Portrait of a Spy Book Reviews

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Getting a little tired. Gabriel may not be getting too old, but I think Daniel Silva is getting a little tired of writing about him. To me, this book did not have the excitement of some of the previous books, especially the two dealing with the Russian arms dealer. Technically the work was still outstanding, but the book did not have the "I can not put it down" quality of previous ones.

Very disappointing. Nowhere near as intense as the rest of the series pre-dating this novel. Allon becoming less interesting and involved in the plots. Who cares to read about people in a room watching an attack unfold. Stupid premise. Also, once again, Silva short shrifts what could be an powerful conclusion by killing off an antagonist in unceremonial and undramatic fashion, instead of using great literary license. Seems Silva feels he can put out any junk and his reputation will get him by such that people will still buy and like it. Pick up the action or I'm dropping these books from the rotation. There is much better out there to read than this book.

Portrait of a Spy. Daniel Silva did it again. A brilliant portrayal of two seemingly unrelated art worlds. The art of being a spy and being a master of a painted brush.

Portrait of a Spy. Good read.

First Silva read. This is the first Silva/Allon novel I have read and it was “hard to put down”. I regret I had not done some research and started at the beginning of the Gabriel Allon series. I will go back to the start soonest !! Great detail and info on the Saudi desert and the relationships in the Arab world within itself.

Portrait of a Spy. A wonderful, sophisticated, relaxing read.

Good Read. Enjoyed the plot. Would have liked the characters developed a bit more.

Dghdtt. Good i love it very much

Portrait of a Yawn. This book is same old Gabriel Allon stuff. Nothing much really happens. The author seems to have lost interest in the genre. Wake up Mr. Silva and write something new!

Above average. A solid Gabriel Allon novel of intrigue with good insight on the western world's efforts to fight the war on terrorism, but not up to Silva's normal high standard of pace and suspense. Silva fans will not be disappointed, but I think will conclude in the end it is not one of his best novels.

Its complicated.. Portrait of a Spy portrays Gabriel and his veteran team dealing with a changing Arab world. It is slower a bit melancholy at times dealing with decision made in the past and both right and wrong, along with the blowback both cause. I like the fact that Silva does not pretend that things always end cleanly, life by definition is messy. I particularly enjoyed the Nadia character and her development giving a view into Islam through a woman’s eyes.

Trudged through it. Pretty boring. Not much action. Only a few chapters grabbed attention. Never could quite grasp the flow of the book.

Great book. Great book. Was a fan of ludlum, clancy, etc. Was referred by a friend to try Silva and he did not disappoint. Exciting to read! Would recomend it to anybody.

Portrait of a Spy. Exciting, realistic (almost to a fault), engaging. It keeps you glued to your chair. Another, excellant Daniel Silva novel. You won't be disappointed.

My first Silva book. This is the first Silva book that I have read. I was quickly hooked into both the storyline and the characters. Both were well developed and in the end Mr. Silva closed the loose ends (one of my pet peeves in novels). It got a little draggy about two-thirds in, but was generally a strong page-turner with a realistic, intriguing and exciting story. I highly recommend Portrait of a Spy by Daniel Silva and look forward to picking up another Silva book soon. (Any recommendations.) Sent from my iPhone

Portrait of a Spy. Daniel Silva writes a compelling story but more than that he weaves in historical and contemporary political insight. So reading about the amazing Gabriel Allon is both enjoyable and sets solid context for understanding our world.

Well written. A compelling novel with sympathetic characters and a believable plot. First of Mr. Silva's works that I have read, I plan to start another immediately.

Another great book. My son got me started reading Daniel Silva and I have been hooked ever since. The books get better and better. Portrait of a Spy gave me much needed insight into the Middle East politics and the plight of Arab women. The story line was awesome and kept me glued to my ipad. My daughter and I agree we would love to visit Cornwall.

One of his best. Daniel Silva never disappoints and Portrait of a Spy is one of his best. Five stars.

Another grand slam for Daniel Silver.. Sadly, Gabriel Allon is getting old and Shamron is being portrayed as old and sickly. Can King Saul Boulevard survive without these two fantastic characters. Uzi Navot will never be a replacement for Shamron and who will ever take the place of Gabriel Allon. I don't think I could handle one more plot where the Office recruits a beautiful woman, puts her in harm's way and Allon once again turns himself over to the terrorists to try to save her. As wonderful as the series is and the books are, it's time for a new lot line. Speaking of new, with Gabriel aging beyond the period of believable superhero status, please don't replace him with Sara Bancroft. As wonderful as her character has been, and as she Chiara are the only two exiting enough characters to even remotely qualify as potential protagonists, a female terrorist fighter in Islam is just too far out to succeed. Silva needs a new Gabriel Allon to replace the current one. The series cannot end, but again, Gabriel cannot go on forever and remain believable. Maybe Allon becomes Shamron and the new protege become the new hero?? Just please keep the series going.

