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Gabriel Allon #9
The Defector
In the #1 New York Times bestseller Moscow Rules, Gabriel Allon brought down the most dangerous man in the world. But he made one mistake. Leaving him alive… Over the course of a brilliant career, Daniel Silva has established himself as the “gold standard” of thriller writers (Dallas Morning News), a “master writer of espionage and intrigue” (The Cincinnati Enquirer), and the creator of “some of the most exciting spy fiction since Ian Fleming put down his martini and invented James Bond” (Rocky Mountain News). Now Silva takes that fiction—and his hero, the enigmatic art restorer and assassin Gabriel Allon—to a whole new level, delivering a riveting tale of vengeance that entertains as well as enlightens. Six months after the dramatic conclusion of Moscow Rules, Gabriel has returned to the tan hills of Umbria to resume his honeymoon with his new wife, Chiara, and restore a seventeenth-century altarpiece for the Vatican. But his idyllic world is once again thrown into turmoil with shocking news from London. The defector and former Russian intelligence officer Grigori Bulganov, who saved Gabriel’s life in Moscow, has vanished without a trace. British intelligence is sure he was a double agent all along, but Gabriel knows better. He also knows he made a promise. Do you know what we do with traitors, Gabriel? Many things have changed in Russia since the fall of Communism. But the punishment for betrayal remains the same. Promise me one thing, Gabriel. Promise me I won't end up in an unmarked grave.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published July 21, 2009
2688 people are currently reading
7681 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Silva
172 books9,329 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 1,235 reviews
April 1, 2019
Very entertaining. In this one, the stakes were higher and Gabriel was more ruthless.
July 29, 2019
“History can be a dangerous thing.”
“The Defector” is book number 9 in Mr. Silva’s Gabriel Allon series and it follows right on the heels of its predecessor, “Moscow Rules”, so really this text is just an extenuation of that story.
“The Defector” reads like a conventional thriller (I think Mr. Silva usually rises above that genre) and this book is not as good as earlier books in the series, some of which had some real genre busting moments. This novel fills out the genre’s clichés and then some.
An issue I had with the text is that Silva repeats himself a lot in this book and I never saw the point. He constantly keeps coming back to the same tropes and as a result, the novel felt even more clichéd.
A plus is that just like the previous novel, Silva goes after the totalitarian antics of Russia’s “elected” prime minister (dictator) Vladimir Putin. This book was published in 2009 and yet 10 years later Putin still holds Russia in his iron grip. At one point in the story a character muses, “Russians had never known true democracy. And, in all likelihood, they never would.” It is a sobering thought and one that clearly disturbs Silva.
In the acknowledgements, Mr. Silva admits to struggling to meet his deadline with this book. I think that struggle is clearly evident in the quality of the novel’s last 20 or so pages.
I read “The Defector” in an airport and on a plane. It is perfect for that purpose. I will continue with the series (as of today I am at # 10 of 18). However, I hope the series gets back to form soon.
“Their government was like a charming rouge-good at making promises, not so good at keeping them.” (what a character says about the Italian government)
“The Defector” is book number 9 in Mr. Silva’s Gabriel Allon series and it follows right on the heels of its predecessor, “Moscow Rules”, so really this text is just an extenuation of that story.
“The Defector” reads like a conventional thriller (I think Mr. Silva usually rises above that genre) and this book is not as good as earlier books in the series, some of which had some real genre busting moments. This novel fills out the genre’s clichés and then some.
An issue I had with the text is that Silva repeats himself a lot in this book and I never saw the point. He constantly keeps coming back to the same tropes and as a result, the novel felt even more clichéd.
A plus is that just like the previous novel, Silva goes after the totalitarian antics of Russia’s “elected” prime minister (dictator) Vladimir Putin. This book was published in 2009 and yet 10 years later Putin still holds Russia in his iron grip. At one point in the story a character muses, “Russians had never known true democracy. And, in all likelihood, they never would.” It is a sobering thought and one that clearly disturbs Silva.
In the acknowledgements, Mr. Silva admits to struggling to meet his deadline with this book. I think that struggle is clearly evident in the quality of the novel’s last 20 or so pages.
I read “The Defector” in an airport and on a plane. It is perfect for that purpose. I will continue with the series (as of today I am at # 10 of 18). However, I hope the series gets back to form soon.
“Their government was like a charming rouge-good at making promises, not so good at keeping them.” (what a character says about the Italian government)
September 1, 2009
Daniel Silva is very good writer, and Gabriel Allon is a captivating character with a complex mind. However, the author seems to have run out of ideas because Gabriel is doing the exact same things that he's done time and time again. There is very little originality in The Defector. The plot has a boiler-plate predictability that should make the author blush. Unless Silva can create a new arena for his enigmatic protagonist (or at least develop a major departure in the storyline) I think it's time for Gabriel Allon to come in from the cold.
January 17, 2018
As much as I LOVE thrillers, I was never really into espionage novels. Once I read on the back-cover words such as “Russian intelligence” or “Terrorism”, I’d lose interest.
And then I stumbled upon “The Kill Artist” by Daniel Silva.
It wasn’t love at first sight, but it was love alright. My aunt from NY came for a visit and told me I should read this book, so I said to myself, what the heck, and gave it a chance.
By the end of the book, I’ve already fallen in love with Gabriel Allon, the Israeli spy who’s an artist in every fiber of his being, restoring marvelous artworks in his spare time. Gabriel’s character is fascinating, luring, tragic and I’m never tired of reading about him. I found myself reading more and more of Daniel Silva’s books (unfortunately, not always by the correct order).
Silva has a fantastic ability to invent complex, thrilling and unbelievably realistic plots. Add to that a set of interesting characters, witty dialogues with plenty of punchlines, a brilliant analyzing ability of international political events (a testament of Silva’s former career at CNN) and just great writing, and you’ll get a brilliant espionage thriller!
And of course, you can’t ignore the in-depth research the author had done in favor of this book (and a few of his previous books, which also transpire in the Russian scene). As an author who’s conducting her own research for her next book, I was outstandingly impressed. We’re talking about a lot of hard work “behind the scenes”, that contribute tremendously to the quality of the book.
This time, Gabriel is caught in another confrontation with the oligarch and the fearsome arms dealer, Ivan Kharkov. Apparently, there is an unresolved issue standing between them. I won’t write another word, because I don’t want to cause any spoilers, but trust me – the story is fantastic! I highly recommend this book, as well as Silva’s other novels, just start reading and discover your inner spy ;)
July 27, 2009
I generally reserve my highest ratings for more literary works, but I had to give this the full five stars to set it apart from other popular suspense/thriller books. This is the best one yet in the Gabriel Allon series. Exciting, fast-paced international action. Silva has really outdone himself with this one. If this turned out to be the last one ever in the series, I would be content.
The amount of research done and the descriptions of the places really make this story shine.
I strongly recommend reading Moscow Rules before reading this one, so you can get the full effect of the ongoing story and not be lost.
The amount of research done and the descriptions of the places really make this story shine.
