Jonathan K (Max Outlier) > Recent Status Updates

Nicely done with the classic plot twist on the last pages. As stated previously these early episodes are more to my liking since Silva refrains from using formulaic plots as he does in the later ones. 5 star rating with brief review tomorrow

For fans of Allon who are aware Chris Keller in later books, this is one where he's an assassin with the assignment is to take out Anna Rolfe and Allon.. It's a true battle of who's got the goods and will win.

Good to learn all the details of the Venice terrorist attack on Allon that killed his son and sent his first wife to a psychiatric ward

Not bad but not great either. Reading about a high school bully and others isn't unique though using it as back story to a written crime confession most definitely is

One of his earlier stories, the stylish narrative shows evidence of skill by virtue of quirky characters and premise. Having disliked another he wrote, this appears to be better though time will tell.

I like it.. Stylish narrative and unique

These early ones are terrific. I'd decided to quit them after the repetitive plots from the later ones, but now I'll be reading those written in the early 2000s.

For those who enjoy Allon but failed to read the early books, I urge you hunt for them since they are superior to the later ones and in some ways far more compelling. I'd compare them to James Bond on steroids

Lots of action at this point and welcome.

When you read later episodes of a series before the early ones, it has you wonder about character back story. Here we learn about Christopher Keller when he was an assassin for Don Orsati pursuing Gabriel

Of the two books I've read, Pay it Forward, remains the favorite. And while this is inspired, the predictable element of the story was disappointing. Overall I'd say it's 3.75 stars. A brief review tomorrow.

Terrific.. Hearing the story about the Nazi theft of thousands of paintings reminds me of the film titled Monuments Men, starring George Clooney, Matt Damon and others!

On the same level as Pay it Forward, which is a compliment in itself.. A bit predictable but overall it's inspired and engaging

I would add that these early books reveal contentious relationships between Allon and those who will become his team of operatives in the future much like his challenges with the Shamron.. Not what I'd expected at all

I am finding the earlier episodes more to my liking then the later ones. Instead of constantly using billionaire hides terrorist finance behind his companies, and using girlfriend to trap him, we witness a variety instead.

Here in the second installment we get to learn about Anna Rolfe the concert violinist who appears again in episodes later in the series. Having read many of the later books this adds significantly to her back story. She will no doubt play a major role in the plot since her father is the one who was murdered

Interesting how in #2 Shamron is Director of the Office and known for being a liar and how different the relationship is with Allon who appears to hate him. In #8 their relationship is the polar opposite!

As the title would assume, instead of mideast terrorists, assassin is the name of the game. And so far Chiara has yet to enter the picture which means they haven't met yet

Classic Silva, this being the second installment it's the first time Allon meets Julian Isherwood and Oliver Dimbley which is fun in itself. But it became obvious he'd encounter a murder when he arrived in Zurich with the client gone out of town. Will be curious to see what follows

It's enjoyable but not what I'd call brilliant. Nicely paced and engaging

Definitely see tinges of Pay it Foward with this one since people with emotional scars is the focus

Decided to view her catalog of library books and am blown away by how prolific. Writing two to three books a year is epic!

When reading her bio on the back cover I realized I had read her best seller, Pay it Foward, since I loved the film and premise. This appears to be at the same level

Very nice. While I've been aware of her for ages, this is the first one I've delved into since I had little interest in her others.

Fun to explore the earliest iterations of a 20+ book series..what's apparent is Silva doesn't rely on the formulaic approach used in most of the recent ones which is a breath of fresh air

A true masterpiece much like the paintings Allon restores. If there are fans of Silva watching the progress I urge you to add this to your list. This is by far one of the best in the series! 6 star review tomorrow

Most definitely one of the best in the series! Silva hits a grand slam home run with this 17 year old episode!

Absolutely brilliant! Could be one of his best!