![The Order (Gabriel Allon Series) by [Daniel Silva]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/519uxwI79rL.jpg)
From Daniel Silva, the
internationally acclaimed #1 New York Times–bestselling author, comes a
riveting new thriller featuring art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel
Allon.
It was nearly one a.m. by the time he crawled
into bed. Chiara was reading a novel, oblivious to the television, which
was muted. On the screen was a live shot of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Gabriel raised the volume and learned that an old friend had died …
Gabriel
Allon has slipped quietly into Venice for a much-needed holiday with
his wife and two young children. But when Pope Paul VII dies suddenly,
Gabriel is summoned to Rome by the Holy Father’s loyal private
secretary, Archbishop Luigi Donati. A billion Catholic faithful have
been told that the pope died of a heart attack. Donati, however, has two
good reasons to suspect his master was murdered. The Swiss Guard who
was standing watch outside the papal apartments the night of the pope’s
death is missing. So, too, is the letter the Holy Father was writing
during the final hours of his life. A letter that was addressed to
Gabriel.
While researching in the Vatican Secret Archives, I came upon a most remarkable book …
The
book is a long-suppressed gospel that calls into question the accuracy
of the New Testament’s depiction of one of the most portentous events in
human history. For that reason alone, the Order of St. Helena will stop
at nothing to keep it out of Gabriel’s hands. A shadowy Catholic
society with ties to the European far right, the Order is plotting to
seize control of the papacy. And it is only the beginning.
As
the cardinals gather in Rome for the start of the conclave, Gabriel sets
out on a desperate search for proof of the Order’s conspiracy, and for a
long-lost gospel with the power to put an end to two thousand years of
murderous hatred. His quest will take him from the Ponte Vecchio in
Florence, to a monastery in Assisi, to the hidden depths of the Secret
Archives, and finally to the Sistine Chapel, where he will witness an
event no outsider has ever before seen—the sacred passing of the Keys of
St. Peter to a newly elected pope.
Swiftly paced and elegantly
rendered, The Order will hold readers spellbound, from its opening
passages to its breathtaking final twist of plot. It is a novel of
friendship and faith in a perilous and uncertain world. And it is still
more proof that Daniel Silva is his generation’s finest writer of
suspense and international intrigue.
Another
wonderful Gabriel Allon book from Daniel Silva! This 20th book of the
series starts with the death of the sitting pope at the Vatican, and
some irregularities about the death noticed by the pope’s private
secretary. Simultaneously in Israel the wife of Gabriel Allon, head of
Israeli intelligence has gone to extraordinary lengths to engineer a
vacation with the family for her hard-working husband. Their destination
is Venice to visit her parents and spend some time in Italy – her home
country and a place where Gabriel lived and worked for years.
In a
previous book in the series Gabriel saved the life of the pope and is a
good friend of both the pope who has died and his private secretary
Luigi Donati. Once Gabriel and his family arrive in Italy, hang onto
your hats! Gabriel is drawn into investigating the circumstances
surrounding the pope’s death. This trail leads to some very rich and
powerful bad guys with a world-changing agenda. The mission is very
personal to Gabriel in several ways, so there goes the vacation! Gabriel
calls in the team from Israel to help, and we’re off on an adventure as
only Daniel Silva can write one. I have to stop reading every now and
again because the situation is so edgy it makes me nervous. After a few
minutes I’m reading again eager to see what happens next. The answer is a
lot, plus a surprise that I didn’t see coming at all!
The book also
has a subplot about what Gabriel’s life might look like after he
retires. Sounds lovely and calm – why do I doubt that?
I received a
free copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest
review. That said, I love the book, and have purchased a signed copy for
my home library, and also ordered the eBook version.
Interesting Friends To Say The Least
It
is a no travel summer for most of the world, but thanks to Daniel
Silva, you can go on a hair-raising, breathtaking, action packed, death
defying, utterly fascinating trip through Italy and its neighboring
countries as well as through several centuries of Christian history
without even packing a toothbrush. Perhaps now is the time to state that
I received a complimentary copy of The Order with the understanding
that I would review it honestly. This is an honest review, albeit from a
reader who has been following Mr. Allon through all of the previous
nineteen books and has been eagerly awaiting #20. If you are a newcomer
to the world of Gabriel Allon, there is sufficient background material
given to keep you from feeling lost as well as the delight of
encountering Mr. Silva's sense of humor, sometimes when you might least
expect it. The Order opens in Israel, but very quickly moves to Venice
because Gabriel, now running The Office, needs a vacation. He's always
been a bit of an overachiever, but over the last two years, he has
really outdone himself, and he is not getting any younger. Chiara, his
wife, also a trained agent, and mother of their twins, makes some plans,
and before you have turned very many pages, you are in Venice, Chiara's
home town, where her father is Chief Rabbi. She has even arranged a bit
of restoration work to keep the artistic side of her husband occupied.