I strongly recommend reading Moscow Rules before reading this one, so you can get the full effect of the ongoing story and not be lost.
May 9, 2019
This is another by the numbers Gabriel Allon book but I am not complaining. It has the same formula as the previous 3-4 books but the action as well as the espionage make it palatable.
I am now curious to see where Gabriel will go on from here. Hopefully, Daniel Silva changes this formula a bit in the forthcoming books in the series.
I am now curious to see where Gabriel will go on from here. Hopefully, Daniel Silva changes this formula a bit in the forthcoming books in the series.
October 20, 2010
First off, this is five stars based on it being part of a series, and based on the fact I just finished it and am still feeling the adrenaline. If you haven't read the others it won't make sense, but if you have read this one NOW!
Holy crap I can't even catch my breath. I love Gabriel, but I never knew what he was capable of, or that I would question whether he was doing the right thing. Vengeance is clearly neither black or white.
I basically see this as part two of Moscow Rules and while that was a bit of a disappointment, this never relents or even slows down and feels like a proper end to that story. I read the last 300 pages this afternoon and my stomach is still in knots. Although I have to mention that this one is much more violent than the others.
Holy crap I can't even catch my breath. I love Gabriel, but I never knew what he was capable of, or that I would question whether he was doing the right thing. Vengeance is clearly neither black or white.
I basically see this as part two of Moscow Rules and while that was a bit of a disappointment, this never relents or even slows down and feels like a proper end to that story. I read the last 300 pages this afternoon and my stomach is still in knots. Although I have to mention that this one is much more violent than the others.
August 3, 2009
The Defector by Daniel Silva (pp. 480)
The latest installment of Daniel Silva’s thriller series starring Gabriel Allon, a conflicted Isreali spy is a near sequel to last year’s Moscow Rules. After finding a somewhat normal life with his new wife, Allon gets thrown back into the mix when the man he rescued in the previous book is kidnapped by a Russian arms dealer.
After nine books using the same main character, Silva shows that he IS master of the genre. When other series are ready to kill off the main character out of lack of direction and boredom, Allon is more interesting than ever. And in a near sequel, you might expect a rehash of lukewarm ideas. Silva throws into gratifying twists and suspense and provides the rare closure a reader wants at the end of a face paced, multi-continent mission.
There’s not much that Silva doesn’t do perfectly in this book. He tackles the tired notion of Russian military as the protagonist and breathes relevant life into any otherwise dated stereotype of the genre. He has almost a screenwriter’s touch with dialogue. He trusts the reader to follow long bits of conversation between multiple characters without weighing down the page with “he said”, “she said quickly” and “he quipped”. And while reading the previous Silva books may help the reader with pacing and better understanding of characters, Silva has done an excellent job of injecting the right amount of backstory to also satisfy new readers.
Silva gives the reader everything they would expect from a spy thriller and does it perfectly. Given the quality of the content and the richness of the characters it is a surprise how Silva’s series hasn’t been made into movies. Clancy needs a solid successor and Silva is more fun than Bourne and could probably kick Jack Bauer’s ass.
The Defector may be Silva’s best and strongest work yet.
The latest installment of Daniel Silva’s thriller series starring Gabriel Allon, a conflicted Isreali spy is a near sequel to last year’s Moscow Rules. After finding a somewhat normal life with his new wife, Allon gets thrown back into the mix when the man he rescued in the previous book is kidnapped by a Russian arms dealer.
After nine books using the same main character, Silva shows that he IS master of the genre. When other series are ready to kill off the main character out of lack of direction and boredom, Allon is more interesting than ever. And in a near sequel, you might expect a rehash of lukewarm ideas. Silva throws into gratifying twists and suspense and provides the rare closure a reader wants at the end of a face paced, multi-continent mission.
There’s not much that Silva doesn’t do perfectly in this book. He tackles the tired notion of Russian military as the protagonist and breathes relevant life into any otherwise dated stereotype of the genre. He has almost a screenwriter’s touch with dialogue. He trusts the reader to follow long bits of conversation between multiple characters without weighing down the page with “he said”, “she said quickly” and “he quipped”. And while reading the previous Silva books may help the reader with pacing and better understanding of characters, Silva has done an excellent job of injecting the right amount of backstory to also satisfy new readers.
Silva gives the reader everything they would expect from a spy thriller and does it perfectly. Given the quality of the content and the richness of the characters it is a surprise how Silva’s series hasn’t been made into movies. Clancy needs a solid successor and Silva is more fun than Bourne and could probably kick Jack Bauer’s ass.
The Defector may be Silva’s best and strongest work yet.
December 9, 2016
I can't believe this novel has had so many five star reviews on goodreads. I find it worrying to be frank. If Daniel Silva is a good writer, please tell me what is a bad writer? Because to me this is a wonderful example of bad and sloppy writing. I mean as a trivial literature it might just do- if only it wasn't so hopelessly overdone. If only it wasn’t so filled with racial hate. If only it didn’t feature such a stereotypical protagonist. If only it wasn’t a thriller completely devoid of suspense. No, even as trivial literature it is a disaster. To make it any good, you would have to rewrite it.
Here we have Gabriel Allon, the protagonist. Everywhere he goes women throw themselves on him. It is not certain why, I suppose it is just a James Bond cliché the author decided to run with. Our protagonist is supposed to be under lots of stress and aging prematurely, there is no mention of any special gift of his or anything of the sort that makes him so attractive to the opposite gender, yet when he arrives in some small Italian town, every woman is besotted by him. Have you ever seen an Italian woman throwing herself at somebody? No, you didn’t. Because it never happens. Never.
Besides, aren’t man who work in military intelligence those that know how to keep a low profile? Apparently not. Never mind, this is not a book about spies anyway. What it really is a book about how Western politicians are the only hope of this world, all that is keeping things from falling apart is their constant work. The rest of the world doesn’t matter at all because we all know the democracy doesn’t exist anywhere else (I’m being sarcastic in case you can’t tell). Perhaps the popularity of this book has something to do with the fact that people like to be told they’re special or fortunate because they happen to live in the West. Yes, our protagonist is basically an archangel of some sort, because we all know that in the West there is no corruption, only pure and beautiful democracy. To make it a bit more politically correct, the author decided to make the protagonist an Israeli. I can’t say he did a very good job, but well….
I get it, it’s no Shakespeare, but even taking it as what it is- a cheesy spy novel, this is quite bad. I don’t mean it in ‘James Bond’ over the top and ridiculous but kind of cute bad. So, bad that it is good? NO!!!! No, this is just bad. The protagonist is supposed to be portrayed as an angel but he ends up as boring. There is no thriller in this thriller. The story is quite predictable. Yes, there are some shifts and turns, but nothing truly original. You know that nothing is going to happen to Gabriel- nothing serious, he might get hurt but this writer is not going to kill his gold goose. You know Gabriel is going to save the day. Where is the point of this novel again? What are its dynamics- where is the story? At no point is Gabriel conflicted or confused (or anyone else for that point). Everything is so clear that even a retarded amoeba could understand it from the start. All the bad guys are obviously the Russians (obviously), so there is nothing morally ambiguous (to Gabriel) in whatever he does- whatever happens he is the hero. Basically, it is page after page at how awesome Gabriel is. His enemies? Total scum. Gabriel works for the God (the West) and everyone else deserves to die and bares no importance (how boring – and not to mention HOW racist is that?). All the characters are not just black and white, they’re not only two dimensional, they’re ridiculously oversimplified. If anything, all the characters are one dimensional caricatures (if there is such a thing). If the plot is obvious, if the characters are badly developed and if there is no suspense, then what makes this novel good? I have no idea, but he has five stars rating on goodreads.
