I've anxiously awaited each Gabriel Allon book since I discovered them three books into the series. This is the first with which I wasn't completely enthralled. It was still a great read, but seemed more formulaic (Cataclysmic World Event draws Our Hero back in, Our Hero meticulously plans The Mission and enlists the Amazing Woman, The Mission goes Horribly Wrong, Our Hero improvises and Saves The World) than previous entries. That is not my biggest complaint as it's a formula that works for me.

My biggest complaint is the missed opportunities to delve more deeply into the psyche of Gabriel Allon. There's a period later in the book where Gabriel retreats to deal with that which he hath wrought, but Silva only offers superficial glances into the mind of our assassin, and it is the contradiction that is Gabriel Allon that hold much of the appeal of this series for me.

All that being said, I do love this character and will be at the front of the line when #12 is released.