The Defector by Daniel Silva

Daniel Silva: The Defector 11-8-09

Although each of the series of Gabriel Allon books builds on the one before it, all of the books have been stand-alones, as well. However, this one is more closely tied to the last book, Moscow Rules, and that one should be read first, as a prelude to this one. Silva gives us all the usual characters. The protagonist is Gabriel Allon, and his spy master is still Ari Shamron. Gabriel is newly married to the beautiful Chiara. Once again, the book starts in Italy where Allon is restoring a painting, and the effort must be interrupted as he is pulled back into another international problem. One of the main characters from Moscow Rules, Grigori Bulganov, is living in London. He has done from being a quiet and isolated defector to a public and outspoken critic of the Kremlin. That leads to trouble for both England and Russia. There are other bad characters, like Anton Petrov and Ivan Kharkov. When Bulganov defected to England, Kharkov’s wife and two children escaped him and Russia to live in protective custody in the U.S. But, Kharkov wants his kids back. The plot line is great, and I don’t think anyone in this genre writes better than Silva. This may be the bloodiest of the Allon series, which is saying a lot. I enjoyed it – it was one I could not put down.

WC Don