Please don’t leave a comment under this post explaining how I missed something. Please don’t say that Daniel Silva has journalist experience and knows what he is talking about. The fact that he worked as a journalist and managed to write something that is such an obvious propaganda and so filled with hate towards one specific nation and country (i.e. Russia) is worrying. I’m honestly disturbed by the fact that so few reviewers have pointed out the obvious racism of this novel. Please don’t say that this is only one novel in a series and that I need to read others before I make up my mind. I won’t read anything else by this author- ever. Not just because Daniel Silva suffers from an acute case of xenophobia but because he is a bad writer. Period. If you like this novel, well great for you, but don’t tell me I’m missing out on something. I’m not. I read it once and I even attempted to reread it. I concluded that it is a complete and utter rubbish.
Here we have Gabriel Allon, the protagonist. Everywhere he goes women throw themselves on him. It is not certain why, I suppose it is just a James Bond cliché the author decided to run with. Our protagonist is supposed to be under lots of stress and aging prematurely, there is no mention of any special gift of his or anything of the sort that makes him so attractive to the opposite gender, yet when he arrives in some small Italian town, every woman is besotted by him. Have you ever seen an Italian woman throwing herself at somebody? No, you didn’t. Because it never happens. Never.
Besides, aren’t man who work in military intelligence those that know how to keep a low profile? Apparently not. Never mind, this is not a book about spies anyway. What it really is a book about how Western politicians are the only hope of this world, all that is keeping things from falling apart is their constant work. The rest of the world doesn’t matter at all because we all know the democracy doesn’t exist anywhere else (I’m being sarcastic in case you can’t tell). Perhaps the popularity of this book has something to do with the fact that people like to be told they’re special or fortunate because they happen to live in the West. Yes, our protagonist is basically an archangel of some sort, because we all know that in the West there is no corruption, only pure and beautiful democracy. To make it a bit more politically correct, the author decided to make the protagonist an Israeli. I can’t say he did a very good job, but well….
I get it, it’s no Shakespeare, but even taking it as what it is- a cheesy spy novel, this is quite bad. I don’t mean it in ‘James Bond’ over the top and ridiculous but kind of cute bad. So, bad that it is good? NO!!!! No, this is just bad. The protagonist is supposed to be portrayed as an angel but he ends up as boring. There is no thriller in this thriller. The story is quite predictable. Yes, there are some shifts and turns, but nothing truly original. You know that nothing is going to happen to Gabriel- nothing serious, he might get hurt but this writer is not going to kill his gold goose. You know Gabriel is going to save the day. Where is the point of this novel again? What are its dynamics- where is the story? At no point is Gabriel conflicted or confused (or anyone else for that point). Everything is so clear that even a retarded amoeba could understand it from the start. All the bad guys are obviously the Russians (obviously), so there is nothing morally ambiguous (to Gabriel) in whatever he does- whatever happens he is the hero. Basically, it is page after page at how awesome Gabriel is. His enemies? Total scum. Gabriel works for the God (the West) and everyone else deserves to die and bares no importance (how boring – and not to mention HOW racist is that?). All the characters are not just black and white, they’re not only two dimensional, they’re ridiculously oversimplified. If anything, all the characters are one dimensional caricatures (if there is such a thing). If the plot is obvious, if the characters are badly developed and if there is no suspense, then what makes this novel good? I have no idea, but he has five stars rating on goodreads.
Please don’t leave a comment under this post explaining how I missed something. Please don’t say that Daniel Silva has journalist experience and knows what he is talking about. The fact that he worked as a journalist and managed to write something that is such an obvious propaganda and so filled with hate towards one specific nation and country (i.e. Russia) is worrying. I’m honestly disturbed by the fact that so few reviewers have pointed out the obvious racism of this novel. Please don’t say that this is only one novel in a series and that I need to read others before I make up my mind. I won’t read anything else by this author- ever. Not just because Daniel Silva suffers from an acute case of xenophobia but because he is a bad writer. Period. If you like this novel, well great for you, but don’t tell me I’m missing out on something. I’m not. I read it once and I even attempted to reread it. I concluded that it is a complete and utter rubbish.
July 16, 2018
A solid installment in a reliable, entertaining series, but ... and, of course, none of this is really relevant to the book, but ... it was particularly gratifying (for me) reading the book while flying to and travelling through Israel ... and, as a special bonus, if my math/timing is correct, I'm now officially half-way through the series.
While I was initially skeptical about the series, I'm now fully vested. Silva has done a nice job with developing characters and enriching the story with a healthy dollop of travel, history, art (and art history), plot, action, religion, relationships (families ... of all types), loss, revenge/vengeance, etc. In other words, there's lots to like (assuming, of course, the international espionage, chase-and-shoot-em-up genre appeals to you).
A minor nit: it was pretty clear at the end of the prior book that the story line would carry over to this book. Unlike a prior story-within-the-story/series that Silva spooned out as a trilogy, Silva wrapped this one up (in a conventional, satisfying fashion) in only two books. But, to be clear, it would be a huge mistake to read this one without reading its immediate predecessor. (Granted, I'd encourage readers to consume the series in order, but that's just me....)
While I was initially skeptical about the series, I'm now fully vested. Silva has done a nice job with developing characters and enriching the story with a healthy dollop of travel, history, art (and art history), plot, action, religion, relationships (families ... of all types), loss, revenge/vengeance, etc. In other words, there's lots to like (assuming, of course, the international espionage, chase-and-shoot-em-up genre appeals to you).
A minor nit: it was pretty clear at the end of the prior book that the story line would carry over to this book. Unlike a prior story-within-the-story/series that Silva spooned out as a trilogy, Silva wrapped this one up (in a conventional, satisfying fashion) in only two books. But, to be clear, it would be a huge mistake to read this one without reading its immediate predecessor. (Granted, I'd encourage readers to consume the series in order, but that's just me....)
August 16, 2015
This was a fast paced thriller and a great read.
January 28, 2011
There is no any sophistication of real spy novel in this particular book and in "Moscow Rules". Before these two, I read "The Secret Servant" and what still OK with it for long flights but starting from "Moscow Rules"... Probably 99 of 100 reviewers who put 4 or 5 stars on this page have never seen Moscow apart from the TV screen. I'm sure from reading your reviews that same percentage never dared to dig deeper to understand what really happens in Russia beyond what they've been fed by CNN and likewise. But OK - let's forgive it as this Silva' duology is just an entertainment beach reading which should not pretend to be a serious stuff.
