The English Assassin
Written by Daniel Silva
Narrated by Scott Campbell
4/5
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About this audiobook
The Unlikely Spy, Daniel Silva's extraordinary debut novel, was applauded by critics as it rocketed onto national bestseller lists. "Briskly suspenseful, tightly constructed...reminiscent of John le Carre's The Spy Who Came in From the Cold," said the New York Times. "Silva has clearly done his homework mixing fact and fiction to delicious effect and building tension - with the breathtaking double and triple turns of plot - like a seasoned pro," praised People. Now, Silva brings his considerable talent to his latest tale of danger and deception, The English Assassin.
When art restorer and occasional Israeli agent Gabriel Allon is sent to Zurich, Switzerland, to restore the painting of a reclusive millionaire banker, he arrives to find his would-be employer murdered at the foot of his Raphael. A secret collection of priceless, illicitly gained Impressionist masterpieces is missing. Gabriel's handlers step out of the shadows to admit the truth - the collector had been silenced - and Gabriel is put back in the high-stakes spy game, battling wits with the rogue assassin he helped to train.
Tense, taut, expertly crafted, and brimming with unexpected reversals, The English Assassin is Daniel Silva at his storytelling best.
Daniel Silva
Daniel Silva is the award-winning, No.1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-three novels, including The Unlikely Spy, The Confessor, A Death in Vienna, The Messenger, Moscow Rules, The Rembrandt Affair, The English Girl and The Black Widow. His books are published in more than thirty countries and are best sellers around the world. He lives in Florida with his wife, CNN special correspondent Jamie Gangel, and their two children, Lily and Nicholas.
More audiobooks from Daniel Silva
The Collector: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unlikely Spy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
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Reviews for The English Assassin
530 ratings24 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The English Assassin. Daniel Silva. 2002. This is the third Silva novel I have read. In this one art restorer/spy/assassin Gabriel Allon is called to Switzerland to restore a Rubens. What he finds is the body of the banker who had requested his services. As he searches for the murderer he is drawn into the world of Nazi art thefts during WWII and Switzerland’s role in bank rolling the Nazis and hiding the art which was considerable. I had no idea the Swiss were so helpful to the Nazis. It makes me angry. I should did out my copy of The Rape of Europa, and read it
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/54.5 Stars. An excellent read, that kept me wanting to turn the next page! Complex plot involving Nazi stealing of Works of art and Switzerland's involvement in this.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Gabriel Allon’s second outing finds him headed to Switzerland to restore a painting. When he arrives, he discovers his prospective employer dead in his study. Allon is swept up in a web of art theft and conspiracy that stretches back decades, revealing the dark side of Switzerland’s banking industry.I enjoy mysteries and thrillers about art and music and set in exotic locations. This book has plenty of all three. The author seemed to write himself into a corner a couple of times, though. The hero’s life was spared twice because two different villains had a pang of conscience and passed up opportunities to kill him.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Israeli art restorer/assasin Gabriel Allon is back, traveling to Switzerland to meet a man who needs a valuable painting restored. But the man is dead when Gabriel arrives, and the local police suspect he had something to do with it. And just like that we're off and running, from Switzerland to Portugal to Italy in a quest to find the truth behind the priceless art stolen from Jews during the Holocaust and hidden, perhaps, in secretive Swiss banks. Everywhere Gabriel goes for answers, he find another professional killer has been there before him, erasing the evidence he needs to uncover the truth. Like the first entry in this series, the plot hums right along and Gabriel, despite his lamentable side hustle, is an appealing and sympathetic figure.