From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unlikely Spy, Daniel Silva, comes a taut, lightning-paced thriller rooted assuredly in fact: Switzerland's shameful World War II 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. 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 Carré'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. Tense, taut, expertly crafted, and brimming with unexpected reversals, The English Assassin is Daniel Silva at his storytelling best.
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"This second book in the Gabriel Allon series deals, among other things, with the gnomes of Zurich and the role Switzerland played in WWII as ostensibly neutral but actually a facilitator of the Nazi looting of art and Jewish moneys. Reading this reminded me that I have intended for some time to read Lynn Nicholas' seminal work The Rape of Europa: The Fate of Europe's Treasurer in the Third Reich and the Second World War."
— Ann (4 out of 5 stars)
“A cloak-and-dagger tale [that] moves at a brisk clip, with clean, lucid exposition and characters who are thoughtfully drawn.”
— New York Times“The plot is rich, multilayered and compelling with issues as timely as the daily headlines and problems as old as humankind…Silva maintains tension and suspense.”
— Denver Post“Enthralling…A thriller that entertains as well as enlightens.”
— Orlando Sentinel“Silva’s sophisticated treatment, polished prose, an edgy mood, and convincing research give his plot a crisp, almost urgent quality.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Thrilling…A good, cinematic story.”
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch“Silva, who writes with the atmospheric grace and whiplash tension of le Carré, brings something special to the spy thriller: a multifaceted, believable hero whose sideline, spying, is only as intriguing as his regular job, restoring Old Masters…[Allon’s] investigation leads to the English assassin, a rogue terrorist whose casual killings (his send-off gift to his lovers is explosives in their luggage) are breathtakingly orchestrated. Silva makes a stunning contribution to the spy thriller.”
— Booklist (starred review)“[A] spine-tingling plot…Fueled by intense, fast, and unrelenting action, Silva’s latest follows spies, sellers, lovers, and historians to a chilling climax.”
— Library Journal" Skillful writing. If you enjoyed the Bourne movies read the book. "
— Pedro, 2/18/2014" I love this series and read them all. "
— Chadron, 2/18/2014" Gabriel Allon, painter and restorer, "
— Andrea, 2/17/2014Daniel Silva is the acclaimed author of more than two dozen fiction thrillers that have been #1 New York Times bestsellers and Barry Award winners. He is best known for his long-running series starring spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon. His books are critically acclaimed bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than thirty languages.
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.