They manage to enjoy a bit of relaxation, and then the Pope, a dear
friend of Gabriel's, dies. This is not a spoiler; it is the genesis of
the entire story, which is both a murder mystery and a search for an
ancient - if it ever really existed - book. Gabriel can hardly say no to
the plea from another close friend, Archbishop Donati, to come to Rome
because he suspects the Pope was murdered. A book, which has now
disappeared, had been found in the Secret Archives by the Pope, who was
planning to send it to Gabriel. Of course, it will only be for a night
or two; however, you will probably devour the book in less time than it
takes to sort out this mess which includes a missing member of the Swiss
Guard, the Order of St. Helena, a secret society with strong ties to
far right politicians all over Europe, and the book - a secret gospel
that could shake Christendom and the Catholic Church to its very roots.
We get to visit with some familiar faces from Rome, Switzerland and
eventually old friends from Israel. Meanwhile the Vatican power players
are slowly but surely trying to manipulate their candidate - there are
more than one - into the Shoes of the Fisherman. Of course, with
politics involved, there is also big money, powerful people inside and
outside the church, and secrets that go back 2000 years, and which the
ultra right inside and outside the Church wants to keep hidden from the
world. Daniel Silva reveals, reviews and reviles ancient lies which are
responsible for more than two centuries of death and destruction, murder
and mayhem This is an important book, and an utterly compelling one.
The Order might be my favorite in the series - at least until next year.
I
received a complimentary copy of The Order with the understanding that I
would review it honestly and honestly and without too many spoilers is
what I promise.
The Pope dies. That is not a spoiler! That is the
reason for everything else that transpires. Conveniently Gabriel Allon
is on a much needed vacation from The Office in Venice which was
covertly planned by his beautiful wife Chiara. The plan and we all know
about the best laid plans is for him to spend time relaxing, restoring
famous masters and enjoying his family in the city he loves. But he's in
Italy at the same time the Pope whom he also loves, and saved from
terrorists, dies. Or was he murdered? And Why? And that's where those
best laid plans go awry or shall we say flushed.
There transpires the
usual cloak and dagger and Gabriel being pulled into an investigation
that he tries to avoid. This time his wife is there with him. And since
she's a former Office trained agent and watcher who also has a history
degree and knows how to use a gun so who better to help. Of course they
can't do this alone and with the help of the Pope's trusted Secretary
Luigi Donati and the usual cast and characters of Rome and The Office he
is able to track down the truth about the death or was it murder?
Instead
of the politics of Washington, Russia and the UK (and believe me that's
a relief because we can always catch up with that on CNN and that world
famous journalist) this is about the politics of The Holy Catholic
Church which has a 2000 year history of politics and cover-ups and
murders to uncover dating back to the first murder; i.e. Jesus Christ.
And The Holy Mother Church and all the right wing Popes who will do
anything to ensure that they continue in power and that another upstart
like The Accidental Pope does not assume the Papacy. They, of course,
have powerful political pawns in other European countries who are
depending on them to right the ship, no pun intended there, and to keep
it 'right'. Germany, Italy, France all have politicians who play into
this and there's money involved. Big money of course and the people who
believe that the right must prevail and religion be damned; they will do
anything to ensure that they take the Papacy through bribery and ensure
that the countries of Europe return to the policies of their idol;
Adolf Hitler. Neo-Nazism never dies; it just hides. As we used to say in
the US in 1970's 'power corrupts; absolutely power corrupts
absolutely'.
Of course, there is a book to find. A lost gospel so to
speak that the Right has to keep hidden because it would show them for
the power hungry, right wing anti-Semites that they are. They've managed
with the help of The Order to keep it hidden until The Accidental Pope
discovers it with the help of someone like me who has a foot in both
Catholicism and Judaism. Because I grew up hearing the stories of Italy
and Facism and corruption of the Church and knowing that sometimes Jews
hid in plain sight, this story made so much sense to me. It was logical
as well as thrilling. Find the book, find the true story of that first
murder and you have a chance to end the hatred and right the wrongs of
history. Silva does that while keeping you on the edge of your seat. If
you've never read any of the series you can still read The Order; there
are enough references to the backgrounds of all the players without
getting bogged down in minutiae and boring long time readers.
Personally, I'm fond of the Easter Eggs that he drops in there. The
'famous journalist', the names of people the author loves (Nicholas in
one form or another because that's his son's name). My favorite writing
tool the author uses is repetition of phrases. They are always
meaningful, well placed and definitely never overdone.
In addition to
finding the lost book (gospel?) and the murderer? Gabriel Allon, who at
heart is a yenta and a restorer of souls as well as Old Masters finds a
way into a love triangle and a way to restore at least one soul to its
rightful place. Not everyone gets to be a Pope.
This one is my absolute favorite in the Gabriel Allon series.
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