Rating: 
Summary: Half a Loaf is Better Than None
Review: First of all, I like Daniel Silva's writing and I thoroughly enjoyed his first two novels. "The Unlikely Spy" was one of the best World War II espionage novels that I had read in a long time. "Mark of the Assassin", the prequel to this book, was also quite good. But, I guess I just missed the boat on this one.The success of the Good Friday Agreement is being threatened by a new terrorist group and the current British Prime Minister requests that the U.S. President appoint a heavyweight to the Court of St. James to show U.S. support for this agreement. Senator Douglas Cannon, a political rival of the current administration, gets the appointment and since he is Michael Osbourne's father in law, we know that the former hero of "Mark of the Assassin" will be lured back into the web of dirty deeds and operatives. Even the "Assassin" from "Mark of the Assassin" returns. What more could one ask for. Unlike many, I thought that the first half of the book was extremely well done. Especially where Silva lays the seeds for the problems in Northern Ireland and introduces his new paramilitary "bad guys" (and "bad gals"). But, with the introduction of a super-secret cabal known only as "The Society", whose directors are interested in world domination and control from an economic as well as a political/military level, I think he starts to lose it. First of all, the identity of the U.S. delegate to this group is a piece of cake to figure out. Then, "October", the assassin from the second book, performs a hit for the Mossad and Osbourne can recognize him from his hand (?). The Society itself - that world domination thing, again - is vintage Robert Ludlum. Even the three word title is downright Ludlumesque. And having Osbourne and Jean Paul Delarouche ("October") join forces to save the world.......well, let's say I double checked a couple of times just to make sure whose name was on the cover. A number of authors of this genre have had their first couple of books be their best work and later novels become the literary equivalent of popcorn. I think that Silva is too good a writer to allow that to happen. But, I look forward to his next novel, just to make sure.
Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent and Logical Sequel To The Mark of the Assassin!
Review: This is the third of Daniel Silva's books that I have read and all I can say is that THE MARCHING SEASON is perhaps the best sequel I have read in any of the genres I read in. At the very beginning of this book I did not think I would end up saying this, but here I am, saying it in spite of my initial reservations. To be sure, this book starts off more slowly than I would have expected or liked. However, that is where the skill that Daniel Silva possesses reveals itself. Without a doubt, here is a relatively new author who is already a master of pacing, tension, plot, scene, character development and everything that is needed to craft a finely wrought spy novel. Michael Osbourne is reprised from THE MARK OF THE ASSASSIN as are his wife, his liberal father-in-law, retired U.S. Senator Douglas Cannon and other members of the government and the CIA. Also returning for a not so welcome guest appearance is Jean-Paul Delaroche, aka October, the Assassin who unsuccessfully attempted to kill Michael Osbourne in the previous installment. The internal machinations of the U.S. and British governments, as well as the possible goings-on inside both the IRA and the various Irish Protestant paramilitaries are also revealed here and in fine detail. Another master stroke that Silva employs throughout this story is that he doesn't ever really get preachy. With some authors, their natural biases come out in their writing. Not so with Daniel Silva. He simply tells the story and writes about the people he populates the book with. Is there moral outrage on Silva's part? I would have to guess yes. No normal person could ever condone the terroristic acts that are carried out in the name of one misguided cause after another around the globe. If he shows that outrage, it is when he talks about how various splinter factions have risen out of the ashes of the fires of terrorism to scuttle the Irish peace process. He also writes damningly of THE SOCIETY, a super secret extra-national intelligence organization that continues to stir the pot around the globe for its own greedy interests. These are the folks you can tell Silva despises; the globalists with no loyalties to any nation or flag. They are only loyal to their own financial interests. Although Silva continues to be spare with his information on Jean Paul Delaroche, he provides just enough material to keep the reader plunging along in headlong pursuit of the final denouement. This is what makes October so interesting and ultimatley almost sympathetic. For throughout the international chases, October is a man who maintains his own sense of values and morality. Michael Osbourne may not agree with October's view of the world or himself, but ultimately, the respect, while grudging begins to grow. How Silva brings this all about is what makes this an exceptional spy novel. If you have not discovered Daniel Silva, you are in for a real treat. Start with THE UNLIKELY SPY and then read THE MARK OF THE ASSASSIN, followed by THE MARCHING SEASON. Only the last two are directly related but, if you read them in the order I have listed, you will get to follow Silva's rapid development as a writer and see his promotion into the ranks of spy-thriller masters. I recommend these books unreservedly to all fans of well-crafted spy fiction. Read them and you too, will be telling your friends about Daniel Silva. Thank you, Mr. Silva for many hours of reading enjoyment. I hope you'll keep Michael Osbourne as a central figure in your future novels. I think he still has more to say. Paul Connors
Rating: 
Summary: Formulaic but fast
Review: I reread this book recently and failed to see why it had stuck out in my mind as one of the better espionage books I had come across. The plot is derivatave, taking elements from authors like Ludlum as well as modern movies...believe me this isn't anything anyone familiar with the genre hasn't seen many times. The main characters are pretty clichéd, the new family man who must return to the CIA (think Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan) and the coldhearted assassin who will stop at nothing to fulfill his mission. On the positive side, I was never bored with the book. It hums along on a decent page and builds tension fairly well. Unfortunately, the ending is anticlimactic and the story goes more or less where expected. Basically, if you are looking for the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and fries, this is it.