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This was my second Daniel Silva novel about the Israeli spy/art restorer Gabriel Allon. I enjoyed the book, but certainly don't think it was amazing. I find the characters Silva creates to be interesting, and the historical background of the Swiss involvement in the looting of both art and money of Jews during World War II. The plot itself seemed to be more like the background than the history, so it didn't necessarily make for the page-turner you would expect in a spy novel like this. I will continue reading this series and would recommend it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Book DescriptionThe Unlikely Spy, Daniel Silva's extraordinary debut novel, was applauded by critics as it rocketed onto national bestseller lists. Now Silva has outdone himself, with a taut, lightning-paced thriller rooted assuredly in fact: Switzerland's shameful WWII record of profiteering and collaboration with Nazi Germany.When art restorer and occasional Israeli agent Gabriel Allon is sent to Zurich, Switzerland, to restore the painting of a reclusive millionaire banker, he arrives to find his would-be employer murdered at the foot of his Raphael. A secret collection of priceless, illicitly gained Impressionist masterpieces is missing. Gabriel's handlers step out of the shadows to admit the truth-the collector had been silenced-and Gabriel is put back in the high-stakes spy game, battling wits with the rogue assassin he helped to train. Tense, taut, expertly crafted, and brimming with unexpected reversals, The English Assassin is Daniel Silva at his storytelling best.My ReviewDaniel Silva is an excellent writer and I found this book to have interesting characters, with a fast-moving plot and lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed traveling through countries with the characters and learning lots of history along the way. The book hooked me from the start and had lots of action all the way through. I look forward to reading the next installment and I highly recommend this series to those who love action-packed spy novels.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I like how the author made Christopher Keller an assassin with morals and honourable.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Well written and kept me turning pages. I really didn't buy the resolution though. 2nd in the gabriel allon series. Enjoyed the first. On the fence on whether to continue this series.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It keeps the pace, excitement and mystery going. As the reader knows there are more volumes in the series one know Allon survives - but the challenge of survival remains interesting. The possibility of a new love interest is exciting.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I really liked the subject of this one (Nazi-era looting of money, art and other valuables from Jews in occupied countries) but I felt like the wrap up was massively underwhelming. I'm hoping the loose ends from this one are tied up in a future book in the series.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Silva went to another level with this Gabriel Allon novel from his previous works. Great plot, great characters, great writing, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this gem....and, the intrigue will continue with the next novel as this one sort of leaves a few things hanging. This one just clicked with me.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Of the first three Gabriel Allon books that I have read (and loved all of them) The English Assassin is my favorite. There is a certain nuance to the storytelling where everything ultimately makes complete sense, but the twists and turns are completely unexpected. Gabriel's spycraft is as much intellectual as it is physical - and this is what makes these stories so gripping. He isn't just another superhero. He makes mistakes and he doesn't win every fight. But he perseveres and ultimately makes it through, but not always in the way we would expect. In addition, the artistic eye Silva brings to his storytelling is as beautiful as the art pieces he mentions. I have this entire series on my self and I expect I'm going to saver every single installment. The English Assassin is a book - and a series - everyone should give a try.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Art restorer and sometime spy Gabriel Allon is asked to visit Zurich, to clean the work of an Old Master for a millionaire banker. But when he gets there he finds the corpse of his client in a pool of blood beneath the masterpiece, and discovers that a secret collection of priceless paintings - stolen by Nazis in the war - is missing. With the Swiss authorities trying to pin the murder on Allon and a powerful cabal determined to make sure this wartime secret remains buried, the art restorer must use all his former spy skills to find out the truth. And with an assassin that he helped to train also on the loose, Allon will need all his wits just to stay alive.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gabriel Allon arrives in Zurich to restore the work of an Old Master for a millionaire banker named Augustus Rolfe and finds himself standing in the dead man's blood and framed for the his murder. In order to extricate himself from a web of suspicion, the art restorer and sometimes Israeli spy must find the murderer. His investigation leads to the English assassin, a former British soldier who has become a ruthless hired killer and a morally ambiguous character who is quite fascinating. Gabriel becomes involved in an investigation that involves a secret Swiss society, long-ago collaboration with Nazi Germany, and a quest to recover art treasures stolen by the Nazi's in WWII, all while guarding a beautiful and damaged violinist.
