Review: The Black Widow (Gabriel Allon, #16) by Daniel Silva

The Black Widow by Daniel Silva
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Daniel Silva has entertained and even educated us, throughout the last 15 novels featuring the brilliant and enigmatic hero, Gabriel Allon - Israeli intelligence agent, super spy extraordinaire, art restorer, family man. We have been taken on journeys to different places throughout the globe, met a cast of varied, interesting and compelling characters. Creative and inventive plots filled with present day situations and past history that affects our lives today.

The Black Widow, the latest 16th book in the Gabriel Allon series takes frightening and believable to new a new level.....the fictional events that begin with a shocking bombing in Paris that reveals the growing terrorist threat to world peace, take you to the dark world of ISIS, the disturbing brainwashing of young people to join a cause filled with hate and death, is so plausible and relatable.

It was interesting to read that the author had written this book before the bombings in France took place this year. I am so impressed by the research that is done with each book that he has written. The vivid imagery is truly astounding. Powerful.

“ISIS doesn’t crucify only because it is cruel. It crucifies because, according to the Koran, crucifixion is one of the proscribed punishments for the enemies of Islam. It crucifies because it must. We civilized Westerners find this almost impossible to comprehend.”

It seems that this may be the last book in the Allon Series, which makes me feel pretty sad. I have loved this series for years and Gabriel Allon has become one of my favorite fictional secret agents. Hopefully he will make a "guest" appearance in future books.

A dark ,disturbing and brilliantly written story

“Take the operation, Gabriel—for Hannah Weinberg, if for no other reason. Get inside the network. Find out who Saladin really is and where he’s operating. And then put him down before another bomb explodes.”

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Review: The English Spy (Gabriel Allon, #15) by Daniel Silva

The English Spy by Daniel Silva
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In his latest book, The English Spy, Daniel Silva combines a spellbinding narrative together with historical content, this global and thrilling adventure, makes the 15th novel in his Gabriel Allon Series another incredibly suspenseful and intriguing story.

From the riveting opening of chapter 1....

Stretched topless upon the foredeck, drink in hand, her flawless skin baking in the sun, was the most famous woman in the world. And one deck below, preparing an appetizer of tuna tartare, cucumber, and pineapple, was the man who was going to kill her. .

- you will be kept glued to your seat whilst turning the pages, eagerly waiting for .....what happens next!!!!

When the beautiful and beloved princess, who happens to be the ex-wife of England's future king is killed by a bomb placed on the yacht she's vacating on, Gabriel Allon, Israeli superspy, intelligence agent and world renowned art restorer, together Christopher Keller, ex British SAS veteran, now professional assassin, whom we met previously in The English Girl, are asked by British Intelligence to help them find the killer, Emon Quinn, who has a past history with both of them.

The author has created a realistic and complex world that begins in the beautiful and glamorous Saint Barthélemy island to the iconic places in London, to the dark and mean and dangerous streets of Belfast, Vienna, Lisbon and the place that holds a special place and that we first discovered the 1st book in the Series - the cottage atop the Cornwall cliffs, with the most thrilling end in Argentina.

One of the things I enjoy about this series is how each story feels so believable and plausible. The plot occurs over a period of time, showing both the exciting and the boring parts of the life of a spy....

“life of a professional spy as one of constant travel and mind-numbing boredom broken by interludes of sheer terror.”

A riveting story that you won't be able to put down.

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Review: Killer Dreams by Iris Johansen (Goodreads Author)

Killer Dreams by Iris Johansen
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

The story starts with an interesting prologue but by chapter 2 or three - I began to feel something like this............ I started skimming ......and more skimming.............

The plot is a somewhat unbelievable.....I lost most of the plot before I got halfway!!!
But the most irritating thing about this book, was the heroine!!! Everyone around her is trying to help her and her son from some really bad bad guys.....and all she does is whine, moan..........and is beyond totally ungrateful! She drove me absolutely crazy!!!!

She's suppose to be this smart scientist but hell, she behaves more like a "banshee"!! In fact, I wanted to advise the hero to wring her neck and get on with his program!!!

Though we meet up with some of the characters from the Eve Duncan Series....Joe Quinn, Jane Maguire and others, it's not really part of the series and can be read as a standalone.......though I cannot in all honesty recommend this book.........if you don't read it...you won't miss out on anything exciting.

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