The English Assassin

Rating:
Summary: Another Thrilling Read
Review: Daniel Silva is becoming an author who hooks fans with his intricate tales of non-stop suspense, historical detail and fascinating characters. Though violence plays a part, it never seems intrusive to the plot. "The English Assassin" is the third book of Silva's I've read, and now I must read his other two.

In "The English Assassin," Israeli spy Gabriel Allon is once again caught in another predicament that forces him out of retirement. This time he is accused of murdering a Swiss banker, and while on the run, discovers stolen art the SS took from German Jews in World War II, a conspiracy that will rock the world and the banker's daughter, an renowned concert pianist with the terrible memory of her mother's suicide. Through twists and turns that keep the reader mesmerized to the very end, Silva proves he is a master of suspense.

Rating:
Summary: An Intriguing Historical Journey
Review: When I first picked up The English Assassin, I almost did not buy it. I like Silva's earlier novels, but I did not like the level of violence described in the cover leaf. It sounded like a mindless adventure but not in the complex, intricate manner of Silva's earlier works.

I had underestimated Silva, or his publisher had misdescribed him. This is a delightful, deep tale of Swiss abuse of Nazi victims, a generation of Swiss cover-up to keep possession of the stolen goods, the Israeli effort to locate and track down the valuables from pre-World War II European Jews, and the level of violence some people will go to in order to keep what they have even if it was gained illicitly (or maybe even because it was gained illicitly).

Once you have entered the journey of the former Israeli agent turned art restorer and you have encountered the violence and mysteries which surround what should have been a simple trip to look at some art in need of repair, I think you will be as hooked as I was. The larger tale of what happened to Jewish and other goods during the Nazi era will also set you thinking and will put a human face to the stories several years ago of Swiss bank accounts and secrecy about the Second World War period.

This is a fascinating book and fully up to Silva's standards.

Rating:
Summary: Audio version
Review: After having read all of these 4 and 5 stars reviews of the book, I felt a little cheated after having listened to the audio version via Audible (commuter thing), and not having read the book. Maybe this is due to the fact that the only audio version available is abridged. I don't know if the abridgement was poorly done, but the audio adaptation left me feeling that The English Assassin's ending was rushed and brought many unanswered questions. Now I have to wonder what was left out from the full version.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the 6 hours listen. Campbell Scott's narration was very good, clearly distinguishing different characters. I will surely listen to some of Silva's other novels, hopefully unabridged versions.

Rating:
Summary: Exciting Thriller...Great Summer Reading
Review: This is the first Daniel Silva book I have read and I wasn't disappointed! The stories first chapter grabs you immediatley and it's tough to put this book down. Gabriel Allon is the art restorer/ Isarali secret agent who is called upon to restore a Raphael in the Rolfe home in Sweden. When he arrives, he finds the owner of the home dead and he is later arrested for the murder.
I haven't read the other books about Gabriel Allon but I didn't feel as if I missed out on much. I was able to get into the story with no problem. I can't compare this book to other ones though but I plan on reading more.
As Gabriel gets deeper into this situation people from his past come back to ask him to complete this "job." He meets the daughter of the dead man, Anna Rolfe, who is a famous violinist and diva. He is pitted against the English assasin who is a former army man turned contract killer for an Italian family in Corsica.
Silva continues with the action but also develops his quirky characters. You really are interested in these people and their relationships. I really enjoyed this book and it's unique premise about stolen art that dated back to the Nazi regime. For a good old fashion international spy thriller, this book is it!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: This book was the perfect followup to "The Kill Artist".In this new book Gabriel Allon is sent to a home to restore an old masterpiece. He discovers that the owner of the home and the painting has been murdered.He is detained by the Swiss police and
released by diplomatic stingpulling.He hooks up with the murder victim's daughter(a famed concert violinist) and uncovers a giant
conspiracy.A group called the Council has taken masterpiece painting that were taken from Jewish citizens as payment for aiding the Nazis during World War II.As Allon's invetsigation gets closer to the Council and the truth,the Council is forced to hire an assassin to quieten potential witnesses.Allon discovers that the assassin is someone that he knew in the past.
This book has suspense,intrigue,action,everything that a good book needs.This is one of Silva's better books.Buy it and read it.You will not be dissapointed.

Rating:
Summary: Uncovered Nazi looted art
Review: Daniel Silva in his sterling novel, The English Assassin reintroduces us to premier art restorer and super Israeli secret agent, Gabriel Allon. Allon under orders from his legendary boss, head of Israeli intelligence, Ari Shamron is commissioned to restore a priceless Raphael painting owned by Swiss banker Augustus Rolfe. Rolfe, who actually has revealing information pertaining to stolen European art treasures he wishes to share with the Israelis, is found murdered in his stately villa in Zurich by Allon.

Allon is implicated in the murder by head of Swiss federal security, Gerhardt Peterson. Allon, who is eventually released to avoid political scandal, follows clues to lead him to Rolfe's killers. He is thwarted by the English Assassin who liquidates people who Allon is investigating. The English Assassin has been keeping Allon under surveillance and monitoring his every move.

Allon recruits world famous concert violinist and daughter of the murdered banker, Anna Rolfe to help him unravel this mystery. We learn that The Assassin has been hired by the Council of Rutli, a cartel of powerful and wealthy Swiss financiers fronted by Gerhardt Peterson. The Council, headed by the blind and ruthless octagenarian, Otto Gessler, has been implicated in aiding the Nazi war effort. They've purchased looted European art treasures at deflated prices for hard currency to be used by the Nazis for munitions. They have passed laws which made these actions legal in Switzerland. Rolfe was silenced to stop him from blowing the whistle on this conspiracy.