The problem is that Silva with the great aplomb postures his plot as the serious stuff! Fellow readers strolling through the book may get a feeling that what he is depicting is really a portrait of todays' Russia; that the President may cover arms dealer who bribes him personally, that KGB is listening to any hotel room in Moscow and puts surveillance on every incoming foreigner (where would they get a budget from?). By the way, Allon is staying in Rits-Carlton on Tverskaya (that's where President Obama was staying on his State visit) for several days - the cheapest room is 1.000 USD per night - you may just check on internet - (where would Israelis have the budget from to give him such allowance?). But staying in this hotel his highly trained team of assassins is using dreadful Russian built Ladas - the four of them - instead of BMW-540 or likewise more common on Moscow streets. Such professional discuise may be compared to scenario when four pink Cadillac convertibles of 1956 would run highly covert operation on Pensilvaniya Avenue. The one who ever landed in Sheremetyevo knows that these cars are more rare then the said Caddy convertibles in DC, still Silva again uses the poor thing as a taxi to pick Allon in the airport.
Details, sophistication and plausibility are what make good spy novel. I bought these three last Silva' books after reading reviews, also on this site, in search of a writer which may prolong the line of elegant spy novel. I read all three and I know I didn't find it. Instead, I found pretty stupid violence, unreasonably wrong and horrid depiction of Russia (and not only Russia), offending arrogancy, complete misunderstanding and sometimes bare hatred. "Kill them all!" - says the pretty wife of protagonist. And the hero does, whoever they are - the driver, the woman, the bodyguard, dozens of them. And for what reason?
Please try to find a better reading then this pulp fiction.
The problem is that Silva with the great aplomb postures his plot as the serious stuff! Fellow readers strolling through the book may get a feeling that what he is depicting is really a portrait of todays' Russia; that the President may cover arms dealer who bribes him personally, that KGB is listening to any hotel room in Moscow and puts surveillance on every incoming foreigner (where would they get a budget from?). By the way, Allon is staying in Rits-Carlton on Tverskaya (that's where President Obama was staying on his State visit) for several days - the cheapest room is 1.000 USD per night - you may just check on internet - (where would Israelis have the budget from to give him such allowance?). But staying in this hotel his highly trained team of assassins is using dreadful Russian built Ladas - the four of them - instead of BMW-540 or likewise more common on Moscow streets. Such professional discuise may be compared to scenario when four pink Cadillac convertibles of 1956 would run highly covert operation on Pensilvaniya Avenue. The one who ever landed in Sheremetyevo knows that these cars are more rare then the said Caddy convertibles in DC, still Silva again uses the poor thing as a taxi to pick Allon in the airport.
Details, sophistication and plausibility are what make good spy novel. I bought these three last Silva' books after reading reviews, also on this site, in search of a writer which may prolong the line of elegant spy novel. I read all three and I know I didn't find it. Instead, I found pretty stupid violence, unreasonably wrong and horrid depiction of Russia (and not only Russia), offending arrogancy, complete misunderstanding and sometimes bare hatred. "Kill them all!" - says the pretty wife of protagonist. And the hero does, whoever they are - the driver, the woman, the bodyguard, dozens of them. And for what reason?
Please try to find a better reading then this pulp fiction.
September 7, 2021
The defector follows the tried and true Silva formula for thriller commercial success.
1. Something bad happens
2. Gabriel Allon (spymaster, assassin and art restorer) is minding his own business and gets approached by authority figure. He says no, they say please, he says ok. Then he broods
3. Brooding done - Gabriel Allon springs into action to do the impossible with his handpicked team of colleagues (the descriptions of which are copy pasted from one book to the next) and with the help of either British spies, American spies, Italian police or the Pope. Sometimes all of these.
4. Things go well
5. Things go wrong
6. Things go well
7. Cripes in the last moment they go very wrong!
8. Kaboom poetic justice is served.
This is the plot of every single one of the books in this series. At first I found it annoying but now it’s a bit like sitting down a drinking a fine red wine - notes of heavily researched locales, aroma of faithful characters living up or down to expectations and a whiff of ripped from the headlines. It tastes the same every time but by now that’s what I want.
As the title indicates in this case it’s a man who defected who kicks it all off.
1. Something bad happens
2. Gabriel Allon (spymaster, assassin and art restorer) is minding his own business and gets approached by authority figure. He says no, they say please, he says ok. Then he broods
3. Brooding done - Gabriel Allon springs into action to do the impossible with his handpicked team of colleagues (the descriptions of which are copy pasted from one book to the next) and with the help of either British spies, American spies, Italian police or the Pope. Sometimes all of these.
4. Things go well
5. Things go wrong
6. Things go well
7. Cripes in the last moment they go very wrong!
8. Kaboom poetic justice is served.
This is the plot of every single one of the books in this series. At first I found it annoying but now it’s a bit like sitting down a drinking a fine red wine - notes of heavily researched locales, aroma of faithful characters living up or down to expectations and a whiff of ripped from the headlines. It tastes the same every time but by now that’s what I want.
As the title indicates in this case it’s a man who defected who kicks it all off.
December 13, 2018
The Defector is a spy thriller with one of my favorite characters Gabriel Allon, Israeli spy and assassin, and his beautiful wife Chiara, also an Israeli operative. They are once again called from Italy to unite with their Special Ops team as they explore what has happened to a Russian defector when he is suddenly missing in Britain. This is a tale of different types of loyalties and sacrifices as they all come together.
August 7, 2009
Audiobook on the Indiana road trip. It's a decent story if you've read the others in the series. Otherwise, too much back story and not enough new plot.
These days, Gabriel Allon spends more time reminiscing about his past adventures than jumping into new ones.
These days, Gabriel Allon spends more time reminiscing about his past adventures than jumping into new ones.
February 5, 2020
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Picking up right where Moscow Rules left off, Gabriel Allon finds he’s in the cross hairs of Ivan Karkarov. This is a multi-layered spy novel, with double-and triple-crosses throughout. I’m having a hard time writing this without giving away too much of the plot. Gabriel, Chiara and the whole crew are tested in terrible ways. I loved the feeling of dread that built up through the entire novel, as time was ticking away. Ari talking about how many minutes they had to get somewhere; Gabriel talking about extending time...it was fantastic! I am loving this series more and more as I read through it. If you haven’t read Daniel Silva, I highly recommend his Gabriel Allon series!
Picking up right where Moscow Rules left off, Gabriel Allon finds he’s in the cross hairs of Ivan Karkarov. This is a multi-layered spy novel, with double-and triple-crosses throughout. I’m having a hard time writing this without giving away too much of the plot. Gabriel, Chiara and the whole crew are tested in terrible ways. I loved the feeling of dread that built up through the entire novel, as time was ticking away. Ari talking about how many minutes they had to get somewhere; Gabriel talking about extending time...it was fantastic! I am loving this series more and more as I read through it. If you haven’t read Daniel Silva, I highly recommend his Gabriel Allon series!
