In this latest novel, Allon has retired as head of “the office.” He had begun working as an art restorer while living in Venice with his wife and two children. His art restoration company was owned and run by his wife, Chiari. (Did you know there’s a Hotel Chiari on the Grand Canal in Venice.) He was pulled into dazzling international intrigue as a result of the theft of a famous painting in a private estate in Almalfi, which he is asked to investigate.
He ends up encountering Anna Rolf, the world renowned pianist and his former lover. Interestingly, Silva used Rolf to highlight Chiari’s jealousy of her husband’s prior relationship with her. As always, Silva is a great travel writer and this story takes Allon to parts of Europe that he has not been in before. I need not give you more plot details except to write that Silva continues to be the master of this genre.
Above, I’ve added one of my own photos from my trip to Northern Italy in May 2023. The photo from a bridge in Venice is taken from the same spot as the cover photo for this book. My wife and I did stroll through the Jewish part of Venice which has been repeatedly described by Silva, and we stopped to chat with a group of friendly and accommodating yeshiva students. It is a wonderful place.
West Coast Don
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