Gabriel Allon, the legendary Israeli master spy, has finally retired. About time! Honestly, he should have done it at least four books ago. After all, a Mossad director in his seventies, still running field operations, was getting a bit ridiculous. Well, maybe more than a bit. So, what’s ex-assassin Grandpa up to now in the latest installment, Portrait of an Unknown Woman? Well, pretty much the same stuff he always did…
Portrait of an Unknown Woman: A Clever Forgery
Julian Isherwood, the absent-minded art dealer, has a knack for getting into trouble. And this time is no different. And honestly, in his shoes, who else would you call when things go sideways, especially when one of your best pals is the former head of Mossad?
A newly discovered painting called Portrait of an Unknown Woman has surfaced in the art world, supposedly bearing the mark of Van Dyck. Along with the skillful hand of a forger. Behind the forger looms a whole network flooding the market with countless fake works of art. Exposing these forgers? That sounds like the perfect job for a retired super-spy…
Portrait of an Unknown Woman: A Clever Crime Novel
Spy thrillers and detective stories are closely related. Anyone who’s read a Gabriel Allon book knows that well. The search for information, interrogations, surveillance, analysis, and setting traps are all key elements of both genres. In Daniel Silva’s books, they’re indispensable.
What sets Portrait of an Unknown Woman apart from previous Allon novels is that it leans more into the crime fiction. There are no terrorists, no political entanglements, just plain old crime. And because it involves a lot of money, the investigation comes with plenty of danger. The forgers aren’t shy about resorting to murder.
What makes Portrait of an Unknown Woman feel particularly detective-like is that Gabriel unravels the case step by step, much like a police investigation. You don’t know who the forger is, who’s running the operation, or who’s doing the dirty work. Everything has to be revealed one step at a time, always inching closer to the targets.
Gabriel Allon and His Allies
A detective always has help. A guy who wiretaps phones, someone providing background info, or the one supplying the necessary tools, and so on. But if you’ve saved half the countries in Europe from terrorist attacks AT LEAST once, help is never far away.
Every intelligence and law enforcement agency is falling over themselves to lend him a hand. If someone gives him trouble, Allon casually hints that he’ll call the President of the United States or place a quick call to the Vatican, and that’s that. Yeah, it does make things easier, doesn’t it?
And, of course, Allon can always count on his old friends, like the head of the Corsican hitman clan or key players in the Parisian underworld—people he’s always turned to in the past.
Gabriel Allon: Master Detective
In short, Portrait of an Unknown Woman is almost exactly like the previous spy novels in the series. The only noticeable difference is a slight shift in focus.
However, the fact that Gabriel Allon is now investigating a case with smaller stakes doesn’t detract from the book at all. Daniel Silva writes with his usual ease, making the story both entertaining and enjoyable, all while drawing from a deep well of background knowledge. The retired Allon, unlike an action hero, still makes for a convincing detective. And, much like Jack Reacher, he has the ability to serve up some justice at the end of the investigation. (Which, somewhat forced, is also the case in Portrait of an Unknown Woman, where he ends up doing the job of both the French police and the FBI.)
Oh yes, and Gabriel Allon showcases his trademark dry humor more boldly than ever before. I seriously considered adding a “humor” tag at the end of this post while writing it.
Gabriel Allon and Women
There aren’t many reasons to envy the stressed-out, bullet-riddled ex-director of Mossad, but his relationships with women are definitely one of them.
How do you deal with your exes? Do you just cross the street when you see one, or maybe spit in their direction while muttering evil curses under your breath? Come on!
Well, all of Gabriel Allon’s exes are still head-over-heels for him. Seriously, they’re in love with him even twenty years later! And they’d willingly offer themselves to him in a heartbeat. A resourceful spy, of course, has no problem using them as bait in his investigations.
A less honorable one might take advantage of them, but Daniel Silva’s hero is not that kind of guy.
He’s a true gentleman, giving every attractive woman – whether it’s a Russian mob wife, a former model who strayed to the dark side, or even a femme fatale actively involved in the crimes – a chance to escape and start fresh. But then again, hasn’t it always been this way? Hot girls have always had the upper hand…
Summary
Every ending is also a new beginning. Daniel Silva’s Portrait of an Unknown Woman opens up new possibilities for Gabriel Allon, the legendary Israeli now ex-spymaster. From here on, he’ll likely apply his unmatched skills as a detective. And Allon makes the most of the opportunity. As a detective, he fights just as fiercely and effectively for justice as he once hunted down terrorists. Silva gives his hero renewed credibility – even if he’s no longer fit for rooftop chases, he still shines as a masterful crime-fighter. And shine he does.
Rating: 8.4/10
Portrait of an Unknown Woman (Gabriel Allon #22) by Daniel Silva
431 pages, Hardcover
Published in 2022 by Harper
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Reviews of other books in the series:
18. The Other Woman