Preeta Chag

Publisher: Harper Collins

Another thriller from Daniel Silva in the Gabriel Allon series.

The book begins with the  death of Viktor Orlov, a Russian defector and a critic of the Kremlin in UK  poisoned by a deadly nerve agent.  In search of his killer, Gabriel Allon sets in motion a  complex operation to corner and ensnare the Russian political powers purportedly behind his death.

Enter Isabel……..the cellist. Working for the Rhine Bank  which is not so clean and is notorious for money laundering, she becomes an accomplice to Gabriel Allon to bring down the  curtains on the bank and the Russian powers who are not only laundering money through the bank but are also trying to influence and bring down democracy in the USA. Yes… the book is set in very near present times with American elections, the riots on Capitol Hill and the ever hanging cloud of COVID 19.  

Daniel Silva has talked in an interview after the release of the book of how the riots on Capitol Hill  on January 6, 2021made him make major changes to the draft as he felt compelled to include it in the book (https://www.today.com/video/author-daniel-silva-reveals-how-jan-6-riot-changed-his-new-thriller-the-cellist-116691013603).

The book is  fast paced and an easy read. However, the complex financial transactions which span countries and continents are difficult to comprehend. Also the author has blatantly weaved in  allegations about the former American president  and a lot of political statement are being made.

All said and done,  Gabriel Allon has been one of the most  successful spy characters created in contemporary times and is always a must read.