The English Assassin: Summary and book reviews of The English Assassin by Daniel Silva, plus links to an excerpt from The English Assassin and a biography of Daniel Silva.

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 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.

Media Reviews

Kirkus Reviews A sensitive hero, a sturdy historical backstory, action aplenty, lots of glam locations - will most likely to impress readers who'll be shocked, shocked to imagine that those Swiss bankers might have aided the Nazis, and might be covering their tracks even now.   Library Journal Silva's latest follows spies, sellers, lovers, and historians to a chilling climax.   Booklist - Mary Frances Wilkens Silva, who writes with the atmospheric grace and whiplash tension of le Carre, 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.   Publishers Weekly Starred Review. As a historical framework, the secrets of the Bahnhofstrasse are well-trod territory, yet Silva's sophisticated treatment - polished prose, an edgy mood, convincing research - gives his plot a crisp, almost urgent quality. Former President George Bush Daniel Silva does his homework and puts his readers into the middle of very real life and death situations. But I have one major complaint about his writing: He's so darn good you can't wait for the next book to come out.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by Lenora
Enjoyed, but unhappy with depiction of
I enjoyed this even more than The Secret Servant (which I liked enough to want to read more of Silva's books.) The character development was richer, and the story was suspenseful from beginning to end. However, I wish that the author had not...   Read More

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