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Gabriel Allon #8
Moscow Rules
The death of a journalist leads Israeli spy Gabriel Allon to Russia, where he finds that, in terms of spycraft, even he has something to learn in this #1 New York Times bestseller.
Moscow is no longer the gray, grim city of Soviet times. Now it is awash with oil wealth and choked with bulletproof Bentleys. But in the new Russia, power once again resides behind the walls of the Kremlin. Critics of the ruling class are ruthlessly silenced. And a new generation of Stalinists plots to reclaim an empire—and challenge the United States.
One of those men is Ivan Kharkov, ex-KGB, who built a financial empire on the rubble of the Soviet Union. Part of his profit comes from arms dealing. And he is about to deliver Russia’s most sophisticated weapons to the United States’ most dangerous enemy, unless Israeli foreign intelligence agent Gabriel Allon can stop him. Slipping across borders from Vatican City to St. Petersburg, Jerusalem to Washington, DC, Allon is playing for time—and playing by Moscow rules.
Moscow is no longer the gray, grim city of Soviet times. Now it is awash with oil wealth and choked with bulletproof Bentleys. But in the new Russia, power once again resides behind the walls of the Kremlin. Critics of the ruling class are ruthlessly silenced. And a new generation of Stalinists plots to reclaim an empire—and challenge the United States.
One of those men is Ivan Kharkov, ex-KGB, who built a financial empire on the rubble of the Soviet Union. Part of his profit comes from arms dealing. And he is about to deliver Russia’s most sophisticated weapons to the United States’ most dangerous enemy, unless Israeli foreign intelligence agent Gabriel Allon can stop him. Slipping across borders from Vatican City to St. Petersburg, Jerusalem to Washington, DC, Allon is playing for time—and playing by Moscow rules.
528 pages, Paperback
First published July 22, 2008
2350 people are currently reading
6536 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Silva
192 books9,530 followersDaniel Silva was born in Michigan in 1960 and raised in California where he received his BA from Fresno State. Silva began his writing career as a journalist for United Press International (UPI), traveling in the Middle East and covering the Iran-Iraq war, terrorism and political conflicts. From UPI he moved to CNN, where he eventually became executive producer of its Washington-based public policy programming. In 1994 he began work on his first novel, The Unlikely Spy, a surprise best seller that won critical acclaim. He turned to writing full time in 1997 and all of his books have been New York Times/national best sellers, translated into 25 languages and published across Europe and the world. He lives in Washington, D.C.
Series:
* Michael Osbourne
* Gabriel Allon
Series:
* Michael Osbourne
* Gabriel Allon
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,364 reviews
December 26, 2010
My problem with the latest Dan Silva novel, "Moscow Rules" is that it seems that Silva is playing by rules of his own. Each of his latest novels seems to have been become formulaic:
1. Gabriel Allon gets persuaded back into the life of an Israeli intelligence officer by presumably doing a "favor" for his mentor Ari Shamron.
2. The "favor" turns into a large scale operation.
3. Perfect Plan is formed on intelligence and sources.
4. Perfect Plan goes astray.
5. Allon saves the day, retreats back to his "other" life usually with a lot of physical and emotional damage.
This book is no different.
While many may be turned off by this formula that Silva has cultivated instead of thinking outside of box, it does make for an exciting novel. Bottom line: if you're looking for something new in the spy-thriller genre aside from the past exploits of Gabriel Allon, then you're barking up the wrong tree; if you're totally cool with Silva's obvious plot devices (as I am) you'll find this an enjoyable read.
1. Gabriel Allon gets persuaded back into the life of an Israeli intelligence officer by presumably doing a "favor" for his mentor Ari Shamron.
2. The "favor" turns into a large scale operation.
3. Perfect Plan is formed on intelligence and sources.
4. Perfect Plan goes astray.
5. Allon saves the day, retreats back to his "other" life usually with a lot of physical and emotional damage.
This book is no different.
While many may be turned off by this formula that Silva has cultivated instead of thinking outside of box, it does make for an exciting novel. Bottom line: if you're looking for something new in the spy-thriller genre aside from the past exploits of Gabriel Allon, then you're barking up the wrong tree; if you're totally cool with Silva's obvious plot devices (as I am) you'll find this an enjoyable read.
January 28, 2021
Hardly nutritive, Moscow Rules was chosen to be read because of its title. Daniel Silva shines most when there is no super villain at hand. That was the factor that decided whether I'd be bored enough to ditch the book or complete it.
Having done the latter, the thriller delivered its promise by being a low brow one. I'm tempted to pick out a second book in this series, because I don't mind much being dosed with schlocky literature. I prefer shlock to literary books, you see.
Finally I've composed a haiku during reading, and without delay, here it is...
Gabriel Allon,
And I cannot get along,
Wintry waste of time.
Having done the latter, the thriller delivered its promise by being a low brow one. I'm tempted to pick out a second book in this series, because I don't mind much being dosed with schlocky literature. I prefer shlock to literary books, you see.
Finally I've composed a haiku during reading, and without delay, here it is...
Gabriel Allon,
And I cannot get along,
Wintry waste of time.
March 25, 2019
Exciting espionage with insightful narrative on the inner-workings of the current Russian regime as well as international arms sales.
March 2, 2019
“Without a viable opposition, there can be no democracy.”
For # 8 in the Gabriel Allon series, Mr. Silva takes a shift in focus and this book finds Gabriel dealing with a Russian arms dealer. This 2008 novel addresses issues that 11 years later are still relevant in Russia. “Moscow Rules” takes not so subtle jabs at the faux democracy that is the Russia of Vladimir Putin. And they are dead on.
Although “Moscow Rules’ was fine for what it is, it felt more like a conventional thriller to me than some of the earlier books in the series. I also did not read it as quickly as I have read others in the series.
I enjoyed it, but just enough. The formula that Dan Silva employs in these novels has been essentially the same in numbers 6, 7 & 8 and in this one it annoyed me, which had not happened before.
I like the Gabriel Allon series, I will keep reading them. However, this novel is one of the weakest of the first eight. Nevertheless, Silva can write and plot a novel well, so I have yet to be disappointed or really irritated at any, thus far.
For # 8 in the Gabriel Allon series, Mr. Silva takes a shift in focus and this book finds Gabriel dealing with a Russian arms dealer. This 2008 novel addresses issues that 11 years later are still relevant in Russia. “Moscow Rules” takes not so subtle jabs at the faux democracy that is the Russia of Vladimir Putin. And they are dead on.
Although “Moscow Rules’ was fine for what it is, it felt more like a conventional thriller to me than some of the earlier books in the series. I also did not read it as quickly as I have read others in the series.
I enjoyed it, but just enough. The formula that Dan Silva employs in these novels has been essentially the same in numbers 6, 7 & 8 and in this one it annoyed me, which had not happened before.
I like the Gabriel Allon series, I will keep reading them. However, this novel is one of the weakest of the first eight. Nevertheless, Silva can write and plot a novel well, so I have yet to be disappointed or really irritated at any, thus far.
May 15, 2019
Moscow Rules, rules!
I liked this book due to two reasons. The first is the presence of everybody's second favourite villain - the FSB (KGB). And the second is how pragmatic the story is as well as its ending.
