Now, I'm going to add Daniel Silva's The Fallen Angel: A Novel (Gabriel Allon Book 12).
Book 12. You read that right. I jumped in at Book 12 because my friend, Kris, told me too.
Gabriel Allon is a world-renowned art restorer AND an Israeli intelligence agent. Artist/Spy. Are you hooked yet?
The story opens with our hero restoring a Caravaggio. (I adore Caravaggio. The Conversion of St. Paul is my favorite.) In the Vatican! For the Pope!
But wait! A body has been found in St. Peter's Basilica. Did she jump from the dome balustrade? Or was she pushed? Gabriel Allon is called away from his painting to solve the murder.
What starts out as a murder mystery ends up as a race to stop Islamist terrorists focused on attacking both Jews and Christians on Good Friday, in Jerusalem. And the Pope just happens to be visiting the Holy Land right at the same time!
Patrick read this one first, and he agreed. It's a great fast-paced novel. Prime for making the leap to the big screen.
If all adult books were like this one, and the one I reviewed two weeks ago, I'd seriously think about quitting my kid book habit. As it stands, I've got the first Gabriel Allon book, The Kill Artist, on my Kindle from the library. But don't tell Patrick.
Silva's book is an adult book. Allon is married, and there are some mentions of bedroom moments. I'm letting my 18 year old son read it, but I hesitate to say it's appropriate for all teens.
The Fallen Angel is also extremely interesting because it deals with Islamist terrorists, governments, and many problems of the Middle East. Sound like anything else you've been reading about lately?
"The last time" my friend, Kris, went to Rome, she and her husband ate at La Cave, the restaurant next door to the Art Squad of the Italian Carabinieri, the same restaurant that Gabriel eats at early in the novel. Fan-girl geeking out, right here!
I am also thrilled with the author's notes at the end of the book in which he thanks "my dear friend, George Weigel" the biographer of St. John Paul the Great. Patrick has met George, and Patrick's cousin works with George.
So maybe...George, Daniel, Kris, and I (and maybe our spouses) could all have dinner together sometime. At La Cave. It could happen.
*I'm updating this post to add the following:
One more thing. I read the first Gabriel Allon book, The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva, and it wasn't nearly as clean, or as good a read as Fallen Angel. The Kill Artist has lots of sex. Allon is still a virtuous man (though he hasn't always been) but the bad guys in this book like to use and sometimes abuse women. Consider yourself warned.
You give the best book recommendations! I'm adding this one to my "to read" list, too! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteJessica, I don't know if you truly understand your worth. I don't know how you get all these great book recs, but you share winners every. Single. Time. You are a gem. Totally going to try and get this at the library.
ReplyDeleteI made the blog!! Woohoo--almost as fun as reading one of Silva's novels! I shared my love for this book with Houswifespice after my husband and I got back from Rome. She encouraged me to send my first admiration (stalking) email to D. Silva letting him know that I used his book as my tour guide while in Rome! His assistant wrote me back expressing Daniel's gratitude for my enthusiasm--I'll take it! Piazza di Sant'Ignazio really does house a beautiful church (Sant'Ignazio), Le Cave, and the Carabinieri! Yes, Housewifespice, dinner at Le Cave with Daniel, George, and our men sounds fabulous to me!!
ReplyDeleteWow--sounds like a great read, and all too appropriate for the times!
ReplyDeleteWhat a coincidence! My 16 year old son and I got hooked on this series this summer at our cabin. We listened to two of the books on tape during the car rides and read several other. I love them. But, I will caution you that Daniel Silva has what I perceive to be a slight negative view of the Catholic Church, specifically the role it played in not helping Jews during the Holocaust and helping Nazis flee Germany for Argentina after the war. I don't know enough about the true history except that Daniel Silva is not giving the whole story. My son has read more of the books than me and he quit the second book "The Confessor" midway and told me no way do I want to read it. But I still like the series: great characters, excellent debate about how to combat terrorism, wonderful settings, and good versus evil with good winning.
ReplyDeleteI started them out of order but had to go back and start them again. Michelle is right about the negativity about Catholicism in the three books (English assassin, confessor, death in Vienna). As a devout catholic I really struggled with the very harsh criticism especially since it is a novel and not a historical piece. It is hard to know how much is true & what is contrived for the sake of a good story. He seems to leave that theme behind (thankfully!$ and prince of fire is excellent. I am hooked!
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