The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva

The Kill Artist is Daniel Silva’s first work featuring Gabriel Allon, one of Israel’s most formidable agents.  Gabriel is now retired and lives as a reclusive art restorer in a small English village. He carries tremendous regrets about his former activities and blames himself for losing his wife and young child in a government operation gone wrong.  Gabriel’s nemesis, Tariq is the Islamic terrorist responsible for a car bomb that destroyed his family.

Now years later Tariq has resurfaced.  He has killed the Israeli ambassador in the Netherlands and has plans to stop the most recent Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Shamron, the head of the Israeli intelligence network invites Gabriel to come out of retirement to hunt down and kill the terrorist.  Reluctantly, Gabriel acquiesces no longer wanting to be an assassin but compelled to avenge his family and save his homeland.

To find and destroy Tariq, Israeli intelligence needs to infiltrate his inner circle.  They call upon Jacqueline Delacroix, a beautiful French model and occasional Israeli operative.  Gabriel has a tormented history with this woman.  He was having an affair with her years eariler when his family was attacked.  Now with a professional but complex relationship, they are asked to work together once again.  As Gabriel keeps her under surveillance, Jacqueline casually initiates a physical relationship with one of Tariq’s known associates hoping he will lead them to his boss. But Tariq is wise to the tactic and sets a trap of his own.

Daniel Silva is one of the most read authors on the MRB blog and WCD’s personal favorite.  At his recommendation I have ventured to where it all began for Silva’s Gabriel Allon… The Kill Artist.  Gabriel is the perfect protagonist... a code of honor that compels him to fight evil and the skill set that allows him to come out the victor against all odds.  Plus he feels enough guilt for his transgressions to deem him human.