Customer Reviews

Kill Artist

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This book is chronologically the first in the Gabriel Allon series.

Chronological Order:
1. The Kill Artist
2. The English Assassin
3. The Confessor
4. Death in Venice
5. Prince of Fire
6. The Messenger

In this book, Gabriel, a former assassin for Israel's foreign intelligence service, the Mossad (which translates into English as "The Institution") retired after the murders of his wife and son to lead a quiet life as an art restorer, one who fixes the wounded past. Gabriel's ex-boss, Ari Shamron, an Israeli spymaster a la George Smiley but more treacherous, convinces Gabriel to leave his sheltered hermitage to hunt down Tariq, the assassin who killed Gabriel's family, before he can kill again. In an exquisitely wrought plot of treachery and counter-treachery, Silva explores the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from many, many angles.

I don't read spy fiction as a genre. I don't read anything as a genre. I read great writers, pretty much no matter what they write. I've read a lot of John Le Carre, and one of the few criticisms that I have of his work is that his spies play a gentleman's game. However, Le Carre's spies are deeply human and British.

Silva's spies are not gentlemen, and this is no gentlemen's game. This is hard and dirty intelligence work by one of the hardest and dirtiest intelligence services on the planet. The Mossad is charged with keeping tiny Israel's formidable opponents at bay, and you don't do that by playing fair. Gabriel's Mossad plays entirely unfairly, as it must, as it does in real life. In this book, Jacqueline/Sarah is used as a "honey trap," and Silva lightly explores what it does to a woman to prostitute oneself for a good cause. Silva does exaggerate some of the Mossad's successes, which he does not need to do because the Mossad is very successful without Silva's burnishing.

Silva's plotting is as intricate as a chess game, albeit a game where each of the chess pieces has a deeply felt personality, background, and damaged psyche such that they refuse to move where the gamester wants them to and take on a life of their own. Another thing that I like about Silva's work is that, while Gabriel is the central character and our guide, each of Silva's characters has his/her own agenda and life and is capable of growing, changing direction, and surprising the reader. One feels when reading Silva's books that the book is built to elucidate several characters, not merely one central character.

TK Kenyon
Author of Rabid: A Novel and Callous: A Novel

Gabriel Allon is "the Kill Artist"; a former assassin who worked clandestinely for the Israeli government. When we first meet him he is living in a remote English seaside village and working as an art restorer, a cover he used frequently during his covert operations. He is soon called out of retirement by his former boss, Ari Shamron, head of Israeli intelligence, and a calculating man with his own agenda...one that may cost Gabriel his life. Ari needs Gabriel's talents to track down Tariq, an Palestinian assassin whose killing rampage is threatening the Middle East peace negotiations. Tariq and Gabriel have met before when Gabriel killed Tariq's brother in a very brutal manner, and Tariq avenged that death with a killing of his own...Gabriel's wife and son, making this a story of international intrigue and personal revenge. The stage is now set for a major showdown, but they must first cover three continents and weave through an array of cultures and characters to find each other. Gabriel is assisted by his former intelligence co-worker, a beautiful French girl named Jacqueline, whose family was killed in the Holocaust. Jacqueline is hesitant to join Gabriel on this assignment, but in the end it is love that prevails, and she plunges head first into Tariq's lair, a deadly trap that Gabriel may not be able to get her out of in time to save her life.

What I love about Daniel Silva is his smooth and uncomplicated style. He has a "rhythm" to his writing that hooks you somewhere in the beginning and stays with you long after you finish the book. It took me a little longer to warm up to these characters, probably because there isn't a lot happening in the way of relationships as there is in his other book _The Mark Of The Assassin_. Everyone is hiding behind their own specific job and agenda. They're all business. Still, the plot is riveting and the pace is solid.

4 and 1/2 stars. Highly recommended. His protagonist doesn't quite involve the readers as in his past works but this is definitely worth a buy.

The Kill Artist is the first book in Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon series and is a good start to a great series!

The Kill Artist opens in Paris, where the Israeli ambassador to France is murdered by an Arab assassin. The crime has all the hallmarks of an operation by Tariq al-Hourani. Tariq's brother was part of the Black September Movement and was assassinated by the Israeli Secret Service (also called The Office). Once aligned with Yasir Arafat, Tariq broke with Arafat and the PLO when they entered into peace negotiations with Israel.

Ari Shamron, former head of The Office, seeks out the services of Garbriel Allon, an art restorer who has also served The Office as an assassin. Although reluctant to become involved, Allon has a personal grudge to settle as Tariq is responsible for the car bombing that killed Allon's toddler son and maimed his wife (physically and mentally). He agrees to again work for The Office, and his job is to find and murder Tariq. He has the assistance of a beautiful French model and sometimes Israeli operative, Jacqueline Delacroix. Allon uses Delacroix to infiltrate Tariq's inner circle so that he can discover his whereabouts. What Allon is not gambling on is that at the same time, Tariq is trying to find and kill Allon.