The FSB ends up being a pretty menacing villain but Daniel Silva does a hatchet job on the organisation, Russia and everyone associated with the country - which seems to be par for the course for Western writers these days.
But still, the book is great, the action excellent, the story gripping and Gabriel ends up kicking ass.
I liked this book due to two reasons. The first is the presence of everybody's second favourite villain - the FSB (KGB). And the second is how pragmatic the story is as well as its ending.
The FSB ends up being a pretty menacing villain but Daniel Silva does a hatchet job on the organisation, Russia and everyone associated with the country - which seems to be par for the course for Western writers these days.
But still, the book is great, the action excellent, the story gripping and Gabriel ends up kicking ass.
September 2, 2025
Rating: SIX stars+
I confess that my genre preferences are literary fiction, humor and inspirational stories providing the plots, characters and premise are unique. When it comes to mystery, Daniel Silva remains the favorite his creation of master spy/art restorer Gabriel Allon, the reason. Unlike many of the later stories in this 20+ book series, reading a mind boggling installment published over 17 years ago was an awakening. Unlike formulaic plots used in the latest episodes, this bears little resemblance putting it in a league of its own.
We find Gabriel and his wife of five months holed up in Umbria where he works on on the restoration of a painting for the Vatican. Having lost his son in a terrorist attack that caused his first wife to commit suicide, Allon retired from Israeli Intelligence to do what he loves most. When word arrives of the murder of a Russian journalist whom he knew well, intelligence organizations seek his expertise due to 'sensitive' nature of his research.
Breaking his pledge to Chiara, who's also a veteran of The Office, Allon delves into the mystery and in the process discovers a connection to the Russian oligarch, Ivan Kharkov whose wife Elena is an art collector. This being post-9/11 we learn global terrorist attacks to even the score have increased by an order of magnitude. As the plot unfolds it becomes clear that Kharkov's high profit 'network' funnels arms from South Africa to Mideastern terrorists. Collaborating with Graham Seymour, MI-5 and Adrian Carter at the CIA and knowing Elena's preference for artworks by Cassat, Allon learns of one she was unable to purchase and creates a forgery as bait. Once the 'mouse' is trapped, he'll appeal to her humanity as wife and mother and in an effort to include her in the team operation to bring down her husband's network
While the plot bears vague similarity to others, the 'defector' component is unusual. When added to the relationship between Allon and aging Ari Shamron, a former Director the father/son dynamic adds an evocative element rarely seen in mystery. As the operation moves ahead, Shamron imparts advice with hopes his 'son' will survive a vicious, inhumane soul like Kharkov. Enhanced by Elena's knowledge of Ivan's cheating, deception and illicit dealings the pulse quickens when the 'green light' is given. Entering Moscow years after countless assassinations, the risk Allon takes is immeasurable.
The successor to John Le Carre, Daniel Silva's trademark storytelling, pacing and careful use of back story is beyond compare and this is by far, one of his best. While momentum increases toward the end with others, the final pages are nail biting; the outcome unexpected. For fans of top notch narrative, spy mystery and brilliance, I urge you to add this to your list. I'm confident you will be continually uttering 'brilliant' much as I did.
I confess that my genre preferences are literary fiction, humor and inspirational stories providing the plots, characters and premise are unique. When it comes to mystery, Daniel Silva remains the favorite his creation of master spy/art restorer Gabriel Allon, the reason. Unlike many of the later stories in this 20+ book series, reading a mind boggling installment published over 17 years ago was an awakening. Unlike formulaic plots used in the latest episodes, this bears little resemblance putting it in a league of its own.
We find Gabriel and his wife of five months holed up in Umbria where he works on on the restoration of a painting for the Vatican. Having lost his son in a terrorist attack that caused his first wife to commit suicide, Allon retired from Israeli Intelligence to do what he loves most. When word arrives of the murder of a Russian journalist whom he knew well, intelligence organizations seek his expertise due to 'sensitive' nature of his research.
Breaking his pledge to Chiara, who's also a veteran of The Office, Allon delves into the mystery and in the process discovers a connection to the Russian oligarch, Ivan Kharkov whose wife Elena is an art collector. This being post-9/11 we learn global terrorist attacks to even the score have increased by an order of magnitude. As the plot unfolds it becomes clear that Kharkov's high profit 'network' funnels arms from South Africa to Mideastern terrorists. Collaborating with Graham Seymour, MI-5 and Adrian Carter at the CIA and knowing Elena's preference for artworks by Cassat, Allon learns of one she was unable to purchase and creates a forgery as bait. Once the 'mouse' is trapped, he'll appeal to her humanity as wife and mother and in an effort to include her in the team operation to bring down her husband's network
While the plot bears vague similarity to others, the 'defector' component is unusual. When added to the relationship between Allon and aging Ari Shamron, a former Director the father/son dynamic adds an evocative element rarely seen in mystery. As the operation moves ahead, Shamron imparts advice with hopes his 'son' will survive a vicious, inhumane soul like Kharkov. Enhanced by Elena's knowledge of Ivan's cheating, deception and illicit dealings the pulse quickens when the 'green light' is given. Entering Moscow years after countless assassinations, the risk Allon takes is immeasurable.
The successor to John Le Carre, Daniel Silva's trademark storytelling, pacing and careful use of back story is beyond compare and this is by far, one of his best. While momentum increases toward the end with others, the final pages are nail biting; the outcome unexpected. For fans of top notch narrative, spy mystery and brilliance, I urge you to add this to your list. I'm confident you will be continually uttering 'brilliant' much as I did.
December 10, 2018
Apparently, this is book eight in a series about Gabriel Allon, a part-time art restorer and Israeli secret agent. I have read a few Daniel Silva books off and on over the years but have not read any in this series. Silva primarily writes espionage stories.
The book is well written and fairly fast paced. I think this is more of a mystery story with some espionage tossed in. Silva is a good storyteller, so I found the story held my attention. My mistake was starting a series at book eight. But to be honest, I doubt I will read anymore in this series. It just did not grab my interest. Daniel Silva began his career as a journalist. Some of that writing style comes through in his writing.
I read this as a paperback published in 2008 by Signet Publishing Company. The book is 519 pages.
The book is well written and fairly fast paced. I think this is more of a mystery story with some espionage tossed in. Silva is a good storyteller, so I found the story held my attention. My mistake was starting a series at book eight. But to be honest, I doubt I will read anymore in this series. It just did not grab my interest. Daniel Silva began his career as a journalist. Some of that writing style comes through in his writing.
I read this as a paperback published in 2008 by Signet Publishing Company. The book is 519 pages.
June 29, 2018
Fully satisfactory (indeed, darn close to perfect) airport, airplane, and hotel reading...
I definitely wouldn't start with this one .... In comparison to the others I've read, I found this installment was on the high end of the scale in terms of momentum and sustained page turning, but not necessarily one of my favorites in terms of character development (including the (now familiar) protagonist, the newly introduced antagonist, and/or the supporting casts for both) or my interest in the underlying scenario, situation, or plot. I fear (or sense or, at very least, guess) that the reason the installment was weighted this way (seemed like it flew by even if the story arc wasn't fully developed) is that it's part of a series within the series or, in other words, the sub-plot hasn't played itself out yet.
