Moscow Rules

(4.5) Daniel Silva continues the Gabriel Allon series with this book and he does so with his usual style and talent. Many here have recounted the story line of the book, some in more detail than necessary, however if you are a fan of this writer and character, you are in for an enjoyable time in following his latest escapade, much of which is set in Mother Russia. Silva asures us this is a work of fiction. Let's hope it stays that way.

While other authors of pop thrillers seem to have come off the rails in recent works, reigning master of espionage fiction Daniel Silva is beginning to make it look like he doesn't know how to write a bad book. He's back with another tale of Israeli operative Gabriel Allon that is as relevant to current events as it is entertaining - a non-stop adrenaline rush of the politics of deceit and terrorism, of violence and honor. As usual, Silva's themes are simple: Annon's unflinching loyalty to the survival of Israel on one side, opposed in this case by loyalty to only greed in the form of Ivan Kharkov, a shadowy arms dealer of the "new" Russia, a fictional character based loosely on a real "merchant of death" recently upended by allied intelligence forces. "Moscow Rules" rings true to current events like all of the author's previous works, and the picture he paints of post-Soviet Russia is indeed scary. Many of the Russian mobsters who ruled during the chaotic 90's following Communism's collapse are still in charge, as are many of the old Soviet guard, only now with respectable jobs and respectable titles holding high places in commerce and government. While the names of the organizations and political parties may have changed, there is little doubt that the new state police, the FSB, has reinstated the brutal principles and principals of the treacherous KGB, while the new National Party's oppressive control of the people is as repressively effective as Khrushchev or Brezhnev - or Lenin or Stalin - could ever have dreamed. It is a land where Russian oil and Russian weapons are making a new class of billionaires, and at least in the case of weapons, where there is little discrimination as to the hands in which the weapons end up. And when a Russian journalist and his editor are murdered after uncovering a Kharkov arms sale to al-Qaeda, Allon is summoned back from his convalescence and honeymoon to thwart the deal. As expected, the stoic Allon faces down gangsters and criminals while building alliances with familiar faces and cooking up intricate schemes making "Mission Impossible" look about as complicated as an episode of "Friends". Allon moves from cliff hanger to cliff hanger, serving as a punching bag for Russian thugs in between. If there is anything to criticize in this well-researched thrill fest, it the similarity in plot and format to "The Messenger" - substitute "Moscow's" Kharkov for "Servant's" Saudi billionaire and you pretty much get the idea - right down to the supporting cast. Buy hey, the formula works - exceedingly well - so why change it? Like all of Silva's tales, while it is not difficult to predict the finish, it is also predicable that the magnitude of the geo-political problems that Silva illuminates will leave you with a lingering and uncomfortable feeling of fear and frustration - the realization that it will take at least a legion of Gabriel Allons to calm these troubled Middle Eastern waters of today.

Having read (and enjoyed) all of Mr. Silva's previous novels, I found 'Moscow Rules' to be the best book he's written. The characters, story, plot twists, dialogue, descriptions and locations all came together to make this a truly outstanding read. I especially liked the author's take on Moscow. He captured the essence of the city and Russia in a way few others have. That, as well as the rest of the book, made it one of the best novels in recent years.

Thrilling and entertaining! I read it in one sitting. It is my favorite Gabriel Allon book yet. Love the Russia setting. Love the return of Cold War intrigue and the female heroine of this book [...] is irrestible! I feel as if I really know these characters and thats what set these books apart. The good news is I read it in one sitting, the bad news is I cant wait another year for the next book. There has to be a sequel to this book! Please also write more Michael Osbourne books! Please write faster. Your #1 Fan from NYC! Loved you on Glen Beck tonight! The pitchfork was hysterical!

(4.5 stars) In his eighth Gabriel Allon espionage thriller, Daniel Silva moves from investigating the historical crimes of the past, often related to the Holocaust, and their effects on the present, to crimes of the present and their possibly catastrophic effects on the future. In this intense and absorbing novel about uncontrolled arms sales, the biggest threat to the future comes from Russian arms dealers, aided by Russia's president and former KGB operatives who are now unimaginably wealthy independent brokers and contractors. These arms merchants operate with impunity, selling all manner of weapons to terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East and Africa. Gabriel Allon, formerly with the Israeli Mossad, is on his honeymoon in Italy when he is contacted by Ari Shamron, the grand old man of Israeli security. Allon, a trained art restorer, has been working for the Pope, but the recent assassination of a Russian journalist who may have had information he wanted to reveal to the West brings him out of retirement and back into action. When the murdered man's Russian editor-in-chief is also murdered, Allon travels to Russia, where he learns the name of a Russian arms dealer, Ivan Kharkov, who has been supplying Hezbollah, and who now appears close to selling sophisticated weapons to al-Quaeda. Kharkov and his wife are collectors of Mary Cassatt paintings, and the fascinating art world which has added so much life to other Gabriel Allon thrillers in the past is also a major aspect of this novel. Art dealers, down-in-their-luck gentry who own prized artwork, and, in the case, of Allon, restorers, all play unexpectedly major roles in this effort to prevent Kharkov from selling advanced weapons to al-Quaeda. As the high-stakes plotting by the conjoined security services of England, the US, Italy, and France builds to a crescendo, Allon follows the action through various countries leaving multiple murders, beatings, car crashes, and betrayals in his wake. Always, the fine hand of the Russian mafia is pulling the strings, purportedly with the aid of the Russian president. Silva keeps the action moving briskly, and his ability to convey the atmosphere of disparate locations adds depth and drama to the plot. The characters, even the minor ones, are paradigms of the countries they represent, imbued with the cultures of their homelands, rather than mere stereotypes. His major characters are complex and carefully drawn, and the action and underlying themes of the novel are intelligent and thought-provoking. As always, Silva creates a complex and exciting story, but this time the focus is on contemporary politics, rather than on the past. Providing evidence that future catastrophes are shockingly easy to inspire, given the venal nature of unscrupulous international arms dealers, Silva employs his formidable talents to create a terrifying picture of a cynical world--and a warning for the future. n Mary Whipple The Marching Season: A Novel The En