Comment

Aug 29, 2015zipread rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
The Heist --- by --- Daniel Silva. Refreshingly, Silva does not write with the chest-thumping bravado style one has come to expect of most of those who write today’s espionage novels. Not that this is entirely an espionage novel: not in the common sense. Rather Silva has crafted an elegant, intelligently written dealing with the world of art theft. The protagonist, one Gabriel Allon, Israeli intelligence agent and master restorer of oils, is drawn into the recovery of a recently stolen Carravaggio. The novel crafted thoughtfully; Silva’s characters are refreshingly self-deprecating and thoughtfully understating. Some even exhibit a sense of humour, however droll. The thing is, however, that this isn't the main story. What it's really about is a Syrian dictator and the money he and his family have sequestered in various parts of the world. And the Israeli secret service has audacious plans to make that money disappear. Their scheme is outrageously devious to say the least. In the best tradition of Mission Impossible, this novel certainly deserves to be read.