Silva increasingly has claimed the preeminent spot among authors I turn to when I know I'm going to be trapped in a long steel tube (yup, an airplane) for a long time. So I plan to keep working my way through the series.
I definitely wouldn't start with this one .... In comparison to the others I've read, I found this installment was on the high end of the scale in terms of momentum and sustained page turning, but not necessarily one of my favorites in terms of character development (including the (now familiar) protagonist, the newly introduced antagonist, and/or the supporting casts for both) or my interest in the underlying scenario, situation, or plot. I fear (or sense or, at very least, guess) that the reason the installment was weighted this way (seemed like it flew by even if the story arc wasn't fully developed) is that it's part of a series within the series or, in other words, the sub-plot hasn't played itself out yet.
Silva increasingly has claimed the preeminent spot among authors I turn to when I know I'm going to be trapped in a long steel tube (yup, an airplane) for a long time. So I plan to keep working my way through the series.
July 28, 2015
I've mentioned before my general slam on long-running series: at some point, the author starts repeating him/herself. Characters that were once vibrant and fresh start doing and saying the same things. Often, they don't seem to learn anything from their previous adventures or do much changing. So it also goes for the recurring supporting characters. It's one reason why I've only recently begun thinking (albeit reluctantly) about writing a series.
Unfortunately, it appears that Gabriel Allon, Daniel Silva's favorite Israeli secret agent, has fallen into this same trap.
In this, his eighth outing, Our Hero is sent after Ivan Kharkov, a Russian oligarch who has grown rich selling arms to the combatants in various Third World wars and is about to pass on to al-Qaeda some serious weaponry. Allon shuttles from Rome to Moscow to London to St. Tropez, trying to figure out what Kharkov's selling and how to stop him.
First, the good news. Silva's grasp of tradecraft and the ins and outs of espionage is still intact and strong. As I and others have pointed out, Silva's known to "get it right" when portraying covert operatives at work. While Allon isn't strictly a "spy" -- he's basically an assassin with ancillary skills -- the setups for his various elaborate operations at least seem authentic and rely very little on magic or coincidence (unlike in some other "spy thrillers" out there). He has a steady if light hand with settings. His voice is cool and often distant; not a lot of passion leaps out at the reader from these pages. It's a fast read, both because of the prose and because there's not a lot of weight to the proceedings.
Preface: I haven't been reading these in order. I previously read (and reviewed) the eleventh Allon installment, Portrait of a Spy . Had I read that one after this one, I'd be saying the same things about it.
With this, my fourth Allon book, I'm picking up some patterns that I find increasingly disturbing. To wit:
-- For long stretches of this novel, I couldn't shake the feeling I'd read it before. At a certain level of abstraction, I have; it's essentially the same outline as Portrait of a Spy and, it appears, other books in the series.
-- Using the timeline references Silva includes in the plot, when this book was written (2008), Allon was in his late fifties, and Ari Shamron (his long-time mentor) was in his seventies. Yet they're still going into the field, and Allon is still taking on men half his age. They're both ridiculously old for this kind of thing, and Allon's way too old to get the tar kicked out of him (as appears to happen at least once per story) and be able to recover. (In Portrait, everyone's three years older, which makes the action in that story even more unlikely.) Really? Isn't it time for Allon to go run The Office (Silva's thinly disguised Mossad) and let the younger guys get captured and tortured?
-- Not only is Allon way too old to be the kind of field operative that he is, but his identity has been so thoroughly blown through his previous exploits that every major intelligence agency in the world knows who he is and what he looks like. Somehow, he's still able to slip across borders and work undercover in hostile environments. In this regard he's become much like the movie James Bond, whom the bad guys always recognized but always let in the front door anyway. Why does anyone in The Office think it's a good plan to send the man on covert missions?
-- This may have been the case before, but I really noticed it this time: all the principal female characters are beautiful and are attracted in one way or another to Allon, who's significantly older and has a lot of miles on him. Is it just me, or does this seem lazy?
-- Just as all the women are beautiful in Allon's world, all the villains are brutal, corrupt, venal, murderous thugs who are bad because they can be. It's nice to have things made so easy, right? I'd like to run across an Allon opponent who has good reasons for what s/he does, or at least has some nuance.
-- Having jumped from the first to the eleventh, then back to the eighth part of this saga, I can see that Allon has hardly changed. Even though he's now married (to a beautiful, much younger woman, of course), he does the same things with the same motives. He hardly hesitates in dropping his honeymoon with said beautiful younger woman and running off to do Shamron's bidding once again, even though he knows exactly how it's going to turn out. Not once does he seem to really miss his new wife; not once does he wonder why he's still doing this.
Is Moscow Rules worth the time to read? It depends. If you're a rabid fan of the series, then of course. If you've never read any part of the Allon saga, I'd point you to one of the early installments ( The Kill Artist , perhaps), back when the character and stories were fresh and new. But if you've read a couple of the other parts and are hoping for something different, you won't find it here. I have one more of these in my to-read pile ( The Rembrandt Affair ) that I'll get to someday; unless Silva's taken off running with the art-crime angle he's supposedly been exploring lately, it will probably be my last. Sorry, Gabriel; it's time to retire.
Unfortunately, it appears that Gabriel Allon, Daniel Silva's favorite Israeli secret agent, has fallen into this same trap.
In this, his eighth outing, Our Hero is sent after Ivan Kharkov, a Russian oligarch who has grown rich selling arms to the combatants in various Third World wars and is about to pass on to al-Qaeda some serious weaponry. Allon shuttles from Rome to Moscow to London to St. Tropez, trying to figure out what Kharkov's selling and how to stop him.
First, the good news. Silva's grasp of tradecraft and the ins and outs of espionage is still intact and strong. As I and others have pointed out, Silva's known to "get it right" when portraying covert operatives at work. While Allon isn't strictly a "spy" -- he's basically an assassin with ancillary skills -- the setups for his various elaborate operations at least seem authentic and rely very little on magic or coincidence (unlike in some other "spy thrillers" out there). He has a steady if light hand with settings. His voice is cool and often distant; not a lot of passion leaps out at the reader from these pages. It's a fast read, both because of the prose and because there's not a lot of weight to the proceedings.
Preface: I haven't been reading these in order. I previously read (and reviewed) the eleventh Allon installment, Portrait of a Spy . Had I read that one after this one, I'd be saying the same things about it.
With this, my fourth Allon book, I'm picking up some patterns that I find increasingly disturbing. To wit:
-- For long stretches of this novel, I couldn't shake the feeling I'd read it before. At a certain level of abstraction, I have; it's essentially the same outline as Portrait of a Spy and, it appears, other books in the series.
-- Using the timeline references Silva includes in the plot, when this book was written (2008), Allon was in his late fifties, and Ari Shamron (his long-time mentor) was in his seventies. Yet they're still going into the field, and Allon is still taking on men half his age. They're both ridiculously old for this kind of thing, and Allon's way too old to get the tar kicked out of him (as appears to happen at least once per story) and be able to recover. (In Portrait, everyone's three years older, which makes the action in that story even more unlikely.) Really? Isn't it time for Allon to go run The Office (Silva's thinly disguised Mossad) and let the younger guys get captured and tortured?
