Moscow Rules

May 26, 2008
Short on moral complexity, bestseller Silva's eighth thriller starring Israeli master-spy Gabriel Allon (after The Secret Servant
) may remind some readers of an action-packed and suspenseful episode of TV's Mission Impossible
. Allon's honeymoon with his second wife comes to an abrupt end on his learning that a Russian arms dealer, Ivan Kharkov, is involved in a weapons shipment to al-Qaeda for use in a major terrorist attack whose details are a mystery to the CIA as well as to British and Israeli intelligence. Since this tip originated with the death merchant's wife, Elena, Allon persuades his superiors and his American allies to authorize a complex plan to use Elena to gain access to Kharkov's secrets. Obvious good guys and bad guys, coupled with a straightforward plot in which Allon and Elena owe their lives to a lucky chance at the climax, make this one of the less satisfying entries in the series.

Starred review from July 15, 2008
Gabriel Allonart restorer, master spy, and sanctioned assassinreturns in Silva's 11th thriller about terrorism in our violent world. After the murder of an informant in St. Peter's Basilica, Allon is sent to the newly wealthy but corrupt Moscow to stop arms dealer Ivan Kharkov from selling sophisticated weapons to al-Qaeda. Allon is caught and expelled after some nasty nights in a Russian prison. If the Russians won't play fair, then it's up to Allon and the rest of Israel's intelligence network to do the job. The key to Kharkov is his wife, Elena, who collects the works of a particular American artist, and Allon's art background enables him to get close to her. This results in an intricate dance that is a masterwork of technology and human foibles. Like all plans, however, Allon's go awry, and this leads to a tense and exciting conclusion. Some long-running series get tired; Silva's just improves with each new book. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 3/1/08.]Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2008
The title, as Silva explains in an authors note, is taken from John le Carr's trailblazing Smileys People and refers to the actual set of guidelines used by Soviet spies during the cold war. To the delight of spy novelists and fans, the collapse of the Soviet Union, paired with the opportunism of terrorists, has meant a renaissance of old-fashioned cloak-and-dagger thrillers. Silva has mined this vein in a series starring Gabriel Allon, whose double occupation as Israeli intelligence agent and art restorer allows him to be thrown into the center of terrorist-inspired tensions the world over and to have a credible cover as a member of the international art establishment. Allons work as an art restorer is, perhaps, the most fascinating element in a series that leans heavily on the tired spy-novel convention (dating to James Bond) of yanking the hero--and reader--from glamorous world capital to glamorous hidden resort or village back to glamorous capital, with a few side trips to exotic hot spots. In Silvas eighth novel, the focus is on the murders of Russian investigative journalists seeking to uncover ties between newly rich former members of the KGB and arms dealers with connections to al-Qaeda. Standard spy fare, but spiked with truly exciting scenes and spiced with Allons art expertise.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

August 25, 2008
Paul Gigante, who read Silva’s Secret Servant
, resumes his outstanding rendering of Gabriel Allon and his crew of Israeli counterterrorism experts. Once again, Gigante highlights Allon’s strange blend of artist and assassin by giving him a quiet yet thoroughly persuasive voice. Gigante also deftly handles Silva’s large, polyglot cast of arms dealers, terrorists, art dealers, wives, mistresses and even children. He does less well with the new Russian characters, Ivan and Elena, who speak with thick Russian accents, but use Anglicized pronunciations of their own names. Ivan sounds macho and threatening, but Elena is played with too much emotionalism, which detracts from the credibility of her decision to endanger her children and herself. Gigante’s quick pace and narrative skill will keep listeners enthralled. A Putnam hardcover (Reviews, May 26 ).