November 17, 2011
Isn't it astonishing how you don't know variation in a genre is possible until you discover that variation? For example, until I read this book I hadn't ever considered the possibility of writing a thriller with an infallible hero. And lo, here Silva has done it. Well, well, well.
Do you know why I hadn't ever considered a perfect hero? Because it makes for a CRAP story. This novel is about 30% awed praise for the almighty and magnificent Israeli special agents and their special agency and the unique tenacity of character that Israel embodies, 30% reverential description of the buff and rebellious hero's incredible perfection of character and action, and 40% gunfire. It is, quite simply, tedious shit because there is no tension.
How can there be tension when the hero is perfect, the hero's employer is on the side of right? Even when the hero is, so very very briefly, in danger near the end of the book, you KNOW there's no way this is going to end with the hero's body found in a shallow grave. Other thriller writers make us feel tension by having the hero misread a situation, misjudge a character, make the wrong decision, get menaced, be forced to go against his friends or employer, or otherwise make it hard for him You never get the sense that Silva's protagonist is breaking a sweat.
I took a chance on this one, and lost. I won't be reading more by this author.
Do you know why I hadn't ever considered a perfect hero? Because it makes for a CRAP story. This novel is about 30% awed praise for the almighty and magnificent Israeli special agents and their special agency and the unique tenacity of character that Israel embodies, 30% reverential description of the buff and rebellious hero's incredible perfection of character and action, and 40% gunfire. It is, quite simply, tedious shit because there is no tension.
How can there be tension when the hero is perfect, the hero's employer is on the side of right? Even when the hero is, so very very briefly, in danger near the end of the book, you KNOW there's no way this is going to end with the hero's body found in a shallow grave. Other thriller writers make us feel tension by having the hero misread a situation, misjudge a character, make the wrong decision, get menaced, be forced to go against his friends or employer, or otherwise make it hard for him You never get the sense that Silva's protagonist is breaking a sweat.
I took a chance on this one, and lost. I won't be reading more by this author.
August 10, 2014
Personally I feel Daniel Silva is great writer. I have given 5 stars as story was a page turner and full of suspense till the very end was not sure if he was going to kill Ivan. I have read few books and Gabriel Allon is my ideal captivating character with a complex mind. The author seems to have run out of ideas as Gabriel is doing the exact same things that he's done every time in the series I have read so far. At this point I have still not decided if the author should change anything in respect to the Gabriel Allon character. I will read other series and make up my mind in the future. I am addicted to spy narratives.
I don't like writing about the story as already so many reviews have already given part of the story.
March 26, 2023
This is an enthralling, action-packed novel about a Israel’s top spy, Gabriel Allon who is back at it - this time, to figure out why an ex-Soviet has left the relative safety of suburban London to go back to Russia. Oh, and Allon’s wife, Chiara, has been kidnapped in Italy and whisked away to a dacha a few hours outside of Moscow. I loved the romping around Europe, how Daniel Silva weaves in the past books in the series, and how smooth the writing is. My one beef was that this was a tad too long for me and just a couple characters too many to keep track of.
August 11, 2018
The first half of this book has two essential purposes: recap the history of Gabriel Allon’s experience with Russian villain Ivan Kharkov and then set the stage for his eventual capture. Author Daniel Silva freely recalls the history of Kharkov from his earlier novel Moscow Rules. More than once I had the distinct impression that I’d read this material before. There is some new material, however, such as a description of how Gabriel had met, romanced and married his current wife, Chiara.
Thankfully the second half is much more interesting and a pleasure to read. The quest to bring Kharkov to justice is ramped up once again and the story is more relevant. Chiara is now part of the Israeli team. They work hard and suffer immensely to accomplish their mission.
Kharkov’s wife Elena and his two children are still free of Ivan’s tentacles but are useful as bait to get him out of hiding and in a position to be captured. But probably the worst of Ivan’s fears comes true as he reads a message from his children, something that a father never wants to hear.
Overall I thought this sequel was much less effective than Moscow Rules. Perhaps Silva should have heeded the first of those Moscow rules: Never look back.
Thankfully the second half is much more interesting and a pleasure to read. The quest to bring Kharkov to justice is ramped up once again and the story is more relevant. Chiara is now part of the Israeli team. They work hard and suffer immensely to accomplish their mission.
Kharkov’s wife Elena and his two children are still free of Ivan’s tentacles but are useful as bait to get him out of hiding and in a position to be captured. But probably the worst of Ivan’s fears comes true as he reads a message from his children, something that a father never wants to hear.
Overall I thought this sequel was much less effective than Moscow Rules. Perhaps Silva should have heeded the first of those Moscow rules: Never look back.
October 18, 2019
Another great thriller from Mr Silva. The Defector is a bona fide sequel to its predecessor in the series, Moscow Rules. The entire series is best read in sequence I feel, but especially this time.
In order to avoid spoilers I cannot say much about the plot except that the things Israeli assassin Gabriel Allon thought he had fixed in Moscow Rules did not stay fixed so he has to go back to Russia, Putin's Russia. His new wife Chiara has been kidnapped by the villain from the earlier book and Gabriel is determined to rescue her or die trying. I can say he does not die. He can't because the series is still going, but their lives are forever changed.
Seeing as how Russia continues to this day to make trouble for the US, Europe and in the Middle East, Daniel Silva's series continues to give an excellent picture of the past two decades of political turmoil in the Western world.
Last decade, between 2002 and 2005, I read Upton Sinclair's Lanny Budd series. Those ten books were eye-opening for me as to the causes and results of WWI and WWII, including the Cold War and the influences of communism throughout the world. His viewpoint was definitely from a liberal perspective; fine with me because I call myself a Liberal.
I feel like Daniel Silva is carrying on that education for me. Though I don't see much hope or progress for the liberal idea that the arc of history bends toward justice, it eases me somehow to at least have some idea of the causes of injustice.
OK, Mr Silva, nine books read and ten more to go. I hope to finish the series by the time the next book comes out.
In order to avoid spoilers I cannot say much about the plot except that the things Israeli assassin Gabriel Allon thought he had fixed in Moscow Rules did not stay fixed so he has to go back to Russia, Putin's Russia. His new wife Chiara has been kidnapped by the villain from the earlier book and Gabriel is determined to rescue her or die trying. I can say he does not die. He can't because the series is still going, but their lives are forever changed.
Seeing as how Russia continues to this day to make trouble for the US, Europe and in the Middle East, Daniel Silva's series continues to give an excellent picture of the past two decades of political turmoil in the Western world.
Last decade, between 2002 and 2005, I read Upton Sinclair's Lanny Budd series. Those ten books were eye-opening for me as to the causes and results of WWI and WWII, including the Cold War and the influences of communism throughout the world. His viewpoint was definitely from a liberal perspective; fine with me because I call myself a Liberal.
I feel like Daniel Silva is carrying on that education for me. Though I don't see much hope or progress for the liberal idea that the arc of history bends toward justice, it eases me somehow to at least have some idea of the causes of injustice.