-- Not only is Allon way too old to be the kind of field operative that he is, but his identity has been so thoroughly blown through his previous exploits that every major intelligence agency in the world knows who he is and what he looks like. Somehow, he's still able to slip across borders and work undercover in hostile environments. In this regard he's become much like the movie James Bond, whom the bad guys always recognized but always let in the front door anyway. Why does anyone in The Office think it's a good plan to send the man on covert missions?
-- This may have been the case before, but I really noticed it this time: all the principal female characters are beautiful and are attracted in one way or another to Allon, who's significantly older and has a lot of miles on him. Is it just me, or does this seem lazy?
-- Just as all the women are beautiful in Allon's world, all the villains are brutal, corrupt, venal, murderous thugs who are bad because they can be. It's nice to have things made so easy, right? I'd like to run across an Allon opponent who has good reasons for what s/he does, or at least has some nuance.
-- Having jumped from the first to the eleventh, then back to the eighth part of this saga, I can see that Allon has hardly changed. Even though he's now married (to a beautiful, much younger woman, of course), he does the same things with the same motives. He hardly hesitates in dropping his honeymoon with said beautiful younger woman and running off to do Shamron's bidding once again, even though he knows exactly how it's going to turn out. Not once does he seem to really miss his new wife; not once does he wonder why he's still doing this.
Is Moscow Rules worth the time to read? It depends. If you're a rabid fan of the series, then of course. If you've never read any part of the Allon saga, I'd point you to one of the early installments ( The Kill Artist , perhaps), back when the character and stories were fresh and new. But if you've read a couple of the other parts and are hoping for something different, you won't find it here. I have one more of these in my to-read pile ( The Rembrandt Affair ) that I'll get to someday; unless Silva's taken off running with the art-crime angle he's supposedly been exploring lately, it will probably be my last. Sorry, Gabriel; it's time to retire.
June 1, 2019
Moscow Rules is the 8th book in the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva. Gabriel and Chiara are on their honeymoon when Gabriel is summoned. A Russian journalist has important information he wants to pass along about a threat to the West but he will only tell it to Gabriel. He travels to Rome to meet the Russian journalist but the journalist is killed before he can tell Gabriel. Allon then travels to Russia to try and find out what it was that the journalist wanted to tell him. There he learns of a Russian oligarch arms dealer named Ivan Kharkov. His latest deal is a plan to sell missiles to al-Qaeda. This is the new Russia and not the old Soviet Union. Kharkov has bullet proof limousines, a private plane, villas and his own army of former KGB henchmen. At times the description of the Russian president and killing of dissident journalists sounds like it is something right out of today's headlines. I believe this is the first book in the series where Russia is the prominent setting and Gabriel has to learn to play by the "Moscow Rules". This was not my favorite Gabriel Allon book but it was still a good read. I have not read the series in order so this book did help to explain some things that are mentioned in later books in the series such as The Defector
February 5, 2013
Wish I could say I thought this one of the better works, but I don’t. Not too interesting, slow, dull and unrewarding. 3 of 10 stars at best for me.
April 16, 2020
My favorite Daniel Silva book of the 20 some that I’ve now read. It’s been several years, but I still vividly remember many scenes that Silva painted in my mind. Gabriel Allon fighting the Russians on their home turf. And his descriptions of the shabby apartments in Moscow, the villains, and the chase scenes are still with me. Anxiously awaiting the July 14th release of his newest book.
June 8, 2018
BOILERPLATE
This is the eighth book featuring Gabriel Allon, a part-time art restorer and full-time Israeli Secret Agent. I find this author’s books very reminiscent of Robert Ludlum’s, i.e. some literary spy-craft, (surveillance techniques are big in Moscow Rules), mixed with some globe-trotting, (usually around recognizable landmarks), and a world threatening plot that needs to be foiled - all loosely tied to the current headlines.
Moscow Rules follows Silva’s previous tried and true formula – the book begins by introducing the bad guys committing a crime beyond the capabilities of local authorities to solve. A reluctant Gabriel, busy in some remote but beautiful locale, (in this book he is on his honeymoon in Italy), is then summoned. He pulls together a team of now well known characters and sets up a sting operation to snare the bad guys – usually Arab terrorists. Inevitably the plan falls apart at some critical juncture forcing Gabriel to single-handedly save the day….. and the world while providing the reader with a happy ending. The twist in this book is that the bad guys are Russian black market arms dealers supplying Arab terrorists.
I don’t mean to sound condescending or as if I’m intellectually thumbing my nose here, I’m just as guilty as the next reader when it comes to enjoying mindless thrillers - but the Allon books have become cookie-cutter repetitive and hence stale - if you've read one, you've read them all.
This is the eighth book featuring Gabriel Allon, a part-time art restorer and full-time Israeli Secret Agent. I find this author’s books very reminiscent of Robert Ludlum’s, i.e. some literary spy-craft, (surveillance techniques are big in Moscow Rules), mixed with some globe-trotting, (usually around recognizable landmarks), and a world threatening plot that needs to be foiled - all loosely tied to the current headlines.
Moscow Rules follows Silva’s previous tried and true formula – the book begins by introducing the bad guys committing a crime beyond the capabilities of local authorities to solve. A reluctant Gabriel, busy in some remote but beautiful locale, (in this book he is on his honeymoon in Italy), is then summoned. He pulls together a team of now well known characters and sets up a sting operation to snare the bad guys – usually Arab terrorists. Inevitably the plan falls apart at some critical juncture forcing Gabriel to single-handedly save the day….. and the world while providing the reader with a happy ending. The twist in this book is that the bad guys are Russian black market arms dealers supplying Arab terrorists.
I don’t mean to sound condescending or as if I’m intellectually thumbing my nose here, I’m just as guilty as the next reader when it comes to enjoying mindless thrillers - but the Allon books have become cookie-cutter repetitive and hence stale - if you've read one, you've read them all.
August 29, 2008
Once again, I wish goodreads had half stars...I more than 3 star liked this book but not quite 4 stars. Maybe b/c it's book 8 in the series, they're all merging in my memory, but this one didn't stand out better than any of the others. It's still a great spy read, and thoroughly enjoyable. Russia was new terrain for these characters, and interesting since I have very little knowledge about Russia...and this piqued my interest.
Another "issue" related to this being book 8 of the series is the literary device of reminding readers of the main characters back stories for those who might have forgetten or for new readers who start reading mid-series...For me, while Silva keeps these sections brief, it still takes away from the main story-line and progression of the plot.
Another "issue" related to this being book 8 of the series is the literary device of reminding readers of the main characters back stories for those who might have forgetten or for new readers who start reading mid-series...For me, while Silva keeps these sections brief, it still takes away from the main story-line and progression of the plot.
July 31, 2008
Pretty good story. I was due for a little espionage and international intrigue. Silva includes a lot of stuff that is close to reality, which makes the story a little more edgy and also disturbing. It's sad to know that the Russian people are not really much better off or more "free" since the fall of communism. (Except that they are allowed to leave the country now.)
I'd heard things about the Russian "mafia" and the oligarchy that presides since capitalism swept in, and also about the underground arms trading. Maybe more than we want to know if we want to sleep at night.
I'd heard things about the Russian "mafia" and the oligarchy that presides since capitalism swept in, and also about the underground arms trading. Maybe more than we want to know if we want to sleep at night.
