Heart-stopping. (Washington Post)A literary powder keg. (Huffington Post )-An exceptional spy thriller, well written and timely, weaving history seamlessly into a sumptuous page-turner of a novel.... Longtime fans will revel in familiar faces... and Silvas understated but deft writing.... For newcomers, well, what are you waiting for? (Colleen Kelly, Minneapolis Star Tribune)Silva builds suspense like a symphony conductor.... A winner on all fronts. (Booklist, starred review)The Black Widow probably is the most important book of the summer, no matter who you are or where you live in America. (Hugh Hewitt)Slow-burn suspense.... We stayed up way too late... but we justified the sleeplessness as a learning opportunity: amidst the action, Silva gives a surprisingly thorough crash course in the history of ISIS and the Middle East. (iBooks s)To say that Daniel Silva is a best-selling author is a bit like saying Henry Aaron was a decent home-run hitter. (Dallas News)One of fictions greatest spies.... Allon remains as compelling as ever. A dark thriller for difficult times. (Kirkus, starred review)Fascinating, suspenseful, and bated-breath exciting. (Publishers Weekly, starred review)A stunning new thriller of high stakes international intrigue. Silvas most timely and powerful novel yet. (Broadway World)A bit James Bond meets Jason Bourne andsure to keep you on the edge of your seat. (D'Marge)From the Back CoverA Network of TerrorA web of DeceitA Deadly Game of VengeanceLegendary spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon is poised to become the chief of Israels 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 strikes again.They call him Saladin . . .He is a terrorist mastermind whose ambition is as grand as his nom de guerre, a man so elusive that even his nationality is not known. Shielded by sophisticated encryption software, his network communicates in total secrecy, leaving the West blind to his planningand leaving Gabriel no choice but to insert an agent into the most dangerous terrorist group the world has ever known. She is an extraordinary young doctor, as brave as she is beautiful. At Gabriels behest, she will pose as an ISIS recruit in waiting, a ticking time bomb, a black widow out for blood.About the AuthorDaniel Silvais the award-winning,#1New York Timesbestselling author of twenty novels, including The Unlikely Spy,The Confessor, A Death in Vienna, The Messenger, Moscow Rules, The Rembrandt Affair,The English Girland The Black Widow.His books are published in more than thirty countries and are best sellers around the world. He lives in Florida with his wife, CNN Special Correspondent Jamie Gangel, and their two children, Lily and Nicholas. how do i find a good book to read The Black Widow (Gabriel Allon)
373 of 390 people found the following review helpful. Wow! What a book!!By D.G.I started The Black Widow yesterday and finished it today because I couldnt put it down seriously, I only slept 3 hours last night because I had to keep going back to this book. Ive read every book in Daniel Silvas Gabriel Allon series, and this is one of the very best. The Black Widow takes the issue of ISIS head-on, dealing with things that have occurred already, and things that could occur, but hopefully wont. This book really resonated with me because it brings most of the action to the United States for the first time in the Allon series a nightmare scenario to be sure, but all the more interesting since were the subject. Also, the plot line of this book is well developed, crystal clear, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The book starts with a major act of terror by ISIS in France. In order to inherit a previously unknown Van Gogh painting willed to him by a prominent friend killed in the attack, the French government wants Gabriel to find the perpetrators. This leads the Office team to recruit a woman doctor in Jerusalem and train her to infiltrate ISIS. Its discovered that a major ISIS strike in the United States is imminent, and the intelligence services of Israel, Jordan, France, England, and the United States work together to try to stop it from occurring. Writing from Gabriel Allons Israeli perspective, Mr. Silva is blunt in characterizing the strengths and weaknesses of the countries intrinsic to the story, including ours. He is so well-informed and prescient about what the bad guys of the world are up to, that whenever I read any of Mr. Silvas books I wish they were required reading for everyone in government. That all this brilliant insight is given to us in the form of a story so well-written and engaging is Mr. Silvas unique talent. I even devour the authors notes and acknowledgements even these are interesting. I cant say any more than this if international intrigue and a great story are things you enjoy, this book will give it to you in spades. Buy the book its great!159 of 172 people found the following review helpful. "It's only a matter of time before they hit us again."By booklover10Daniel Silva's "The Black Widow" is a tragically timely novel that is all the more unnerving because it mirrors current events. France is rocked by a wave of terror, and European leaders are desperate to prevent further carnage. Gabriel Allon, who will be the next chief of the Israeli Secret Intelligence Service, undertakes what he believes to be a vital mission. He and his colleagues convince Dr. Natalie Mizrahi, a Jewish physician who is fluent in French and Arabic, to pose as Dr. Leila Hadawi, a woman who is willing to sacrifice her life to help ISIS defeat its enemies. Natalie's handlers hope that she will funnel vital information to them about planned attacks and the mastermind behind them.The book is set in such locales as Beirut, Syria, Israel, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Washington. Silva focuses less on Gabriel and his team's heroics than on the inner workings of ISIS. We observe with fearful anticipation as Natalie tries to pass as a true believer, knowing that if she makes a single misstep, she will be summarily executed. The villain is Saladin, a brilliant strategist whose code name is that of the fabled warrior known for uniting the Muslim world and liberating Jerusalem from the Crusaders. "The Black Widow" is dramatic, suspenseful, and chilling in its depiction of the ruthlessness and brutality of radical extremists, who will not lay down their arms until they bring Western civilization to its knees. They are Internet savvy, use social media to their advantage, and employ advanced encryption programs to avoid detection.Although there are scenes that depict Gabriel as a devoted husband and father and a talented art restorer, Silva concentrates more on politics and espionage than on personal matters. As usual, the author briefly recaps Gabriel's history for those who are new to the series. It is noteworthy that Allon's contributions to the mission are more cerebral than physical, since his days in the field may finally be behind him. "The Black Widow" is an adroitly crafted and dramatic portrayal of the ideological and religious war between ISIS and its adversaries. The democracies of the world are faced with a crisis. How can America and her allies hope to bring down sophisticated terror networks whose members are willing to do anything to advance their cause? Silva makes clear that, in an open society, it is impossible to protect every home, park, office, school, and restaurant from assaults by suicide bombers who eagerly embrace a culture of death. Daniel Silva has written a suspenseful, fast-paced, and frightening thriller that is likely to become one of his most widely read works of fiction to date.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Not Silva's BestBy PBI want to start out by saying I love Daniel Silva, I've read all of his books but I was disappointed in this one. Now don't get me wrong, it's a good read, but like others here have stated it filled with "wordy" sentences that seem to me IMHO to be "fillers" to lengthen the book.The story line takes us thru the insertion of a mole into a terrorist group, then as luck would have it, things go wrong and Gabriel must get the mole out. I am being vague so as not to ruin it for you, but this book does not "flow", the problem is the wordy descriptive sentences that ruin the flow of the plot and constant explanations of past things from other books in this series. I realize that Mr. Silva does need to explain certain aspects so that the reader can pick a book from the series and not necessarily read them in order but IMHO this book could have been 150 pages if not for the wordy explanations from past books. It almost seems to me to be a synopsis of his other books. Having said that, it is eerie how this book does "mirror" some of the events that have taken place in today's world.This is not a bad book, but it's not one of Mr. Daniel Silva's best, he's a great author, but having read his other books, I guess I've gotten spoiled from his previous fast pace, action packed, suspense , twist filled books that this one seems like a let down.I would say to you read it, it's not bad but wait until the price goes down, it's not worth $15 of your hard earned money.