Rating: 
Summary: Another very good effort from Silva
Review: Another page turner from Daniel Silva!!! Michael Osbourne, hero from The Mark of the Assassin, returns as the chief protagonist in the Marching Season. Against the backdrop of the long-standing conflict in Northern Ireland, the secret order called the Society is again attempting to create global unrest to further their own agendas. The Marching Season is a fast-paced, exciting read. Many of the characters from the Mark of the Assassin, both good and evil, are back, allowing for further character development for the readers who also read Silva's previous work. The story has action, excitement, intrigue, and frequent plot twists - leading up to an unexpected ending. This is another solid effort by Silva. You won't be disappointed if you give this a go.
Rating:
Summary: An OK read
Review: After the stunning page-turner "The Unlikely Spy" this is a disappointment. It is a OK suspense thriller but lacks the atmosphere of his deut novel. In the end I found I bit tedious and that was certainley not the case with Unlikely Spy. Read that one instead.
Rating:
Summary: OK read
Review: This is the first Silva book I have read and I picked up this book based on reviews I read on internet that its a worthy read. The story started off promising but stalled in the middle. The ending regained my interest, but if I had never read this book, I would not have missed much.
Rating:
Summary: Very good read!
Review: The others have done great reviews of this book. I concur it is a good book!
Rating:
Summary: Nicely Done
Review: Author Silva has put together another interesting and complex
story, and, again, he relies on the device of an enormous
conspiracy among unlikely allies to provide some tension
and basis for moving the action along.
This conspiracy is not quite believeable, so that contrived
device prevents this from being a truly great book
The title refers to the Marching Season in N. Ireland, and much
of the setting for this story is in that part of Ireland, and
the author details much of the history of this unsavory conflict, going back in history to 1609 when William of Orange
defeated the Catholics in a deadly battle, and he gives us
considerable detail of the action since 1969, when the present
"troubles" started. This historical perspective is necessary for the understanding
of this story, and the author does a nice job of presenting the
complex material and gives us some basis for understanding
the continuation of the conflict. He helps us understand the long-running conflicts around the
world by mentioning the "trouble spots," and the places
mentioned several years ago turn out to be the exact same
places that cause trouble for us today. The writer has done considerable research, as well, on the
places where the action takes place, and many readers will
be able to feel the locale as he reads. But despite this
considerable research, the author doesn't seem to have talked
to any small-arms experts, as his descriptions of the various
handguns carried by agents of various groups doesn't ring true.
And he misses some of the terminology of such weapons and their
uses. But the story moves along, and the characters are rather believeable.
Rating:
Summary: A new spy hero
Review: This was a well-written book and as current as today's headlines. I did think the title was a little misleading because it had very little to do with the situation in Northern Irealnd, specifically the yearly conflicts over the Protestant marches through Catholic neighborhoods. It was very timely however. This was definitely a page-turner though it left me wishing that I'd read the previous book first. It was nice having an older main character. Michael, at forty-eight, is a rarity, but I'm sure middle age readers will appreciate that a man of that age can be handsome, charming, and deadly efficient at his job.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: This is the first book of Silva's I have read, but not the last!
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