May 28, 2018
In Moscow Rules by Daniel Silva, when a Russian journalist dies in the arms of Gabriel Allon, an Israeli operative, at the Basilica in Rome, Gabriel’s highest level friends in the Vatican are not thrilled. Gabriel had a meeting with this, now dead, reporter who had something to tell him. Gabriel is not thrilled either. He was on his honeymoon in Umbria and he does not want any part of this. But it’s a mystery that involves injustice, assassination, and perhaps more; clarion calls that Allon can never fail to answer. Gabriel immediately knows his honeymoon is over.
Ops inside Russia, especially in Moscow, are rarely undertaken by any nation’s spy agency, let alone the Israelis. Moscow plays by its own rules. What is supposed to be a quick in and out excursion, under a false identity, to talk with Olga Sukhova, another journalist, goes badly awry when Gabriel decides to outstay his team. Moscow rules say, “Assume every room is bugged and every telephone monitored. Assume every person you encounter is under opposition control. And don’t look back. You are never completely alone.” And yet he defies his boss and friend Ari Shamron and stays. Guess how that turns out.
In these days when we talk about Russia every day, the information the author gives us about Russia is very familiar to us. Olga tells Gabriel, “To understand Russia today, you must understand the trauma of the nineties. Everything we had, everything we had been told, was swept away. We went from superpower to basket case overnight. Our people lost their life savings, not just once but over and over again. Russians are paternalistic people. They believe in the Orthodox Church, the State, the Tsar. They associate democracy with chaos. Our president… uses words like ‘managed democracy’ and ‘State capitalism’ but they’re just euphemisms for something more sinister, fascism.”
Gabriel’s Russian op does not stay in Russia. He learns that the man our reporters were so worried about is a very wealthy Russian oligarch who is very well guarded. Olga tells Gabriel exactly why this particular oligarch is so dangerous and exactly how he has stepped over a “red line” to pursue a business deal that must be stopped.
In Moscow Rules you can read about the plan Gabriel comes up with to flush him out. Since we know that Gabriel’s plans do not go smoothly, find out how he messes up this time. Find out if his new wife is still speaking to him after he never gets back to the honeymoon. It’s a very satisfying Gabriel Allon book. It has all the characteristic parts of the pattern readers expect when they throw in their lot with the Israeli Secret Service and their painterly operative, who manages, despite the powerful people he chases down, to get some of the worst players off the world stage. I think you will find that it also resonates with the situation we find ourselves in today, vis a vis Russia. Serendipity.
Ops inside Russia, especially in Moscow, are rarely undertaken by any nation’s spy agency, let alone the Israelis. Moscow plays by its own rules. What is supposed to be a quick in and out excursion, under a false identity, to talk with Olga Sukhova, another journalist, goes badly awry when Gabriel decides to outstay his team. Moscow rules say, “Assume every room is bugged and every telephone monitored. Assume every person you encounter is under opposition control. And don’t look back. You are never completely alone.” And yet he defies his boss and friend Ari Shamron and stays. Guess how that turns out.
In these days when we talk about Russia every day, the information the author gives us about Russia is very familiar to us. Olga tells Gabriel, “To understand Russia today, you must understand the trauma of the nineties. Everything we had, everything we had been told, was swept away. We went from superpower to basket case overnight. Our people lost their life savings, not just once but over and over again. Russians are paternalistic people. They believe in the Orthodox Church, the State, the Tsar. They associate democracy with chaos. Our president… uses words like ‘managed democracy’ and ‘State capitalism’ but they’re just euphemisms for something more sinister, fascism.”
Gabriel’s Russian op does not stay in Russia. He learns that the man our reporters were so worried about is a very wealthy Russian oligarch who is very well guarded. Olga tells Gabriel exactly why this particular oligarch is so dangerous and exactly how he has stepped over a “red line” to pursue a business deal that must be stopped.
In Moscow Rules you can read about the plan Gabriel comes up with to flush him out. Since we know that Gabriel’s plans do not go smoothly, find out how he messes up this time. Find out if his new wife is still speaking to him after he never gets back to the honeymoon. It’s a very satisfying Gabriel Allon book. It has all the characteristic parts of the pattern readers expect when they throw in their lot with the Israeli Secret Service and their painterly operative, who manages, despite the powerful people he chases down, to get some of the worst players off the world stage. I think you will find that it also resonates with the situation we find ourselves in today, vis a vis Russia. Serendipity.
September 17, 2008
Moscow Rules is the eighth book in the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva. Allon is a art restorer and former Israeli Mossad agent. In this book Allon's attention moves from historical crimes to a present day case involving arms sales to al-Quaeda.
The choice of topic is an interesting follow-up to last week's Booking Through Thursday question. As I stated in my answer, I haven't shied away from books involving modern day terrorists. Nonetheless, Deb's question did sit in the back of my mind as I read Moscow Rules.
Coming into a series eight books in and with a change of direction, it's difficult to gauge the success of the book. The first hundred pages or is so focused on establishing the segue with the last book and setting up the change of direction. The actual plot involving a forged Mary Cassatt and a wife's betrayal of her arms dealing husband doesn't come into play until the halfway point of the novel. A four hundred page mystery shouldn't be one hundred pages of "in the last episode" followed by another hundred pages of teaser for the current plot.
Moscow Rules is a run of the mill international thriller. The second half is tighter and faster paced than the first half. It reminds me at times of a novelization of a James Bond film by someone who had never read the Ian Fleming novels.
The entire list of books in the series is:
1. The Kill Artist (2000)
2. The English Assassin (2002)
3. The Confessor (2003)
4. A Death in Vienna (2004)
5. Prince of Fire (2005)
6. The Messenger (2006)
7. The Secret Servant (2007)
8. Moscow Rules (2008)
The choice of topic is an interesting follow-up to last week's Booking Through Thursday question. As I stated in my answer, I haven't shied away from books involving modern day terrorists. Nonetheless, Deb's question did sit in the back of my mind as I read Moscow Rules.
Coming into a series eight books in and with a change of direction, it's difficult to gauge the success of the book. The first hundred pages or is so focused on establishing the segue with the last book and setting up the change of direction. The actual plot involving a forged Mary Cassatt and a wife's betrayal of her arms dealing husband doesn't come into play until the halfway point of the novel. A four hundred page mystery shouldn't be one hundred pages of "in the last episode" followed by another hundred pages of teaser for the current plot.
Moscow Rules is a run of the mill international thriller. The second half is tighter and faster paced than the first half. It reminds me at times of a novelization of a James Bond film by someone who had never read the Ian Fleming novels.
The entire list of books in the series is:
1. The Kill Artist (2000)
2. The English Assassin (2002)
3. The Confessor (2003)
4. A Death in Vienna (2004)
5. Prince of Fire (2005)
6. The Messenger (2006)
7. The Secret Servant (2007)
8. Moscow Rules (2008)
July 15, 2023
"Shamron is our pope and Shamron wants it done."
Yes, it's another high-octane thriller featuring Israeli spy, Gabriel Allon. Allon is like Tom Cruise but less Scientology (Scientology-y?) He's Jason Bourne but older and with his memory intact. He's John Wayne in the era of missiles and chemical warfare.