Portrait of a Spy. A fantastic read. I never wanted to put it down or quit reading. I stopped often so I would be able to savor the book and prolong the finish

Perfect as always!. I never grow tired off this series, perhaps one of Silva's best. Very well written, the same tension exists as other previous writings. If the other reviewers are tired, switch to another author!!

MEH..... Slow and kind of boring. Allon is a good character and the past reads have been good but this one didnt do it for me. Vince flynn and cussler are better at the genre for sure

Daniel & Gabriel at the top of their games!. Perhaps the best in the series. Great fun read...thrills and chills. And always the bonus of the afterward explaining what was true, what was borrowed and what is "blue". For newbies, start with the first and read in order-great to watch the great character development and back stories. Daniel is a great interview but please get back to your day job!

Portrait of a Spy. There is a lot of modern "spy fiction" out there and most of it is pretty good and relaxing on a summer afternoon or on a rainy day. Daniel Silva's series featuring Israeli spy and assassin Gabriel Allon stands out from the crowd. Silva is not the only writer I read but I think what sets him apart is the depth of his characters - especially if one has followed them throughout the series. Gabriel Allon is not a typical spy. He is not a former SEAL, FBI agent or even backwoods marksman. He is in most ways, an ordinary person called upon to do unordinary things in service to ideas larger than his own life. In his own life, he is an artist - and by many accounts quite a gifted artist, although he has yet to reach the stage where he is comfortable signing a painting - but one who has gravitated to the restoration of works of art. Gabriel pours his energy into art restoration projects with an intensity that is matched only by his pursuit of "bad guys" and by the devotion given to those in his life who he loves. He continues to mourn a child killed by an early enemy and still loves a wife institutionalized in a mental hospital as she has never recovered from the death of their son. Gabriel has found a new love in his current wife and in protecting her and his native land of Israel, he applies his other skills - the elimination of enemies. In this day and age, invariably, those enemies are members of or offshoots of Al Queda - or the like. In this, Daniel Silva may be subject to some small dose of critical commentary, in that every other author has also substituted Al Queda for the KGB of old as the main opponent in modern spy fiction. However, since Silva tells the story so well, he can be forgiven this small transgression. After all, a good villain is harder to produce than a good hero. By the standards of today's spy fiction - which are pretty good - a journey down the path trod by Gabriel Allon will not disappoint.

Same old stuff. Similar plot, different locale.

portrait of a spy by Daniel silva. I just purchased this book this evening around 1 a.m. But it did not download. I have 77pages that say the same thing..... "Page 1 contains an error to this point" and so on and so on. 57 pages. Nothing else. Could this be corrected

Fast paced and thrilling. A book which is concurrent with the current global scenario related to terrorism and the spy games being played out to counter threats. The author is a master storyteller with great attention to detail paid to every chapter and incident. I will be reading more of Mr.Silva's books for sure.

Another excellent read. I don't think Gabriel Allon is too old - he's polished and unique. Love the characters in this series - I'd be sad to see them all go! It's a just a story, if you overanalyze it, it won't be as much fun.

Portrait of a spy. I'm not an avid reader but i love ths author! He combines current events with fictional characters . He is on the top of former President Bill Clintons reading list and i can see why!

Ok, I guess.. Really boring book. Devoid of any action. Written well though: maybe it jut isn't my kind of book.

Portrait of a Spy. Another excellent work of fiction that seems almost real. The story line and characters bring emotion to the book. Can't wait for next one about Gabriel.

Silvan. I like the Allon-chiara moments outside the spy themes as well. New younger spies mentored by Allon will keep the series fresh like Mikail and Sarah. I never get bored with the stories even if they are similar because the characters are sophisticated and compelling. Keep Allon in the series. Put him in charge. We all know it will happen some day. And I await the new novel. Bravo Daniel

Silva's Best. An amazing tale, reflecting the unfortunate turmoil in the War on Terror.

Portrait of a Spy. This is my favorite author and I wait all year for his new book. I don't feel that Gabriel is getting too old. Since I am 74 it's a matter of perspective. I like the fact that I know all the characters and feel like I am greeting old friends.

A most beautiful read…. Daniel is a genius at captivating your mind by setting spy plots in historical contexts. This was my first read and I’ve since read about 8 of his books (in sequence now) 😊

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