OK, Mr Silva, nine books read and ten more to go. I hope to finish the series by the time the next book comes out.
March 30, 2018
Segundo livro que leio do autor e para fechar a "serie" da russia dos horrores e de terrivel Ivan Kharkov.
Salta a vista por diversas vezes a repetiçao de informacao do anterior livro da serie do genero de CTRL-C CTRL-V visto ter lido os livros de forma seguida e num curto espaço de tempo.
A dada altura parece que estava a ler o livro anterior outra vez.
Ainda assim gostei bastante deste livro onde o suspense se mantém ate final e onde disparou a nivel de açao e violencia,algo que na minha opiniao faltou no anterior.
Para o fim estava guardado as vidas das 4 personagens Gabriel, Chiara,Mikhail e Grigori que me prendeu ao livro e facilmente se virão paginas atras de paginas.
Valeu bem a pena.
Salta a vista por diversas vezes a repetiçao de informacao do anterior livro da serie do genero de CTRL-C CTRL-V visto ter lido os livros de forma seguida e num curto espaço de tempo.
A dada altura parece que estava a ler o livro anterior outra vez.
Ainda assim gostei bastante deste livro onde o suspense se mantém ate final e onde disparou a nivel de açao e violencia,algo que na minha opiniao faltou no anterior.
Para o fim estava guardado as vidas das 4 personagens Gabriel, Chiara,Mikhail e Grigori que me prendeu ao livro e facilmente se virão paginas atras de paginas.
Valeu bem a pena.
July 25, 2023
3.5 stars
This part two installment includes all the enjoyable aspects of Silva's spy series: the dangerous villain, the anguish for Gabriel Allon, the suspense. In this volume, Russian arms dealer Ivan Kharkov wants his children back from America, and he comes up with a clever way to trade for them.
My chief complaint about The Defector is that there are far too many recaps in the first half of the book. Also, the good guys - The Office boys - acquire info about their adversaries and their whereabouts oddly fast and without explanation. Silva involves tons of characters in The Defector, and the result is that the book became a bit convoluted compared to the first eight books in the series.
Still, an enjoyable and exciting read!
This part two installment includes all the enjoyable aspects of Silva's spy series: the dangerous villain, the anguish for Gabriel Allon, the suspense. In this volume, Russian arms dealer Ivan Kharkov wants his children back from America, and he comes up with a clever way to trade for them.
My chief complaint about The Defector is that there are far too many recaps in the first half of the book. Also, the good guys - The Office boys - acquire info about their adversaries and their whereabouts oddly fast and without explanation. Silva involves tons of characters in The Defector, and the result is that the book became a bit convoluted compared to the first eight books in the series.
Still, an enjoyable and exciting read!
July 7, 2012
Repetitive and lacks a cohesive story.
1. The abduction of the female Israeli secret service agent, resulting from an uncharacteristic lapse in Israeli security, wouldn't have happened even in fiction the way it did. A poorly executed plot feature, though essential for the bigger storyline. It simply wasn't a very creative plot feature.
2. The long drawn-out (and so pitifully predicable) conversation at the remote Russian dacha with the bad guy, Ivan, who uncharacteristically allows the "literary distraction," thus giving the good guys time to come to the rescue. I'm so over these "troops-riding-in-at-the-last-minute" shticks! Surely, Silva is more creative than this. He got the players into the jam with abandon; let's see him get them out without phoniness!
Plot:
The weakest aspect of this book. SPOILER ALERT! The entire premise of the book is based on the major western powers going to endless lengths and risking a diplomatic disaster (in the midst of a G-8 summit no less) in order to help an Israeli agent recover his wife. Oh, and a Russian defector (hence the title) which the author clearly implies in the earliest chapters had become irrelevant anyway. Seriously? Apparently, if you're a famous Israeli agent, yes that is how vital to the world your wife's rescue would be.
Stop reading here if you don't want a spoiler but you will guess anyway as you read that Allon will eventually kill the Russian arms dealer. How does he do it? Well, the oligarch loves St. Tropez and Allon's team finds out he will attend a riotous party in a St. Tropez restaurant. While the oligarch is at the party he gets a phone call and steps outside the restaurant because there is too much noise inside. There on the street sitting on a motorcycle is our hero with his Glock. Bang, bang, and Russia's most evil man is dead. Supermensh then drives off. Piece of cake. At one point in the novel the head of Israel's secret agents tells the Russian ambassador that his people better watch out because if the Israelis get mad enough they will kill all of Russia's KGB agents (now with a new acronym). Wow!
Characters:
The hero and his posse are as pure as driven snow. No flaws, no moral ambiguity, no inner conflict. They do not err, they do not hesitate.
And of course the villain and his collaborators (all Russian) are greedy, heartless, morally-bankrupt rambling idiots who cannot think two steps ahead.
Picture Wile E Coyote and Road Runner minus the humor.
Style:
The one saving grace and the reason for the 2 stars. The action is at least crisp and explicit.
1. The abduction of the female Israeli secret service agent, resulting from an uncharacteristic lapse in Israeli security, wouldn't have happened even in fiction the way it did. A poorly executed plot feature, though essential for the bigger storyline. It simply wasn't a very creative plot feature.
2. The long drawn-out (and so pitifully predicable) conversation at the remote Russian dacha with the bad guy, Ivan, who uncharacteristically allows the "literary distraction," thus giving the good guys time to come to the rescue. I'm so over these "troops-riding-in-at-the-last-minute" shticks! Surely, Silva is more creative than this. He got the players into the jam with abandon; let's see him get them out without phoniness!
Plot:
The weakest aspect of this book. SPOILER ALERT! The entire premise of the book is based on the major western powers going to endless lengths and risking a diplomatic disaster (in the midst of a G-8 summit no less) in order to help an Israeli agent recover his wife. Oh, and a Russian defector (hence the title) which the author clearly implies in the earliest chapters had become irrelevant anyway. Seriously? Apparently, if you're a famous Israeli agent, yes that is how vital to the world your wife's rescue would be.
Stop reading here if you don't want a spoiler but you will guess anyway as you read that Allon will eventually kill the Russian arms dealer. How does he do it? Well, the oligarch loves St. Tropez and Allon's team finds out he will attend a riotous party in a St. Tropez restaurant. While the oligarch is at the party he gets a phone call and steps outside the restaurant because there is too much noise inside. There on the street sitting on a motorcycle is our hero with his Glock. Bang, bang, and Russia's most evil man is dead. Supermensh then drives off. Piece of cake. At one point in the novel the head of Israel's secret agents tells the Russian ambassador that his people better watch out because if the Israelis get mad enough they will kill all of Russia's KGB agents (now with a new acronym). Wow!
Characters:
The hero and his posse are as pure as driven snow. No flaws, no moral ambiguity, no inner conflict. They do not err, they do not hesitate.
And of course the villain and his collaborators (all Russian) are greedy, heartless, morally-bankrupt rambling idiots who cannot think two steps ahead.
Picture Wile E Coyote and Road Runner minus the humor.