Boy, the old painter takes a lot of beatings. This time around, it's in the sake of keeping Russian weapons out of the hands of al-Qaeda. Exciting stuff. Good fun.
Next up: The Defector.
Yes, it's another high-octane thriller featuring Israeli spy, Gabriel Allon. Allon is like Tom Cruise but less Scientology (Scientology-y?) He's Jason Bourne but older and with his memory intact. He's John Wayne in the era of missiles and chemical warfare.
Boy, the old painter takes a lot of beatings. This time around, it's in the sake of keeping Russian weapons out of the hands of al-Qaeda. Exciting stuff. Good fun.
Next up: The Defector.
May 2, 2010
Hi
Daniel Siva has done it again, a spell bounding spy story. One of the best books i have read
You know, I used to read 2/3 books a week . Now I am retired I find it difficult to read for long periods.
But this book I nearly read in one sitting.
Now what does that say? This is a seriously fine book
Well done Daniel
Daniel Siva has done it again, a spell bounding spy story. One of the best books i have read
You know, I used to read 2/3 books a week . Now I am retired I find it difficult to read for long periods.
But this book I nearly read in one sitting.
Now what does that say? This is a seriously fine book
Well done Daniel
February 8, 2021
เรื่องย่อ นักข่าวรัฐเซียได้ข่าวสำคัญว่าจะมีการก่อการร้ายครั้งใหญ่เกิดขึ้น แต่นักข่าวกลับถูกฆ่าตาย จึงทำให้เกเบรียลต้องสืบเอง และขอความร่วมมือจากภรรยาผู้ค้าอาวุธรายใหญ่ที่เป็นตัวการของปัญหาที่กำลังจะเกิดขึ้น
เรื่องนี้ยังคงสนุกเหมือนเดิม โดยเฉพาะช่วงหลังที่ทำให้หยุดอ่านไม่ได้ อยากให้กีอาราเข้ามาร่วมงานกับเกเบรียลอีกมากๆเลย 💕
เรื่องนี้ยังคงสนุกเหมือนเดิม โดยเฉพาะช่วงหลังที่ทำให้หยุดอ่านไม่ได้ อยากให้กีอาราเข้ามาร่วมงานกับเกเบรียลอีกมากๆเลย 💕
May 14, 2021
As I neared the end of this novel, my 8th Daniel Silva book, my heart was racing and I simply had to keep reading to the end. There is intrigue. There are unexpected twists and turns. Silva pulls me into the life and world of his main character, Gabriel Allon. I thoroughly enjoyed and now it will be onto #9.
February 16, 2022
What a wild ride! The other two Gabriel Allon novels I read were a little more Dan Brown/adventurous in their style (in a good way) but this one was a little more John Le Carre!
Loved seeing the spy world in action, especially the scenes in Russia--super fascinating setting and history woven into the story. Silva has a really excellent exposition style where he presents a big chunk of information to the reader but does in such a smooth and easy way. Very exciting ending especially the way all the characters connected and started working together!
Really enjoyed getting to know more members of the team here--Lavon, Navot and Ari Shamron.
The one comment I have is that even though I liked a lot of the female characters in this one (i.e. Olga, Elena) is that Silva writes women the way men write women--if you know, you know!
Loved seeing the spy world in action, especially the scenes in Russia--super fascinating setting and history woven into the story. Silva has a really excellent exposition style where he presents a big chunk of information to the reader but does in such a smooth and easy way. Very exciting ending especially the way all the characters connected and started working together!
Really enjoyed getting to know more members of the team here--Lavon, Navot and Ari Shamron.
The one comment I have is that even though I liked a lot of the female characters in this one (i.e. Olga, Elena) is that Silva writes women the way men write women--if you know, you know!
April 9, 2020
Daniel Silva continues his geopolitical vendetta via Gabriel Allon, the world’s least reliable art restorer. It’s Russia this time. I snark and then I trot out to buy the next one.
December 13, 2018
Moscow Rules finds my favorite Israeli spy/assassin Gabriel Allon on his honeymoon in Umbria restoring a beautiful piece of art work when he is summoned to prevent Russia from delivering their most sophisticated weapons to Al-Qaeda, while enlisting the help of the United States in this dangerous endeavor. In many ways, this is very current as we learn the "Moscow Rules."
December 18, 2023
Daniel Silva's Moscow Rules is his eighth offering in the Gabriel Allon series. Gabriel is an agent of "The Office," which some may conclude signifies Mossad, but the books never explicitly name that organization. Gabriel is also an art restorer when he isn't on a crucial mission for the state and much of his work is for The Vatican.
Moscow Rules, as all of Silva's other books, is fiction but based on actual events that have recently occurred. For those who are curious about this novel, see the life and times of Viktor Bout. In any case, Silva does a significant amount of homework prior to writing his novels and that research is intertwined into his stories. Many of the historical or recent events are true, but the almost superhuman stamina and invincibility of Gabriel is not. Regardless, I can't help but cheer him on.
Silva's characters are well molded and his stories are absorbing. Toward the end of any of his novels, including Moscow Rules, they are so fast paced that they could take one's breath away. The the novels also have moral characters with whom the reader can't help but connect and some that are so evil you just want to see them overcome. In addition, there appears to be a close relationship between "The Office," and counterespionage groups in the United States and some European countries such as England and France. Consequently, for many of us, you simply can't help but hope they win the day because it gives one a feeling of patriotism.
I enjoy Mr. Silva's writing. It has a serious note, particularly considering the topics he discusses, but he also inserts a bit of humor (i.e. His thick gray hair and tangled eyebrows gave him the appearance of a bottlebrush come to life). In Moscow Rules, the topics can be very severe when one considers the political situation and Silva has the courage to bring them to life in a fictionalized manner. It's almost as if he is making a political statement, but doing it in such a way that it is entertaining thus drawing on a larger audience. There are some people who would never touch a newspaper or listen to the news on the radio, but Silva they will read. Maybe I'm one of them.
Moscow Rules, as all of Silva's other books, is fiction but based on actual events that have recently occurred. For those who are curious about this novel, see the life and times of Viktor Bout. In any case, Silva does a significant amount of homework prior to writing his novels and that research is intertwined into his stories. Many of the historical or recent events are true, but the almost superhuman stamina and invincibility of Gabriel is not. Regardless, I can't help but cheer him on.
Silva's characters are well molded and his stories are absorbing. Toward the end of any of his novels, including Moscow Rules, they are so fast paced that they could take one's breath away. The the novels also have moral characters with whom the reader can't help but connect and some that are so evil you just want to see them overcome. In addition, there appears to be a close relationship between "The Office," and counterespionage groups in the United States and some European countries such as England and France. Consequently, for many of us, you simply can't help but hope they win the day because it gives one a feeling of patriotism.
I enjoy Mr. Silva's writing. It has a serious note, particularly considering the topics he discusses, but he also inserts a bit of humor (i.e. His thick gray hair and tangled eyebrows gave him the appearance of a bottlebrush come to life). In Moscow Rules, the topics can be very severe when one considers the political situation and Silva has the courage to bring them to life in a fictionalized manner. It's almost as if he is making a political statement, but doing it in such a way that it is entertaining thus drawing on a larger audience. There are some people who would never touch a newspaper or listen to the news on the radio, but Silva they will read. Maybe I'm one of them.
