The new arena for spy novels is the battles between Islamic terrorists and the west. No one does it better than Daniel Silva. In his latest novel, The Secret Servant, Silva uses a familiar character, not to run operations for the State of Israel, but to assist, clandestinely, the United States in rescuing the president's god-daughter, the daughter of America's ambassador to the Court of St. James and a prominent Colorado businessman.
Gabriel Allon
It starts as a quiet, routine mission--the retrieval of papers and documents left by an asset based in Amsterdam, a Jewish professor who kept tabs on the increasing powerful--and outspoken--Jihadist factions in that city. The professor had been brutally murdered in front of a local cafe, by extremists or a more organized group is unclear.
No sooner has Allon arrived then he is met on the street by an older Egyptian man who claims to have information for him. That information leads him to London, the the Prime Minister's Office, and the Hyde Park, just steps behind the men that kidnap the American Ambassador's daughter. Elizabeth Halton.
Across the Bridge over Jahannam
It is an Islamic saying that in order to reach paradise, one must walk across the bridge over Jahannam. It is "narrower than a spider web and sharper than a sword." According to legend, "the good cross swiftly and are rewarded, but the wicked lose their footing and are plunged into Hell." To rescue Elizabeth Halton, Allon must make that journey. Not quite sure whom to believe, he is drawn into a match of wits that takes him from Germany to the northern tip of Denmark. It's a journey that just might cost him his life.
The Secret Servant is a tense, but engrossing novel. As always, Silva's years covering events in the Middle East serves him well. His insights and knowledge of the region are evident in subtle habits and phrases. Silva is also a master at research and his characters benefit from the time spent in the library. Gabriel Allon continues to be a multi-layered antihero for the 21st century, an intriguing contradiction of the fierce warrior and the contemplative man.
About Daniel Silva
Daniel Silva is the author of nine previous thrillers, six of which feature Gabriel Allon. Silva was born and raised in Michigan and spent most of his adult life as a foreign news correspondent for UPI and CNN, among others. He left to concentrate on his writing in 1997. Silva is married to NBC journalist, Jamie Gangel. The couple lives in Washington D.C. with their two children.
Daniel Silva is one of 70 authors to be featured at the National Book Fair on the Mall in Washington on September 29 (2007).
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