Daniel Silva found himself on the horns of a dilemma when world events abruptly shifted after he was well into his 19th spellbinding novel featuring Gabriel Allon.

Gabriel is the chief of Israeli intelligence whose reputation as a spy is equaled only by his talent in art restoration. He would prefer to spend more time with his family and in his studio, and less time trying to solve the problems of the Middle East. The arc of the book was to focus on an alliance between Saudi Arabia and Israel through the Saudi crown prince, Khalid bin Mohammed --- known by his initials, KBM --- who is the successor to the Saudi Arabian throne.

The kingdom’s many palaces hold hundreds of works of rare art, many of which are in need of restoration. Through mutual friends, KBM has contacted Gabriel to examine the collection. During a visit to discuss the project, he shares his interest with Gabriel in bringing Saudi Arabia into the 21st century by loosening the inflexible chains on his people imposed by fiercely religious Wahhabian elders who now wield considerable power. Through KBM’s ascendancy, Gabriel sees an opportunity for an allegiance to reach common ground between Israel and Saudi Arabia that could relieve the Middle East powder keg threatening the global geopolitical scene. KBM wants to allow women to drive and dress in more modern clothing, and to lift bans on alcoholic beverages, among other radical changes from existing laws.

"Daniel Silva found himself on the horns of a dilemma when world events abruptly shifted after he was well into his 19th spellbinding novel featuring Gabriel Allon.... Book #20 in this absorbing series cannot come soon enough."

As is his custom, Silva’s novels often reflect real times that in today’s world tend to shift with dizzying speed. KBM was originally loosely patterned after Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, aka MBS. That is, until Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder made global headlines with evidence pointing to MBS or his regime. Silva writes in his foreword that some “elements of THE NEW GIRL are quite obviously suggested by events surrounding Khashoggi’s death.” But there, he states, the likeness had to end, so he hastened to rewrite major portions of the book.

THE NEW GIRL opens as a teacher at an exclusive Geneva girl’s school sees the lovely dark-haired new student step into the back of the limousine that customarily arrives to pick her up. It is the last that the teacher or anyone else sees of her. Enrolled as the daughter of a wealthy Egyptian businessman, she is in reality Princess Reema bin Mohammed, KBM’s only child. KBM immediately receives a warning from her kidnappers: unless he abdicates succession to the throne within the next 24 hours, he will never see his 12-year-old daughter again.

Now aware of the capacity and skills of the Israeli intelligence forces, KBM contacts Gabriel to seek Reema’s safe return. He will yield to the abductor’s threats and abdicate the throne in exchange for her life. Gabriel reluctantly agrees to help as KBM swears innocence in the murder of a dissident journalist. He insists that it's a plot to replace him on the throne by a cousin, a devout conservative with ties to ISIS.

THE NEW GIRL picks up where THE OTHER WOMAN left off. When Rebecca Manning, next in line for the top position at Great Britain’s MI6, turned out to be a female Russian asset --- the daughter of infamous KGB double agent Kim Philby --- the tables turned in the western world of espionage and spycraft. Safe houses were closed and moved to new locations. No one was without suspicion. The final battle that broke out, costing many lives and reputations in Washington, uncovered the depth of the Soviet infiltration and meddling in the affairs of the free world.

That the former MI6 traitor and double agent who now works expressly for the KGB will become involved as an assassin is only one of many twists and turns in Daniel Silva’s latest thriller. Book #20 in this absorbing series cannot come soon enough.