mystery

This is my first Silva book. It won't be my last. Within the first twenty pages I was caught in Silva's deceptively easygoing rhythm of writing. With thinly sliced scenes and sparsely evocative description, I soon felt I knew the people and places of which he writes.

"The Kill Artist" refers to Gabriel Allon, a former Israeli agent who has retreated to his world of art restoration. He is drawn back into service to track down a Palestinian terrorist named Tariq. With the help of a French/Jewish model and a handful of others, Gabriel must not only outwit his opponent, he must also battle his own guilt and demons of the past. With memorable characters such as Shamron, the Israeli secret service head, and Isherwood, the beleagured art collector, Silva draws us into a world of suspense and emotion. The motivations of Gabriel, "The Kill Artist," are believable. As are those of Tariq, the terrorist. The showdown between the two is worth every page.

I've long been a Ludlum and Le Carre fan. Where Ludlum seems melodramatic and over-the-top, where Le Carre seems cryptic and obtuse, Silva manages to mix tight plotting and action with thoughtful insights and characterisations. I couldn't have found a better new author. I've already purchased two of his other books.

Gabriel Allon is "the Kill Artist"; a former assassin who worked clandestinely for the Israeli government. When we first meet him he is living in a remote English seaside village and working as an art restorer, a cover he used frequently during his covert operations. He is soon called out of retirement by his former boss, Ari Shamron, head of Israeli intelligence, and a calculating man with his own agenda...one that may cost Gabriel his life. Ari needs Gabriel's talents to track down Tariq, an Palestinian assassin whose killing rampage is threatening the Middle East peace negotiations. Tariq and Gabriel have met before when Gabriel killed Tariq's brother in a very brutal manner, and Tariq avenged that death with a killing of his own...Gabriel's wife and son, making this a story of international intrigue and personal revenge. The stage is now set for a major showdown, but they must first cover three continents and weave through an array of cultures and characters to find each other. Gabriel is assisted by his former intelligence co-worker, a beautiful French girl named Jacqueline, whose family was killed in the Holocaust. Jacqueline is hesitant to join Gabriel on this assignment, but in the end it is love that prevails, and she plunges head first into Tariq's lair, a deadly trap that Gabriel may not be able to get her out of in time to save her life.

What I love about Daniel Silva is his smooth and uncomplicated style. He has a "rhythm" to his writing that hooks you somewhere in the beginning and stays with you long after you finish the book. It took me a little longer to warm up to these characters, probably because there isn't a lot happening in the way of relationships as there is in his other book _The Mark Of The Assassin_. Everyone is hiding behind their own specific job and agenda. They're all business. Still, the plot is riveting and the pace is solid.

4 and 1/2 stars. Highly recommended. His protagonist doesn't quite involve the readers as in his past works but this is definitely worth a buy.

The Good Lord has answered my prayers! Upon reading this very engrossing novel - The Kill Artist, I thought that I would never really find another author who could grip you in plots, twists and turns, killing methods, politics, love, human interplay, and then wrap it ALL in modern situations complete with political over and undertones..... BRAVO! MORE!!!! I look at my Jewish Brothers and Sisters in a different light after this novel!
ENCORE MORE BRAVO!!!!