Silva does a fantastic job with this suspenseful plot which takes us through many famous European locales. He unfortunately ends this excellent novel with the possibility that Gabriel Allon could be retired as Silva's main character.

Rating:
Summary: The Tightrope Walker Does It Again
Review: Am I getting old or what? Many of my favorite suspense novelists are gone and/or out-of-print...Alistair MacLean, Helen MacInnes, Robert Ludlum, and Morris West, to name a few. I was beginning to bemoan my age when I came upon two encouraging books. First, I saw Robert Littell's newest "The Company" and thought fondly back to "The Amateur" and "The Defection of A.J. LeWinter." Second, I ran across the newest Daniel Silva novel.

"The English Assassin" walks the tightrope between thrilling action-suspense and thoughtful storytelling. Silva keeps things moving with murder, suicide, betrayal, suspicion, and hints of romance. He also creates believable characters against this espionage backdrop. Gabriel Allon, the art restorer/Israeli agent, is a classic hero in the John le Carre sense. Gabriel wrestles with morals and inner demons, yet never comes across maudlin or overly sentimental. Even his female lead, an emotionally and physically damaged violinist, seems strong enough in the midst of struggle to walk hand in hand with a man like Gabriel.

Although the setup at the beginning of the novel seemed very much like Ludlum's recent "The Sigma Protocol," Silva takes a different route in unveiling the secrets and truth around the Swiss banking world and the stolen paintings. Ludlum entertained, yes, but Silva entertains while making us think. In fact, even as the novel comes to its conclusion, I wondered if I'd been duped by a shallow ending, only to discover another layer of justice. (Will Gabriel and the English Assassin join forces in some future novel?)

Back to my original question...No, I'm not getting old, I'm just finding more great authors. And Daniel Silva's now proven to be one of them.

Rating:
Summary: Not Silva's Best Work
Review: Silva is easily one of my favorite authors, however English Assassin does not live up to his past standards. I hope this is not an indication of a future trend in his work.

Rating:
Summary: Swiss Travelog
Review: A diabolical billionaire hires an English Assasin to help hide some WWII secrets about Swiss-Nazi collaboration. Gabriel Allon returns as a talented art restorer and crack agent from Isreal. A European cat and mouse game ensues with much of the action in the peaks and valleys of the Swiss Alps.

Daniel Silva's fourth novel is a vivid travelog of the Swiss culture and countryside. If only a fraction of the plot's focus on Swiss complicity to Nazi attrocities is true, the 'neutral' Swiss facade will collapse. Silva tries to give his two deadly characters some guilt and angst. They suffer through several killings, but the reader eventually finds it hard to root for either of these manics. Perhaps we prefer cool and cold killers. Or maybe the author is too determined to preach to us on the 'real' Swiss crimes, when all we wanted was a thrilling yarn. It's a decent beach book, but - next time - we expect a little more from the Mr. Silva.

Rating:
Summary: Silva casts a few stones....
Review: Indeed, as the liner jacket notes and other reviewers have readily stated, Daniel
Silva and "The English Assassin" are "in the style of Robert Ludlum." Whether that's
hailed as a compliment or not, of course, remains to be seen.

First, indeed, "The English
Assassin" is "shades of Ludlum." It is fast paced (faster than much of Ludlum's last
novels), involves an international James Bond-like special governmental agent (this time,
an Israeli agent ... art restorer), and is all awash in a grander than life consipiracy
(did anyone mention Robert Ludlum!!!) in which, like the definition of a grand epic hero,
the whole world depends upon his--and his alone--actions to rid us of such Evil. (In this
case, it's the Swiss cover-up, involvement, and dishonesty, with their complicity with the
Nazis during World War II.).

Ludlum it is, and Ludlum it is not. For one, the plot line is
greatly reminiscent of Ludlum; for two, however, Silva is Ludlum without the long (and
now boring) sermons on left-wing conspiracies to take over the civilized world. Silva
also is not the pedantic Ludlum (one doesn't need a dictionary with Silva).
That said (and cleared), "The English Assassin" (if one gets past all this Ludlum
stuff) is actually worth the read. It is exciting and Silva gives us a decent "arts and
humanities" lesson as the central character, one late-40ish Gideon Allon who is enlisted by the
Israeli government to mount a very clandestine inquiry into uncovering much about the
Swiss involvement with their nasty Nazy neighbors. Untold numbers of valuable paintings,
from Old Masters to "moderns" were "confiscated" and then deposited in Swiss banks in
exchange, sometimes, for currency to help the Nazis; in other situations, the paintings--not
to mention other treasures and money--were simply deposited in numbered accounts in
which they reside today, unclaimed, beneath the streets of Zurich!
Allon is sent to "restore" an Old Master (a Raphael)and, voila, he finds the owner,
wealthy and powerful banker Augustus Rolfe, brutally murdered. Before Allon can get out of Switzerland, he
is arrested as a suspect and from there on, the plot really thickens and the pace quickens. The game is
afoot! Allon becomes involved (yes) with Rolfe's daughter, who just happens to be
incredibly beautiful young woman and, of course, the world's greatest living violinist (and, yes, she and Gideon "fiddle around" a bit!).
Besides giving us a very interesting lesson in the fine arts (although I am not sure
about "rolling up" the canvases of Old Masters to smuggle them out!), Silva gives us a very
interesting geography lesson, as Allon zooms back and forth across Europe--from London
to Portugal to Austria and back. This, too, is worthwhile, especially if one has been so
fortunate to have been in those places!
"Penzler's Pick" notes that "Daniel Silva, author of several previous thrillers,
delivers a classic novel of multiple secrets and myriad betrayals." I am not sure how many
"classic novels" this Penzler has read, but "classic" is NOT a descriptive to be assigned to
"The English Assassin." Discerning readers of this genre will be a bit disappointed, if they
expect such. ...