Rating: 
Summary: Good Read
Review: I always look forward to a Silva book and he has not disappointed with this latest offering. He "paints" a good story colored with themes from the art world -- in this case the stolen works of art from WWII and the music world with his 2 main protanist characters. His heros are real -- noble but flawed and that makes them more interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Daniel Silve doesn't miss.
Review: Protagonist, Gabriel Allon is an art restorer/Israeli secret agent in this thought provoking, intricately plotted, fast paced thriller. At the heart of the novel is the Swiss collaboration with the Nazis in the theft of priceless art during WWII. It is a tale filled with multi-dimensional complex characters---you feel you know everyone of the large cast of supporting characters. It is a story of secrets and betrayals that lures you in and hooks you in the prologue. The bona fide sounding historical detail and alluring foreign intrigue add to this crisply written and polished suspenseful story. Daniel Silva is a master of this genre. All five of his books have hooked me early and never let me go. An exquisite author. I read it in two sessions. If you have yet to discover Daniel Silva, now is not too soon.
Rating:
Summary: great
Review: I really enjoyed this book. Very gripping. The best thriller since Craig Furrnas' THE SHAPE. I couldn't put it down.
Rating: 
Summary: Good - but not his best
Review: The return of Gabriel Allon to a Daniel Silva novel was something I looked forward to with great anticipation. Unfortunately, the anticipation exceeded the actual event. The character who is named in the title of the book is poorly developed and actually plays a somewhat minor role for a title character. We are tantalized throughout much of the book in trying to find out the secret that led the wife of Swiss banker, Augustus Rolfe to take her life in a rather dramatic fashion at the beginning of the book. I won't spoil the intrigue, but the secret is not that difficult to figure out. It also seems that, as with sequels, much time is utilized explaining to first time readers what those that read the first book already know. Such is inevitable, but it seems to happen with greater frequency in this book than necessary. That all being said, this is still a pretty good read. We are drawn into the consequences of the nefarious activities of the Swiss banking community during WW II as it relates to its complicity with Adolph Hitler and stolen Jewish art. As Allon tries to unravel the reason for the murder of Rolfe and the identity of those who did it, he comes into possession of a letter which explains much, but not all, from Herr Rolfe himself from beyond the grave. The plot is interesting and while the ending is a bit pat, Daniel Silva in a four star book is better than most and worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: Same great action with a different twist
Review: The English Assassin, an Andy McNab-like SAS operative who was presumed dead in the Gulf War, is really a bit part player. Silva's Kill Artist Gabriel Allon and Anna Rolfe the virtuoso daughter of a Swiss Nazi sympathizer (Silva is not kind to the Swiss as a neutral during WWII) are the main event. Gabriel, art restorer and part time Israeli hit man, goes to Zurich to restore a Raphael and finds owner Augustus Rolfe dead and a secret collection of masters missing. At the same time the English Assassin, working for a contract killer named Orsati out of Corsica, is on a job in the Basque country. Later they will converge on Werner Muller's art gallery in Paris where they will realize their paths have crossed before. Part of the fun of a Silva novel is the way he brings a chapter to a crescendo then abruptly transports the reader to another, repeating the experience again and again. He takes his story all over Europe with action packed scenes occasionally spiced with mundane everyday stuff, like the deadly English Assassin having to awkwardly lure Orsati's goat out of his path or Allon's surveillance team describing the kinky aspects of Herr Muller's life. Most of the way I liked this as much or more as "The Kill Artist". When Gabriel and Anna discover something that starts the end game with 150 pages to go, I was fully prepared for a surprise ending of some sort, but never the one that came. Out of character for Silva? Yes, and disruptive to the flow, but did the ending kill the story? No way! This was still a 5 star thriller.
Rating: 
Summary: Context Counts
Review: Had I not read all of Silva's other books, I would have given this one four or maybe even five stars. On its own, this is a top notch thriller with loads of action and a good and realistic plot, tackling a timely topic. HOWEVER, in my view this was nowhere near as good as either of the two Michael Osbourne books or even the previous Allon book(and I thought even that work was a decline from the Osbourne books). The characters are not as well developed here as in previous books and, with the exception of the nice twist with the assassin(which is a plot device Silva often uses and which I really like), the ending is kind of weak. Moreover, some of the characters, particularly Shamron, act totally out of character based on what we've seen in previous books(which is something authors often do that I really don't like). So, if you haven't read any of Silva's other stuff, read this and you'll no doubt enjoy it. But if you've read his other works and were really waiting for this, you might be disapointed.
