Master spy Gabriel Allon is about to hang up his guns. You see, within the next month, he will become a father again, and soon thereafter he will become the chief of The Office, the nickname of Israel’s secret intelligence service. His days in the field are numbered. In fact, he should have already worked his last operation, but when a British princess is aboard a yacht that explodes at sea, his friend from MI6, Graham Seymour, reaches out for help once again. They need the best to find the princess’s killer, and Gabriel is undeniably the best.

"THE ENGLISH SPY is a surefire blockbuster among this summer’s releases. It no doubt will shoot to the top of the charts, with Gabriel Allon taking care of some very nasty business in ways that will make you want to read with only one eye open, but also will make you want to cheer."

It takes no time to finger the killer as a longtime IRA guy, Eamon Quinn. In fact, it almost seems as though Quinn stamped his identity on clues so that Gabriel knew who to come after. An old enemy. And an old enemy of his new friend Christopher Keller, the English assassin with whom Gabriel worked in THE ENGLISH GIRL. The two make a lethal team, especially when fueled by a double dose of revenge. But is their quarry one step ahead of them, or is he baiting them? They must use extra caution, for Quinn’s reputation as brutal and remorseless precedes him. And he is cunning without a conscience. Besides, Quinn has a score to settle with Gabriel and Keller, too. But is Quinn a lone wolf, or does he have the backing of even more deadly men? Gabriel and Keller have both amassed a long list of people wanting to eliminate them. Now more than ever, each step they take is as dangerous as walking through a minefield.

Men set on a course of revenge sometimes see what they want to see. They sometimes misinterpret clues. They sometimes follow false leads. And sometimes the results are fatal. Who will die this time? Will Israel’s secret service get its new chief, or will they keep their present one? Will Gabriel’s children get the chance to meet their father? Were the reports of his death, as they say, greatly exaggerated?

Gabriel and Keller run rogue through England, Ireland, Portugal and other exotic lands, donning personas that allow them to ply their trade optimally. As they do, Gabriel’s very pregnant wife awaits his return in Jerusalem. He realizes he must finish this one last job, but his heart is back home with Chiara and his other love: painting. If he does make it home, will he really give up the field for the head position? That is anybody’s guess. Again, Gabriel is the best man for the job, but he’s the best man for many jobs. Which one will he ultimately choose? We may have to wait for Daniel Silva to write another thriller to find the answer to that.

Meanwhile, though, THE ENGLISH SPY is a surefire blockbuster among this summer’s releases. It no doubt will shoot to the top of the charts, with Gabriel Allon taking care of some very nasty business in ways that will make you want to read with only one eye open, but also will make you want to cheer. The world needs more men like this Israeli agent. And more authors like Silva. Bravo again!