Reviews

The English Girl by Daniel Silva

tep1997's review against another edition

4.0

Another excellent Gabriel Allon adventure. Not as riveting as some previous novels, but good nonetheless.

ladyaylesworth's review against another edition

4.0

Once again, Silva puts out a brilliant piece of literature. What an amazing plot! My stomach was in knots as I flipped the pages to keep on top of the speed and suspense. Love this series.

readback's review against another edition

3.0

I'm not sure what the hype is all about. I give it three stars because the writer's competence makes up for what the book lacks. I'm finding it difficult to trust rating systems and reviews in general. Expectations have reached new lows. Publicity pushes mediocre books into bestseller territory. I found this novel provided an average reading experience. Exposition was rife with references to previous novels in the series. Part Two consisted of yet more expository material; I felt I'd entered another novel. I figured out the "big twist" before the end of the first part, then had to wait hundreds of pages for it to play out. I didn't find the main character compelling. It took me a while to get through it, as I lost motivation to continue half-way through Part Two. Cookie-cutter assassins, mundane observations about global politics, and a slow-moving plot made it a bit dull. He's a decent writer, but I'd prefer Le Carre any day. Nice cover, but I wouldn't judge the book by it.

kalenj's review against another edition

4.0

I very much liked the early Gabriel Allon books. While later ones have seemed roughly equivalent in quality, Silva's adherence to the plot formula for the series made them increasingly repetitive. I was delighted to find the author breaking out of his mold with The English Girl. I look forward to seeing if he continues to explore new plots in future installments.

rwalks's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

3.75

irenesuamar's review against another edition

4.0

Read it in a flash because it was impossible to put down. A real page turner. I have no read any of the Gabriel Allom, so not sure how this book compares to previous ones but I found it really entertaining.

askatknits's review against another edition

5.0

If you ask me which story from the Allon series did Gabriel hit is stride... it will be this book. Gosh, it was just so good seeing the culmination of all the work from the previous novels finally settle into place... and finally for Gabriel to be comfortable with that culmination.

As always, Allon's wisdom and smarts are the best bits of the writing. And coming closely behind that are the relationships he builds with those around him and how he never, ever holds a grudge.

chriswbennett's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

tomasthanes's review against another edition

5.0

Again, a good read with good characters and plot.

Spoiler

I did guess early on that Madeline did not die in the fiery trunk of the car.

This book, the thirteenth in the series, is probably my favorite in the series for several reasons:

Spoiler

Chiara scheming with Shamron to have Gabriel be the next chief of Israeli Intelligence, the friendship between Graham Seymour and Gabriel as they both lead their country's intelligence services (I wished the U.S. had been part of this), and the twins in Chiara.

I'm looking forward to the next book.

adameriks's review against another edition

tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0