Thursday, November 19, 2009

THE DEFECTOR by Daniel Silva (Putnam)



Gabriel Allon is on his own again in Daniel Silva’s latest thriller. Even though it is only six months since his daring escape from Moscow in Moscow Rules, he is again defing Ari Shamron’s order to return to Israel. He is off to London to find out why the defector Grigori Bulganov has suddenly been spirited out of his sanctuary in London. Is Grigori truly a double agent as the British suspect or has he been forcibly taken back to Russia.

Gabriel came within a millimeter of losing his life in saving Grigori, and anti-government journalist Olga Sukhova. They both risked their lives in helping Gabriel bring down the notorious arms dealer Ivan Kharkov. They also brought out of Russia Elena Kharkov, Ivan’s ex-wife, and their two children. Now it appears that they are all on a hit list directed by Kharkov, who seems to have regained his place in the arms world and intends to extract revenge on his enemies.

Gabriel believes that Grigori is not a traitor and he had promised to protect him. So instead of staying in Italy with his beautiful new wife Chiara and returning to restoring precious art works, he is off to London to get to the bottom of Grigori’s disappearance. An assassination attempt in London convinces him that Grigori didn’t return to Russia voluntarily.

Fans of Daniel Silva will enjoy a return to the usual fast-paced world of international espionage and murder as the action moves rapidly among Italy, England, Russia, and Israel.

by Steve Bank,a librarian at the Cary NC Public Library.

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