Name: Michael W's review of The Black Widow by Daniel Silva
Item: The Black Widow
Rating: 2
Author: Michael W

Daniel Silva

#1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva delivers another stunning thriller in his latest action-packed tale of high stakes international intrigue featuring the inimitable Gabriel Allon. From its shocking opening in Paris, The Black Widow reveals itself as Silva’s most timely and powerful novel yet. Master novelist Daniel Silva has thrilled, entertained and educated readers with eighteen thoughtful and gripping spy novels featuring a diverse cast of compelling characters and ingenious plots that have taken them around the globe and back—from the United States to Europe, Russia to the Middle East. His brilliant hero, Gabriel Allon—art restorer, assassin, spy—has joined the pantheon of great fictional secret agents, including George Smiley, Jack Ryan, Jason Bourne, and Simon Templar. Following the success of his smash hit The English Spy, The Black Widow showcases Silva’s consummate skill and brilliant imagination, and is sure to be a must read for both his multitudes of fans and growing legions of converts.

The Black Widow

Keernan Lanismore

Michael W

Gabriel Allon faces ISIS in the latest installment, and there are flashes of the old brilliance. First, the positives. Silva can still craft a stylish, well-paced thriller, complete with exotic locales and bureaucratic politics. He is adept as ever in constructing the set-pieces that keep the plot marching forward. Some aspects of the plot bore an, at times, almost uncomfortably close resemblance to reality, given Paris and Nice and Munich and Orlando, and all the others. Natalie is a compelling character and he deftly and believably portrays the mental gymnastics required of such a dual life. I found Saladin to be a largely fascinating antagonist, even if he was always a bit too clever.

Unfortunately, Silva has done his art, this story, and the beloved Gabriel Allon a disservice with vast swathes of this novel. Allon, far from being the complex, tortured and delicate killer of past installments is here instead collapsed into a one-dimensional mouthpiece of the Bibi/Fox News set. Silvia's unabashed contempt for President Obama drips from the pages, and Allon is the vehicle he has hijacked to highlight it. From his tiresome and repetitious references to the President's ill-advised "jayvee" comment to his grim approval of "enhanced interrogation techniques" (i.e., torture), significant portions of this novel would best be shelved next to the screeds of Michael Savage, Anne Coulter and Dinesh D'Souza. Silva even manages to fit an appreciative shoutout to the 2nd amendment (even whilst terrorists wreak havoc using legally obtained assault rifles). 

His portrayal of a Israel of stern-faced killers under siege by stab-happy fanatics at every turn, while perhaps understandable given the profession of the protagonists, also unfortunately belies the vivacity and optimism of the Israel I know. 

The novel exhibits many of the elements of his finer, more nuanced, and more entertaining works and maintains his assured pacing and styling for the most part. But its better elements are undermined consistently and distractingly by Silva's naked political agenda and his neutering of his greatest character in service to a hackneyed, Fox Newsy agenda.

Simon Harrison

Quite fun, took me a long time. 3 more to go...

Gigi V

Kevin Raymakers

Winnie Reads

#1 NYT Bestseller #1 USA Bestseller #1 WSJ Bestseller An Amazon Editors' Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Best Fiction Book of the Year An iBooks Book of the Month “Fascinating, suspenseful, and bated-breath exciting…. Silva proves once again that he can rework familiar genre material and bring it to new life.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review “Silva builds suspense like a symphony conductor.... A winner on all fronts.” — Booklist, starred review #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva delivers another spellbinding international thriller—one that finds the legendary Gabriel Allon grappling with an ISIS mastermind. Gabriel Allon, the art restorer, spy, and assassin described as the most compelling fictional creation "since Ian Fleming put down his martini and invented James Bond" (Rocky Mountain News), is poised to become the chief of Israel’s secret intelligence service. But on the eve of his promotion, events conspire to lure him into the field for one final operation. ISIS has detonated a massive bomb in the Marais district of Paris, and a desperate French government wants Gabriel to eliminate the man responsible before he can strike again. Acclaimed novelist Daniel Silva has thrilled, entertained and educated readers with eighteen thoughtful and gripping spy novels featuring a diverse cast of compelling characters and ingenious plots that have taken them around the globe and back—from the United States to Europe, Russia to the Middle East. From its shocking opening to its explosive denouement in Washington, D.C., The Black Widow reveals itself as Silva’s most timely and powerful novel yet. Following the success of his smash hit The English Spy, this electrifying thriller showcases Silva’s consummate skill and brilliant imagination, and is sure to be a must read for his multitude of current and future fans.

Keernan Lanismore &
The Black Widow by Daniel Silva

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Keernan Lanismore &The Black Widow by Daniel Silva

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Join the club

Keernan Lanismore &
The Black Widow by Daniel Silva