Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I started The Black Widow yesterday and finished it today because I couldn’t put it down – seriously, I only slept 3 hours last night because I had to keep going back to this book. I’ve read every book in Daniel Silva’s 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 won’t. 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 we’re 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. It’s 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 Allon’s 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. Silva’s 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. Silva’s unique talent. I even devour the author’s notes and acknowledgements – even these are interesting. I can’t 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 – it’s great!