Daniel Silva is a new author to me, and don’t know the main characters in this story, but after reading Portrait of a Spy I find myself wanting to get to know them better. 🙂 When I looked him up I was astonished that I had not heard of him before. Okay library, here I come!! Mystery, international intrigue, the art world, and determination to protect. All make for a winner!
Basic Details for Portrait of a Spy
Title: Portrait of a Spy
Author: Daniel Silva
Series: Gabriel Allon
Publisher: Harper
Pages: 464
Intended Audience: adult
Genre: mystery, international intrigue, spy, terrorism, Suspense, thriller
Available formats: hardcover, paperback, audio, kindle
Author and Summary
Bombings in Paris and Copenhagen have agents Gabriel and Chiara drawn into the world of terrorism. Can they stop this newest threat? At the center of the threat is an American-born cleric in Yemen to whom Allah has granted “a beautiful and seductive tongue.” A gifted deceiver, who was once a paid CIA asset, the mastermind is plotting a new wave of attacks. Can they find a someone to walk the line between the Islamic terrorist and the West? Enter in the daughter of an old enemy.
Daniel Silva is a New York Times bestselling author having written over 25 novels filled with spies and international intrigue. He’s an American, married, and worked as a member of the press. He worked for CNN until his success as a novelist was secure.
What Did I Think?
I love a good mystery novel. Mr. Silva writes a novel that combines the human element (dismay at not being able to save the life of innocents) with a strong willingness to defend and protect. Keeping the people of his nation safe is of paramount importance!
It was interesting watching the process of discovering who the threat was and their approach to dealing with it. It felt realistic.
I have to admit, I had this disconnect with the whole reclusive couple in cottage in some small town. It made no sense to me why that was important to write about.
The interplay between the characters made sense and the sense of danger was real. Admittedly the action is slow with lots of dialogue, but the dialogue established the threat and response.
There is a bit of a side story with the world of international art, and detecting what’s real art and what isn’t. An educational side trip for sure! 🙂
I am looking forward to reading more in this series, should be a fun journey eh?
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