August 1, 2018
We have no trouble spotting the bad guy in this book: Ivan Kharkov is ex-KGB and is now engaged in supplying weapons to the absolutely wrong countries. In short order, Israeli foreign intelligent agent Gabriel Allon is on the hunt for Kharkov. Allon’s travels take him to various countries such as Italy, France, Russia and the American capitol. Author Silva has a keen appreciation of the different cities visited by Allon, his fellow agents and the unsavory associates of Kharkov; he paints some very attractive pictures with his words while also making sure the plot moves ahead smoothly.
Ivan Kharkov has a wife, Elena, and two small children. He’s also carrying on an affair with another Russian woman and hasn’t much interest these days in Elena. But watching out for his children is another matter entirely. Elena’s hoodlum bodyguards are looking after Ivan’s family with two missions: making sure Elena behaves herself and that no harm comes to his children.
Allon’s mission is to gain detailed information on Kharkov’s subversive dealings and he starts by conjuring up a meeting with Elena. She’s both an art collector and expert so Allon makes sure that a painting which he has worked on comes to Elena’s attention. They meet and are soon linked together in an attempt for Elena to retrieve sensitive information from her Moscow apartment. What could possibly go wrong? In a word, plenty.
The plot builds steadily and you’ll have a hard time putting it down until you reach the exciting ending. All things considered, I think it’s one of the best Silva novels that I’ve read.
A comment about Silva’s writing: One of the rules for writers is not to draw attention to the writing itself but, in this particular book, I couldn’t help but notice. The scene is Geneva, Switzerland, and Silva remarks that travelers who approach Geneva by train from Zurich are frequently so overcome by its beauty that they hurl their return tickets out the window and vow never to leave again. He then gives us Allon’s thoughts on Geneva: he found it to be a charming but intensely boring city. Once a place of Calvinistic fervor but finance was now the city’s only religion, and bankers and moneymen were its new priests and archbishops. Nevertheless, Silva paints quite a nice word picture.
Ivan Kharkov has a wife, Elena, and two small children. He’s also carrying on an affair with another Russian woman and hasn’t much interest these days in Elena. But watching out for his children is another matter entirely. Elena’s hoodlum bodyguards are looking after Ivan’s family with two missions: making sure Elena behaves herself and that no harm comes to his children.
Allon’s mission is to gain detailed information on Kharkov’s subversive dealings and he starts by conjuring up a meeting with Elena. She’s both an art collector and expert so Allon makes sure that a painting which he has worked on comes to Elena’s attention. They meet and are soon linked together in an attempt for Elena to retrieve sensitive information from her Moscow apartment. What could possibly go wrong? In a word, plenty.
The plot builds steadily and you’ll have a hard time putting it down until you reach the exciting ending. All things considered, I think it’s one of the best Silva novels that I’ve read.
A comment about Silva’s writing: One of the rules for writers is not to draw attention to the writing itself but, in this particular book, I couldn’t help but notice. The scene is Geneva, Switzerland, and Silva remarks that travelers who approach Geneva by train from Zurich are frequently so overcome by its beauty that they hurl their return tickets out the window and vow never to leave again. He then gives us Allon’s thoughts on Geneva: he found it to be a charming but intensely boring city. Once a place of Calvinistic fervor but finance was now the city’s only religion, and bankers and moneymen were its new priests and archbishops. Nevertheless, Silva paints quite a nice word picture.
September 23, 2021
Silva stretched the ending just too far for me in this book. He should be dead. The series should be over. But no, a Russian Intelligence officer just decides to defect and save Allon. Really? Once again, the early plot builds nicely and I like the supporting characters but endings are wearing on me.
I like the Author’s Note that Silva uses to identify the fictional buildings, business, paintings, and what not that he created. The backstory is interesting as they often are not far from reality. Case in point is the painting that is a focal point of this story with the real Cassatt painting having a slightly different name and residing in Washington DC’s National Gallery of Art.
I can’t rate this higher than two stars because the ending is far too convenient even for a spy thriller to overcome the plot development.
I like the Author’s Note that Silva uses to identify the fictional buildings, business, paintings, and what not that he created. The backstory is interesting as they often are not far from reality. Case in point is the painting that is a focal point of this story with the real Cassatt painting having a slightly different name and residing in Washington DC’s National Gallery of Art.
I can’t rate this higher than two stars because the ending is far too convenient even for a spy thriller to overcome the plot development.
May 18, 2024
Not as fun as the others, I think because the Russian arms dealer (“Ivan”) is less gleeful a baddy than Gabriel Allon’s usual foes. Noteworthy for being the first book in the series in which Gabriel’s hobby goes from being art restoration to art forgery. He gets caught but still gets paid $2 million for his work 😎
July 19, 2019
Another great thriller in the Gabriel Allon series. This time the Israeli assassin gets mixed up with an evil arms dealer in early 21st century Russia. In the post-communist years of gangsters and oil wealth, former KGB personnel are cashing in while using the same old techniques. Gabriel is forced to learn the Moscow rules of espionage.
Ivan Kharkov is about to deliver a huge shipment of deadly weapons to al-Qaeda which will be used for terror attacks against major cities, more deadly than 9/11.
Gabriel goes to Moscow due to the death of a journalist who was critical of the Kremlin. Her newspaper's publisher had requested a meeting with Allon. While he is there, undercover, Karkov's wife approaches him with a deadly proposition.
It takes Silva quite a few chapters to set the scene and introduce all the characters but the tension builds and once Gabriel gets to Russia I was convinced I was reading a realistic portrayal of conditions there in the early Putin years.
As always, Daniel Silva was a few steps ahead of our times. I read an interview concerning how he keeps writing about incidents similar to what eventually happens in the real world. His answers were eye-opening. I suppose those of you who avidly follow good news reporting can also read between the lines.
Moscow Rules is Silva's 8th in the series. His latest, The New Girl, #19, came out just the other day. If I could read one a month, I could be caught up by the time his next one comes out. It is tempting.
Ivan Kharkov is about to deliver a huge shipment of deadly weapons to al-Qaeda which will be used for terror attacks against major cities, more deadly than 9/11.
Gabriel goes to Moscow due to the death of a journalist who was critical of the Kremlin. Her newspaper's publisher had requested a meeting with Allon. While he is there, undercover, Karkov's wife approaches him with a deadly proposition.
It takes Silva quite a few chapters to set the scene and introduce all the characters but the tension builds and once Gabriel gets to Russia I was convinced I was reading a realistic portrayal of conditions there in the early Putin years.
As always, Daniel Silva was a few steps ahead of our times. I read an interview concerning how he keeps writing about incidents similar to what eventually happens in the real world. His answers were eye-opening. I suppose those of you who avidly follow good news reporting can also read between the lines.
Moscow Rules is Silva's 8th in the series. His latest, The New Girl, #19, came out just the other day. If I could read one a month, I could be caught up by the time his next one comes out. It is tempting.