I've read all of the Gabriel Allon series (through #19 now) and I really enjoy them. Recently I've decided to listen to them all starting from the beginning and am now on the second one. It's interesting to revisit the early Gabriel knowing how things change for him in the future. This is a great series and the narrator, John Lee, does a wonderful job of voicing all the characters I've come to know and love/hate. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I think at first this book started a little slow for me. I like that the author didn't spend a lot of time going over the hero's past or what happened in the a previous book. In so many series the author recaps the past too much! But this book picked up pretty quickly. I love all the history in these books, this one in particular focuses on WWII & the lost art the Nazis stole. Very interesting!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5If you like thriller spy stories with death on most pages this is the book for you.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Silva improves his writing in this series (clearly shown in book 11 which I read first); this book was boring.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In this second book of the series, Israeli art restorer and spy, Gabriel Allon, is sent to Switzerland to restore a Raphael painting. When he arrives at the mansion where he has been sent, he finds the owner, Augustus Rolfe, has been murdered. Delving into the mystery, Gabriel goes to meet Rolfe's daughter Anna, who is a famous violinist. He learns that Rolfe had an extensive art collection in a well-protected basement that is now missing. As his investigation continues, a Swiss conspiracy of silence emerges regarding art stolen from the Jews during World War II. This was another fascinating, fast-paced thriller by Silva. I did not know much about the Swiss role in collaborating with and thereby supporting the Third Reich financially, or about their role in stealing Jewish-owned art. Indeed, I had no idea about how much art had been stolen. I actually went and did some online research on the subject after finishing the book, and I was astounded. That Swiss banking laws have these loopholes that allow Swiss banks and bankers to knowingly own stolen property is shocking. Anyway, I found the storyline intriguing and thought-provoking, and the action to be swift and decisive. I plan to keep on reading the series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In this second installment of the Gabriel Allon series we find our sensitive and scarred spy taking on the Swiss bankers who helped the Nazis during WWII and are still hiding old Jewish money and treasure under the boardwalks of Zurich. As in the first novel, "The Kill Artist (Gabriel Allon)", the reluctant Israeli spy Gabriel Allon is joined by a world famous woman, this time though she is a violinist named Anna Rolfe, on his adventures. As in his previous novels, Mr. Silva brings back characters he created in the "Silva Universe" which are always a pleasure to reacquaint with. The novel is a mystery within a mystery - after recovering some missing paintings Allon goes after the Swiss banking cartel that has been hiding them. In the midst of the all the globetrotting, Allon has to avoid assassination attempts from a worthy adversary, an English assassin, however the least said the better in order to avoid spoiling the story. Silva's narrative is fast paced and uncluttered. The book's descriptions are detailed but not over bearing and the action sequences are brutal and effective. The characters do not get lost within the book's descriptive prose; they are all individuals, rich and well rounded. The incredible historical research is pouring out of the book, the insight into the world of art restoring is distinct and refreshing, but still manages to be engrossing as well as entertaining. I felt that the first half of the book was much better than the second half which seemed, to me, to be stretched. However, this is a delightful read and as in the previous Silva books keeps the characters full of shades of gray - it's difficult to say who is the good guy or the bad guy because Silva makes a wonderful, even though not too convincing case, for each (except the Nazis of course).
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gabriel Allon Israeli Mossad agent steps into a mystery of who solved his latest benfactor. Another interesting twist on the Holocaust thefts of art. The characters are more interesting than the previous novel, but then so is the plot. There are several unlikely turn of events that I didn't like. And, I really would like to know more about 'the English Assassin'. He was one of the more interesting characters in the novel. I'd like to see him again.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Another good entry in this series. I wish they'd make one of these into a movie! The focus in this one moves away from the Israel/Palestine conflict and more into ramifications of the Holocaust. It's a nice switch. My one complaint is that I didn't really care for the female lead in this one. She was sort of on the flighty and annoying side. Not Gabriel's type at all!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gabriel Allon, art restorer, is called to Zurich to restore the painting of an old master. He finds the owner of the house dead. Through this, he meets the world famous violinst Anna Roffe and is introducted to the world of Swiss banking....
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I got to know the character a bit better, and the plot was more interesting.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Fantastic book. The story grabs hold of you and never let go. I love the character of Gabriel Allon.