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Summary: Don't pass this one by
Review: I've read most all of Daniel Silva's novels, but this one is by far the very Best yet.
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Summary: More of the same...great suspense on an international scale!
Review: If you liked Silva's previous novels run down to the store and pick this one up. Be prepared to curl up on your couch and spend the rest of the day reading this book. If you have never read Silva then this novel is a good place to start. In my opinion he is the best when it comes to international thrillers. Great characters, storyline and seamless writing. An easy read that will have you yearning for more.
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Summary: Timely and entertaining, but nothing new from author Silva
Review: In a story as current as today's headlines, author Daniel Silva introduces us to Gabriel Allon, an Israeli agent coaxed out of retirement with the assignment to kill Palestinian terrorist Tariq Al-Hourani before Tariq can strike again at those engaged in negotiating for peace in the Middle East. Tariq is responsible for the murder of Gabriel's wife years earlier, giving him a personal stake in his mission, but also leaving him ambivalent about participating in a seemingly endless cycle of violence. THE KILL ARTIST features a devious spymaster, a mysterious stranger in a seaside village, a beautiful woman with questionable motives, a cat-and-mouse game in which it is never quite clear who is the hunter and who is the hunted, and just enough Le-Carre-esque consideration of the psychological toll of a life of espionage. Where have we read this before? In Silva's previous novels, "The Unlikely Spy" and "The Marching Season," giving the reader a sense of déjà vu. All of Silva's typical plot and character elements come together nicely, making for an entertaining, exciting, and easy-to-follow (as spy novels go) read. Now, Mr. Silva, how about something new?
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Summary: Silva Strikes Gold!
Review: In Daniel Silva's latest thriller, The Kill Artist, he not only continues the suspense created in The Mark Of The Assasin, he exceeds it. This book can't miss being a sure-fire smash with all readers who like international espionage thrillers; and it will keep you glued to the edge of your seat. Silva's writing style is so "grabbing" it will make you feel that you're personally there in the middle of the action. The action is non-stop, the plot is excitng and includes several surprises, and the characters are so fully developed, you'll think you really know them. If you're looking for a book in which you can fully "get lost", get yourself a copy of The Kill Artist as soon as you can.
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Summary: A Little Closure??
Review: It's the buzz word these days--closure. Well, you won't get any in this novel. Silva writes extremely well. He spins us around Europe. He takes us through market stalls packed with Middle Eastern humanity and stuffed with smells. Until the last twenty or thirty pages it was a great read. But what happened to the main characters?? They drift off alone, back to their own lonely and miserable lives. Come on! Even real people don't behave that way. Silva, really, what were you thinking?
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Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: Once again Daniel Silva has done it.... a thrilling roller-coaster ride and best of all great characters!
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Summary: As Complex and Compelling as the Real-life Drama
Review: Reading this the week Sharon defeated Barak (and Arafat survived to negotiate with his fifth Israeli Prime Minister since the Oslo Accords), I concluded that this novel is a useful reminder of how fiction often describes truths more vividly than non-fiction. Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are excruciatingly painful and difficult because both sides have a legitimate sense of paranoia, and both sides have a legitimate sense of historic tragedy and grievance. The Kill Artist is told from the Israeli point of view but with a healthy dose of Palestinian interpretations of the last half-century. It is the story of an Israeli assassin who is lured out of retirement to kill a Palestinian who's own murders are legendary. The setting for this conflict pits two forms of organized state sponsored violence against one another. The sense of mutual grievance and mutual willingness to kill for political and historic reasons is conveyed vividly. In one passage, we gain insight into the motivation of the Palestinian character: "It came from growing up in the camps of Sidon. His father had died when Tariq was young, and his older brother Mahmoud, was murdered by the Jews...He would think of his father--how he had died of a broken heart with the keys to the family home in the Upper Galilee still in his pocket."(Page 43) On the other side is the head of Israeli intelligence, a man in the Sharon tradition: "I believe we will be no more secure after a peace deal than before it. ... I believe the fire in the Palestinian heart will never be extinguished until the Jews are driven into the sea. And I'll tell you one other thing ... I would much rather do battle with a sworn enemy than with an enemy who finds expediency in posing as a friend."(Page 75) The long-term challenge of peace in the region is vividly illustrated again by the intelligence chief: "Everyone thinks now that peace is at hand there are no more threats to our survival. They don't understand that peace will only make the fanatics more desperate. They don't understand that we will need to spy on our new Arab friends just as hard as when they were openly committed to our destruction. A spy's work is never done."(Page 76-77) Silva deserves real credit for writing these prescient words and creating these characters when the Barak peace Prime Ministership was at its most optimistic and there was no sign on the horizon of the Camp David tragic overreach and the new wave of violence. This novel is complex, compelling, and kept me enthralled to the point that I could not put the book down until had I finished it. As fiction that gives a vivid description of just how hard the future will be in the real world, this is a very worthwhile read. Sharon is 72, Peres is 77, and Arafat is 71. Whether they can truly find a road to peace or are trapped in the bitterness, fear and violence described in this novel will be a major issue in the next decade. This novel does not offer encouragement that the region can get much beyond non-violence in a state of truce for at least a generation, and instead leaves you with the impression that true peace may be the work of our grandchildren.
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Summary: GABRIEL ALLON IS ONE BAD DUDE!
Review: Revenge is our hero's motivating factor in this spy thriller.
Gabriel Allon, is drawn out of the reclusive retirement of art restorer, to track down the man who is responsible for his sons death. Tariq is our antagonist and he is one cold fish. His two goals in life are to destroy the palestinian/isreali peace process and kill Gabrial Allon. Throw in you standard gorgeous fashion model who happens to be an agent of Mossad's special "OFFICE" and I do belive we have an outstanding thriller. Bodies are left in the wake when Gabrial Allon is involved. Tariq and his extensive resume of death by assassination battles with a plan that fools us all, just keep your head down and enjoy an outstanding read.
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Summary: International thrills
Review: See storyline above. I think Daniel Silva has done it again. Written a gripping and serious spy novel, that is. Although not as intense as his previous novels, The Kill Artist takes a top seat in the international spy genre. This international thriller, with well molded characters, will take you all the way from the Mideast to Paris and from London to Canada. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the main player in this book and Daniel Silva knows this topic well. The only problem I had with the book was the lack of gut wretching suspense that I come to expect with this type of novel (I guess I expected Ludlum). Still, a good spy novel with great characters and timely subjects, gives this one a high mark. Highly recommended for the serious international thriller fan.
Rating:
Summary: A good solid thriller
Review: Silva does a great job with the character devlopment of this timely novel. I really felt that I understood the motivation for Sarah & Gabriel's actions. The plot takes a few twists, but it is pretty straight forward once it gets going. It's a fast read. I do wish he had done a bit more with the charming Peel, a minor character but perhaps a key to unlocking Gabriel.
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