named Jean-Luc Martel, who casts a blind eye on the terrorists his activities are helping to fund.
Even though Gabriel Allon is getting older, and is the head of his intelligence agency, he feels the need to go into the field and take an active role in the operations. It just doesn't seem right, with all of the risks involved, for an agency head to get involved at such a personal level. He continually talks about spending more time with his wife and children--but how can he, when personal involvement means being in foreign countries for weeks at a time?
A complex, very clever operation helps to make the plot shine. Details of the operation are thought out very thoroughly, with the realization that all plans are subject to change when the time comes for action. All of the possible outcomes simply cannot be anticipated.
This is the first book of the series that I have read, rather than listening to the audiobook. As a result, it is a little easier to follow. Separate sections within a chapter are delineated, tipping off the fact that the scene has changed. This does not always come across in the series of audiobooks.
Like his previous books, Daniel Silva imbues this novel with a lot of history, and with such well-developed characters that they become life-like and believable. Nobody has super powers, everyone is human, with abilities and foibles. The relationships between the characters, and the relationships between intelligence agencies from different countries--are spelled out so realistically that you never have to suspend belief.
Even though Gabriel Allon is getting older, and is the head of his intelligence agency, he feels the need to go into the field and take an active role in the operations. It just doesn't seem right, with all of the risks involved, for an agency head to get involved at such a personal level. He continually talks about spending more time with his wife and children--but how can he, when personal involvement means being in foreign countries for weeks at a time?
A complex, very clever operation helps to make the plot shine. Details of the operation are thought out very thoroughly, with the realization that all plans are subject to change when the time comes for action. All of the possible outcomes simply cannot be anticipated.
This is the first book of the series that I have read, rather than listening to the audiobook. As a result, it is a little easier to follow. Separate sections within a chapter are delineated, tipping off the fact that the scene has changed. This does not always come across in the series of audiobooks.
Like his previous books, Daniel Silva imbues this novel with a lot of history, and with such well-developed characters that they become life-like and believable. Nobody has super powers, everyone is human, with abilities and foibles. The relationships between the characters, and the relationships between intelligence agencies from different countries--are spelled out so realistically that you never have to suspend belief.