Style:
The one saving grace and the reason for the 2 stars. The action is at least crisp and explicit.
March 20, 2019
'The Defector' is a little past the midpoint in Daniel Silva's great Gabriel Allon series. In it, Allon has returned to Italy after his last adventure to do a little restoration work for the pope and to reignite his honeymoon with his wife, Chiara. He's pulled back into action with the Israeli spy organization when the Russian defector who'd helped him in his last assignment is kidnapped from the streets of London. Or has he re-defected? Allon springs into action, bringing his crack team with him, figures out what's going on with the defector, and begins a deadly cat and mouse game with his most feared adversary, ex-KGB arms dealer and all around bad guy Ivan Kharkov. Pawns in the chess match include members of both Allon's and Kharkov's families. The conclusion is just a bit on the incredible side.
As with every Silva novel, there's a lot of action. One of the things I enjoy, though, is how the star of the series is portrayed as not physically imposing- he's no Jason Bourne or Jack Reacher. He is a highly skilled assassin, though, as well as an expert planner and leader. Silva has done a great job in developing the characters in the series- if you've read the books, you're very familiar with the members of his team, his family, the various Brit, American, and Israeli spy leaders, and so on. His writing is always exemplary. at times a little too florid but always propelling the story forward at the right time and slowing down when appropriate.
The Allon series is a fine one and The Defector is a nice addition to it. I'd read Silva's early novels then entirely forgot about him for awhile....nice to know that since re-engaging I now have a few excellent thrillers to catch up on!
As with every Silva novel, there's a lot of action. One of the things I enjoy, though, is how the star of the series is portrayed as not physically imposing- he's no Jason Bourne or Jack Reacher. He is a highly skilled assassin, though, as well as an expert planner and leader. Silva has done a great job in developing the characters in the series- if you've read the books, you're very familiar with the members of his team, his family, the various Brit, American, and Israeli spy leaders, and so on. His writing is always exemplary. at times a little too florid but always propelling the story forward at the right time and slowing down when appropriate.
The Allon series is a fine one and The Defector is a nice addition to it. I'd read Silva's early novels then entirely forgot about him for awhile....nice to know that since re-engaging I now have a few excellent thrillers to catch up on!
August 9, 2018
In order to fully understand The Defector (Bk. 9, Gabriel Allon Series) by Daniel Silva it is helpful to recall the events at the end of Moscow Rules (Bk. 8, Gabriel Allon Series). Gabriel manages to escape from Russia (barely) with a Russian journalist, Olga Sukhova, whose colleagues have been assassinated, and with a man, Grigori Bulganov, who saved Gabriel’s life by making sure he did not die in Lubyanka, the Russian prison.
In The Defector we find out what Bulganov is up to in his new home, London. Silva, Daniel Silva, the author, calls London a Russian city because so many dispossessed Russians live there. Olga Sukhova, also in London with a new identity, is keeping a low profile. But Grigori is tempted out of hiding by another Russian who lives the high life in London.
When Grigori disappears on his way to a Chess game, Graham Seymour, head of British Intelligence, is not terribly upset. He decides that Grigori has become homesick and has “un” defected. However, when Gabriel Allon hears that Grigori is gone he has a different reaction. For one thing he knows that a very bad and powerful oligarch, Ivan Kharkov is still alive and well, although he has to stay in Russia for now. Gabriel also knows that he was able to help Ivan’s ex-wife Elena liberate some of Ivan’s money ($20 million) from a Swiss Bank. Since Elena is in protective custody in an unknown location with the couple’s two children, she needs that money. But you can imagine how much Ivan wants to get his hands on Elena, his children, and Gabriel. Since he can’t leave Russia right now, he must find a way to bring everyone to him.
Ivan Kharkov is a stone-cold bully boy who makes his money selling Russian weapons to people the rest of the world wants to keep weapons away from. Ivan’s hero is Stalin and he strives to model his behavior on the cruelty Stalin used as he purged (killed or tortured) any Russian citizen who he imagined might harbor sentients against his government (regime). Ivan managed to buy the dacha that once was Stalin’s summer home. Ivan uses his dacha to reenact Stalin’s bloody purges on a smaller scale.
When Gabriel doesn’t react right away to the disappearance of Grigori Ivan takes someone else and who he takes definitely gets Gabriel and his team moving.
Daniel Silva and his Israeli spy, Gabriel Allon, along with his team of Israeli operatives, expose bad actors all around Europe and the Middle East and offer up the satisfaction of giving them what they deserve in fiction, even though we often do not experience such justice in real life. When The Defector ends are we finally shut of Ivan Kharkov? My lips are sealed.
In notes at the conclusion of The Defector, Silva connects his fictional spy story to actual historical events that inspired it.
“There, from August 1937 to October 1938, an estimated twenty thousand people were shot in the back of the head and buried in long mass graves. I visited the recently opened memorial at Butovo with my family in the summer of 2007 while researching Moscow Rules, and in large measure it inspired The Defector. One question haunted me as I walked slowly past the burial trenches, accompanied by weeping Russian citizens. Why are there not more places like this? Places where ordinary Russians can see evidence of Stalin’s unimaginable crimes with their own eyes. The answer, of course, is that the rulers of the New Russia are not terribly interesting in exposing the sins of the Soviet past. On the contrary, they are engaged in a carefully orchestrated endeavor to airbrush away its most repulsive aspects while celebrating it achievements. The NKVD, which carried out the Great Terror at Stalin’s behest, was the forerunner of the KGB. And former officers of the KGB, including Vladimir Putin himself, are now running Russia.” -Author’s Note
In The Defector we find out what Bulganov is up to in his new home, London. Silva, Daniel Silva, the author, calls London a Russian city because so many dispossessed Russians live there. Olga Sukhova, also in London with a new identity, is keeping a low profile. But Grigori is tempted out of hiding by another Russian who lives the high life in London.
When Grigori disappears on his way to a Chess game, Graham Seymour, head of British Intelligence, is not terribly upset. He decides that Grigori has become homesick and has “un” defected. However, when Gabriel Allon hears that Grigori is gone he has a different reaction. For one thing he knows that a very bad and powerful oligarch, Ivan Kharkov is still alive and well, although he has to stay in Russia for now. Gabriel also knows that he was able to help Ivan’s ex-wife Elena liberate some of Ivan’s money ($20 million) from a Swiss Bank. Since Elena is in protective custody in an unknown location with the couple’s two children, she needs that money. But you can imagine how much Ivan wants to get his hands on Elena, his children, and Gabriel. Since he can’t leave Russia right now, he must find a way to bring everyone to him.
Ivan Kharkov is a stone-cold bully boy who makes his money selling Russian weapons to people the rest of the world wants to keep weapons away from. Ivan’s hero is Stalin and he strives to model his behavior on the cruelty Stalin used as he purged (killed or tortured) any Russian citizen who he imagined might harbor sentients against his government (regime). Ivan managed to buy the dacha that once was Stalin’s summer home. Ivan uses his dacha to reenact Stalin’s bloody purges on a smaller scale.
