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elwoodradley's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 rounded up to 5. This was a lot of fun. Gabriel Allon is fast becoming one of my favorite characters. I love the plot, the pacing how Silva weaves in history, art, music and more into it all. These are a treat to read.
longhornrach's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
duparker's review against another edition
4.0
Silva is a great writer. The plot and floow are on target and the story is realistic. I like that there isn't any political overtone. Good clean thriller fun.
jmoses's review against another edition
4.0
It's good. I'm interested in how Allon develops as a real person.
i11iane's review against another edition
5.0
This was what turned me on to Daniel Silva. The Gabriel Allon series is intense and rich, written with great detail and fabulous character development. Not for everyone as some might find this just too much and too wordy, but I love his work.
airballmill's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
algae429's review against another edition
4.0
Very good. I appreciated the trek through various cities in Europe and it was neat to figure out the mystery. The ending was a bit of a let down - I wanted Gabriel to win and meet the Englishman, but I'm looking forward to more of this character.
jacki_f's review against another edition
2.0
I am working my way through the Gabriel Allon series. This is the second book of what is now fifteen with presumably more to come.
The English Assassin picks up a year after the events of The Kill Artist. Allon has returned to Cornwall and his work as an art restorer. He travels to Zurich for a work assignment, but when he arrives there he discovers that his client, a wealthy Swiss banker, is dead and he is promptly arrested in connection with the murder. Allon is then drawn into an investigation of why the banker was killed which leads into the search for artworks stolen by the Nazis and missing since WW2.
While the book starts well, I found it hard going. Allon bounds all over Europe in a way that doesn't make a lot of sense and the secondary characters - particularly Anna Rolfe - never come together as real people. There are also huge plot holes and fortuitous coincidences that never ring true. While I intend to keep going with this series, this is definitely not as strong as the first book.
The English Assassin picks up a year after the events of The Kill Artist. Allon has returned to Cornwall and his work as an art restorer. He travels to Zurich for a work assignment, but when he arrives there he discovers that his client, a wealthy Swiss banker, is dead and he is promptly arrested in connection with the murder. Allon is then drawn into an investigation of why the banker was killed which leads into the search for artworks stolen by the Nazis and missing since WW2.
While the book starts well, I found it hard going. Allon bounds all over Europe in a way that doesn't make a lot of sense and the secondary characters - particularly Anna Rolfe - never come together as real people. There are also huge plot holes and fortuitous coincidences that never ring true. While I intend to keep going with this series, this is definitely not as strong as the first book.