The Kill Artist is just a bit hokey in spots. To think that a world famous model could be used as an operative is a stretch. Allon also makes wrong assumptions that put him and others in danger. But I'm willing to overlook these flaws because Silva's writing is so good. Allon muses "As always, he was struck by the similarities between the craft of restoration and the craft of killing. The methodology was precisely the same: study the target, become like him, do the job, slip away without a trace."

Since I've already read the other Allon books, I'm now looking forward to Silva's latest release which I understand will be out in February 2007.

This book is truly a rollercoaster!! The plot similar to the popular amusent park thrill ride because it keeps you on the edge of your seat through an array of dips and turns. Unfortunately, the writing style is also rollercoaster-esque. When Silva is on his game, the writing is brilliant: smooth, hilarious, and affecting. When he isn't (which seems all too often during the middle chapters), the writing is choppy and predictable. I'm a humongous Silva fan though, believe me! His plots have always been easy to follow and The Kill Artist is no different (Definitely a plus!). Hopefully, Silva will keep producing easy-to-follow thriller novels but will keep the rollercoasting to simply the plot, not the writing style as well!!

This is the first book in the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva. Allon is the reluctant part time spy working for Israeli Intelligence whose covert skills are the stuff of legend within the small community of "secret agents". His cover skills are those of professional art restoration, primarily "old masters" paintings and sculpture, for which his talents in that field are world renown.

While this may be the first book (as of this review there are 5) in the series, it is not necessary to read this book first, since the book takes place at a time in the life of Gabriel Allon when he has already forsaken his work as a spy. We learn about Allon's past and his initiation into the world of spying through flashback and his past is not necessarily central to the story. Other books in the series take the reader into Gabriel's past just as effectively and therefore you don't really have to start with this book to understand what Gabriel is all about.

Daniel Silva has a true gift for captivating plot and character development. The characters in his books are self reflecting and you really begin to understand the emotional turmoil that goes with the work of tracking down punishing international terrorists. This book is an exciting weekend read! Silva has Gabriel on the trail of Tariq the Palestinian terrorist bent on derailing the peace process. Tariq and Gabriel are not strangers to one another, as Gabriel is the man who mercilessly killed Tariq's older brother and as revenge Tariq exploded a car that contained Gabriel's wife and only son. The "bad blood" between these two enemies plays out across Europe and North America in a fast paced thriller that both memorable and very enjoyable. The surprises and betrayals extend beyond the exciting climatic confrontation between Gabriel and Tariq, and are just part of what makes this book so entertaining.

I too, have read all of Daniel Silva's books and while I very much enjoyed this one, it somehow lacked the flow of The Marching Season or The Mark of the Assassin. Perhaps it is because of the subject matter, i.e. Middle East peace or the lack thereof. There are wheels within wheels on both sides of the issue and to explain that to a reader in a manner which still holds one's attention, probably explains the somewhat less than frantic pace of the action in this book. There are facinating insights into the working of the mind of Yassir Arafat and there is some interesting philosophy shared among the Israeli participants as well. I actually turned down the corner on page 75 where Ari Shamron, an Israeli spymaster tells Gabriel Allon, the assasin he has brought back into service, "All right, if you want my opinion, I believe we will be no more secure after a peace deal than before it. If you want my opinion, I believe the fire in the Palestinian heart will never be extinguished until the Jews are driven into the sea....I would much rather do battle with a sworn enemy than with an enemy who finds expediency in posing as a friend." I happen to believe there is more truth in those words than in all of the posturing that came out of the Clinton peace process which ended with one of the participants being voted out of office. So with patience and clear character development, Silva weaves us through the passions and terror of the Middle East which spreads its effect throughout the globe. You will learn from reading this book and you will be well entertained. Not a bad combination!

Reading this the week Sharon defeated Barak (and Arafat survived to negotiate with his fifth Israeli Prime Minister since the Oslo Accords), I concluded that this novel is a useful reminder of how fiction often describes truths more vividly than non-fiction.

Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are excruciatingly painful and difficult because both sides have a legitimate sense of paranoia, and both sides have a legitimate sense of historic tragedy and grievance. The Kill Artist is told from the Israeli point of view but with a healthy dose of Palestinian interpretations of the last half-century. It is the story of an Israeli assassin who is lured out of retirement to kill a Palestinian who's own murders are legendary. The setting for this conflict pits two forms of organized state sponsored violence against one another.

The sense of mutual grievance and mutual willingness to kill for political and historic reasons is conveyed vividly. In one passage, we gain insight into the motivation of the Palestinian character: "It came from growing up in the camps of Sidon. His father had died when Tariq was young, and his older brother Mahmoud, was murdered by the Jews...He would think of his father--how he had died of a broken heart with the keys to the family home in the Upper Galilee still in his pocket."(Page 43)

On the other side is the head of Israeli intelligence, a man in the Sharon tradition: "I believe we will be no more secure after a peace deal than before it. ... I believe the fire in the Palestinian heart will never be extinguished until the Jews are driven into the sea. And I'll tell you one other thing ... I would much rather do battle with a sworn enemy than with an enemy who finds expediency in posing as a friend."(Page 75)

The long-term challenge of peace in the region is vividly illustrated again by the intelligence chief: "Everyone thinks now that peace is at hand there are no more threats to our survival. They don't understand that peace will only make the fanatics more desperate. They don't understand that we will need to spy on our new Arab friends just as hard as when they were openly committed to our destruction. A spy's work is never done."(Page 76-77)

Silva deserves real credit for writing these prescient words and creating these characters when the Barak peace Prime Ministership was at its most optimistic and there was no sign on the horizon of the Camp David tragic overreach and the new wave of violence.