When Gabriel doesn’t react right away to the disappearance of Grigori Ivan takes someone else and who he takes definitely gets Gabriel and his team moving.
Daniel Silva and his Israeli spy, Gabriel Allon, along with his team of Israeli operatives, expose bad actors all around Europe and the Middle East and offer up the satisfaction of giving them what they deserve in fiction, even though we often do not experience such justice in real life. When The Defector ends are we finally shut of Ivan Kharkov? My lips are sealed.
In notes at the conclusion of The Defector, Silva connects his fictional spy story to actual historical events that inspired it.
“There, from August 1937 to October 1938, an estimated twenty thousand people were shot in the back of the head and buried in long mass graves. I visited the recently opened memorial at Butovo with my family in the summer of 2007 while researching Moscow Rules, and in large measure it inspired The Defector. One question haunted me as I walked slowly past the burial trenches, accompanied by weeping Russian citizens. Why are there not more places like this? Places where ordinary Russians can see evidence of Stalin’s unimaginable crimes with their own eyes. The answer, of course, is that the rulers of the New Russia are not terribly interesting in exposing the sins of the Soviet past. On the contrary, they are engaged in a carefully orchestrated endeavor to airbrush away its most repulsive aspects while celebrating it achievements. The NKVD, which carried out the Great Terror at Stalin’s behest, was the forerunner of the KGB. And former officers of the KGB, including Vladimir Putin himself, are now running Russia.” -Author’s Note
October 18, 2024
Book 9 of currently 24 in the Gabriel Allon series, THE DEFECTOR is more thriller and less artwork. It’s also lots of relationships and exorcising demons.
Gabriel and his crew gather to locate and save a former Russian spy who once saved his life. This story will take them from Italy to London to Russia and many points in between. It’s dark and fraught with strong emotions that motivate everyone beyond their reasonable limits; not all survive the pursuit.
Daniel Silva is a gifted writer who can deliver thrillers without resorting to graphic violence, foul language or descriptive sexual content. He gives some interesting history about the Stalin era that was used in the story. It would be helpful to read the author’s notes prior to reading the book to gain some perspective.
Silva admits to having some difficulty with this book. From my perspective, it should have ended with part 4. That would have required a small epilogue but the entirety of part 5 was trope upon trope that was probably written by someone other than Silva. I haven’t read the next book in this series but am guessing he fixed that underwhelming mess of an ending.
Even with those subpar last 40 pages, THE DEFECTOR is a good story. The focus is on missions, timing, precision and relationships. These relationships cross boundaries that will have you wondering about current day events; it surely has me pondering📚
Gabriel and his crew gather to locate and save a former Russian spy who once saved his life. This story will take them from Italy to London to Russia and many points in between. It’s dark and fraught with strong emotions that motivate everyone beyond their reasonable limits; not all survive the pursuit.
Daniel Silva is a gifted writer who can deliver thrillers without resorting to graphic violence, foul language or descriptive sexual content. He gives some interesting history about the Stalin era that was used in the story. It would be helpful to read the author’s notes prior to reading the book to gain some perspective.
Silva admits to having some difficulty with this book. From my perspective, it should have ended with part 4. That would have required a small epilogue but the entirety of part 5 was trope upon trope that was probably written by someone other than Silva. I haven’t read the next book in this series but am guessing he fixed that underwhelming mess of an ending.
Even with those subpar last 40 pages, THE DEFECTOR is a good story. The focus is on missions, timing, precision and relationships. These relationships cross boundaries that will have you wondering about current day events; it surely has me pondering📚
December 6, 2022
Gabriel Allon is a perfectly flawed hero.
This particular book filled in some blanks for me as I've read these out of order. Truthfully, I've come across a couple of Gabriel Allon clunkers, but more of them are quite good, like this one.
Through this book, the reader learns more about Gabriel's past. What I especially enjoy about this hero is that he is flawed. He suffers injuries, emotional and physical, and makes human mistakes. The plots are always far too intricate for a complete recap and that's fine by me. This story centers around the goings on in Russia, but the adventure spans the globe from Washington DC to Geneva, Italy, and London, and as always Israel. Even though it was published in 2010, it's relevant today. It's enlightening and entertaining.
Daniel Silva writes Gabriel with a decent sense of humor and a troubled conscience. The story winds itself up with no loose ends (a real feat given its complexity) and satisfies this reader's need for a happy-ish ending.
I highly recommend getting to know this character - likability factor, 8 of 10.
This particular book filled in some blanks for me as I've read these out of order. Truthfully, I've come across a couple of Gabriel Allon clunkers, but more of them are quite good, like this one.
Through this book, the reader learns more about Gabriel's past. What I especially enjoy about this hero is that he is flawed. He suffers injuries, emotional and physical, and makes human mistakes. The plots are always far too intricate for a complete recap and that's fine by me. This story centers around the goings on in Russia, but the adventure spans the globe from Washington DC to Geneva, Italy, and London, and as always Israel. Even though it was published in 2010, it's relevant today. It's enlightening and entertaining.
Daniel Silva writes Gabriel with a decent sense of humor and a troubled conscience. The story winds itself up with no loose ends (a real feat given its complexity) and satisfies this reader's need for a happy-ish ending.
I highly recommend getting to know this character - likability factor, 8 of 10.
September 5, 2020
Apesar de adorar a escrita do Daniel penso que falta algo para as 5*... As personagens, o tema, a história em si e o desenrolar da ação estão muito bem conseguidos.
Grabriel Allon é aquele que todos gostam, aquela pessoa que qualquer escritor e leitor adora. Apesar de algumas das coisas que faz, poderem ser criticadas e não aceites por muitos, as razões por trás disso superam as consequências...
O conhecimento, a informação e o amor que o Daniel Silva nos transmite é enorme, e a forma como o faz é espetacular.
Apesar de todos estes bons aspetos, penso que falta uma pitada de algo, talvez mais um pouco de suspense e imprevisibilidade no final.
4 estrelas sólidas !
Grabriel Allon é aquele que todos gostam, aquela pessoa que qualquer escritor e leitor adora. Apesar de algumas das coisas que faz, poderem ser criticadas e não aceites por muitos, as razões por trás disso superam as consequências...
O conhecimento, a informação e o amor que o Daniel Silva nos transmite é enorme, e a forma como o faz é espetacular.
Apesar de todos estes bons aspetos, penso que falta uma pitada de algo, talvez mais um pouco de suspense e imprevisibilidade no final.
4 estrelas sólidas !
May 25, 2024
I read this while I was watching a series on Netflix about the Cold War & how its effects continue to affect today’s political realities especially in regard to Putin’s Russia. Daniel Silva certainly knows how to write a spy thriller that has you staying up after midnight just to see what happens next. There is no doubting this novel is full of bad people being executed & to be honest, for most of the deaths, I silently cheered. But be warned that the main character, Gabriel Allon, can do things to people that make your blood go cold. He is like an avenging Angel, befitting to his name. The realities of Putin’s henchmen spreading their evil throughout the world is shown so well in this novel.
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