A Kirkus Best Book of the Year#1 NYT Bestseller#1 USA Bestseller#1 WSJ BestsellerFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Black Widow comes the thrilling new summer blockbuster featuring legendary spy, assassin and art restorer Gabriel Allon.A heart-stopping tale of suspense, Daniel Silva’s runaway bestseller, The Black Widow, was one of 2016’s biggest novels. Now, in House of Spies, … restorer Gabriel Allon.
A heart-stopping tale of suspense, Daniel Silva’s runaway bestseller, The Black Widow, was one of 2016’s biggest novels. Now, in House of Spies, Gabriel Allon is back and out for revenge – determined to hunt down the world’s most dangerous terrorist, a shadowy ISIS mastermind known only as Saladin.
Four months after the deadliest attack on the American homeland since 9/11, terrorists leave a trail of carnage through London’s glittering West End. The attack is a brilliant feat of planning and secrecy, but with one loose thread.
The thread leads Gabriel Allon and his team of operatives to the south of France and to the gilded doorstep of Jean-Luc Martel and Olivia Watson. A beautiful former British fashion model, Olivia pretends not to know that the true source of Martel’s enormous wealth is drugs. And Martel, likewise, turns a blind eye to the fact he is doing business with a man whose objective is the very destruction of the West. Together, under Gabriel’s skilled hand, they will become an unlikely pair of heroes in the global war on terror.
Written in seductive and elegant prose, the story moves swiftly from the glamour of Saint-Tropez to the grit of Casablanca and, finally, to an electrifying climax that will leave readers breathless long after they turn the final page.
But House of Spies is more than just riveting entertainment; it is a dazzling tale of avarice and redemption, set against the backdrop of the great conflict of our times. And it proves once again why Daniel Silva is “quite simply the best” (Kansas City Star).
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This is the first Daniel Silva novel I’ve read and it will probably be the last. He writes in a genre I enjoy and is a skilled writer, but I don’t enjoy his expository narrative style. This narrative approach does let Silva present the story’s complexities in an efficient way, but it has disadvantages. It’s slow, especially at the beginning, and it places the characters at a distance. I had trouble forming an attachment to the characters. Through most of the novel, any of them could have died without my caring much. By the end, I did come to care, but I almost quit reading before reaching these chapters.
Daniel Silva is one of my all-time favorites. I devoured House of Spies in like fashion to Silva’ fourteen other Gabriel Allon books. Silva never fails to deliver and he does again with this book. I love Allon’s clear-eyed determination to get the job done, notwithstanding the pull from other important aspects of his life. If you like Daniel Silva, Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, and this genre, please check out my recently-released counter-terrorism thriller, THE BRINGER OF DEATH, available on Amazon.
As good as Silva writes. I’ve read all his books, sometimes more than once! You won’t be disappointed.
Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allon books are formulaic in that there is an incident, a selection, a turning and the mission. But they are SO MUCH MORE. His characters have such a depth including Gabriel himself who is the perfect flawed superhero and in that way so much better (in my eyes at least ) than Lee
Child’s Jack Reacher. This book is a continuation of the story of the capture of Saladin, the drug dealer/terrorist mastermind behind the bombings in previous books and whose work is the incident that starts this story off. There are twists and turns and we see Mikhail used undercover in a great way as well as Christopher Keller. The issues the book raises are timely and scary in our world today, as is usually the case with Mr. Silva’s stories.
Highly original work based on recent political events. The author artfully weaves in some of the most historical and interesting locations throughout the book.
I love Daniel Silva’s books. Gabriel Allon (and the series built around him) is one of my absolute all-time favorite characters. This is the second time that I have read the book! That says it all!
Reading Daniel Silva for me is a master class in espionage thrillers. I write romance/thrillers and reading Silva is always more than just a read for me. I pay attention to his ability to spin a tale. Book after book he’s managed to keep his hero, an unlikely Mossad spy, Gabriel Allon relevant and unforgettable. In House of Spies, he continues the mission of art restorer and now Ramsad (the head) of Mossad, Gabriel Allon, to destroy the illusive Isis terrorist mastermind, Saladin. Saladin is a worthy adversary and the definition of pure evil. Without a conscious, his goal is the destruction of everything we hold dear, whether it be our freedom, our lives, our culture, our beliefs, or the world as we know it.
Saladin has struck Paris, Washington, and London killing indiscriminately. Gabriel has been a target and barely survived two bombings. He is determined to take down his enemy and will not stop until he does.
In House of Spies, we are introduced to a new character, a deadly assassin that Silva could easily transform into his next series hero. Christopher Keller is a SAS trained killer. A disaffected British spy, and recent assassin for a Mafia don, he returns to the fold and is recruited by M16, Britain’s equivalent to the CIA. Gabriel Allon puts together a secret cabal of British, French, and American intelligence agencies to weave a trap for Saladin. With Keller and his female physician recruit Natalie Mizrahi, the only person who can with certainty identify Saladin, Allon follows a trail of arms and illegal drug sales hoping to be able to corner his deadly prey.
In the capable hands of Silva, the book moves effortlessly forward at a rapid pace. So authentic in his knowledge and research the reader feels certain that they are reading an expose of real-time events that could be clippings from a newspaper. So buckle your seatbelt and enjoy the whirlwind ride to London, Paris, Washington, Casablanca, Sicily, Tel Aviv, Marseilles and St. Tropez. A great read for us thriller lovers.
Gabfrial allon is inspiring
Complex plot with lots of moving parts. Brilliantly written and timely to for today’s world make it very thought proving and believable. A fascinating read! Love the Gabriel Allon.series. Have read them all.
I loved this book and the author who wrote it. His characters are so real ! I would read anything he wrote and would recommend him to everybody. He is so well versed on this subject.
Great book as part of a super series. Get it and read all of Daniel Silva books.
I appreciate Silva’s spymaster stories which are all well-written and gripping.
All of Silva’s books are extremely entertaining. Try to read them in succession.
Love this book series! Can t wait for the new one coming out.
I learned a lot about the spy game in the modern world.
Actually very scary times we live in.
I have now read all 17 of the Gabriel Allon series, in order. That I am a fan is a
forgone conclusion. Reading in order, though not necessary to enjoy this talented author, gives a sense of familiarity with a host of intriguing characters. The plot lines are shockingly realistic, and current with geopolitical activities, making you wonder if this is truly fiction.
Daniel Silva is a terrific writer, I have purchased all of his novels. This novel was good, but to much paper was spent with background on previous happenings in another book. While I understand this might be necessary, for a first time reader
for a fan it was tiresome. Even for a first time reader a more cogent summary might have been better. Daniel has a story to tell in his books and I agree with that story.
I have read all of the Gabriel Allon series. It is addicting!
Another solid story in the Gabriel Allon series.
Daniel Silva always writes a best seller