Rating:
Summary: Great discovery....this guy's got talent!
Review: This is my first Daniel Silva novel, but it will not be my last. I was a loyal Ludlum fan and mourned his declining craft long before I mourned his death. I liked Follett in the beginning, but he, too has pandered to the masses, leaving his skills on the word processor. THE ENGLISH ASSASSIN is Daniel Silva's fourth book and a page-turner from start to finish. While his body count rivals that of early Ludlum, Silva is a more polished story teller. THE ENGLISH ASSASSIN begins with the death of Augustus Rolfe, an elderly Swiss banker who collaborated with the Nazis (no new territory here) to acquire numerous pieces of art during World War II. At the end of his life, Herr Rolfe decides to atone for his sins and return the paintings to the heirs of their original owners, thus exposing the dirty little secret all Swiss fear. Publicity of this kind just won't do, so Herr Rolfe is killed. Gabriel Allon, Jewish intelligence agent/art restorer who is set to receive the paintings, finds Herr Rolfe's body and thus the chase begins for the real killer and the enormous power behind the Swiss conspiracy of silence. While I'm a little tired of the Nazi 'rape of the art world' story, I'm glad to have found someone who writes solid spy stories. I look forward to more work from Silva. As they say in show business, he's got the 'legs' to last a long time. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: He keeps getting better
Review: The latest Daniel Silva book, The English Assassin, is definitely his best so far ... and at this rate, he is bound to make the leap to internationally famous author either with this release or the next. The characters are believable, the action is unrelenting, and the settings are so real that it makes you want to start traveling. He obviously does his research when he sets the action in far-flung locations. I could recognize places I had been to in London, and my father-in-law (also a fan) used to frequent the hotel in Switzerland where Gabriel stays. Even the plot gets you thinking. The book is a fast read, but the issues he raises stay with you long after you get to "The End." I feel like I'm looking at a lot of World War II history differently now. I started reading Dan Silva's books because I (kind of) knew him in college, but now I read them because I enjoy them. I can't recommend this one strongly enough!
Rating:
Summary: An entertaining, complex and muti-layered spy thriller.
Review: Daniel Silva's "The English Assassin" grabbed my interest from the first page and took me on a exhilarating roller-coaster ride. It has non-stop action in a variety of exotic locales, fascinating characters, intelligent dialogue and terrific suspense. It is one of the best spy novels that I have read in years. Gabriel Allon is a talented art restorer who lovingly repairs old paintings. In his other life, he is a spy for the Israeli government. He can kill expertly and without remorse when the situation calls for deadly force. Ari Shamron, Gabriel's handler, has a new mission for him. Gabriel is to visit Zurich and speak to an old Swiss banker named Augustus Rolfe, a man who wants to reveal his secret activities during World War II. Gabriel soon encounters some violent men who will do anything to prevent the truth about Switzerland's sordid past from becoming public knowledge. He also meets Rolfe's beautiful and tempestuous daughter Anna. She is a troubled woman who, like Gabriel, is haunted by demons from the past. Who is the "English Assassin" in the title? He is a former British soldier who has become a ruthless killer for hire. He also becomes involved in the Rolfe case, but his agenda differs markedly from Gabriel's. The English Assassin is a morally ambiguous character who is as fascinating as he is deadly. What makes this novel better than most of the other spy thrillers around? It does not rely on clichés to keep the intricate plot moving along. The characters are sharply written and the dialogue sparkles with wit, humor and occasional poignancy. What elevates "The English Assassin" most of all is the issues that it tackles. Silva explores the culpability of the Swiss bankers, who apparently were indispensable to the Nazi's war machine. Those who help murderers prosper from their horrible acts also have blood on their hands, Silva implies. Don't miss "The English Assassin." It is an unforgettable and fast-paced thriller that will make you think about the issues it raises long after you have read the final page.
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 star thriller
Review: See storyline above. Daniel Silva's latest brings back the art restorer/Israeli spy Gabriel Allon. It will leave little to be desired when it comes to international intrigue. This time Gabriel ends up trying to find stolen paintings that were taken from the Jews during WW2. With the help of a rather accident prone pianist named Anna Rolfe, Gabriel treks all across Europe searching for these elusive paintings while avoiding assassins and the Swiss secret service. Secret documents and secret councils are just some of the surprises in this fast-paced international spy thriller. Silva paints a rather dark picture when it comes to Switzerland and their possible involvement with the Nazis and stolen treasures. A well researched novel with an ending that wasn't totally satisfying.
Daniel Silva is definitely one of the top thriller writers. Keep it up. Highly recommended.
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