June 20, 2012
Moscow Rules follows Silva's previous tried and true formula - the book begins by introducing the bad guys committing a crime beyond the capabilities of local authorities to solve. A reluctant Gabriel, busy in some remote but beautiful locale, (in this book he is on his honeymoon in Italy), is then summoned. He pulls together a team of now well known characters and sets up a sting operation to snare the bad guys - usually Arab terrorists. Inevitably the plan falls apart at some critical juncture forcing Gabriel to single-handedly save the day..... and the world..... while providing the reader with a happy ending. The twist in this book is that the bad guys are Russian black market arms dealers supplying Arab terrorists.
The earlier books had a intriguing mixture of character and tradecraft. Unhappily, now, Silva is just phoning it in, lazily dredging up old characters from past novels for no apparent reason other than to repeat similar functions and fill up pages. No new conflicts from them, particularly Sarah, no advancing of plot, or more intriguingly, their relationship with Allon. The villain has become the same brutal venal character; only the name changes.
But much worse, MOSCOW RULES features the luckiest Deus ex Machina since Aristophanes. Without 'spoiling' the very fortuitous climax, all the previously hard won respect for Allon's ingenuity and skill is not exploited; instead, the vaunted team just leaves town, and the only thing that saves Allon and those that depend on him is the lamest break in the history of airport thrillers. The Allon Series has clearly run its course. Even the copy editors Silva so graciously thanks don't seem to care too much anymore either as a non-sequitur -- an apparently dropped line from Allon on page 166 where Seymour confusingly speaks twice in a row, anwering a question that was not asked -- caused me to reread the exchange five times before realizing I was reading a typo. No matter, the dialogue that is coherent is flat and lazy, with too many scenes of characters telling each other information that they both already know simply for the sake of the audience.
First, the Russian newspaper represented in the book is entitled "Moskovsky Gazeta", it should be "Moskovskaya Gazeta." The character Olga Sukhova has a grandfather with the same last name, Sukhova. Sukhova is the feminine form, if it is a man, it should have been Sukhov. I also noticed that the AK-47 is purported to have been one of the reasons the Soviets won against the Germans. I could only interpret this as a reference to WWII, yet, the AK-47 was not developed until after WWII. These are just a few of the errors I found, there weren't many more, but they did take away from the usual interest I have when delving into the world the author is trying to create.
An apparent a few weeks pass, the hero is in Saint Petersburg; it is White Nights. The book is has a lot of weirdnesses like that. A speaker of "fluent Russian" not knowing the meaning of the Russian word "silovik" is simply nonsensical, as is the AK 47 (the "47" means "1947") winning the war for the Soviets against the Germans ---- I don't know how much of a role the AK-whatever had in the Soviet win. The writing style was at times rather verbose, and I felt like it was pounded out in a hurry to make a quick buck, often thinking version of, "Why did you use ten words to say what could be said in six?" Thus could use a major, heavy application of "The Elements of Style."
Some of the scenes are so outlandish as to be comic. In a meeting at the CIA in Langley, Allon demands of the CIA chief the NSA telephone communication intercepts (presumably available) of the antagonist, Ivan, a Russian arms broker. The chief responds those intercepts are highly classified, and furthermore such information cannot be turned over to a foreign intelligence service, as Allon works for Israel. Allon casually responds that he'll call someone in the Oval Office, if the chief won't turn over the intercepts. The chief responds:
"You wouldn't."
"In a heartbeat."
"I'll get the material released to you within twenty-four hours. What else do you need?"
And please save the political rants: yes, Stalin, was certainly a murderer, but at least give the Russian people their due, as do all historians, for taking the millions of casualties -- civilian and military -- which bought the Allies the time to defeat Hitler. But in Silva's rigid world, everything now is black and white. If this review seems uncharitable, it's only because the first few books of the series showed such great promise and passion. Unique characters, worthy and motivated adversaries. However, the last couple, particularly The Secret Servant and Moscow Rules, are the last bloated gasps of a series that should be put to rest. Mentioning these efforts from Silva in the same breath as Greene and LaCarre is a joke.
The earlier books had a intriguing mixture of character and tradecraft. Unhappily, now, Silva is just phoning it in, lazily dredging up old characters from past novels for no apparent reason other than to repeat similar functions and fill up pages. No new conflicts from them, particularly Sarah, no advancing of plot, or more intriguingly, their relationship with Allon. The villain has become the same brutal venal character; only the name changes.
But much worse, MOSCOW RULES features the luckiest Deus ex Machina since Aristophanes. Without 'spoiling' the very fortuitous climax, all the previously hard won respect for Allon's ingenuity and skill is not exploited; instead, the vaunted team just leaves town, and the only thing that saves Allon and those that depend on him is the lamest break in the history of airport thrillers. The Allon Series has clearly run its course. Even the copy editors Silva so graciously thanks don't seem to care too much anymore either as a non-sequitur -- an apparently dropped line from Allon on page 166 where Seymour confusingly speaks twice in a row, anwering a question that was not asked -- caused me to reread the exchange five times before realizing I was reading a typo. No matter, the dialogue that is coherent is flat and lazy, with too many scenes of characters telling each other information that they both already know simply for the sake of the audience.
First, the Russian newspaper represented in the book is entitled "Moskovsky Gazeta", it should be "Moskovskaya Gazeta." The character Olga Sukhova has a grandfather with the same last name, Sukhova. Sukhova is the feminine form, if it is a man, it should have been Sukhov. I also noticed that the AK-47 is purported to have been one of the reasons the Soviets won against the Germans. I could only interpret this as a reference to WWII, yet, the AK-47 was not developed until after WWII. These are just a few of the errors I found, there weren't many more, but they did take away from the usual interest I have when delving into the world the author is trying to create.
An apparent a few weeks pass, the hero is in Saint Petersburg; it is White Nights. The book is has a lot of weirdnesses like that. A speaker of "fluent Russian" not knowing the meaning of the Russian word "silovik" is simply nonsensical, as is the AK 47 (the "47" means "1947") winning the war for the Soviets against the Germans ---- I don't know how much of a role the AK-whatever had in the Soviet win. The writing style was at times rather verbose, and I felt like it was pounded out in a hurry to make a quick buck, often thinking version of, "Why did you use ten words to say what could be said in six?" Thus could use a major, heavy application of "The Elements of Style."
Some of the scenes are so outlandish as to be comic. In a meeting at the CIA in Langley, Allon demands of the CIA chief the NSA telephone communication intercepts (presumably available) of the antagonist, Ivan, a Russian arms broker. The chief responds those intercepts are highly classified, and furthermore such information cannot be turned over to a foreign intelligence service, as Allon works for Israel. Allon casually responds that he'll call someone in the Oval Office, if the chief won't turn over the intercepts. The chief responds:
"You wouldn't."
"In a heartbeat."
"I'll get the material released to you within twenty-four hours. What else do you need?"
And please save the political rants: yes, Stalin, was certainly a murderer, but at least give the Russian people their due, as do all historians, for taking the millions of casualties -- civilian and military -- which bought the Allies the time to defeat Hitler. But in Silva's rigid world, everything now is black and white. If this review seems uncharitable, it's only because the first few books of the series showed such great promise and passion. Unique characters, worthy and motivated adversaries. However, the last couple, particularly The Secret Servant and Moscow Rules, are the last bloated gasps of a series that should be put to rest. Mentioning these efforts from Silva in the same breath as Greene and LaCarre is a joke.
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