I have been on a total Daniel Silva binge, reading my way through the gripping Gabriel Allon series.
All throughout this long, remorselessly hot Delhi summer (I live in India), I have immersed myself, one book at a time, in the fascinating world of the Israeli secret service.
The core cast of characters in Mr. Silva’s books remains the same, and I have grown immeasurably fond of the Israelis. They have an unwavering commitment to protecting their own that is enviable. They are ruthless, most definitely ruthless, but they are staunchly loyal to those they are sworn to protect.
In a world of increasing fundamentalism and violence, the steadfastness and total loyalty of this group of Israelis – which is the bedrock of the books – is impressive.
In “The English Girl”, the threats do not come from hard line Islamic terrorists, as in so many of the books, but from…ah, yes…plot-spoiler…
Right, that’s it.
That’s as far as I can go in sharing the storyline with you, because if I say anymore I’ll seriously ruin things for you.
Suffice it to say that there are some re-connections with interesting and unexpected characters we have met many novels ago. Mr. Silva’s mastery of his characters and how their lives intersect is powerful, and he pulls together the threads of this story, and stories past, as he weaves his storytelling magic.
Initially, I thought the plot of “The English Girl” was possibly a little weaker than other Gabriel Allon books.
How wrong I was.
There are several sensational twists in the plot, right up until the closing chapters, and I never saw any of them coming.
A great read, as one has now come to expect from the super talented Mr. Silva.
In Gabriel Allon we have a man of huge moral stature, a man who is simultaneously compassionate and ruthless.
After reading this review, if you feel like reading “The English Girl” (and that would be a nice compliment) then you can do so, by ordering the book right now. Don’t worry, if you haven’t read the earlier Gabriel Allon novels. Each book is a stand-alone, great read, and you never feel as though you have missed something in the plot.
Enjoy.