THE OPEN BOOK continued
THE OPEN BOOK con't. next column THE OPEN BOOK con't. next column
THE OPEN BOOK continued
Free Consultations
Call 910-684-1588
The Other Woman
by Daniel Silva
Book Review by Yvonne Mott
Daniel Silva’s latest thriller
returns readers to another entertaining
spymaster classic that spans the world. Starting
with a Russian spy traveling in Eastern Europe,
Budapest is the latest backdrop for the start of
Silva’s new novel. Once again Gabriel Allon is
the main character. A short 5 foot 8 inches, with
unusual green eyes, Gabriel does not appear to
be the lethal assassin he has become. Gabriel,
as an art restorer of famous masterpieces, is the
Israeli Chief Intelligence Officer at the center of
the story as it starts to unwind in Vienna with an
unexplained assassination of the head of station
in Austria.
Gabriel meets up with Eli Levon, an older
trained intelligence officer whose unkempt
looks deceive most that he is also a lethal
assassin. Eli is a long time loyal friend and
partner to Gabriel, providing an array of skills
that keep him close to the action as seen in
many former books.
The game of spies and international
intrigue begins to unfold with the defection
of the Russian spy named Kirov who is given
sanctuary in the United Kingdom. With an array
of characters who have accompanied Gabriel
in other stories, Silva adds a few new ones that
bring intrigue and mystery to the story by not
immediately revealing their roles and agendas.
Gabriel’s predecessor Navot is a senior
advisor and head of Israeli Intelligence residing
at King Saul’s Blvd. Navot is always present at
headquarters whereas Gabriel prefers being
hands–on in the field at the center of activity.
New to the list of characters is a mysterious
Russian woman who was exiled to a small village
in Spain. She is a known communist living in a
place which has no resemblance to her previous
Paris apartment. She is under the guidance of
a known SVC officer, Comrade Lavrov. All other
details of her life are yet to be exposed which
adds to the intrigue and speculation as to what
she will be contributing to the plot.
Graham Seymour is a British Intelligence
officer with M16 and a familiar character
and a longtime ally of Gabriel’s. Graham is an
important piece of the puzzle when it comes
to who can be trusted and which secrets are
important. The presence of a mole has brought
finger pointing to the international agencies,
as well as serious concern to Israel as this now
becomes the focus of the novel.
Alstair Hughes, an American in Vienna
and head of station, is a serious concern to
both British and Israeli intelligence, becoming
a person of interest as a possible spy. The
discovery of his activity flagging secrets to
Russian intelligence warrants careful watching
by both agencies.
Christopher Keller is a British officer and
another ally of Gabriel’s. The two of them have a
long history together, becoming trusted friends
and dependable partners in the intelligence
community.
Rebecca Manning is the Washington head
of station for British Intelligence, M16, and a
seasoned professional spy respected by the
other intelligence agencies.
The large spy agencies of Britain, the United
States, Russia and Israel are each involved in this
new thriller keeping with Silva’s international
playing field. Many character roles were
developed in previous books and new faces
are weaved in and out of this novel providing
intrigue and mystery furthering the twists that
are in abundance throughout the book. Secrets
are held by each character and not trusting each
other is the norm.
The heads of each station have their own
agendas as they depend on each other yet all is
not as it would seem. The reader is kept guessing
as to what will happen next. The need to pay
attention to detail is a must.
The elusive mole in the heart of Western
Intelligence is the cause of disruption. The reader
is kept wondering as to the mole’s identity. The
plot continues to unfold with plenty of twists,
turns and double crosses.
The unexpected is a special tool of Silva’s
to keep his avid fans turning the pages with
excitement. The Other Woman in the story will
be another addition to his new characters as her
part in the story is developed and new secrets
Whether a first time reader or a loyal follower
nothing can be taken for granted as Daniel Silva
adds another superior spy thriller to his ever
growing reputation as a spymaster. ☐
Yvonne was
born, raised
and educated
in the Detroit,
M i c h i g a n
area. Her
w o r k i n g
career was
spent in the
Information
Technolog y
s e c t o r ,
retiring from
Compuware
are revealed.
Corporation as Managing Director.
Yvonne has traveled extensively
throughout Europe, the Mediterranean
and Caribbean. She enjoys following
her favorite sports teams and still roots
for the Detroit Lions!
"Detective Bird Suddenly Senses Something
Sinister Was Watching Him."
By L.S. Crain, S.Pines resident 1989-2017,
now lives in Taylors, SC, his birthplace.
Every man's work, whether it be
literature, or music or pictures
or architecture or anything else,
is always a portrait of himself.
~ Samuel Butler ~
T
No. 135 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. p.31