A Death in Cornwall is an enthralling, lightning fast story with the perfect amount of art and action that only Daniel Silva seems capable of conjuring up. The master of the spy thriller is back with a surprising new twist in the series.
With a serial killer on the loose in a remote corner of England, Gabriel Allon has returned to London to celebrate the return of a stolen Van Gogh. When an old friend on the police force in his favorite seaside village calls regarding inconsistencies with the latest victim, Gabriel finds that the now deceased Oxford Art History professor has a more than passing connection to the former Israeli spy chief and his previous life.
There were major questions for fans like myself once Silva made the choice for Gabriel to retire a few years ago. And let me say that if these types of adventures are what we can expect in Allon’s “Golden Years”, then SIGN ME UP!
A Death In Cornwall is a slight, yet entertaining, departure from the previous twenty plus installments of the series. More “mystery” than the “traditional” thriller we’ve come to expect, this book could be a stand alone novel. Don’t get me wrong, there are more than enough call backs, easter eggs, and surely farm animals to make even the most devoted fan smile with a sense of nostalgia.
The biggest difference for me personally as a reader was the pacing. This is the fastest novel in the series. The action and suspense are constant. The intrigue is on every page. The joy and entertainment I always receive reading a Silva book is ever present as we try to unravel the case with Gabriel.
However, there are few of Silva’s signature longer passages educating us on the history of art, geopolitics, or technology in this one. There are no grave international geopolitical consequences at stake. There are no captured colleagues in need of rescue from deep in the heart of a rogue state. This change up is neither “better” nor “worse”, simply different.
Having been reading thrillers for more decades than I’d like to admit, this one feels more modern in its form and function. It is quick, lean, and more likely to be consumed pool side soaking in the sun rather than bundled up in your favorite reading chair with a hot beverage resting on the table next to you. It just has a different feel to it and if Silva wants to move the series in this direction, I will be right there along for the ride.
I absolutely loved this book and know it will please long time fans and hopefully bring a whole new group of readers to the world of Gabriel Allon.
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Purchase A Death In Cornwall
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Barrington Books
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