This novel is complex, compelling, and kept me enthralled to the point that I could not put the book down until had I finished it. As fiction that gives a vivid description of just how hard the future will be in the real world, this is a very worthwhile read.

Sharon is 72, Peres is 77, and Arafat is 71. Whether they can truly find a road to peace or are trapped in the bitterness, fear and violence described in this novel will be a major issue in the next decade. This novel does not offer encouragement that the region can get much beyond non-violence in a state of truce for at least a generation, and instead leaves you with the impression that true peace may be the work of our grandchildren.

Daniel Silva's Kill Artist is an excellent introduction to his series of spy thrillers starring Gabriel Allon. Allon is a unique character; a former assassin and spy for the Mossad (Israeli Intelligence) he retires after his wife and son are killed and takes up a successful career as an art restorer. Allon is an enigmatic, fascinating, and utterly likeable character, which makes the fact that he's a sociopath a bit troubling.

In the Kill Artist Allon is called out of retirement when a terrorist named Tariq comes out of hiding and kills an Israeli Ambassador in Paris. Allon's former boss, the calculating Ari Shamron, uses this to manipulate Allon back into the field--Tariq was the man who murdered Allon's family. Joining Allon in the hunt for Tariq is Jacqueline Delacroix, sometimes fashion model and sometimes spy, who uses her body to seduce information out of enemies.

The Kill Artist is well-plotted and full of suspense, making it a great read for anyone looking for a good thriller. Allon is a new breed of spy, filled with more shades of gray than James Bond or Jason Bourne. He's clearly meant to be the good guy, but the fact that he's a cold-blooded killer can't escape the reader.

The only flaw with this novel is the fact that Allon and the other "heroes" are clearly sympathetic to the Israeli cause. While I can't speak for Silva's politics, it makes the novel seem one-sided. Taking that with a grain of salt, the novel is still entirely enjoyable

I recently read Daniel Silva's new novel, "The English Assassin," and I was very impressed with its intricate and assured plotting, its meaningful themes, and its fascinating characters.

Unfortunately, "The Kill Artist," which was written first, does not measure up to the "The English Assassin." Both novels feature Gabriel Allon, a tormented man who has done undercover work as an agent for the Israeli government. He now spends much of his time expertly restoring valuable works of art that have been damaged over the years. Gabriel is something of a loner who would like to forget his tragic past. He would prefer to stop working for the Israeli government completely and live a quiet and reclusive life in Cornwall, England.

Gabriel's spymaster, Ari Shamron, has other ideas. He convinces Gabriel to get back into the spy game in order to trap an old enemy. Soon, Gabriel is on the trail of Tariq al-Hourani, a Palestinian zealot who recently assassinated the Israeli ambassador in Paris. Tariq and Gabriel are old enemies and Gabriel cannot resist the chance to finally even an old score and rid Israel of an ardent and deadly enemy.

Naturally, there is a beautiful woman involved, as well. Jacqueline Delacroix, born Sarah Halevy, lost her grandparents in the Holocaust. She, too, has been recruited by Ari Shamron to help Gabriel trap Tariq. She is in love with Gabriel, but he is reluctant to get romantically involved with her, for reasons of his own.

The plot thickens, as Gabriel and Jacqueline go undercover and place themselves in grave danger while they track Tariq. Their prey turns the tables on Gabriel and Jacqueline, and Tariq soon becomes the hunter. Gabriel fears that he will never capture Tariq. Worse still, Tariq may be planning to carry out another assassination in order to destroy any hope of peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors.

"The Kill Artist" doesn't work very well because Silva relies on cliches and stereotypes rather than spending time developing realistic characters. The ending is melodramatic and forced. "The Kill Artist" has a few exciting scenes here and there, but there are not enough of them to elevate "The Kill Artist" above the level of a pedestrian thriller.

I couldn't wait for this novel to end. I don't forsee the need to hire any assasins in the near future, but I know who I wouldn't want to hire if I needed any. All the plot twists and their eventual consequences were predictable. There was the reappearance of a former lover that triggered the main tragedy in the protagonist's life propeling him into retirement, there was the Boss who manipulated the protagonist in his own secret agenda, there was the protagonist coming out of retirement for one last revenge, there was the bad guy with a potentially fatal condition, it just goes on. I didn't care for any of the characters nor could I see what made them special as assasins. A main plot twist develops because the assasins can't bug a bad guy's apartment without nearly getting caught but still tipping him off. The female protagonist couldn't hide her emotions from the bad guy, but the scheme hinges on her abilities as a pro. The book is like a car with a sticky gas pedal, it speeds up then slows down, endlessly. The epilogue has no redeeming characteristics. There's lots better out there. Look at some of the espionage Lists on Amazon.