|
Daniel Silva
Harper
July 12, 2016/ ISBN 9780062320223
Mystery/Thriller
Reviewed
by Elise Cooper
|
|
The Black Widow by Daniel
Silva, besides being an intoxicating thriller, is also a warning
for Americans. While reading the book it appears that real life
events mesh with fiction. The undercurrent of reality is front
and center as evidenced by the author himself who wrote in the
forward, “I take no pride in my prescience. I only wish
that the murderous, millenarian terrorism of the Islamic State
lived solely on the pages of this story.”
The plot begins with ISIS detonating a massive bomb in the Marais
district of Paris. Gabriel Allon, the Israeli Mossad Agent poised
to become the chief of Israel’s secret intelligence service,
is asked by a desperate French government to eliminate the man
responsible for the terrible attack. Gabriel and his team get
to work and quickly learn that the man behind the attack is
a terrorist mastermind who calls himself Saladin. With women
all over the world, including the West, joining the ranks of
ISIS, Gabriel exploits the terror group’s one weakness
by inserting a recruit of his own to infiltrate Saladin’s
operation.
Although Gabriel remains a compelling character in this book
it appears Silva is preparing readers for a world where this
hero takes on more of a supporting role as a bureaucrat. As
one era seems to come to a close another one is beginning. Two
members of Allon’s team, Mikhail Abramov and Dina Sarid
are poised to play a larger part in future novels, but hopefully
so will the newly created character, Dr. Natalie Mizrahi. She
is a French-born Israeli recruited, trained, and inserted into
ISIS to locate the terrorist Saladin. A Jew hiding in the heart
of the so-called caliphate, a black widow, she knows that a
single misstep will result in her own horrific death. More than
that, she knows that failure to complete her mission will result
in hundreds more deaths. It is up to Allon and company to eliminate
this terrorist threat and prevent the next hideous act. Readers
should hope that these three characters take center stage because
they are likeable, compelling, and ones that people can root
for.
As Silva comments in the book’s ending, Jews in France
no longer feel safe and free. Unfortunately this novel is not
just a fictional thriller, but a believable scenario of events
happening today. With a stunningly brilliant plot, a captivating
cast of characters, and a story all too real The Black Widow
is a must read. |
|