Whenever I open the cover of a Daniel Silva book, something magical transpires. I give myself wholly over to the impending experience and immerse myself in the universe I’m fortunate enough to visit from time to time. I am transported to another time and place, finding myself wrapped in the comforting embrace of my favorite fictional characters. To open the latest Silva story, for me, is akin to the feeling of coming home for the holidays. There is a sense of relaxation, of calm, of certitude, of togetherness, and of stress melting away. Of the twenty two novels in the Gabriel Allon series, Portrait of an Unknown Woman evokes this sensation more than any other. In my opinion, this the purest distillation of what a Gabriel Allon book “is” and what first captivated me over two decades ago.
Finally untethered from his roles and responsibilities to The Office and Israel, Gabriel and his family have begun a new chapter in their lives. Back in Venice amongst friends and family, the Allons have settled into what passes for normalcy for a former spymaster. When life seems to have found a rhythm, fate has another idea. Julian Isherwood, an old and loyal friend, comes to Venice to request Gabriel’s assistance surrounding the provenance of a recently rediscovered painting he has sold for a hefty sum. Strange deaths, an elaborate investment scheme, and one or two brushes with death has Gabriel committed quickly to solving the mystery. If Gabriel’s instincts are correct, the fallout could be the downfall of Isherwood’s professional life, which is inextricably tied to the gallery owner’s sense of self. Never one to turn his back on a friend, Gabriel begins an investigation that will shock the art world to its core.
While this book leaves The Office and the geopolitical components firmly to the side, this is probably my favorite book since The Kill Artist. This book renewed and rejuvenated that initial rush I felt when starting this series all those years ago. While I absolutely love the espionage and political aspects of the previous twenty one books, Gabriel’s current station in life has opened up a world of possibilities for Silva to take this series in. The future is certainly bright for Allon and those of us devoted fans who are along for the ride.
A note of appreciation for his writing skills, I was having a conversation with an author and we were discussing what makes Silva such a unique talent. In the end, I feel that what sets him apart from every other author on the planet is his mastery of creating drama in the mundane. Unlike the vast majority of thriller writers, Silva does not describe action sequences in explicit detail, rather he cuts away at the pivotal point ending the scene at the moment you’d least expect. As the reader charges forward into the next chapter, we are allowed to reverse engineer the chain of events, piecing together the mystery through various viewpoints and evidence we’re presented.
It’s these little gifts that wrap themselves around a reader and keep us engaged in the story to the point of distraction. As someone who reads over a hundred books a year, I pride myself on being able to sort out plotlines, yet somehow time and again, Silva writing mesmerizes me and I always see the plot twist come too late. Each time it happens I smile, chuckle a little, and tip my imaginary hat to the master. It is these small, but profound details that reinforce my strong belief that Daniel Silva is the greatest storyteller alive.
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